About the Role
The Hotel Operations Intern will gain hands-on exposure to the daily operations of a hotel, with rotations through key departments. This internship is designed for students or recent graduates interested in building a career in hospitality operations and hotel leadership.
Responsibilities
- Participate in a structured rotation through hotel operating departments.
- Shadow department leaders to learn daily operating procedures, service standards, staffing models, and guest service expectations.
- Assist with front desk operations, guest check-in/check-out, service recovery, guest requests, and lobby engagement.
- Support Housekeeping leadership with room inspection processes, room readiness tracking, inventory control, and coordination with the Front Office.
- Assist Food & Beverage teams with restaurant, banquet, bar, or event operations.
- Learn how Engineering and Maintenance support guest satisfaction, safety, preventive maintenance, and property upkeep.
- Attend operational meetings, pre-shift meetings, standups, and leadership check-ins.
- Support special projects related to guest satisfaction, associate engagement, operational efficiency, revenue opportunities, or process improvement.
- Review hotel performance indicators, including guest satisfaction scores, occupancy, service trends, labor productivity, and financial basics.
- Assist with administrative tasks, reporting, scheduling support, and communication between departments.
- Demonstrate a warm, professional, and service-focused attitude with guests, associates, and leadership.
- Follow all hotel policies, brand standards, safety procedures, confidentiality expectations, and grooming standards.
Requirements
- Currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, a hospitality, business, tourism, culinary, or related degree program preferred.
- Strong interest in hotel operations, hospitality leadership, guest service, and career growth within the hotel industry.
- Previous hotel, restaurant, customer service, retail, or campus leadership experience is a plus.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
- Professional demeanor with a positive attitude and willingness to learn.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, guest-facing environment.
- Flexible schedule, including the ability to work mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.
- Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Ability to stand, walk, and move throughout the property for extended periods of time.
Skills
- Communication
- Interpersonal skills
- Organizational skills
- Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Education Level
- Hospitality degree program
- Business degree program
- Tourism degree program
- Culinary degree program
- Related degree program
About the Company
- Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company with over $15 billion of assets under management and a global portfolio of more than 400 hotels spanning North America, Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
- With a 30-year track record as an innovator in the hospitality industry, this forward-thinking company provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition.
- Highgate continues to demonstrate success in developing a diverse portfolio of bespoke lifestyle hotel brands, legacy brands, and independent hotels and resorts, featuring contemporary programming and digital acumen.
- The company utilizes industry-leading revenue management tools that efficiently identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive outperformance and maximize asset value.
- With an executive team of seasoned hospitality leaders and corporate offices worldwide, Highgate is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands.
