Presentations give glimpse into world of hotels

a career information session was held in the Center for Business and Accounting. Twelve NECC Hospitality majors welcomed General Manager Grace Concepcion, Assistant General Manager Peter Chasse, and Director of Sales and Marketing David Compton all from the Residence Inn: Marriott located in Danvers, Mass. While most of the hospitality students were there on assignment and a couple just so happened to be there wanting to know more about the hotel business, the presentationso were  a pleasant experience. Each of the speakers gave a mini introduction of their position and how they got their start Concepcion is in charge of  overseeing the entire hotel, budgeting, and accounting and is responsible for all the staff and its guests or “herding of the cats” as Compton so funnily put it.

Concepcion got her start in the hospitality business back in 2001 by helping her mother to clean rooms at the Court House Marriott in Woburn because she had fallen and broken her wrist. The General Manager at the time noticed and decided to offer her a job but she respectfully declined. After few weeks she reconsidered and worked many positions.Concepcion later left to travel to Spain but when she came back, she needed a job with health benefits and became a Marriott employee once more and stayed with the company ever since working her way up the chain.

“I’ve traveled to four different brands, I love them all, but my favorite is the Residence Inn. My favorite is the Residence Inn because you get to meet your guests, you get to know them, and at some point, they don’t want you calling them Mr. or Mrs. They want you calling them by their first name and so we become a family not just with the guests but with the staff.” Concepcion said. Up next was Peter Chasse. Chasse started his career back in 1991 as a Front Desk Clerk at the Marriott Courtyard in Danvers After 5 years he then left to become a Front Desk Manager for the Marriott Courtyard in Woburn so he could learn and advance his career.

Chasse explains, “There’s something special about working in a hotel – it’s not Monday through Friday 9 to 5. It never stops, your phone is your best friend. I’ve left hospitality, I’ve gone into other fields and I’ve missed it immensely when I’m not in the hospitality industry because it’s just always something, it’s a lifestyle, it’s more than just a job or a career.” And now with just a month of working at the Marriott Residence Inn located in Danvers Chasse overseas all the operations alongside Concepcion and as so he’s humorously said, “does whatever Grace asks me to.” Finally, the last introduction was David Compton.

There’s something special about working in a hotel….it’s a lifestyle, it’s more than just a job or a career.

– Assistant General Manager Peter Chasse

Before Compton’s career at Marriott he actually worked for a competitor, Hilton Hotels. While being very good at his job, Compton stole some business from Marriott which brought their attention and instead of having one of Hilton’s best people continuing to steal their business instead they made him an offer to work for them and Compton has been with the company ever since. And so far through his career he has been the Director of Sales for five different Marriott Hotels. During a Q&A Compton amusingly said, “Why does a hotel need a sales representative?

“It’s a question Grace and Peter ask frequently. But there’s a lot of competition out there, lot of hotels near the neighborhood and it’s my job to knock on doors near the areas and the region and introduce myself. “When you’re looking at career paths in sales I have the easiest job of most salesmen. I represent a company called Marriott. I never have to introduce the company.” Toward the end of the event you could see that many of the Hospitality majors were very pleased with the presentation.

Concepcion, Chasse, and Compton left the students filled with more questions and curiosity and they answered every single one they gave with as much detail and experience that they had to give. And it is with their hope that the students consider a career path in the Hospitality industry.