What Hurricane Joachin taught me about the hospitality industry

After living in Iceland, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany, Daniel made the decision to live in a warm climate for the first time in his life following his graduation from César Ritz Colleges. Early into his Management Traineeship with Kiawah Island Golf Resort near Charleston, South Carolina, Hurricane Joachin wreaked havoc on the Island providing Daniel with some unforgettable lessons in hospitality.

Top 6 things I learned when a tropical storm hit during my Management Traineeship

1. How to be flexible and adapt to entirely unknown situations: Honestly everything about the experience was an opportunity to learn. Coming from Iceland, a tropical storm was a brand new experience for me and it was extremely inspiring to see how this 5 star resort was able to react to an extreme situation with professionalism and high service. We are still receiving messages from the guests sharing how impressed and amazed they were that the level of service didn’t drop during the crisis.

2. How to support and manage guest safety during a crisis: The roads going in and out of the hotel were closed down for about 4 days during the storm. This meant that our guests could not leave the hotel and arriving guests had to postpone. Every day the staff would meet in order to assess, discuss and implement the safety measures that were needed to ensure the safety of every guest booked at the hotel.

3. How to prioritize tasks while delivering 5 star services: During the storm the food and beverage options had to be readjusted, the turn down service was cancelled and the housekeeping service was modified.

"These changes were made to ensure the level of service could remain at its highest while considering the lower staff availability who were working 18 hour days 4 days in a row."

4. How to communicate important and timely information to guests: The security team was extremely good at getting information through to guests. At the first secure opportunity, a bus was organized that shuttled the guests to the airport to safely take them back home. The communication between the airports and guests had to be open at all times in order to ensure guests could return home at the earliest possibility.

5. How Southern Hospitality stands out from the rest: I would say that the level of service in the United States is on a different level then what I experienced in Europe. It’s been incredible to observe and learn about the famous Southern hospitality. To me it’s about genuine friendliness. It is clear that the people here really do care and want to help in any way possible.

6. How much I miss the Northern climates: I admit that I miss the chilly temperatures of Northern Europe and find the heat and long summers a bit overwhelming.

"This experience has been incredible and I have had the opportunity to learn about so many different departments and even help revive the Rooms Division Traineeship (which hasn’t taken place since 8 years ago). I am grateful for everything I have learned but I think my next professional adventure will take place in a colder climate!"