Future Hospitality Society (FHS)

FHS had the pleasure of visiting the Toronto Marriott City Centre! With 348 rooms, including 54 stadium view rooms, this establishment is the only hotel located within a major league sporting stadium. We were welcomed by Alicia Bodanis, who brought our group along for a FOH and BOH tour, ending with an insightful Q&A session with Ryan Soderberg and various department managers along with snacks from the hotel’s Sportsnet Grill and Starbucks. We were also welcomed by Frank Menezes, who never fails to show up and support his current and former students, contributing to everyone’s growth. We would like to thank all the professionals, who helped make this event possible and took time out of their day to attend our Q&A session. We would also like to thank Rosalia Gonzalez Kamila Aung, and Thanushan Ramasamy for helping plan this event and continuing to show support to our group. Keisha Watson Disha Mehra Kripa Bhandari Maria Severino

The Future Hospitality Society had the immense pleasure to tour the prestigious Shangri-La Toronto. We were warmly welcomed by Adam, who graciously guided us through this iconic hotel. From an insightful look at their luxurious facilities to learning about their top-notch services, every moment was both educational and inspiring. During our visit, we had the unique opportunity to meet with several key members of the Shangri-La team, including the General Manager, the Marketing Director, the HR Director, the Room Director, and the Banquet Manager. Each shared their expertise and insights, providing us with a comprehensive understanding of the hotel’s operations and commitment to excellence. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Adam El Alfy, Kari Koskela, Michelle Beattie, Suraj Sachdev & Edra Godinho for their exceptional hospitality and for sharing their invaluable knowledge with us. Their passion and dedication to the industry left a lasting impression on all of us. Thank you for making our visit to the Shangri-La Toronto an unforgettable experience. We look forward to the possibility of visiting again and continuing to learn from your expertise.

Two weeks ago, The Future Hospitality Society had the opportunity to visit and explore The Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel. This Hotel it’s a beautiful property on the edge of Yorkville for over 30 years. We were hosted to a fantastic presentation from their executive team around their journeys through their own careers, as well as how each department operates and some history of the hotel and Sonesta brand. This was followed by a tour of their executive suite that consisted of a bathroom bigger than most of our apartments, the over 7000 square feet of banquet space finished by a high tea experience with the executive team. We would like to extended our gratitude and thank Shaun Pearson, Emmett Brett, Paula Carcamo, Thomasina Reilly, Paul Renouard, Leah Little, Thilaka Vithana, Caley Finlin, Athif Yousuf, Tobias Dublin for volunteering their time towards a wonderful and amazing experience. We would also like to thank Michael Hardacre for his enthusiasm and passion for the hospitality industry. His drive allowed our members to have this amazing opportunity.

The Future Hospitality Society had the immense pleasure to tour our first private club! We were warmly greeted by Alena Miatlushka (She/Her), MCATD & Ravi Madas who allowed us inside the exclusive Boulevard Club. From a look inside their historic ballroom & learning about the journey the club had to touring the beautiful property & learning about their upcoming “Master Plan”. We had sneak peak of their unravelling of the tennis courts, boathouse & their beehives! This 3000+ square foot club boosts everything from dragon boating, swimming, gold, soccer, volleyball, karate, pickleball, yachting, paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking & much more. Offering a wide variety for everyone's needs, your home away from home. Coming from a background of mainly hotel based students given the chance to see the close knit relationships crafted in private clubs was mesmerizing. Something our students are now given more thought on how their paths onwards looks like! What an absolute thrill to be joined by a panel of executive leaders, another warm thank you to  Greg McNab Gregory C. Frederic Laniel-Rainville Jun Geem Dzifa Harvey Jennifer Kennedy Ravi Madas Alena Miatlushka (She/Her), MCATD Noni Bruyere for dedicating their time for us! We would also like to thank the Boulevard Club for crafting a delicious lunch thanks to Executive Chef Jun Geem along with some goodies to take home. Thank you for making us feel welcomed & showing us true community feels like. We hope we can have the privilege to come once again! #BoulevardClub #FutureHospitalitySociety #FHS #GeorgeBrown 

Yesterday afternoon, FHS had the honour and privilege to have an amazing tour at the iconic Café Boulud. The French brasserie is located inside the Four Seasons Hotel and has become a landmark for the restaurant scene in Toronto. During our tour, we are able to see a glimpse of the “behind-the-scenes” of this fantastic operation and take a look both at the beautiful dining room, as well as the kitchen where amazing food is prepared. From the Lyon inspiration, to the carefully selected glassware and stories on regular guests, so much was shared and learned. To finish on a high note, we had a insightful conversation with Yann Le Guillou General Manager of the restaurant, and Suzuki Sayako Assistant People & Culture Manager of the hotel, to which, we would like to extend our gratitude for the time we spent together today and all the valuable lessons shared with us! FHS would also like to thank Cristiano Guedes dos Santos for curating this special event. Cristiano’s eagerness and drive to keep learning about the Restaurant industry is remarkable. Our members loved learning from such an important core of our industry and being part of the jorney👏🏻👏🏻

It has been a pleasure hosting the 3rd bi-annual in person resume & interview workshop - thank you to our hosts Bianca Maria Cantor & Alejandra Elioza along with any FHS members who made this happen behind the scenes. We had a wonderful group of FHS members & industry professionals coming out which we are forever grateful for. Their dedication of time and effort for our students is always a pleasure to witness each and every event. As many students are graduating this coming April we wanted our professionals to showcase what their brand was all about, the growth opportunities, internships, and more for students to get a grasp on what their future with them could look like! Beyond thrilled to our stunning group and a huge thank you to Todd M. Noftall CHA , Suzuki Sayako , Dhwani Panchal , Belinda Ndaye, MA , Caley Finlin , Paul Renouard for coming out and better the future of hospitality! We looking forward to hosting you in the near future😊 #Hospitality #FutureHospitalitySociety #Hoteliers #ResumeWorkshop #InterviewWorkshop

✉ Letter from students:  I recently received feedback from my mentor during my internship, saying, "You have a lot of potential, and you actually can do much more! but I could not see that in the interview." I believe this might be related to my background. Selling myself is still really challenging for me. In my culture, I've learned that we should all be humble. This means, "Do not show up." I still don't know how I can still be humble but show my ability as a candidate at an interview. 💗 Future Hospitality Society (FHS) would recommend this video to those who have been in this student's shoes. One of the perennial questions that always comes up in interviews is, 'What are your strengths and weaknesses?' Even though we've been living with ourselves for quite a while, why is it so difficult to answer such a simple question? 🤔 💫 In today's video, Jane Yrenaya provides us with a straightforward yet fundamental solution. Now, who's up for it? #tag your friend and share their strengths!  Then, ask them, "What are my strengths?" 😁

"Beyond The Lobby" by Hrishikesh Cheulkar (Rishi) ✏📚 As many students embark on their first part-time jobs in the hospitality industry, they often miss the opportunity to connect their work experiences with their future careers. When I first spoke with Rishi last winter, I was inspired by his unique passion for the hospitality industry. Particularly during the intense stress of numerous internship interviews with no clear future, hearing Rishi's story made me admire his unwavering positivity, even during the crisis brought about by the pandemic. In Rishi's book, I was reminded of the teachings of many mentors who imparted wisdom about the hospitality industry. If read by students just entering this industry, it would truly serve as hospitality 101. I recall Professor Frank Menezes's words that hospitality is also about having a warm heart for others. The anecdotes about Rishi and the guests in the book provide a great example for hospitality students. From creating special memories for aspiring chefs to noticing a malfunctioning wheel, replacing it, and even buying board games with his own money to create unforgettable experiences for guests, Rishi demonstrated how sincerely he approaches his profession and pays delicate attention to caring for guests. One of the most impressive stories to me was how Rishi turned a potentially disastrous situation—the cancellation of a guest's architectural tour—into a new and positive experience. He dedicated his personal time to capturing beautiful and historic buildings near Toronto with his camera, using his own resources to collect more photos. He turned these works into postcards as gifts for the guests. Can you imagine how many steps were involved in this process? Through this story, I was reminded of the importance of empathy. Hospitality begins with empathizing deeply with the guests' hearts and having the imagination to find ways to turn disappointment into joy. Through Rishi's stories, I learned about the significance of encountering good mentors in life's crucial stages, the importance of maintaining a grateful attitude, and considering what one can contribute, even in challenging situations. Experiencing Rishi's journey indirectly through his book, constantly moving towards the next step without settling in the present, was an honor. I look forward to more conversations with Rishi in the near future. Once again, the Future Hospitality Society (FHS) expresses gratitude to professionals for providing valuable insights to students passionate about the hospitality industry. Thank you!😊🙏 #FHS #bookreview #beyondthelobby #parkhyatt

Hello, everyone! FHS is back with a new series, <Expert Insights: Student Queries>. It's been a year since I joined FHS as a member. During this time, I've met numerous professionals who have reached various milestones throughout their careers. However, as a student, I sometimes felt a sense of distance from these professionals, as we strive for smaller, simpler goals like crafting effective resumes, conducting interviews confidently, securing internships, and graduating successfully. While it's said that there are no foolish questions, I've had concerns about asking questions that may seem trivial or less important. In <Expert Insights: Student Queries>, we address questions specific to the particular times all students face. The first topic of this series will delve into the ideal mentor-mentee relationship in the workplace. Given that many FHS students are currently going through internship processes, I am confident that this video will be helpful to many students. Once again, FHS extends its infinite gratitude to Jane Yrenaya for generously dedicating her time to Future Hospitality Society (FHS) students. Jane's video will be released as a series of 9. Please look forward to many more to come! What are your thoughts? 🤔 Leave your comments! 👇 💛   #FHS #mentorship #safeworkenvironment

Happy Lunar New Year! 🐉🎇💖