The new Holiday Inn by Bern

The new logo.

The Panama International Hotel School is located inside a real, functioning Holiday Inn hotel– but don’t worry – the hotel itself is run by professionals who meet the standards necessary to run the new Bern hotel. The Holiday Inn, located on the Omar Torrijos Herrera highway, is almost directly across from the Mirafiores Locks inside The City of Knowledge.

The Holiday Inn sports a completely new look that is not like Holiday Inns of the past. In fact, this particular hotel here in Panama is the first one to use the new Holiday Inn logo in Latin America, and only the second in the Americas. There is one other U.S. Holiday Inn that currently has the new logo above its doors. The rooms are available starting at $90 and the city is only a $5 taxi ride away.

The 137-room hotel is six stories high. Some of the rooms have excellent views of the boats transiting the Canal. A large ballroom overlooks the pool and patio. Upstairs, several private meeting rooms offer commanding views.

The restaurant offers a breakfast buffet for $12, a lunch buffet for $16.50 and an a-la-carte dinner menu. General Manager Thierry Eck says that diners can expect a truly international menu, with dishes that refiect the many different cultures and culinary tastes found in Panama.

Rooms for $90 per night.

One of the dishes on the lunch buffet will be prepared by the students of The Panama International Hotel School, located inside the Holiday Inn, where Panama’s future service leaders are training. This is a non profit organization owned by Empresas Bern.

The restaurant has a comfortable design and layout - almost reminiscent of your favorite diner - but with rich dark wood, lively colors and plants that give the venue a hip feeling. The white linens and immaculate settings will remind diners that the place is top-notch.

Soon, diners will be able to stop by for a lunch that will be prepared and served by students of The Panama International Hotel S c h o o l . Check The Visitor for updates on when this facet of the hotel school will be available to the public. In the meantime, stop by the lobby bar or sit outside by the pool to have a drink and order from the appetizer menu.

Visit www.hinnpanama. com, www.bernhotelspanama. com or call 317 4000 .

Classes are in session at
Bern's new hospitality school

Mr. Thierry Eck

The Panama International Hotel School at the City of Knowledge is beginning classes this week. A first of its kind, this institution will likely become the gold standard for fine service in the country and greatly elevate the standards of service that tourists receive. The campus is located inside the brand new Holiday Inn, which has also just opened its doors to the public on April 1 offering accommodations starting at $90. Some of the rooms have a spectacular view over the Panama Canal.

Thierry Eck is the General Manager of the hotel and director of the vocational school. He explained that the curriculum has been designed to produce highly qualified employees who will be able to exercise their profession after one year of study at the school. Students can choose to study rooms division operations, food and beverage service or delve into the culinary world under head chef instructor Olivier Kozel. They will receive theory as well as hands-on practice and learn English with a concentration in their area of specialization. All students will have access to a computer lab, wireless common areas and Rosetta Stone English tutoring if they need extra help with the language.

The restaurant's menu is international.

According to Eck, the one-year certificate will cost around $2,800 and will be the beginning of their careers in the vast tourism sector. He says that for the level of quality instruction that the students will be receiving, the price is very reasonable. Eck himself was born in France and trained in the service sector of that country before he moved to Canada to practice his trade there in hotels. Later he moved to the Dominican Republic where he lived in the 1980’s and says he saw the country change from an agricultural economy to a booming tourism destination in just ten years. He draws a connection between Panama and the Dominican Republic in that respect, “Panama is growing in leaps and bounds right now and I am confident that we can produce great service professionals here.”

Still, $2,800 can be a barrier for many people to get an education, and the school has taken that into account. They will offer work-study programs for students who are unable to pay the tuition. Private businesses will employ the students part time in their hotels and restaurants while the students study for two years instead of one in order to make studies accessible for everyone.

Head Chef Instructor
Olivier Kazel

The school itself is a nonprofit organization owned by Empresas Bern. Currently the hotel and tourism division of Empresas Bern is made up of the Intercontinental Miramar, Intercontinental Playa Bonita, Gamboa Rain Forest Resort, Crowne Plaza Panama, Gamboa Tours travel agency, Royal Card, Ocean Business Center and Panama Rental Solutions as well as the new school.

“Bern could open their own internal school if they wanted to, but this is truly an investment for the community. The scholarship sponsorship will be opened up to all members of the private sector and the benefit that the school will provide to the level of service here will be felt all over the country, not just in Empresas Bern ventures,” explained Eck.

Visit www.panamahotelschool.org or call 317-4050 or write to
adm@panamahotelschool.org

The Holiday Inn at The City of Knowledge.