Hospitality Internship in Chicago..is it good? (2013, top hotels)

[joy.traveltounknown]

Hi Everyone!

I am currently applying as a front desk officer in a 5 star hotel in downtown Chicago.. Does the weather in Chicago is good all year round?Is there a lot of travelers in Chicago all year? Even in Winter times? How much is the minimum wage in Chicago? cuz as far as I know during my stay in Virginia Beach last Spring 2013 weather is at a high risk in traveling and the volume of tourist also depends on the weather.. I hope you could me!! gracias.

[citylove101]

Chicago is in a hotel building boom right now, so I'd expect that there are plenty of travelers there. Like a lot of big cities prime tourist time is in the fall, up through New Year's Day, and in the summer time. But remember, unlike Virginia Beach Chicago is also a major business center, so that you can expect lots of business travelers year-round, especially if the hotel promotes itself to business travelers and is close to the Loop, the major downtown office area.

I don't know enough to comment on what salaries are like in the top hotels there, but I'd assume that at a five-star and working front desk you'd certainly be above minimum wage, even for an internship. But like I say, that's just a guess. If you have housing arranged I'd think this would be a great opportunity for someone in the hospitality biz and I'd take it easily. If you have to find your own place to live it becomes more complicated and more expensive.

And no, the weather in Chicago is NOT good all year round. Winters can be bitterly cold, sometimes very snowy, and always terribly gray and cloudy for weeks at a time. Natives will often say, "Oh, it's not that bad." But it is that bad if you haven't experienced it before, and it's certainly harsher than winters in Virginia. But it is a four season environment, so the winter always breaks and the rest of the year is just fine.

Good luck!

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by citylove101

And no, the weather in Chicago is NOT good all year round.... always terribly gray and cloudy for weeks at a time. Natives will often say, "Oh, it's not that bad."

It must just be the short daylight hours in the northern hemisphere that make everyone say things about it being so cloudy for weeks at a time. The all-time record for days of clouds in Chicago is 7 straight days. Normally in the cloudiest months the city still sees 46% of its possible sunshine.

Hotel occupancy definitely swings though, from a low of around 50% occupied during January, up to 75% by March, 90% through most of the summer, down to 75% in November and 65% in December.

The hospitality industry is growing quite a bit though, the city has added around 6,000 hotel rooms the past few years and another 3,000 are currently under construction throughout downtown.

The city hit a milestone in July with over 1,000,000 room-nights spent in hotels that month, also the first time the average for a hotel room topped $200 per night. Occupancy was also at a record during the past year.

[projectmaximus]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

It must just be the short daylight hours in the northern hemisphere that make everyone say things about it being so cloudy for weeks at a time. The all-time record for days of clouds in Chicago is 7 straight days. Normally in the cloudiest months the city still sees 46% of its possible sunshine.

It is the short daylight hours. When I lived in Chicago that was the worst part of winter for me...not seeing the sun at all cause I'd be cooped up indoors from morning til late afternoon and the sun would be gone by early evening.