Exploring the City that Never Sleeps with UMass Amhersts’ AHLA Club
This past Veteran’s Day weekend I went to New York City with the American Hospitality and Lodging Association (AHLA). The AHLA here at the University of Massachusetts Amherst focuses on giving members insight into the hotel industry, and provides students with lots of networking opportunities. While in NYC I got to experience seeing the hotel industry firsthand and was immersed in the real-world experience of the hotel and hospitality industry.
Since I was a member of the UMass Amherst AHLA chapter, I paid a mere $80 for most of my weekend activities and hotel stay, a truly unbeatable bargain.
I took the Peter Pan Bus into NYC on Friday afternoon. The bus conveniently left straight from the Haigis Mall bus stop at UMass Amherst, and I arrived in the city that evening. Once everyone had arrived, we all checked into our hotel rooms at the Millennium in Times Square, a four-star hotel located in the heart of the city.
Friday evening we were treated to a welcome dinner at Patrizia’s on 2nd Avenue. Appetizer after appetizer kept rolling out, featuring all sorts of Italian goodies. My favorites included the margherita pizza, and fried calamari with marinara sauce. Little to my knowledge, this was only the beginning, as the appetizers were then followed by three entree dishes, and an assortment of desserts. The atmosphere was electric, with loud music and the occasional strobe light party. We were joined by three UMass Amherst alumni who were working in the hotel industry around NYC. Each alum took the time to introduce themselves to everyone on the trip, and talk a bit about their careers in the city. Time quickly passed, and before we knew it we’d spent three hours in the restaurant.
The rest of the evening we had free time to ourselves. A friend and I decided to take the time to do some late night shopping in Times Square, and take pictures of the city lights. Growing up 45 minutes from Boston I went to that city frequently, but it was nothing compared to NYC — especially at night. Some shops are open as late as two a.m., and the traffic never stops. I now truly understand why NYC is called “the city that never sleeps”.
Saturday, we spent the morning preparing for the three scheduled hotel tours of the day. Being able to tour four and five-star properties with UMass Amherst alumni really showed just how strong our connections are at the university. Everyone on the trip toured the Millenium together, then we broke into smaller groups of sixteen to tour two out of the four other hotel options. The two other hotels I toured were the W New York- Times Square and the Park Hyatt.
The W brings the city life into the hotel, giving off both retro and contemporary vibes. Alum Kevin Dunne is currently working at the W as a Rooms Voyager through the Marriott Voyage program, and showed us around. He showed us a couple of standard rooms, and one of their suites, along with areas of the back of the house. Throughout the tour, he told us about some of his experiences in the hotel industry, as well as the logistics of hotel operations. By getting to hear some of his personal experiences, this really gave me a better feel of what it’d actually be like to be in his shoes and working for the hotel industry. Not only did we see the hotel from the guest’s point of view, but also got to see the back of the house where the majority of the operations take place.
The Park Hyatt is a five-star luxury property, located right across from Carnegie Hall and a three minute walk from Central Park. We toured their Royal and Presidential suites, with price ranges anywhere from 15 to 30 grand a night. Our guide was an alum who joined the Hyatt 15 months after opening, back in 2002. She is now in the sales department working to book corporate events. She walked us around the hotel, telling us facts about the property, as well as her personal experience working for the Hyatt. Getting to see just how successful she is, and where she’s landed a job after graduating from UMass Amherst, was really inspiring. As a hospitality and tourism management major, down the line I hope to be doing the same type of work in the hotel industry she is right now.
After our last hotel tour, we had the rest of the evening to ourselves again. Once again, some friends and I set out to soak in the festivities of Times Square. We went shopping, going to some of our favorite clothing stores like Forever 21 and H&M, Levi’s, and MAC Cosmetics. For dinner we stopped by Shake Shack, and wrapped up the night with ice cream from the Coldstone Creamery.
On Sunday, we packed our bags and headed over to the Javits Center for the HX Hotel Experience Convention. Hotel enthusiasts from around the US attend this conference to see the different products being sold. Once at the convention, we checked in and headed over to the exhibit floor, where dozens of companies were promoting their products. Lots of free samples were being handed out, drawing us into the different booths, where we learned about various products and services, ranging from energy efficient faucets to abstract lighting fixtures and “burning water”.
After perusing through the different booths, we grabbed our bags and headed back towards Times Square to catch the Peter Pan bus back to UMass Amherst. We stopped at the Vessel at Hudson Yards along the way, taking pictures of the iconic landmark. Back in Times Square we grabbed lunch at Europa Cafe and said our goodbyes to the city.
Without UMass Amherst’s amazing alumni connections and faculty, this trip would not have been able to take place and provide so many students with these experiences. We gained hands-on experience in the hospitality industry, touring beautiful properties and visiting the HX convention, while also getting to enjoy the city’s vibrant culture and tourist scene. For me, this trip proved very informative, as well as memorable and fun.
