The Right Future...

Ngawai Walden - New Zealand Maori

General and Franchisee Manager – Quest on Queen, Auckland, New Zealand
Graduated in 2000 with an Advanced Diploma in Hotel Management

Jim Park, Korean

Front Office Manager, Stamford Plaza, Auckland

Graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Applied Hospitality and Tourism

Going to PIHMS was the best decision I ever made. I am a sociable person who enjoys meeting different people so the hospitality industry really appealed to me as it suited my personality. At PIHMS you get to experience real life working situations, you get paid and you make contacts in the industry who can help you to attain employment after graduation. 

James Billing, Zimbabwean

Front Office Manager, The Langham, Auckland

Graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Applied Hospitality and Tourism

PIHMS provides a safe and friendly environment which replicates the hospitality industry very well. The things you learn and do represent the key skills you require to succeed in the hospitality industry. The best thing about PIHMS is the environment it provides to learn, the lecturers who are there to teach you and the people you live and work alongside. To me it was everything I had hoped for in a tertiary institute and I am proud to have been a part of the institution 

Wei Wei Yuan, Chinese

Duty Manager, Sky City Auckland

Graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Applied Hospitality and Tourism

PIHMS students find it easy to gain employment after graduation because we all have 12 months work experience in hotels through the industry placement programme. I started working in the Concierge Department of the Hilton Auckland two days after graduating with a Diploma in Hotel Management. I was actually offered the job after completing my 6 month industry placement as a porter at the Hilton. Due to my training at PIHMS, I was able to make a good impression on my employers during my placement and they were keen to get me back permanently.

After working at the Hilton Auckland for 16 months, I returned to PIHMS to study towards a Degree. Having a Degree will help me to gain New Zealand Permanent Residence. I would like to return to China to work in the future but it will be great to have the ability to return to New Zealand to live whenever I like. New Zealand is a safe, clean and beautiful country and the people are friendly. 

Yifei Liu, Chinese

Receptionist, Copthorne Oriental Bay, Wellington

Graduated in 2007 with International Diplomas in Hotel Management

I would recommend PIHMS to any Chinese student wanting to study overseas in a safe and secure environment. Studying in a foreign country is a big step for a young person but at PIHMS everything is made easy for you. At PIHMS all the students live on campus in shared accommodation and food is also provided. The staff take great care of students even helping with things like opening a bank account and obtaining medical care. 

Vira Voloshyna, Ukrainian

Group Reservations Sales Agent, Hilton Hotel, Auckland

Graduated in 2005 with International Diplomas in Hotel Management

If you would like to get a real feel of the hospitality industry before actually going into it, PIHMS is a great place to start. The best thing about PIHMS for me was gaining the knowledge which helped me get my job at the Hilton. The lecturers are great and the atmosphere on campus is always exciting and happening. Hospitality is a great industry where you can meet people from around the globe. 

Jian Bao, Chinese

Graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Applied Hospitality and Tourism

You will never be bored studying hospitality at PIHMS. The course is structured so there is a great balance between academic and practical classes and for half the year, students gain real work experience in industry placement positions in hotels.  

Chander Deep Singh, Indian

Duty Manager, Crowne Plaza, Auckland

Graduated in 2003 with International Diplomas in Hotel Management

PIHMS is undoubtedly the best and the most reputed Hospitality School in New Zealand. It is not only respected by the former students but also respected by the hotels all over New Zealand. PIHMS has helped me learn about the New Zealand hospitality industry and is unquestionably the prime reason for me being in the position I am in today. 

Rusalka Munsi, Indian

Duty Manager and Reservations Supervisor, Portage Resort, Picton

Graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Applied Hospitality and Tourism

PIHMS offers one of the best courses for the growing hospitality industry in New Zealand. With the boom in the industry PIHMS graduates are preferred everywhere for jobs and I can say that from my own experience. PIHMS is better than other institutions because students get personal attention as the student to teacher ratio is lower than regular universities. Students get ‘paid’ internships and PIHMS courses always keep adapting to the new trends in the hospitality  

Nirav Oza, Indian

Group Reservations Supervisor, Heritage Hotel Management New Zealand

Graduated in 2005 with International Diplomas in Hotel Management

PIHMS gave me edge over other candidates whenever I applied for a new job or position. This is because there are a lot of PIHMS students already out there in the hospitality industry and they have proven themselves to be important assets to their respective organisations. PIHMS gives you all the practical and theoretical knowledge one needs to work in this industry in this part of the world. 

Hiren Sheth, Indian

Assistant Hotel Manager, Copthorne Hotel and Resort Grand Central, New Plymouth

Graduated in 2004 with International Diplomas in Hotel Management

Even though I was already a successful General Manager of a 60 room hotel in Bhavnagar in India, I enrolled at PIHMS in order to forge an international hotel management career. The reputation of PIHMS opens doors for graduates. A graduate’s success is due 50% to PIHMS and 50% to the individual. All graduates have to do in order to succeed is to put what they have learnt at PIHMS into practice in the work environment. At PIHMS, students learn the discipline, grooming standards, time management skills and practical knowledge required in the industry while working with the latest technologies. 

Dipesh Marwah, Indian

Assistant Manager – Front Office, Hyatt Regency Auckland (until March 08)

Graduated in 2005 with a Post Graduate Diploma in Hotel Management

PIHMS is a well renowned hotel management school in New Zealand and overseas. It provides a well designed course structure which is a combination of both academic and practical classes. The best thing about PIHMS was the industry placement provided as part of my course requirement. It helped me to gain practical work experience in the New Zealand hospitality industry and a full time job at the end of my course.

Food and Beverage Supervisor, Stamford Plaza, Auckland

Graduated in 2005 with International Diplomas in Hotel Management

The thoroughness of the training that you receive at PIHMS makes you absolutely ready to handle the intricacies of your first job in hospitality. The best thing about my job is serving guests. It gives me a high when someone desperately needs something and I can arrange or organise a solution for the problem calmly and collectively. The smile that comes later is absolutely genuine and you end up literally “making someone’s day”. 

Jun Min Pyo, Korean

Assistant Rooms Division Manager, Lasseters Hotel Casino

Alice Springs, Australia

Graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Applied Hospitality and Tourism

PIHMS students have a better understanding of the hospitality industry compared to other employees who just want to work in a hotel. After all, PIHMS provides everything students need to know about the industry and the rest is up to them to make the most of the opportunities open to them.

The PIHMS qualification is well recognised by the hospitality industry within New Zealand and Australia which helps graduates when it comes to applying for jobs. Like me, many PIHMS alumni are in middle to senior management positions in hotels and they are happy to recruit PIHMS students and graduates – because they know they are good! 

Kevin Park, Korean

Receptionist, Duxton Wellington

Graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Applied Hospitality and Tourism

The best thing about PIHMS is the learning process. Students get the opportunity to learn how to deal with people, how to handle conflict and how to be a leader. At PIHMS, I got the opportunity to put my organisational skills into practice and had a great feeling of accomplishment.

Students from many different nationalities live on-campus at PIHMS. The diversity of people is very interesting and I have enjoyed being exposed to the different cultures and learning about their different value systems. The on-campus environment allows students to practice their skills and their English. 

Ilya Gavrilin, Russian

Graduated in 2008 with International Diplomas in Hotel Management

I feel confident that having the PIHMS qualification on my CV will open doors from me around the world.  The great thing about studying at PIHMS is the industry placements in hotels. You really get to find out if the hospitality industry is the right choice for your career.

Now I have graduated, I intend to take full advantage of the opportunity that working in the hospitality industry presents to travel. 

Anastasia Levina - Russian

Graduated in 2008 with International Diplomas in Hotel Management

Young Russians should not be afraid to come to New Zealand to study because it is a very safe country and it is easy to make friends.

While New Zealand is a great place to study I would advise Russian students to only enrol at PIHMS if they are serious about working in the hospitality industry because it is not an easy option. Working in hospitality is hard work and it suits quite an out-going personality. 

Polina Petrova - Russian

Receptionist, Accor Auckland

Graduated in 2008 with International Diplomas in Hotel Management

I think the best thing about the PIHMS course is the unique mix of academic and practical classes and the opportunity to put what you have learnt at school into practice in a hotel during the industry placement semesters.

In the future, I would love to work on a cruise ship. I know that other Russian PIHMS graduates are doing this so I feel confident I can achieve this goal.

I love living in New Zealand. It is such a beautiful country, the people are friendly and the climate is good too. 

Elena Rozkhova, Russian

Financial Co-ordinator, Accor Regional Head Office, Auckland

Graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Applied Hospitality and Tourism

PIHMS has led me into a career with a major international hotel chain.

I use the skills and knowledge that I gained at PIHMS everyday in my current job. Not only the practical skills that we learned, but the time management, people management and stress management techniques, as well as general understanding of business.

I made a lot of good friends at PIHMS. Now when I travel around New Zealand, I see familiar faces in all the hotels I go to.  

Karyn Oglivie, New Zealander

Reservations Manager, Langham Hotel Auckland
Graduated in 2002 with International Diplomas in Hotel Management

Hospitality is a fun career choice – sure there is hard work involved but there is a lot of fun to be had as well. I love it that day-to-day the job is never the same – there is always something new and exciting happening. It is also great to know that you can make a real difference to someone’s holiday, conference or business trip. Variety is the key – I would recommend this job to someone that loves a challenge and enjoys a job that is always changing.

The biggest advantage of studying at PIHMS is the combination of theory and practical skills you gain there. With two industry placements, once you graduate you enter the industry with 12 months experience in a live hotel situation as well as a world recognised qualification.

The live in hotel environment at PIHMS ensures you get to experience every aspect that the hospitality industry has to offer. You build great friendships with people that will become your industry colleagues. 

William Surya, Indonesian

Guest Services Attendant and Night Auditor, Sky City Hotel Auckland
Graduated in 2007 with International Diplomas in Hotel Management

I use the knowledge I gained at PIHMS constantly in my current hotel position. Mostly from the operations training where I gained first hand knowledge of how all departments work together to deliver the best customer service. Being a Duty Manager at PIHMS gives students an overview of how to manage and to organise the whole entire hotel. This was supported by the academic management studies in tourism and hospitality which gave us a bigger picture of hotel operations all around the world. So, the knowledge that I have gained at PIHMS is the most valuable aspect to enable me to be a good employee and a hotel manager one day. 

Wenshi Zhou, Chinese

Restaurant Supervisor, Kingsgate Parnell, Auckland

Graduated in 2005 with International Diplomas in Hotel Management

I have fond memories of my time at PIHMS and even now I miss the food. The best thing about PIHMS is the environment. The school is run like a hotel and it is a great place to improve your professional knowledge of the hospitality industry and your English language. The lecturers are kind, patient and helpful and they are always available to answer your questions.