Eastbourne’s first pop-up hotel school

The collaboration has been brought together by Eastbourne Borough Council, working with the View Hotel, the University of Brighton, East Sussex College Group, Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce and East Sussex County Council to create new opportunities for local people in the hospitality industry.

The pop-up hotel school concept was developed by the university’s Dr Ioannis S. Pantelidis who together with nine final year BA(Hons) International Hospitality Management students designed training workshops, focusing on hospitality skills in a real life setting and including interactive presentations about a career in hospitality. The event has also been supported by Open Doors, a workplace-based project run by East Sussex County Council. 

Dr Pantelidis (centre right) with students and schools pupils

Dr Ioannis Pantelidis

Training stations were set up in the hotel kitchen, meeting rooms and hotel bedroom. In each station, hospitality management undergraduate students provided a variety of real-life training for Seahaven Academy pupils including housekeeping, reception duties, cooking and service, as well showcasing the history of hospitality management and sharing how a career in hospitality can be exciting and rewarding. 

Stefani Valeva, a final year BA(Hons) International Hospitality Management student, said: “I really enjoyed it. Seeing how excited the school students became as we started the workshop about skills and procedures made me feel so happy and motivated, and that made me wish to tell them even more.”

Dr Pantelidis, Principal Lecturer in the university’s School of Sport and Service Management, said: “University students created each of the real-life training stations and provided demonstrations to the Seahaven students and hands up support. The plan is to now create a case study that can be utilised by more hotels and universities for a variety of real life training opportunities.” 

Councillor David Tutt, Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, said: “The pop-up hotel school was the next successful step in providing sustained improvements to vocational training opportunities in Eastbourne through The Hotel of Excellence project. Following the Council’s £54m investment in creating world class conference and exhibition facilities at the neighbouring Devonshire Quarter, our continuing partnership with The View Hotel, University of Brighton and the East Sussex College Group aims at strengthening links between education and industry and providing students with a clear career path within the hospitality industry which is key to our local economy.”

The Hotel of Excellence project collaboration continues with two events in April 2020 organised by second year undergraduate students studying BA(Hons) in International Hospitality Management.  

School pupils making finishing touches to making beds