Day 2 in Vietnam was very busy and exciting with our first language class and our first site visit which was to the Park Hyatt Saigon. Learning common vietnamese phrases and conversation was very difficult for me because it is so different from any language I have ever studied before and there are a lot of different accents on the letters. In the language class we got to work alongside a UEF student which made the class super fun and engaging despite how hard it was. The Hyatt visit was also very interesting as we learned a lot about the Hyatt company as a whole and the emphasis they place on care for their guests and the environment around them. We learned that while placing an emphasis on luxury, the hotel’s main goal is to provide a home-like experience for their guests while also taking measures to reduce waste. One thing that I thought was really interesting on the sustainability front was the development that Hyatt is putting into wooden key cards. If developed, these keys would reduce plastic waste and I think they would also provide a unique experience for the customers. This connected with the lecture that we had on sustainability because internal development is a key part of building a resilient business and using resources to innovate in sustainable ways is a pillar of Hyatt’s business and the service industry as a whole. Another cool thing from the visit was the reception desk. The desk was situated in the back of the main entrance so that the first thing people see when they walk in is a big floral setting and a column with art on it. We learned that this was an intentional choice to emphasize the natural setting of the hotel and further its home-like feel. I believe that intentional choices like this help establishments like Hyatt hold on to their brand potential because they ensure that guests get a consistent and tailored luxury experience which is vital in a care based industry like the hotel space. Today was a great way to kick off our classes at UEF and our site visits and I am super excited to see what the rest of the program has in store.
