Alumni portrait – Christiana Benandrasana
A Vatel Bordeaux alumni, Christiana Benandrasana graduated in 2017 with an MBA in International Hotel Management with a specialisation in International Wine & Spirits. At 30 years old, she is now the housekeeper at the Esprit Saint Germain hotel in Paris.
The profession in 3 words
“For me, the job of General Housekeeper in 3 words is organisation because I manage a field team. It’s also supervision because I manage a team of 15 people: the breakfast team, the technical team and the floors which include the valets and chambermaids. Finally, it is management, and particularly resource management, so that the hotel can run smoothly. »
The main challenges of the profession
“The main challenge as a General Housekeeper is managing teams. I currently have an intercultural team made up of men and women from a variety of cultures (including Comorian, Polish, Pakistani and Asian). My biggest challenge is to manage this team and adapt to them. I also have to adapt to their way of working and try to make their tasks easier.
We are currently in the process of obtaining the Green Key label for the Esprit Saint Germain hotel. Thanks to this label, we’ll be able to install steam machines for chambermaids and team members, enabling them to clean rooms without having to use toxic products. For example, we’re going to remove these toxic products and replace them with ozonated water, with the aim of obtaining this green key in 2024!”
The contributions of Vatel Bordeaux
“Thanks to my studies at Vatel Bordeaux, I was able to adapt very easily to the world of work, particularly during my first 3 years of study, when I spent two weeks at school and two weeks in a company. I worked in restaurants where I discovered the world of catering, which I really enjoyed.
In my 5th year, I did my end-of-study internship in French Polynesia, where I was Assistant to the Accommodation Manager. Thanks to this internship, I discovered the hosting side and wanted to find out more about the job. That’s why today I’m working as a housekeeper. In fact, I started out as a housekeeper and now I’m a general housekeeper.”