the hotel factory continues growing, not only in new and interesting projects, but also in regards to its team. We always have candidates who come to our company to do internships relating to their degree of studies or university master thanks to the various university agreements that we have signed with universities throughout the Spanish territory as well as internationally.

Therefore, as we usually do, we have asked the people who are doing their internships with us to tell us something more about themselves, their studies and their experience with us.

Today we introduce to you Lucía Cuellas Catón; an MBA in International Hotel and Tourism Management, student at the Vatel International School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and that he just started his internship with us.

THF: Tell us a little bit more about yourself. Where are you from? What are you studying?

I was born in Vitoria, but I moved into Madrid when I was kid. I am currently studying an MBA in  International Hotel & Tourism Management in Vatel Madrid. These past years I have been taking my studies while doing several internships internationally. Last summer I had the opportunity to complete my academic background by doing an internship in a travel agency in Bali.

I am currently doing my internship in the hotel factory, where I am being able to keep on learning and growing professionally.

THF: Why did you decide to study this?

I decided to study tourism because it combines all the things I enjoy: travelling, discovering new cultures, innovation, technology, sustainability… all of this adding to the fact that this is a very changing and dynamic industry.

I believe this industry is experiencing a non stop growth where there are changes and innovations happening on a daily basis. This dynamic nature makes tourism the least monotonous industry. It is a fascinating yet demanding job due to the constant evolution of the industry, making it vital to stay updated and aware of the international context.

Nonetheless, tourism has a key role in sustainability matters. It is a leading industry when it comes to taking action on building a more sustainable future. Global awareness of this matters is increasing at a steady pace, which is why companies are working more and more on reducing their environmental footprint. This is why I am very glad to be able to contribute to the cause in the hotel factory by implementing more sustainable strategies in the hotel industry.

THF: How did you come to know about the hotel factory? What caught your attention?

I got to know the hotel factory through a tourism forum organised by my university. What first caught my attention was the wide variety of projects and destinations the company had been involved in. I was also very interested in their way of approaching projects, working in teams  of very diverse backgrounds.

However, what attracted me the most was my colleges experiences. I had very encouraging feedback which led me to think this would be the perfect place to keep on learning and growing professionally.

THF: What was your impression when you met us for the first time during the interview?

During the interview I got to see for myself all I could have researched about the company. This first contact allowed me to know the hotel factory more in detail thanks to their welcoming and professional approach which showed me how committed they are in the whole training process of the internship.

THF: Now that you have seen first hand the kind of work that we do here, is it what you expected of a hotel consultant?

I first started the internship with very high expectations as it was an opportunity I was looking forward to make the most out of. Since day one I have been able to participate actively in diverse projects. I have felt very welcome by the team and part of it since the beginning, being able to suggest ideas and seeing how projects take shape. All in all, I can already say they have exceeded my expectations.

THF: What do you like the most about this job?

I definitely enjoy the teamwork environment in which we share ideas, previous experiences… Regardless of being on an internship, I feel very involved in the projects, being able to participate from the beginning and always with my colleges support. Thus, I am learning more here than I could have imagined initially.  

THF: What type of projects have you worked on during your months with us? Do you find them interesting?

Over my first month I have had the opportunity to work on several projects. Lately I have been mainly working in benchmarking studies. I have been studying best practices from reference hotels in order to develop, according to these examples, the hotel conceptualization. It is very impressive seeing how, after gathering the valuable information about these reference hotels, the conceptualization starts taking shape taking the best practices from each of the hotels researched.

THF: What you would say to all the students who want to work as an intern? What reasons would you give for them to choose the hotel factory?

If they seek for a place to keep on learning in a dynamic environment, the hotel factory is the perfect choice. In only a month I have been able to work and learn about positioning, conceptualization, benchmarking… and I keep on learning every day along with a team who brings out the best in yourself.

If you’d like to know more about her and the rest of the team at the hotel factory do not hesitate to check our team tab on our website or look for us on LinkedIn, where you can also find the latest updates about us and the hotel sector.