Students Working, and Learning, at the Hotel

Working at the Statler Hotel is so much more than a job for the 200 students who learn and serve alongside industry professionals here each year. The experience shapes the careers—and lives—of our students. It’s an exciting place where students build skills and relationships that open doors and grow friendships that last a lifetime.

Time and again our alumni say their real-world knowledge of how a hotel works—from reservations and housekeeping to sales and accounting—is what led to their professional success. This practical experience is not only important for students who are interested in pursuing careers in hotel or restaurant operations; it is equally invaluable for those who aspire to management positions with hospitality companies or real estate firms, or dream of becoming entrepreneurs.

Learning at the Statler Hotel: A “management laboratory”

It’s no surprise that the “world’s most adventurous business school” would have high-quality experiential learning built right into its DNA. These transformational experiences are a product of the Statler Hotel’s position as a “management laboratory.” First articulated in 1986 by Dean Jack Clark, this foresight established the hotel as a primary teaching tool for the school. Today the Statler Hotel enhances classroom learning by offering hands-on experience in hotel operations and jump-starts careers by providing students with their first management opportunities.

The Statler Hotel’s educational mission is in evidence everywhere. Classes in hotel and food service operations and restaurant management enable students to work alongside the hotel’s full-time staff, interact with real guests, and learn from world-renowned chefs in the hotel’s upscale restaurant, Taverna Banfi. The Hotel Leadership Development Program (HLDP) gives selected students an opportunity to gain supervisory and managerial experience. And as technology becomes ever more critical to advancing hospitality management, operations, and innovation, the Statler Hotel provides critical data that is compiled, reviewed, and analyzed by students studying accounting, human resources, marketing, operations, and statistics.

The hotel also serves as the venue for one of the school’s long-standing annual traditions, Hotel Ezra Cornell, which provides students with the opportunity to showcase their skills to industry leaders by running the hotel for one intensive, fun-filled weekend.

Working at the Statler: Not just a job, but the beginning of an adventure

Students choose to work at the Statler Hotel for many reasons, but they all have one thing in common—they love what they do. Whether their priority is building their professional skills, enjoying the sublime Finger Lakes summer, or being surrounded by energetic and passionate colleagues, the Statler offers excellent opportunities for those who like to work hard and have fun. Many former student staff use what they learn at the Statler Hotel to build exciting, adventure-filled careers at some of the finest hotels, resorts, and restaurants in the world.

While many of the hotel’s seasonal staff are Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration students, any Cornell University undergraduate or graduate student may find part-time or full-time employment with the Statler Hotel during the school year or summer in a range of front-line positions, such as bartender, bell stand attendant, kitchen staff, guest service clerk, front desk attendant, or restaurant server. The hotel also employs students to work in back-of-house departments, such as accounting, facilities, human resources, information technology, and sales. Student supervisor and manager job opportunities are available for students participating in the Hotel Leadership Development Program.

Work at the Statler Hotel can count toward a portion of the 800 minimum hours of industry work experience Cornell Nolan School undergraduates need to have before they graduate.

For more information about student employment opportunities at the Statler Hotel, contact the Statler Payroll & Student Employment Office located in G23 Statler Hall or call 607.255.8344. To apply online for a student position, complete the Student Online Employment Application.