The School of Hotel Management at Stenden South Africa celebrated last week the launch of the first-ever Minor in hotel opening management with Northside Consulting as its Core Industry Partner.

Wouter HENSENS, Dean of the School of Hotel Management said: “Today we launched the pilot program with a group of 12 students. Through this new Minor, 3rd year students will learn from expert faculty and industry experts, gaining valuable practical knowledge on hotel opening processes.”

Gert NOORDZY, Managing Director of Northside Consulting said: “This hotel opening management Minor fills an important gap in specialist hospitality education. The Minor has been designed in such a way that it aligns with the needs of the hotel industry, and covers all phases of the new hotel opening project life cycle. This makes students graduating with this Minor highly attractive for hotel developers and managers with a development pipeline.”

Stenden South Africa offers a three-year Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Hospitality Management, the only institution in South Africa to do so. Students experience a critical learning experience in their 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of study by working a hotel learning facility, such as My Pond Hotel for several weeks. 

The 3rd year international hospitality management students in the pilot program have reacted enthusiastically about the Minor:

“The sessions have been eye-opening, not just on an academic, but also on a professional level. The course has really put into perspective the hospitality world, in terms of hotel openings.” commented Tavimbanashe Zisengwe. “The discipline and principles that govern Project Management are competencies that should increasingly be considered as essential in the skillset of the future manager in any industry.”

Jordan Torr added: “I signed up for this Minor, as I believe that it is necessary for any young hotelier to have a great understanding of what procedures need to be followed to ensure that a hotel can open its doors on time. I am enjoying this minor as I feel it is a lot different in comparison to what I have learnt at Stenden thus far.”

“The past week has been truly an entire new experience. I never thought I would be sitting in classes learning about what goes on in actual opening hotels. It has opened my eyes and I am now aware that I can be part of the pre-opening of a hotel.” reacted Tawana Muratu.

“Hotel opening management is quite an interesting Minor as it gives a broader understanding of opening hotels. Moreover, I feel that the content aligns with the Revenue Management Minor.” shared Zanele Nggondi. “Personally, I feel this was a great idea to introduce this Minor as it is not only looking at the hotel opening side but also at the various project management knowledge areas, such as project risk management, project procurement management, etc.” 

The Minor will have its first official intake of students in February 2018.

About Stenden South Africa, School of Hospitality Management

Stenden South Africa is a leading Private Higher Education Institution situated in the coastal town of Port Alfred. Full degree programs offered include Disaster Management and Hospitality Management. Visit www.stenden.ac.za for further information.

Media contact email address: media@stenden.com

About Northside Consulting Company Limited

Northside Consulting is an innovative consulting firm, specialising in Organisational Project Management for the hospitality industry. Services provided include new hotel project life cycle management and pre-opening support for new hotel projects. Visit www.northside-consulting.com for further information.

Media contact email address: gert.noordzy@northside-consulting.com.