Intern

Compensation Type

Hourly

Highgate Hotels

Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company with over $15 billion of assets under management and a global portfolio of more than 400 hotels spanning North America, Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America. With a 30-year track record as an innovator in the hospitality industry, this forward-thinking company provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate continues to demonstrate success in developing a diverse portfolio of bespoke lifestyle hotel brands, legacy brands, and independent hotels and resorts, featuring contemporary programming and digital acumen. The company utilizes industry-leading revenue management tools that efficiently identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive outperformance and maximize asset value. With an executive team of seasoned hospitality leaders and corporate offices worldwide, Highgate is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands.

Location

Welcome to Key West - more a state of mind than a place. If you've been, you know. If not, get ready. There's nothing quite like it. At the gateway to the island, Blue Flamingo brings bold design, elevated amenities, and vibrant experiences to life. With 245 stylish rooms, two lively pools with luxe cabanas, and two unique dining spots, it's the perfect blend of playful and refined.

Overview

The Hotel Operations Intern will gain hands-on exposure to the daily operations of a hotel, with rotations through key departments such as Front Office, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage, Engineering, Sales, Finance, and Human Resources. This internship is designed for students or recent graduates interested in building a career in hospitality operations and hotel leadership.

The intern will work alongside hotel leaders and department teams to better understand how each area contributes to the guest experience, associate engagement, financial performance, and overall success of the hotel.

Responsibilities

• Participate in a structured rotation through hotel operating departments, including Front Office, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage, and other key areas as assigned.
• Shadow department leaders to learn daily operating procedures, service standards, staffing models, and guest service expectations.
• Assist with front desk operations, guest check-in/check-out, service recovery, guest requests, and lobby engagement.
• Support Housekeeping leadership with room inspection processes, room readiness tracking, inventory control, and coordination with the Front Office.
• Assist Food & Beverage teams with restaurant, banquet, bar, or event operations, depending on hotel offerings.
• Learn how Engineering and Maintenance support guest satisfaction, safety, preventive maintenance, and property upkeep.
• Attend operational meetings, pre-shift meetings, standups, and leadership check-ins where appropriate.
• Support special projects related to guest satisfaction, associate engagement, operational efficiency, revenue opportunities, or process improvement.
• Review hotel performance indicators, including guest satisfaction scores, occupancy, service trends, labor productivity, and financial basics.
• Assist with administrative tasks, reporting, scheduling support, and communication between departments.
• Demonstrate a warm, professional, and service-focused attitude with guests, associates, and leadership.
• Follow all hotel policies, brand standards, safety procedures, confidentiality expectations, and grooming standards.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, a hospitality, business, tourism, culinary, or related degree program preferred.
• Strong interest in hotel operations, hospitality leadership, guest service, and career growth within the hotel industry.
• Previous hotel, restaurant, customer service, retail, or campus leadership experience is a plus.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Professional demeanor with a positive attitude and willingness to learn.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, guest-facing environment.
• Flexible schedule, including the ability to work mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.
• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to stand, walk, and move throughout the property for extended periods of time.

Benefits

We are pleased to offer to our full-time associates a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support your health, well-being, and financial future.

• Medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance
  401(k) Retirement Plan with employer matching contributions
• Paid holidays
• Paid vacation
• Paid sick leave (provided in accordance with applicable law)
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Educational opportunities / Tuition reimbursement
• Paid jury duty leave, personal leave, medical leave, and military leave in accordance with applicable law

For Employees Based in Washington:

• 8 paid holidays per year
• Up to 20 days of paid vacation per year, based on classification and length of service
• Paid Sick & Safe Time accrues at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, with up to 72 hours of unused time carried over from one anniversary year to the next.

For Employees Based in Colorado:

• 8 paid holidays per year; employees working in the City of Denver receive 64 hours of designated holiday time per calendar year
• Up to 20 days of paid vacation per year, based on classification and length of service
• 6 days or 48 hours of Paid Sick Leave per year, accrued at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked.

For Employees Based in California:

• 8 paid holidays per year
• Up to 20 days of paid vacation per year, based on classification and length of service, capped at 1.5x annual accrual rate; non-supervisory employees working in the City of Los Angeles accrue up to 22 days of Compensated Time Off, based on length of service capped at 192 hours of combined PST and CTO.
• Paid Sick Time accrues at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, unused time is carried over from one anniversary year to the next up to a maximum of 80 hours; employees working in the City of Los Angeles are provided 40 hours of Paid Sick Time annually on their anniversary, unused time is not carried over from one anniversary year to the next.

Please note that certain benefits described above for associates in Washington, Colorado, and California may vary for associates covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement ("CBA"). For such associates, eligibility for and the terms and conditions of benefits are governed by the applicable CBA and any applicable plan documents, and may differ from the benefits described above. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency, the terms of the applicable CBA and governing plan documents will control, as applicable.

**The above-referenced benefits do not apply to part-time positions

Posting Date

This job opening was posted on 9/28/2026 and will remain open for at least 75 days.