When Nimi Khanijou completed her studies at the Asian Institute of Hospitality & Management (AIHM) and continued onward at Les Roches, she already knew she wanted to be an industry trailblaser. Today, she’s well on her way, blazing a trail as the first AIHM alumnus to step into Minor Hotels’ Preferred Employment Status opportunity, a pathway designed to fast-track talented graduates into impactful roles across the company.
In the Q&A below, Nimi reflects on her rotations as a Management Trainee at Minor Hotels headquarters, the AIHM academic experiences that have prepared her to thrive, and the bold ideas she’d love to bring to life next.
Nimi’s story is a testament to what happens when opportunity meets drive. Glimpse how AIHM’s alumni are leveraging their experiences and opportunities to make their mark on the future of global hospitality.
Can you describe your current role and responsibilities at Minor Hotels?
I am currently a Management Trainee at Minor Hotels, where I’ve had the opportunity to rotate across several departments to gain broad exposure and hands-on experience across different business functions.
I began my journey in the People & Culture team, where I supported the “Minor Things Matter” transformation by assisting with content planning and designing to roll out across our regional teams. I also contributed to event planning for the L&D Strategy Forum and supported guest stay arrangements. This rotation allowed me to strengthen my content creation and design capabilities, particularly in developing engaging and brand-aligned training materials.
Subsequently, I joined the Loyalty Marketing & Partnerships team, where I was involved in the rebranding and integration of our programme under “Minor DISCOVERY.” I assisted to recreate procedural worksheets for hotel onboarding—covering both Opera-interfaced and non-Opera properties—and conducted pricing audits to assess rate parity between brand.com and our GHA partner platform, which is vital for guest trust and brand integrity.
During my time in Public Relations, I supported content development for the launch of Anantara Jaipur by consolidating information on key elements like F&B, room offerings, and brand design, which I then had the chance to draft into a press release. I also monitored Avani’s media coverage, assisting with collating information to compile a coverage report, using metrics such as UVM and AVE to measure campaign effectiveness—examples included high-profile events like the Baa Atoll Ballet Retreat and the Made in Chelsea filming in the Maldives property.
In a creative initiative, I proposed a concept for the launch of pet-friendly hotels under the Minor Hotels brand. The “Barks & Bites” campaign featured ideas such as pet welcome kits, IRD menus, and community gatherings to optimise ancillary revenue and enhance guest experience.
I also had the chance to write a blog content for both the AVANI and Anantara brand website, where I practiced a more experiential and guest-centric writing approach that subtly integrated our properties into destination-focused features.
My Marketing rotation included exposure to Brand Marketing, Graphic Design, Email Marketing and Campaigns. I was tasked with analysing competitor strategies in email marketing for enhancing ancillary revenue and proposed a customer panel concept to gather data-driven insights from current guests for future campaign personalisation.
In the Web & App department, I reviewed our soon-to-launch app and assessed technical and UX improvements. I also proposed webpage design ideas for campaigns, residences and dining pages based on competitor benchmarking.
Within E-Commerce, I attended workshops hosted by our marketing agency, Google, and Meta to understand how to optimise campaigns on brand.com, based on travel trends and customer behaviour in 2025 as well as with the development of AI tools to streamline tasks and perform A/B testing. I also analysed Power BI dashboards to review booking patterns such as booking lead time and OTA vs. direct booking revenue, in which I proposed campaign strategies for our core rate strategies supported by competitor strategies.
Finally, I’ve had some exposure to social media marketing, understanding the importance of UGC and processes to streamline the acquisition of this content and learned how to track campaign effectiveness through impressions and engagement, while using content scheduling tools for consistency.
This rotational experience has given me a holistic view of the business and strengthened my ability to collaborate cross-functionally, adapt quickly, and apply creative problem-solving in a real-world hospitality context.
Are there any specific roles or areas within the company that you aspire to work in?
I am currently back with the People & Culture department, continuing my work in Learning & Development and content design. My focus includes developing and scheduling training materials on our new learning platform, particularly for the Minor Things Matter transformation and the Anantara Service Culture initiative.
While I remain open to exploring new opportunities, my involvement in these projects—from the initial research phase to the integration with our new bite-sized learning platform—has provided a strong foundation for continued growth. I’m especially passionate about creating people-first environments that promote well-being, embrace diversity, and bridge brand values with employee experience through engaging, scalable learning solutions.
Were there any courses or projects at AIHM that directly helped you transition into your current role?
Several aspects of my academic experience at AIHM played a key role in preparing me for my current position at Minor Hotels. One standout was a course I completed on “Leading Teams to Success”, which emphasised leadership in dynamic environments and taught practical applications of motivation theory. It provided foundational insights into how different leadership styles can impact performance and engagement, which has been incredibly helpful in navigating cross-functional collaborations during my rotations.
Additionally, our coursework explored Belbin’s Team Roles theory, which helped me identify my strengths as a team player and recognise how different personalities contribute to team effectiveness. Understanding the dynamics between roles such as the Implementer, Coordinator, or Plant helped me better navigate team tasks by adapting to what the group needed—whether that was offering structure, creativity, or support. This awareness has allowed me to integrate more seamlessly into the different Workstreams and ensure balanced contributions across projects.
If Minor Hotels gave you one “golden pass” to do whatever you wanted—create a new hotel concept, introduce a wild innovation, take over a specific department—what would you do?
If given a “golden pass,” I would propose the creation of a dedicated AI & Innovation Department within Minor Hotels. This department would work cross-functionally with various workstreams—including Operations, Marketing, Public Relations, Learning & Development, E-commerce, and Social Media—to identify opportunities where artificial intelligence can be integrated to streamline tasks, boost efficiency, and elevate team member productivity.
The core purpose of this department would be to ensure we are staying ahead of emerging tech trends while still aligning with our innovation and people-focused Minor Hotels brand value. By embedding AI into the DNA of our operations, we could create a future-facing hospitality model that optimises efficiency—setting Minor Hotels apart as an intelligent, result-oriented and high-performing leader in the industry
Nimi’s story shows what’s possible when education, opportunity, and initiative align. As more AIHM students take their first steps into the industry, her experience offers both inspiration and a roadmap: stay curious, stay open, and never underestimate the power of saying yes.
Is a Business Degree from AIHM the Key to Your Future?
A Bachelor of Business Administration from AIHM opens doors.
Founded by Minor Hotels and offering a BBA degree in academic association with Les Roches, AIHM brings together two powerhouse names for one leading education in global hospitality management. Why earn your BBA at AIHM?
- Students following the Les Roches curriculum have a 94% employment rate upon graduation.
- Minor Hotels’ extensive network provides access to over 40,000 professionals and entrepreneurs in the hospitality and tourism industry.
- Gain real-world experience at some of the world’s most recognised hospitality brands—including two internships for every student.
- Graduate and take advantage of preferred employment status for career opportunities at Minor Hotels worldwide.
Want to know more? Discover AIHM’s BBA Degree.
