Dear All,

How is every one doing? Very warm greetings from Abu Dhabi, UAE!

It was only 5 years ago when I started in HTMi as a freshman. I really had no idea what it was like to be a hotelier. I first enrolled on the course just to experience Swiss life and was thinking to move on with many other fields until I could find something that I truly enjoyed doing. I have had so much fun and gained so much confidence after the first year - Certificate; HTMi nurtured and shaped into a much better person and that really positively surprised me. I found joy and fun in hospitality and decided to stay to complete my study there.

I have had the most 4 fruitful years in HTMi, from Certificate, Diploma, and Higher Diploma to BSc Degree. then the ‘Train the Trainer’ course, I had been studying hard to ensure that I am prepared for my working life. Of course I could not miss out on all the fun we used to have in HTMi either, and I’m glad to see that the fun and HTMi’s spirit are still carried on by all HTMi past and current students.

It has been 1 and a half years since I graduated from HTMi, and there were many career paths opened up for me before leaving school thanks to all the external recruitments arranged by the management. After a lot of consideration, I decided to start my career in Dubai as a Management Trainee with Rotana Hotel Management Group. Rotana is a very well-established and highly regarded Hotel Management Company in the Middle East. My 1 year Management Training was challenging. Working in a 5-star hotel is a lot more complicated than to be a role model student back in school. Besides long working hours, I was given a lot of projects and operational plans to do. After that intensive 1 year, my career ladder accelerated from a management trainee to become the Assistant Manager Executive Lounge in a new Rotana Hotel – Park Rotana Abu Dhabi.

Joining the pre-opening team with a manager position right after the Management Training, II felt was so good for my future. I was responsible for setting up of the Executive Lounge and Business Centre. There were so many things to be planned and followed up, and, frankly speaking, it was not easy at all. There were endless days of double shifts to ensure that the preparation is according to the plan. Hard working has paid off as the hotel is now one of the most successful hotels in town only after less than half year of operation.

However, as I do have many aggressive career objectives, I have recently decided to move forward by accepting a new offer from another hotel management company – The Jumeirah Hotels Group in a newly opening hotel called The Meydan Hotel in Dubai. I will be joining the hotel as Executive Lounge Manager. I think that I am so lucky to be able to precede my career plan faster than I have planned for. However, at the end of the day, it’s quality that speaks for it all. And of course today’s achievement is from yesterday’s investment. I would not be who I am now if I hadn’t started in HTMi.

This is only a quick note to update all my friends around the world. Wish you all best of luck no matter which part of the world you are now!! I am looking forward to hearing same stories from all of you.

Sincerely Yours,

Kyly Tran

Vietnam