BMIHMS Suzhou named top hotel management school in China

The Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School at Torrens University Australia (BMIHMS) in Suzhou, China is celebrating being recognised as the Most Respected Hotel School of China 2021 at the prestigious China Hotel Forum and Menduner Awards.

A special win for BMIHMS

It’s a special win for the School after a year of challenges in the hospitality industry around the world, and acknowledges efforts to ensure students continued learning and staff kept teaching at our Suzhou campus despite disruptions caused by the global pandemic.

Jerome Casteigt, General Manager of Business and Hospitality at Torrens University says the award is a testament to and recognition of the quality of our school in China and the calibre of our graduates.

“Through this award, the hotel industry is telling us that the BMIHMS students are the best trained students for the hospitality industry,” says Casteigt.

“And when you think of a country like China, to have our school recognized as producing the best graduates for industry – it’s an amazing recognition of the hard work of our team in Suzhou.”

BMIHMS at Torrens University Australia in partnership with Suzhou Tourism and Finance Institute (STFI) has always set out to deliver world-class education for the next generation of hoteliers through their Associate Degree in Business (International Hotel and Resort Management) in Suzhou, China.

A truly international and immersive experience

Associate Professor Simon Pawson, Associate Dean of Hospitality at Torrens University says the school in Suzhou is essentially an extension of the highly esteemed BMIHMS Australia, which makes the recognition in China doubly celebratory.

“We have students from China and other countries at our Suzhou campus – so it’s a truly international experience,” he explained.

“The program allows students to travel to Australia and complete their final year of study in Sydney and earn a full bachelors qualification.”

Renowned for its practical focus and industry driven learning, the school prides itself for empowering its students with an immersive learning experience in all aspects of hotel and resort management, preparing them for supervisory and management positions upon graduating.

“STFI houses a purpose built BMIHMS campus that replicates the experience the School offers students in Leura,” said Pawson, referring especially to the hotel simulated environment BMIHMS offers.

Strong industry partnerships the key to success

Casteigt points out that the award is also a recognition of what can be accomplished from the strong industry partnerships BMIHMS has built over its 15 years in China.

“It’s such a testament of the quality of what we do in China with our joint venture partner. We have such a history.  This is one of the oldest joint venture partnerships in China,” he said.

It leverages the rich 30-year legacy of BMIHMS Australia and the unique teaching philosophy centered around; professional and personal growth practical skills development, and academic development.

 “We’ve taken the best of our BMIHMS model, which is focused on a combination of applied learning and smart soft skills, and adapted it to meet the market and hospitality industry demands in China,” Casteigt added.

“This is a combination of something global, Australian and local, which is amazing,” Casteigt said.

The Chinese tourism industry, both domestically and international has seen considerable growth over recent years and a significant expansion in the hotel sector, with Suzhou being one of the country’s top tourism destinations. As China now host to the greatest number of leading five-star hotel brands, the appetite for high quality talent has exploded, with BMIHMS ready to meet the need.

“BMIHMS STFI students are highly sought after by hotels in the region. Over the last 15 years the School has gained a reputation for the quality and professionalism of its students,” said Pawson.

Find out more about the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School.