Every once in a while I have to report back to school and have an in-class session. Even though it is only one day, I still miss coming into the hotel. During this class time we have a potluck and tell stories about each of our placements. It is nice to see all of my friends who I have not seen in a long time and catch up. It feels so different going to school, it is such a different environment. At the hotel I get to see everything that happens, from every angle and it is so exciting. At school I sit in a classroom learning and taking notes, which is also exciting, but I prefer being at the hotel. When I go to class, I love sharing all of my stories with everyone and I love hearing everyone else’s too. Soon, I have to do my very first project for my Cooperative Education Class. I am going to have to make a slideshow presentation about everything I do at the hotel! Once I start working on the presentation, these blogs are going to come in very useful, because I can see everything I have done each and every week!

Ariana

I spent Thursday morning helping out in Grill 41! It was such a great experience and I learned so much. I never realized what it was like behind the scenes of a restaurant and how much work it is. The staff are so professional and experienced. I could have not been in a better place to learn about the restaurant business. As a team they work wonderfully together and always help one another. The food also looked impeccable! While helping out in the restaurant, I also assisted room service and learned all the techniques of bringing food to the hotel rooms of our lovely guests. It was such a fun experience and I loved meeting the guests! I really hope I can help out again and I would like to thank everyone in the restaurant for taking time out of their day to help me.

Ariana

I love The Lord Elgin Hotel! I am having such a great time doing my Cooperative Education placement here! I have already been working at the hotel for over a month and the time has just flown by. I am always so happy coming into the building and looking around. I love seeing all the guests happily sitting in the lobby and people getting their Starbucks coffee. The Lord Elgin Hotel feels like my home now and all the staff are my family! I am always so happy while writing these blogs because I love sharing my wonderful experiences with people. I would like to thank all the people who do read my blogs! Have a great weekend!

Ariana

Once a year at least, the sales team gather to talk about what we hope to achieve next year and how we plan to get there. It is always a great day, with a ton on ideas put on the table and tons of optimism and hope.

I have a super team…no kidding!! They are pro’s – they work hard, they support and recognize each other’s wins and feel for their losses and they keep an open mind – always ready to learn and try new things.

So we talked alot about who the Lord Elgin Hotel is…what we stand for – how we differentiate ourselves. I talked about our history, as I have been around the hotel (there, away and always back again) for over 30 years. There are some fabulous stories!! It is a feeling…like it’s home. Hard to put into words…but we all feel it.

So as an Ottawa landmark that many of your are familiar with… I invite you to share with me what you think of when you think of the Lord Elgin Hotel? What would be your slogan??

I am having so much fun with my Cooperative Education placement at The Lord Elgin Hotel. Each day is completely different. Not only have I been assisting the Sales Team, but I also have been working with housekeeping, setting up events and working on the hotel’s social media sites. I never want this experience to end.

This week my teacher came to visit me at the hotel. She was amazed by The Lord Elgin Hotel’s beauty when she first walked into the lobby. I gave her a tour around the wonderful building and I showed her the variety of responsibilities that I have to do each day. After we talked with my supervisor at the hotel, she was on her way. She was so happy throughout the whole time she was here and I was so pleased. I would like to thank her for helping me achieve this wonderful placement and for being so supportive.

Ariana

Housekeeping!

It has been another exciting week at The Lord Elgin Hotel. One of the highlights for me was working with the housekeeping team. Each day The Lord Elgin Hotel’s rooms are cleaned from top to bottom ensuring that they are perfect for each guest. The team is very professional and experienced. They know exactly what they are doing and leave each room spotless and looking magnificent. The staff works extremely hard and it is not easy at all. It is a difficult job making the hotel look as great as it does and they do this everyday! They vacuum, wash the floors, make the beds and ensure that each guest has everything they would need while staying overnight.

I really enjoyed the day I spent working with the housekeeping team. It was a great learning experience for me, and seeing how hard they work is what surprised me most. It is such an accomplishment after finishing a room, because I think of how much the guest will enjoy staying at the hotel. Working with housekeeping really changed my perspective of the entire Lord Elgin Hotel because it makes each experience perfect for their guests. I would like to thank the housekeeping team for taking me in and teaching me all the tricks. I had a really great time!

Ariana

WOW! What an exciting week it has been. I have been having such a unique work experience as a Cooperative Education Student at The Lord Elgin Hotel. I am generally at school for full days, but now work at the hotel in the mornings. I help out the Sales and Marketing team, and I have never had so much fun. The first week has already gone by and I have gained so much knowledge. Each day I start out by working on The Lord Elgin Hotel’s social media sites, then taking pictures of the marvelous hotel and that is just a start. I have enjoyed meeting the guests and working with the hotel’s team. Every day is completely different!

The time is going by so fast at The Lord Elgin Hotel. It is already October and it will be Thanksgiving this weekend! The hotel is prepared for this great holiday! Grill 41 is cooking up some fantastic meals for Thanksgiving and the fireplace is keeping the guests warm. It is such an incredible time of year, and I cannot think of a better place to be than at The Lord Elgin Hotel. I am so thankful for the great opportunity that I have been given here. I genuinely hope that everyone has a great holiday weekend!

Ariana

Today was my first day as a Cooperative Education student at The Lord Elgin Hotel. I am very interested in event planning as a future career and I thought: What better place to experience it than at The Lord Elgin Hotel!

I was impressed by how welcoming and kind the staff are. Everyone is very professional and enthusiastic about their jobs. I already feel like I am one of the team. I was also taken on a tour of the beautiful hotel; each room is nicely decorated and the entire hotel has an atmosphere of elegance. Even on my very first day I already was invited to the staff meeting and I jumped right into working. It was an incredible day!

I could have not asked for a better place to do my Cooperative Education term. I am very honoured to have the opportunity to work at such a marvellous hotel and I have already learned so much. I would like to thank the staff for being so welcoming and I am so excited to come in everyday and work with everyone.

Ariana

As part of my program at Algonquin College I was required to do a 7-10 week coop placement doing public relations. My teacher assigned me to go to the Lord Elgin Hotel and unfortunately since IÔÇÖm not from Ottawa I had to use Google to find out where the hotel was. Once I found it and met up with Ann Meelker, Director of Sales and Marketing, I was all set to start. I was so excited for my first day and I got to meet all the nice staff and got a wonderful tour of the hotel.

From the few months working on social media for the hotel, I am amazed of how fast time flies. It feels like yesterday that I started and now it has already come to an end. I have learned so much more about social media from being here and IÔÇÖm so glad that I had the chance to meet the Lord Elgin staff. The sales staff is hilarious to work beside and they made me feel apart of their family. Everyone was very welcoming and always helped me when I needed a hand.

I got to learn a lot about the hotel itself and I have booked rooms for the Tulip festival coming in May. I am definitely going to use the skills I picked up from these past months for my future. From blogging, making press kits, and being on Facebook and Twitter, along with everything in between, there was always something to be learned each day.

I want to thank everyone at the hotel for making me feel apart of the team and at home. I couldnÔÇÖt think of a better place to stay in Ottawa and I will always return to say hello. I have learned a lot more about Ottawa from being here and more about hotels, sales, and what its like to work in a team or as I would say a family, at the Lord Elgin hotel.

Thank you!

- Katrina

Spring is right around the corner as our little friend the groundhog said, and it seems to be getting a little brighter and it does look like spring is almost ready to show its face. Spring also brings longer days and I donÔÇÖt know if that is a good thing or not but it does mean that the sun will be out just a bit longer in the evenings, which is always wonderful.

When spring comes around that usually means most students are almost done another year of university or college. April is the last month of school for these students before they go off and start a career or just have another summer vacation and prepare for the next year. For those finishing their last year of school like I am, you will be searching for careers and thinking of getting your life and career started. ItÔÇÖs a scary thing knowing you will have to find a job instead of just going back to school because all we have known was when September comes around itÔÇÖs time to do that back to school shopping, but for myself it will be much different.

Once April hits itÔÇÖs time to start a career and time to put that backpack away. ItÔÇÖs crazy how time flies when you think about how many years you have actually been in school and now that part of your life is over. ItÔÇÖs exciting knowing you will be getting your life in motion and that youÔÇÖre growing up, but we all know that we will miss living at home with parents and going on that school bus each morning.

Spring is really a time of hope. ItÔÇÖs when high school graduates are waiting by the mailbox hoping for their acceptance letters for university, a time to start a new year and hoping it will be better than the last. ItÔÇÖs a time for new jobs, new friends, and a total new you for some, but most of all itÔÇÖs hope for this year to be life changing and exciting.

This year I am hoping to travel and see things I havent before. Im starting off small and have decided that I will return to Ottawa in May to attend the Tulip Festival and also in July for Canada Day. I heard the fireworks are amazing so this year I will see them for myself.

What will you do this year?? Let us know on our Facebook page or on Twitter!