The Hotel School Melbourne has revealed it will officially open its doors on Friday, August 28, 2015.
The new premises at 399 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne will offer a three-year full-time Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management degree and a two-year full-time Master of International Tourism and Hotel Management degree.
The Hotel School Melbourne (THSM), a sister to The Hotel School Sydney, will continue the unique educational partnership between Southern Cross University and Mulpha Australia, a major player in the hospitality industry.
The facility will be a welcome addition to the city, which has experienced a rise in international overnight expenditure year-on-year (up 2.3% to $4.5 billion), and visitors (up 11.1% to 2.00 million).
Multicultural and dynamic, Melbourne’s unique cafes, restaurants, galleries and events attract visitors from Australia and worldwide. Home to many high profile calendar events spanning sports and arts, demand for hospitality has never been higher.
The Hotel School Sydney General Manager, Tony Patterson, said: “Melbourne’s cosmopolitan lifestyle and dedication to the hospitality and tourism industry is a great fit with our educational programs.
“Melbourne is also experiencing significant growth in the tourism sector and hotel infrastructure and we’re in a position to provide career solutions for the future needs of the industry.”
A report from Deloitte Access Economics reveals despite recent and pending hotel additions in Melbourne, growth in demand is set to outpace room supply and propel occupancies to new records as domestic and international visitor numbers continue to rise, attracted by events such as the Fringe Festival, Food and Wine Festival, the Indigenous Arts Festival and the Melbourne Cup.
The Melbourne supply pipeline has approximately 936 rooms coming online by the end of 2016 with the Sheraton Melbourne scheduled for late March, and the Park royal Docklands in late 2016. Average occupancy rates are likely to increase to 85.7% over that period. Events-related activity such as forward bookings for the Grand Prix, the Melbourne Fashion Festival and shows such as Grease, and the corporate sector are the shining lights for major hoteliers.
“We’re excited to be injecting our hospitality know-how into the heart of this beautiful city. The close working relationships that have been developed over the past 26 years with many leading tourism organisations in Australia and around the world will continue to expand in Melbourne,” Patterson said.
These programs will be open to domestic and international students, with domestic students also having the ability to study part time.
“Our Professional Hospitality Experience (PHE) or internship subjects are not only an integral part of our programs but also one of the reasons for our students’ success,” Patterson said.
“We are very proud of our history, our alumni, and believe that we offer our students not only a degree but also a career and a future. As such we are very much looking forward to opening in Melbourne, engaging with the industry, potential students and developing the future leaders of tomorrow, today.”