Capstone In-Residence Update from Team Hilton!

Capstone Company: Hilton Worldwide
Team Members: Francesco Corbo, Ha Thi Khanh Ngo, Kristina Park
Location: McLean, Virginia, U.S.A.

“The capstone in-residence period has proved to be an intensive and rewarding summer for Team Hilton at the Hilton Worldwide headquarters in McLean, Virginia. While continuing to work on our capstone project, we have also been integrated into the official Hilton summer internship program with 40 other undergraduate and graduate student interns across all corporate departments. Being placed at the heart of one of the largest and most widely-recognized hotel companies in the world has been an exhilarating experience as we are able to witness how the company conducts its business worldwide from its core. While working alongside the 800 employees situated in the McClean offices, on top of the countless other Hilton team members from around the world coming in and out of the headquarters for meetings and events, we have had the opportunity to meet and learn from hospitality industry experts on a daily basis.

Not only have we been able to make great progress on our capstone project, focusing on Hilton’s Huanying program – a customized service for Chinese guests offering additional amenities to better their Hilton experiences – but we have also been placed into three teams: Brand Operations, Brand Sales, and Brand Performance Support. Each student has thus been exposed to a different business line and its role within Hilton’s business operations and assigned other tasks throughout the summer program as a part of the internship program. As Hilton interns, we have been invited to attend company events including summer barbecues, Chris Nassetta’s team member Crab Feast 2016, a National’s baseball game, and the Washington Hilton’s Hotel Immersion. The summer in-residence period has given us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become Hilton team members and has allowed us to have an insider’s perspective into the company, which will ultimately benefit our capstone project in the long run.”