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What is the Guest Relations Department?
The answer is The Jack of All Trades - helping out all the departments, being a concierge, the reception, the telephone operator, F&B and the Spa is one big hamster wheel that just keeps going.
The answer is The Jack of All Trades - helping out all the departments, being a concierge, the reception, the telephone operator, F&B and the Spa is one big hamster wheel that just keeps going.
In my opinion, it’s actually better to multi-task with every department because especially for interns, you learn more things, you get to know your superiors and you kind of get a glimpse of what they do in their own specific department. I chose this over being at the reception because not only do I do more tasks but most importantly, we are a small group which is much easier to handle and get more contact with guests personally with the in—house problems and whatever they need. As an intern, I do have less responsibilities but I try to take some off my three managers for what I’m allowed to do and keep some weight off of their plates.
After all, we want all guests to have “The Majestic Experience.”
After all, we want all guests to have “The Majestic Experience.”
Our team is curated from the best possible talents in the world. From the artsy one, to the foodies, the perfectionists and the spontaneous ones. I work with the gambit of amazing colleagues whom I call my second family.
guest's comments
"I just wanted to take a minute to write about the wonderful stay my best friend Holly Weber and I just had at the Majestic Hotel & Spa.
We loved the location, the spa services and the comfortable amenities we had at your hotel. It was perfect for our week-long stay in Barcelona.
I wanted to specifically tell you about your guest relations intern from the Philippines (Cristina?). She was fantastic!
She helped me pick up my travel documents to return to the US, explained how the VAT refund program works and highlighted places to see on my last day – all with a smile on her face. It was also great talking with her about our Filipino heritage and how she has a sister near my home in California.
I was not only impressed that you offered internship programs to foreign students – but that you had the great sense to accept someone as smart, friendly and helpful as she. She definitely was a shining part of our stay at your hotel.
Gracias por todo!
Jennifer"
We loved the location, the spa services and the comfortable amenities we had at your hotel. It was perfect for our week-long stay in Barcelona.
I wanted to specifically tell you about your guest relations intern from the Philippines (Cristina?). She was fantastic!
She helped me pick up my travel documents to return to the US, explained how the VAT refund program works and highlighted places to see on my last day – all with a smile on her face. It was also great talking with her about our Filipino heritage and how she has a sister near my home in California.
I was not only impressed that you offered internship programs to foreign students – but that you had the great sense to accept someone as smart, friendly and helpful as she. She definitely was a shining part of our stay at your hotel.
Gracias por todo!
Jennifer"
day by day
10JAN18 - 4Jul18
10 January 18
Of course everyone is nervous and just curious on what their first day would be like. My first day automatically made me see that I would be dealing with a happy family that was filled with smiles, space for learning and experiencing the 5 star traditions of the Majestic Hotel and Spa. My uniform was a dark blue dress with black stockings and a jacket since I started in the season of Winter and as Spring and Summer came along, we switched the nude stockings.
My first day was like a volcano about to explode because of the information overload, getting to know the faces that I would be working with, the VIPS. What i really enjoyed about my first day is that I literally became best friends with the one other intern from the Netherlands but was going to finish in the next 2 weeks after I arrived. Everything was a “rush” i would say because I had to learn everything from her in that span of time but I was not bothered because I would be learning everything every step of my 6 months at the Majestic.
My first day was like a volcano about to explode because of the information overload, getting to know the faces that I would be working with, the VIPS. What i really enjoyed about my first day is that I literally became best friends with the one other intern from the Netherlands but was going to finish in the next 2 weeks after I arrived. Everything was a “rush” i would say because I had to learn everything from her in that span of time but I was not bothered because I would be learning everything every step of my 6 months at the Majestic.
4 July 18
Do you ever get that feeling when you’re about to finish but it gets even more fun and you’re relationship with your co-workers gets better? Well, that was my last week of work because my job became more “hectic” in a way which was exciting, more tourists for the summer and more! It was a day filled with lots of hugs and just mixed emotions of wanting to actually find a future here and wanting to go back home to see my family and friends (including the food). Speaking of food, the day before I left, the Guest Relations team prepared a nice Spanish dinner which lasted 3 hours because of the amount of food on the table. I was getting emotional because they made me a goodbye poster and gave me the goodies that we give to our VIPs such a tiny bear, candies, a beautiful scarf and the chocolates that are from Casa Amatller. They made me give our a speech and trust me, the speech made me cry as I thanked them for everything and being my second family. I even gave tips to the new interns that are going to start with the team and tricks on how to get along with the rest of the departments haha! In contrast to my first day, I also had almost 2 months to teach one of the new interns as well and then more of them came along for the summer internship, so I was happy enough to teach one and let her show the others what it is like to work in such a beautiful hotel and a fun environment.
stumble intoDiscovering the Hospitality Industry
In the hospitality industry, everyday there are challenges with the workplace, the guests, the colleagues and most of all, challenges with myself.
Every shift I start, I always tell myself that I have to go through challenges which I have to accomplish and solve myself. Bumping problems is fun at times because it gets to be with the other interns from the other departments like the front or back office. Sometimes we figure it out together without our superiors and sometimes we run after them because decision making has to be done through them but if its about a guest and we are comfortable, we do it ourselves. Top challenges during the duration of my internship would include top VIP arrivals who demand for so much but we comply and give them the best experience, dealing with lost passports and calling the consulate of that certain country and a fun challenge with an accomplishment for our department that handles surprises that are made in advanced and pushing through with happy couples,families and friends! |
moving onPassion is an essential
Ever since I was a little girl, the industry has always been there because of my family and our business but other than that, it’s the perfect industry which encompasses my personality and who I am as a person with other people. Working 6 months abroad made me think of what I would like to do either to come back home and continue the family business or stay abroad and experience life and find a job in the top leading hotels in the Europe. It’s a tough choice, but i’ll get there in time. I’m lucky enough to have graduated in a school that had classes that dealt with certain real-life situations, learning from professors that went through the same experiences and share their hotel life with me. In my opinion, it’s a a great experience that Enderun has 2 internships that go with the curriculum before graduation and even an extra one for an elective and the choice of local or international. I did both local and international and it is very different because I took the same department and I learned more at The Majestic Hotel rather than the Fairmont Makati. My favourite part of being in Enderun is that I got to meet the same people who have the same passion, personality as I do and connecting with others who have a degree in the culinary and business industry as well.
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P.S. I was lucky enough to be chosen by the General Manager to help advertise a 50 second video to show our beautiful Majestic Royal Penthouse (the largest in Barcelona) to over 1,000 travel agents in New York!