The Real Deal: AIHM Internships

From private islands and tropical resorts to stunning city hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants, AIHM’s hospitality management students are exploring their passions and developing their professional skills on their most recent internships.

As part of their degree in Global Hospitality Management, AIHM’s students are able to choose from a world of hospitality internship opportunities. For the most recent term, our students secured internships in Thailand (Bangkok, Pattaya, Yao Noi, Phuket, Samui), the Maldives, Dubai and France.

Which Brands Are Our Students Interning With?

Many students – 48% – took advantage of their preferred status when applying to Minor Hotels internships and chose to immerse themselves within Minor properties around the world. The other 52% sought and obtained internships at a wide variety of internationally recognised brands.

During the most recent internship period, students felt drawn to brands like Anantara, Avani, St Regis, Peninsula, Six Senses, Marriott, Rosewood, Kempinski, Mandarin Oriental, Hyatt Regency, Hilton, Le Fanal, Manoir du Lys, Capella and Four Seasons.

By gaining exposure to different brands, AIHM’s hospitality students are better able to understand the varied approaches brands take in catering to diverse guest profiles. Nimi Khanijou, for example, has chosen to do her internship in the Front Office department at the Siam Kempinski Hotel, where she had a role in delivering Kempinski’s brand signatures. In her words: “I…learned about Kempinski My Moments in which we make the guest’s stay extra special, as we believe every moment should be felt. Such information is pivotal when trying to understand what makes us unique as well as speaking to the reasoning behind the hotel’s SOP guidelines.”

What Kinds of Internships Do Students Seek?

Through their Practical Arts studies, students gained a comprehensive understanding of all the operational roles that contribute to a hotel’s success. Many of AIHM’s academic courses and other educational initiatives offer an in-depth look at management roles. AIHM students experience both sides of the equation during their internships. During the most recent term, 72% of students engaged in operational internships while the other 28% interned in management roles in heart of house positions in hotels. Their roles and the departments they have chosen include:

From Classroom Learning to Real-World Hospitality Experience

AIHM prioritises internships as an opportunity to experiment with different hospitality specialisations, to develop in-depth knowledge of various industry sectors, to begin building their professional network, and to apply their classroom learning in actual hotel scenarios. Internships allow students to experience the ‘real deal’ to see how practical and academic lessons relate to real-world contexts. In the words of Kanpitcha Sidang (Front), who is interning in the finance department at Rosewood Bangkok, “In the first week, I got a glimpse of Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, and Income. I’m currently lending my hand helping with AR, and it’s been fascinating how the content I’ve learned in Ishaan Dargan’s Financial Accounting class at the Asian Institute of Hospitality Management actually plays out in the real working environment! I have fun making connections between in-class and real-world aspects of accounting. 31 March 2023 was Rosewood Bangkok’s 4th Anniversary, I luckily got to attend the event and it was a day full of joy” Internships allow students to make the vital leap between academics and genuine professional contexts.

Peerachaya Samruayruen (Peera) is interning in the Front Office at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas. Exploring various facets of Front Office operations, she is able to see firsthand the multi-faceted responsibilities the department carries out. “So far,” she noted, “I have experienced the Guest Services Center and Reservations. Both are very different jobs but equally important for smooth operation. In the Guest Service Center, a very time sensitive role, I learned to book seaplane transfers, update colleagues of arrivals and departures for the day in real time, update guest profiles in Opera, update registration cards and receive in villa dining orders. In the detail- oriented world of Reservations, I learned how to make reservations in Opera, sent 100 reconfirmation emails in four days, created invoices, learned the pick-up report, learned the travel agent contract, created offer and confirmation letters through RIMs software, learned to use Zendesk customer service software and created payment links.”

Alongside their hard work, interns are also able to explore the destinations in which they worked and build camaraderie with their colleagues. Peerachaya remarked, “My time outside of work is spent with the amazing people on the island. Everyone on the island is friendly, respectful and kind. I feel as though I have made friendships and connections that will last a lifetime. They have taken me to local islands, snorkeling, strolling down the beach, playing badminton and more. Traveling alone to a different country was a big challenge for me, but I'm glad I did it.”

Two Hospitality Internships for Every Student

AIHM’s Bachelor of Business Administration in Global Hospitality Management is a 3.5-year programme (7 semesters), and all students benefit from two semester-long internships while earning their degree. Internships allow students to test out different career options, to connect theory with practice, and to gain experience and connections that will be invaluable as they embark on their careers. Because of these tremendous benefits, we place internships as a fundamental part of our students’ educational journeys.

Third-year student Khemkhaeng Rohrbach (Andrew) is completing his second internship in the Front Office division of the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River. He noted that his second internship has allowed him to develop “what I had learned in class and from my first internship to grow my understanding of the hospitality industry and [expand] my network of connections in the hospitality industry.”

Each destination and every hospitality enterprise provides its own valuable lessons and possibilities. By gaining two different perspectives, students see a wider breadth of the industry and are also able to begin comparing and contrasting different professional roles and environments to find the right fit for their future.

AIHM is devoted to helping our students achieve their dreams and goals and grow to become the next leaders of the hospitality industry. The internships they embark upon serve as a memorable and invaluable part of their process.

Want to Know More About Internships at AIHM?

Want to stay up to date with the innovative projects that form the heart of AIHM’s education?

Whether you’re a potential student, the parent of a potential student, an educator, or a hospitality professional or recruiter who wants to stay in the loop about the activities of tomorrow’s leaders, we invite you to follow us on Facebook for the latest updates. Visit the Facebook page for the Asian Institute of Hospitality Management.

Are you a hotel or hospitality enterprise interested in offering internships to AIHM students?

Please contact Samantha Lauver-Marion at Samantha.Marion@aihm.education