Avila Beach Hotel

Placement organization

Name of organization: Avila Beach Hotel
Town/city: Willemstad, Curacao
Country: Nederlandse Antillen
Website: http://www.avilabeachhotel.com

Name of student: Ilse Minderhoud

Specialist area: MT
Placement period: 2016-2017

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Hotel
Organization’s activities: The products that the Avila Beach Hotel offers are Rooms & Appartments, Bars & Restaurants, Wellness, Events, Weddings and Business.
Target group of the organization: The Avila Beach Hotel is a luxury hotel located in Willemstad and is the oldest operating hotel in Curacao. The hotel is centrally located, right on the beach and draws generally Dutch, German and American tourists who have enough money for a holiday in luxury.
Company culture: The daily policy consists of the General Manager Mr. R. Vogels, son of the owner.
Number of employees: 150
Dress code: casual
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? Yes

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working? Sales & Marketing department and assisting in the Conference & Banqueting department.
Brief description of your daily activities: – Updating the website
– Check websites of tour operators
– Analysis of target markets
– Assist with advertorial/ editorial magazines
– Following advertising trends of competitors
– Assist with promotion
– Maintain the internal promotion circulation schedule
– Prepare and analysis guest happiness tracker
– Weekly Rate Comparison Expedia report
– Constantly updating of email lists and best booker list
– Update media overview
– Assist with preparation of site inspections
– Filling in documents
– Telephone handling/ taking notes/ messages
– Handle reservations and upkeep of reservations list for events
– Prepare Alibi’s package for distribution
– Make weekly meeting room signs for Conference & Banqueting events
– Assist allround in the Sales and Marketing and Conference and Banqueting department.
Brief description of your company assignment: ‘The Avila Beach Hotel must measure the impact thereof, both local and international, corporate and leisure, this requires an image research. To contribute to the positive and improved image of the Avila Beach Hotel, we require the set-up of an internal and external communication plan in order to reach the right target group for the hotel.’
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: The supervision by the organization is very good, I get a lot of attention and everybody is willing to help.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Independent, social, flexible, stress-proof, representable
Additional company requirements for this placement? Outlook, MS Office, Powerpoint Indesign
English: Intermediate
Spanish:
French: Intermediate
German:
Italian:
Other languages: Dutch mother tongue

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Airplane

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? I arranged it myself on the internet.
How did you go to work every day? By car

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? No
Do you need a work permit? Yes, verklaring van rechtswege
How did you arrange the necessary documents: Immigration
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? 1 month
Did you need certain vaccinations? No
How long in advance? –

Language course

Did you take a language course before you started your placement? No
Would you recommend to have a language course prior to this placement? Not necessary

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € +/- €1100 (July)
Accommodation (monthly): € €385
Local transport (monthly): € My Car; €560
General costs of living (monthly): € €500
Costs of visa: € –
Costs of work permit: € €250
What did the company pay for/to you? Monthly 850 Guilders (425 Euro) and lunch meal every day.

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I’ve been here before (3 times), so I knew the culture.
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? No

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: ilseminderhoud@hotmail.com

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: Rent a car, also for safety reasons and you will do everything by car.
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: Going to beautiful beaches, swimming with dolphins, got your PADI, climing the Christoffelberg (mountain), going out, visit klein curacao and a lot more!

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link