Practical Experience in Hotel and Design Management

Internship periods of four to six-months are an integral part of the academic programme giving you the opportunity to gain 'hands-on' experience in a real-life working environment.

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  Philipp Schleife (Germany) during his internship at the front office, Grand Hotel National, Lucerne, Switzerland (Worldhotels Deluxe Collection)
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  Philipp Schleife (Germany) during his internship at the front office, Grand Hotel National, Lucerne, Switzerland (Worldhotels Deluxe Collection)

Prior to taking up an internship position, students are well prepared for their first year of studies thanks to the course structure, which focuses on the operational aspect of working life in a hotel: this gives students a practical understanding of how hotels operate at every level.

Students are assisted with all aspects of the interview process, from developing a professional curriculum vitae and cover letter to practising interview skills. An emphasis is placed on languages for first-year students, many of whom will remain in Switzerland for their first internship.

Ultimately, internships will benefit you in a number of ways:

• Practising the theoretical skills learned in class
• Gaining valuable work experience in the hospitality industry
• Providing the opportunity to develop an additional language

The internship office on each campus works diligently to place students in a variety of different establishments from five-star hotel chains to family-owned boutique hotels in Switzerland and across the globe. First internship experiences are generally in the area of food and beverage. Second internships usually take place in the departments of front office, food and beverage, housekeeping, administration or sales and marketing.

Students can be found doing their internship in:

Paid Internships in Switzerland

City Life Beau Rivage, Geneva (The Leading Hotels of the World) InterContinental, Geneva Lausanne Palace & Spa (The Leading Hotels of the World) Fairmont Le Montreux Palace The Dolder Grand, Zurich (A member of Design Hotels) Hotel Baur au Lac, Zurich (The Leading Hotels of the World) Marriott, Zurich Mövenpick Hotel Zurich-Airport

Alpine Experience Hotel Christiania, Gstaad Hotel Alpenrose, Wengen Hotel du Glacier, Saas-Fee Grand Hotel Zermatterhof, Zermatt (Swiss Deluxe Hotels) The Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, St. Moritz

Worldwide Internships   Ritz Paris The Dorchester, London The Lowell, New York (The Leading Hotels of the World) LesConcierges, San Francisco Sandals luxury resorts, Caribbean Islands Cape Grace boutique hotel, Cape Town (The Leading Hotels of the World) Armani Hotel, Dubai Conrad Maldives (part of Hilton’s hotel brands) Anantara luxury hotels, resorts and spas, Thailand Raffles Singapore Pangu 7 Star Hotel, Beijing

Students completing an internship in Switzerland receive a gross salary of between CHF 2,168.– to CHF 2,450.– per month. Deductions for food, taxes, accommodation and insurance are approximately CHF 1,000.– per month. International internship salaries vary depending on the conditions in each country.