We often see the glamorous side of the hospitality industry — luxury hotels, gourmet cuisine, refined service. But behind the elegance lies a world of discipline, precision, and passion. For Vietnamese students like Linh and Nam, studying hospitality management in France has been nothing short of life-changing.
Linh, 20 years old, left Hanoi with stars in her eyes and a quiet determination. She arrived in Paris to join one of France’s top hospitality management schools — a place where excellence is the daily standard.
“At first, it was overwhelming. Everything was new — the pace, the expectations, the language,” she recalls.
But her school didn’t waste time. From the first week, students were put into professional simulations: managing check-ins, organizing banquet layouts, dealing with mock client complaints — all in French and English.
“We weren’t just learning how to serve. We were learning how to lead,” Linh says.
Her courses covered international hotel operations, luxury customer experience, human resource management, and even sustainable development in tourism.
Guest speakers came from iconic hotel groups — Four Seasons, Accor, Mandarin Oriental — and shared real-world insights that brought the lessons to life.
“One of the most exciting projects we did was designing our own hotel concept — from branding to budgeting,” she adds.
Now in her second year, Linh is completing an internship at a 5-star hotel near the Champs-Élysées. She leads a team of trainees during breakfast service and shadows the guest relations manager.
“I never imagined I’d have this level of responsibility so early. But our school trained us to be ready.”
Nam, 22, came from Da Nang. His family runs a small but beloved local restaurant. He grew up around kitchens and dining rooms — but wanted to see what hospitality looked like on a global scale.
He applied to a hospitality management program in Paris with a strong business focus.
“The first semester was intense. We had accounting, marketing, operations, law — all applied to the hospitality world. It was like learning a new language,” he laughs.
Nam thrived in the practical side of the curriculum. The school ran student-led restaurants on campus, where teams rotated through roles: front of house, kitchen, inventory, and shift management.
“We had to manage real budgets, real guests, and real pressure. It wasn’t just school — it was like running a mini hotel.”
He also benefited from the strong professional network the school offered.
“My first internship was in a boutique hotel in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. I worked directly with the operations manager and helped optimize the guest satisfaction process. That experience boosted my confidence — and my resume.”
Both Linh and Nam faced challenges. Living in a foreign country, managing cultural differences, and keeping up with demanding coursework wasn’t easy.
But they both say the experience has transformed them — not only professionally, but personally.
“Studying hospitality management in France taught me to think like a leader,” says Linh.
“It’s not just about service. It’s about strategy, people, culture, and vision,” Nam adds.
They’ve both come a long way from their first uncertain steps in Paris. Today, they walk through grand hotel lobbies — not as visitors, but as future professionals ready to shape the future of hospitality.
These are just stories.
But now, one of them could be yours.
