Bachelor Hotel Management

Study overview

Year 1

In the first year – the propaedeutic phase – you will attend four blocks. Based on a project or assignment from the professional field, you will set about acquiring the relevant knowledge and developing your professional skills. Each block covers a number of topics that highlight the various aspects of the hotel industry.

Block A - Fundamentals of Hospitality Management

Step into the international world of Hospitality Management! In this block, you will learn the basics of Marketing, Operations Management, English, and a second modern foreign language. You will do this through a project based on your future work. You will also develop skills such as critical thinking, ethical behaviour, and research. And as the icing on the cake, at the end of this block you will go on a study trip in Europe!

Block B – Knowing the Business

Discover what makes hospitality organisations successful or where their challenges lie. You will focus on four key areas: Financial Management, Business Law, Sustainability, and People & Culture. You will learn how these aspects influence the day-to-day running and long-term success of an organisation.

Work in teams to gather insights, describe key concepts, and discover how these areas are connected. Apply your knowledge in a simulated tender, where your team presents a case explaining why your organisation should win a major contract. This is your chance to practise teamwork, communication, and critical thinking – all essential skills for your future career.

You will also work on your professional skills, your English, a second modern foreign language and your intercultural competencies.

Block C – Operating the Business

This block consists of two parts. You will spend four weeks working on your project, and the other four weeks you will receive practical training at Sibelicious.

Dive into the world of guest experiences and discover how you can contribute to a hotel's financial goals. Learn who the internal stakeholders are, what their roles and responsibilities are, and how many people are needed to effectively carry out essential processes. Discover how you can exceed guest expectations by effectively utilising feedback, maintaining high quality standards, and proactively identifying areas for improvement.

During your practical training at Sibelicious, you will learn about Hospitality Management and Digital & Information Skills. You will also be introduced to the world of wine, beer and coffee, among other things, and have the opportunity to obtain your Wine Certificate (WSET Level 1).

Block D – Selling the Business

Discover how the various commercial departments of a hospitality organisation work together, use information to make smart decisions, and identify and use new opportunities for commercial development. Analyse the internal data and external developments of a case study company to identify commercial challenges and opportunities. Present these insights to a panel from the hotel industry and show how your ideas can lead to a new guest experience. In this block, you will of course continue to work on your professional skills and language skills.

Year 2, 3 and 4

Years 2 and 3 overlap. During this period, you will attend six blocks and undertake a six-month work placement abroad.

Year 2

Block - Facilitating the business
In this block, you will look beyond day-to-day hotel operations. You will analyse an international hotel chain operating in at least two countries and compare how those hotels deal with cultural differences, sustainability and leadership. You will describe the current situation, highlight the differences and make concrete proposals for improvement that are appropriate to the cultural context of each country.

The block concludes with a masterclass or conference presentation in which you share your findings with fellow students and compare their work with your own. In this way, you learn not only from your own research, but also from the approaches of others. At the same time, you will work on your own professional development: what are your strengths, how do you lead, and how do you navigate an international environment?

Block - Managing the business
Do you want to know how the hospitality industry really works? In this module, you will gain hands-on experience at Sibelicious—BUas’s training company - and get an insider’s view of daily hospitality operations. You will work in various departments, ranging from the kitchen and restaurant to the front office, banqueting, catering outlets, and the storeroom.

Alongside the practical work, you will work on a project involving a fictional hotel in Berlin. Your group will receive an envelope containing real management issues that you must analyse and resolve, just as a management team would. At the end, you will role-play a management meeting where everyone takes on a specific departmental role and accounts for the choices made. In the meantime, you will also obtain your WSET wine certification and HACCP certification for food safety.

Block – Selling the Business 
Focus everything you know about business on a single goal: winning. In this block, you and your team will manage a virtual 250-room hotel, using the RevSIM professional simulation tool. Together with your team, you’ll make decisions on pricing, sales, marketing and distribution, while other teams do exactly the same. Every choice has a direct impact on your results and those of the competition.

Things then get even more practical. You’ll take your virtual hotel to a real-world destination and develop a comprehensive commercial plan based on up-to-date market data. You will justify all your decisions to a fictional management team and be challenged by guest lecturers from the industry.

Block – Owning the Business 
The year is 2035. You and your team are launching a new sustainable hospitality business: a boutique hotel or restaurant. In this block, you will work together to draw up a comprehensive business plan, covering everything from an innovative concept and financial plan to HR policy, a sustainability report and legal justification. You will go through three phases: inspiration, idea development and execution.
You will work like a true entrepreneur. That means thinking creatively, being critical of each other's ideas, and keeping each other sharp. By the end, you’ll have a professional plan that you fully support.

Year 3

Block – Hospitality Design
What if you were given the chance to come up with a completely new international hospitality brand, from concept to brand experience? In this block, you’ll be given exactly that opportunity. You will adopt a design-led approach and ask yourself the central question: how can design and artificial intelligence shape an international hospitality brand?

You’ll go through the three phases of the IDEO design process: inspiration, ideation and execution. In doing so, you will combine insights from commercial business management, artistic innovation, AI technology and ethical philosophy. The result is a Brand Design Brief for professional designers, supported by a portfolio of AI-generated prototypes. Halfway through the block, you will present your work to specialists who will provide you with constructive feedback.

Block – Hospitality Leadership
Imagine this: a real company in the hospitality industry asks you for strategic advice. What does this company need to do to be ready for the future? In this block, you will work with a small group of fellow students to address precisely that question.

You’ll delve into strategic management and change management and translate this into a concrete leadership manifesto for the senior management team. You’ll develop your strongest recommendations into an investment plan, including financial justification. At the end, you’ll present your advice to the client in person.

Year 4

In your graduation year, you will work on your thesis and you can do another study component of your choice, such as an exchange, a minor, a pre-master’s, an additional placement, or writing a consultancy report or business plan. For your thesis as well as the optional part, you will obviously choose a topic (or context) that suits you perfectly! You will be supported in this process by a study coach, who will guide you through to your thesis defence.  

Placement

During this five-month (24-week) placement, you will experience what it is like to live and work in an intercultural hospitality environment abroad. You will work full-time during your placement – an amazing experience that you will carry with you for the rest of your life.   

During your placement you may receive visits from your supervising lecturer to check that you are doing well, that your placement company is taking good care of you and, of course, to discuss your professional and personal development. We have the following placement regions:   

• Australia
• Aruba
• Bonaire
• Austria
• Belgium
• France
• Germany
• Ireland
• Malta
• Malaysia
• New Zealand
• Spain
• Vietnam
• Dubai

Please note that these destinations may change due to unforeseen circumstances.   

Our placement office will help you find a suitable work placement. During your studies, you will gain plenty of inspiration from the hotel and hospitality companies you visit, as well as those that come to our campus during Industry Network Events!

 

Exchange

Studying abroad is the perfect opportunity to push your boundaries. You build up an international network, learn a new language, and gain insight into intercultural differences. BUas works with universities all over the world, so as an exchange student you have plenty of options. BUas works with universities all over the world, so as an exchange student you have plenty of options, for example:

• Haaga Helia (Finland)
• Burapha University (Thailand)
• Institut Lyfe (France)
• Hong Kong Polytechnic University (China)
• Taylor’s University (Malaysia) 

Minor

With a minor, you choose for yourself: do you want to specialise in your field or broaden your knowledge? You can take a minor at BUas, but you can also choose to do a minor at another Dutch university of applied sciences, or even abroad. 

Teaching method

This programme uses a wide variety of teaching methods. You will attend lectures, workshops and practical sessions at Sibelicious, and will undertake numerous group assignments. You will be assessed throughout each block, give final presentations and also submit portfolios. The Hotel Management programme is characterised by small-scale education, and you will therefore have several one-to-one meetings with your coach.

In this programme, we will train you to become an all-round hotel manager. First, you’ll focus on your own personal development. Together with your fellow students, you’ll work not only on acquiring knowledge but also on developing your competencies. We will help you learn the things you need to know and be able to do, and we offer you practical, on-the-job training. It’s about a mix of qualities, attitude and skills that you need as a professional. This programme will give you everything you need to find the international job of your dreams!

Study load and coaching

Study load 
On average, you will spend 35 hours a week on your studies. You will attend lectures, work on projects and prepare for assessments and presentations. Classes take place between 9.00 and 17.00 hrs. During the practical weeks, you’ll work full-time in the kitchen, the restaurant, the catering department or the Visitor Centre on campus. During these weeks, class times are between 8.00 and 22.00 hrs.

Below is an example of a typical week. Please note: the timetable varies each week and this example is only an indication.

A typical week

Below, you will find an example of a typical week. Keep in mind that this schedule may vary each week, and this example serves as an indication.   

Monday: 

• 10.30–12.30 Kick-off for the new ‘Selling the Business’ project
• 12.30–13.00 Lunch 
• 13.00–14.00 Lecture on Organisational Design 
• 14.00–16.00 Modern foreign language class (French, German or Spanish)

Tuesday: 

• 09:00–10:30 Workshop: Collaboration & Conflict Management
• 10:30–12:30 Industry Event – Marriott Day (please wear business attire for this)
• 12:30–13:00 Lunch
• 13:00–15:00 Research and Design workshop

Wednesday: 

• 09:00–12:00 Working on the assignment with the project group  
• 12:00–12:30 Individual meeting with coach 
• 12:30–13:00 Quick lunch 
• 13:00–15:00 Workshop on Data & Information

Thursday: 

• 12.00–14.00 Lecture on Design Thinking
• 14.00–15.00 English class
• 15.00–17.00 Working on the ‘Selling the Business’ assignment

Friday: 

• 09:00–11:00 Lecture on Economic Perspectives in Innovation 
• 11:00–12:00 Lunch 
• 12:00–14:30 Workshop on ‘How to Start Your Internal Analysis’

Study coaching   
Throughout your studies, you will work on developing your personal and professional skills. You will do this together with your study coach.

Topics covered in this programme include time management, communication skills, teamwork, learning styles, leadership styles, report writing and referencing, digital skills, and working with specific computer programs.

In your second year, you will start working with Lumina Spark, which will give you insight into your strengths and areas for development.

In the final stages of the study programme, the focus shifts to the professional field, where decision-making, senior leadership, negotiation, and entrepreneurship are important topics.

Binding study recommendation
If you start this programme in academic year 2026-2027, you must earn at least 45 out of 60 credits in your first year in order to progress to year 2. This gives you some flexibility if you struggle with a particular course, without having to drop out of the programme straight away.
 
Student well-being
BUas encourages and helps you to make the most of yourself, whatever your circumstances. Maybe you have a chronic illness, are a family carer, a competitive athlete, or juggle your studies with running your own business? Our study coaches, student counsellors and student psychologists are here to help. Do you need extra support or advice? Or extra facilities? Then take a look at the options here.

Excursions and field trips

During your studies, you will often go on company visits within the Netherlands. Here, you will gather input for your project or conduct an interview for it. You will experience first-hand how things work in the hospitality sector. You will get a feel for it and see the theory put into practice. In addition, you will go on two trips abroad.

Field trip in year 1 
The main purpose of your trip abroad in the first year is to introduce you to the international hospitality sector and to familiarise you with everything that goes on within it. During this city trip, you’ll learn all about hospital-ity, service concepts, intercultural aspects and sustainable developments in your future working environment.

Field trip in year 3
You’ll now get to put everything you’ve learnt in previous drinks theory classes into practice – and (if you’re aged 18 or over) taste them, of course! Which techniques are used, are the guidelines of the drinks sector (wines, beers and spirits) being followed, and what do you drink with which dish? You’ll experience it all.  Watch a video here for an impression of this trip.   

Study tracks after mbo, havo, vwo, hbo or wo

Three-year programme after pre-university education or after propaedeutic year

As a vwo graduate, you can complete your hbo bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management in three years. That saves you a year of time and tuition fees!

You’ll start in the second year and receive extra classes and study materials to help you master the first-year course content. The introduction to the hospitality industry, which first-year students have already had, will be covered for you through practical experience at the Sibelicious training company.

If you wish to follow this three-year track, you will need a second modern foreign language. When you apply, you will go through the standard selection procedure.

Year 1
In this first year, you will attend four blocks. Based on a project or assignment from the professional field, you will set about acquiring the relevant knowledge and developing your professional skills. Each block covers a number of topics that highlight the various aspects of the hotel industry.

Block A – Fundamentals of the Business
Step into the international world of Hospitality Management. You will hit the ground running in year 1, so we will get straight down to business! In this first block, you will learn the basics of Marketing, Operations Management, English, and a second modern foreign language. You will do this through a project based on your future work. After this project, you will immediately start working in our training company called Sibelicious. You will also develop skills such as critical thinking, ethical behaviour, and research. At the end of this block, you will go on a study trip in Europe!

Block B – Facilitating the Business
In this block, you will look beyond day-to-day hotel operations. You will analyse an international hotel chain operating in at least two countries and compare how those hotels deal with cultural differences, sustainability and leadership. You will describe the current situation, highlight the differences and make concrete proposals for improvement that are appropriate to the cultural context of each country. 

The block concludes with a masterclass or conference presentation in which you share your findings with fellow students and compare their work with your own. In this way, you learn not only from your own research, but also from the approaches of others. At the same time, you will work on your own professional development: what are your strengths, how do you lead, and how do you navigate an international environment?

Block C – Owning the Business
The year is 2035. You and your team are launching a new sustainable hospitality business: a boutique hotel or restaurant. In this block, you will work together to draw up a comprehensive business plan, covering everything from an innovative concept and financial plan to HR policy, a sustainability report and legal justification. You will go through three phases: inspiration, idea development and execution. 

You will work like a true entrepreneur. That means thinking creatively, being critical of each other's ideas, and keeping each other sharp. By the end, you’ll have a professional plan that you fully support.

Block D – Selling the Business
Focus everything you know about business on a single goal: winning. In this block, you and your team will manage a virtual 250-room hotel, using the RevSIM professional simulation tool. Together with your team, you’ll make decisions on pricing, sales, marketing and distribution, while other teams do exactly the same. Every choice has a direct impact on your results and those of the competition. 

Things then get even more practical. You’ll take your virtual hotel to a real-world destination and develop a comprehensive commercial plan based on up-to-date market data. You will justify all your decisions to a fictional management team and be challenged by guest lecturers from the industry.

Special tailor-made track for higher general secondary education (havo) graduates

You have just obtained your higher general secondary education (havo) diploma and would like to work in the hospitality sector, but you find the transition from secondary school to higher professional education (hbo) a bit too much of a challenge. Or perhaps your profile does not immediately qualify you for admission. In that case, a tailor-made track may be just the thing for you.

How exactly does this tailor-made track work? You will start your secondary vocational education (mbo) hotel training at De Rooi Pannen in Tilburg, Breda or Eindhoven, or at Koning Willem I College in Den Bosch. After two years, you will finish your horeca ondernemer/manager training programme (mbo level 4). Next, you will continue your studies at BUas. Read here how the tailor-made track for higher general secundary education pupils works (in Dutch).

Year 1
In this first year, you will attend four blocks. Based on a project or assignment from the professional field, you will set about acquiring the relevant knowledge and developing your professional skills. Each block covers a number of topics that highlight the various aspects of the hotel industry.

Block A – Fundamentals of the Business
You have already gained the necessary experience during your mbo training programme and are now ready to progress rapidly through year 1! In this first block, you will have the opportunity to lead a team of students in our training company Sibelicious as supervisor of the day. You will work on hospitality, process management, change management, and teamwork. You will also learn the basics of law, finance, sustainability, AI, and research. And that's not all! You will also work on your personal and professional skills, such as learning to learn, intercultural competence, and resilience. Together with your team, you will explore different types of hotels and look for ways to improve them. At the end of this block, you will present a plan to redesign an operational process. This is your chance to practise teamwork, intercultural competence, management, leadership, communication, critical thinking, and resilience – all essential skills for your future. And you will also take English classes and a second language of your choice (French, German or Spanish).

Block B – Facilitating the Business
In this block, you will look beyond day-to-day hotel operations. You will analyse an international hotel chain operating in at least two countries and compare how those hotels deal with cultural differences, sustainability and leadership. You will describe the current situation, highlight the differences and make concrete proposals for improvement that are appropriate to the cultural context of each country. 

The block concludes with a masterclass or conference presentation in which you share your findings with fellow students and compare their work with your own. In this way, you learn not only from your own research, but also from the approaches of others. At the same time, you will work on your own professional development: what are your strengths, how do you lead, and how do you navigate an international environment?

Block C – Owning the Business
The year is 2035. You and your team are launching a new sustainable hospitality business: a boutique hotel or restaurant. In this block, you will work together to draw up a comprehensive business plan, covering everything from an innovative concept and financial plan to HR policy, a sustainability report and legal justification. You will go through three phases: inspiration, idea development and execution. 

You will work like a true entrepreneur. That means thinking creatively, being critical of each other's ideas, and keeping each other sharp. By the end, you’ll have a professional plan that you fully support.

Block D – Selling the Business
Focus everything you know about business on a single goal: winning. In this block, you and your team will manage a virtual 250-room hotel, using the RevSIM professional simulation tool. Together with your team, you’ll make decisions on pricing, sales, marketing and distribution, while other teams do exactly the same. Every choice has a direct impact on your results and those of the competition. 

Things then get even more practical. You’ll take your virtual hotel to a real-world destination and develop a comprehensive commercial plan based on up-to-date market data. You will justify all your decisions to a fictional management team and be challenged by guest lecturers from the industry.

Foreign languages

Soon the world will be your workplace! English is pretty much the most important language in hotels and hospitality, so you will be working hard on that. Moreover, you will choose one of the following languages (if it is not your native language, of course): French, German, Spanish or Dutch (for non-Dutch speakers).  

French and German are continued at B1 level and Spanish at A2.2 level. Students with non-Dutch prior education can choose Dutch at beginner level.  

Please note that to be admitted to the Hotel Management programme, you must be proficient in a second modern foreign language in addition to English. More information can be found here: admission requirements.  

Entrepreneurship

At BUas, you develop your entrepreneurial skills in all programmes. You can also join BUas Startup Support (BUSS), where you attend networking meetings and receive guidance from a startup coach. 

Would you like to graduate with your own company? You can do that at any academy, although a selection procedure may apply. Whether you are already generating revenue or just have an initial idea, BUas Startup Support will help you. 

Read more about starting your own business.