For 10 weeks this summer, Katelynn Hinterburger, a 2021 graduate of Niagara University’s College of Hospitality, Sport, and Tourism Management and current MBA student, is building her hospitality skills in an elegant hotel located in one of the world’s most luxurious locations as part of the college’s Lake Como summer internship program.
Working at the front desk at the Palace Hotel, a late 19th-century Liberty-style building on the shores of Lake Como, Hinterberger is getting first-hand experience in the international hospitality management industry, immersed in the Italian language and culture. As she learns the basics of hotel operations, she is also honing the soft skills essential for professional success.
“I feel that this opportunity has enhanced my ability to communicate, as well as given me a lot of patience,” she said. “Being in a whole new environment can be very difficult, but being able to adapt is a great skill to have.”
Two other CoHST students are also gaining valuable work experience as participants in this program, which is now in its 20th year. Senior Colby Ferchen, a hospitality and luxury operations major, was placed at the world-renowned Villa d’Este, which has been ranked as the best hotel in the world and is commonly called “Hollywood on Lake Como.” Recent graduate Maria Elena Mayet Franco, ’24, who majored in tourism and event management, is working at the Hotel Barchetta Excelsior, a member of the Villa d’Este group and a 2024 Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Award recipient. All three students were awarded scholarships from the Statler Foundation, Metz Culinary Management, and longtime Niagara supporter Dr. Jean-Marc Droullers. Four more students from Niagara are slated to take part in the program next summer.
Since 2004, the program has offered CoHST students the unparalleled opportunity to work in one of nine luxury Lake Como hotels in northern Italy on the border of Switzerland, including the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, “the jewel of Lake Como,” which has been ranked, along with the Villa d’Este, at the top of the list for resorts in Europe by Condé Nast and Travel + Leisure magazines.
Students must complete training in Italian to take part in the 10-week, full-time work program that focuses on developing superior customer service skills. In addition to immersing students in a different culture, they learn to address the needs of “discriminating” guests at luxury properties.
For three years prior to the start of this program, Niagara University assisted the Universita Insubria in developing its hospitality and tourism program and worked with the Lake Como Hotel Association and the Lake Como Tourism Association to make this opportunity possible. As part of an agreement with the Universita Insubria, 10 of their hospitality and tourism students study at Niagara University each fall.
“With the strong linkages that have developed between Niagara University and the Lake Como community, the two regions have discussed the possibility of a sister city relationship,” said Bridget Niland, Ph.D., J.D., dean of CoHST. “The key point for the students is that they are living and working in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. They often visit Rome, Venice, and Florence during their stays abroad. Living in paradise and building marketability — how can you lose!”
Hinterberger agrees.
“Having the ability to explore Italy has been a blessing,” she said. “I have also met so many amazing people during my time here. It truly is an experience like no other.”
