Corporate bits | Sheraton and St. regis honor graduates from City U

Sheraton Grand Macao and St. Regis hosted an official graduation ceremony for the first time yesterday, honoring students from the City University of Macau who graduated from the hospitality development program. The program, which commenced in 2013 and is a partnership between Sheraton Grand and the City University of Macau, is designed to give students the opportunity to receive on-the-job training in hospitality while pursuing their degrees at school.

 According to a press release issued by Sheraton and St. Regis, 95 percent of the graduates will continue to work for the two hotels. Several graduates also received promotions, including Toby Chan and Doris Lou, who were promoted to assistant managers in the housekeeping department, and Peter Cheong, who became supervisor of the guest service center.

 Cheong was invited to speak on behalf of the students at the graduation ceremony where he stated, “we can find many opportunities in Macau, but we must not forget who helped shape us into the professionals that we are today. […] We will continue to work hard and play an important role in shaping the future of Macau’s hotel industry for the better.”

The graduation ceremony recognized 41 graduates. There are currently 141 students from 38 different high schools enrolled in the development program, with more expected to join this summer.

Pullman to open first hotel in central tokyo

Pullman Hotels and Resorts is set to open a hotel in the area of Tamachi, Tokyo, in the fall of 2018.

 According to a press release issued by Pullman, the hotel features 143 rooms and includes meeting facilities and restaurants. The hotel connects the international style of Pullman with a delicate touch of Japanese art and culture.

 The hotel is directly connected to the Tamachi train station’s east exit, operated by Japanese rail (JR), and is a three-minute walk from the Toei Mita line. The hotel is 30 minutes away from Haneda international airport and is one stop from JR Shinagawa station to Osaka and Kyoto via bullet train.

 Patrick Basset, chief operating officer for upper Southeast and Northeast Asia, AccorHotels, stated “Japan keeps attracting more international travelers, […] the increasing inbound market is a continuous positive trend which will be amplified with the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympic Games.”

 Pullman is under AccorHotels, and there are 12 hotels in its network across Japan.