Learn Your Trade: A Room with a Vision

They say hospitality is about serving others. But for me, it's about stories—those of guests from every corner of the world, and the one I’m writing for myself.

My name is Ritikia Khan, and I’ve just graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management. After four years of textbooks, role plays, banquets, and back-to-back internships, I’m finally stepping out of the university gates with more than a diploma in hand—I carry a dream shaped by late-night shifts, front desk smiles, and the soft murmur of early morning coffee machines.

I remember the first hotel I ever entered as a guest. It was a modest seaside resort in Goa. I must have been around nine. What stuck with me wasn’t the pool or the room, but how the front office clerk remembered my name. “Welcome back, Aria.” Those three words made me feel seen. I remember thinking, 'How powerful it must be to create that feeling every day.'

That’s where my dream began

During my university years, I took every opportunity to immerse myself in various areas, including F&B service, housekeeping, event planning, and even revenue management. My internships at a five-star property in Mumbai and a boutique lodge in Manali provided me with a comprehensive view of the industry. I learned that hospitality isn’t only about luxury or aesthetics—it’s about anticipation, empathy, precision, and presence.

Now, with my degree in hand, I want to build a career that blends service with strategy, warmth with leadership. I don’t just want to be a hotel manager someday—I want to be the kind of leader who shapes the future of hospitality.

My short-term goal is to gain comprehensive, hands-on experience in hotel operations. I’ve applied for the Management Trainee Program at a global hotel chain—one that rotates trainees through every department. I want to understand how a hotel breathes—how the night audit team holds the fort at 2:00 a.m., how banquets are coordinated without chaos, and how guest complaints are transformed into loyalty.

In the next three years, I hope to grow into an assistant front office manager role. I believe the front desk is the heartbeat of a hotel—it’s where first impressions form and loyalty begins. But beyond operational efficiency, I want to learn the nuances of people management how to build a team that feels valued. How to listen, coach, and lead. How to hold space for both guests and staff, even on the busiest, most stressful days.

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