BU Paris Students Deliver Hospitality Research to the Palace of Versailles

BU Paris Students Deliver Hospitality Research to the Palace of Versailles

School of Hospitality Administration course offered in France for the first time this summer

Paris is known for having one of the world's most robust hospitality industries. Sites like the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Palace of Versailles draw massive international crowds, with 48.7 million visitors recorded in 2024. Last year, boosted by the Olympic Games, French hotels generated over $10 billion in revenue.

But Jonathan Katz, a BU School of Hospitality Administration lecturer in hospitality administration, says that in a city as popular and robust as Paris, hospitality is more than just a moneymaker-it's "a mindset."

"Hospitality is all about using human interaction as a strategy to support your bottom line," says Katz (COM'88), SHA's director of strategic branding and global experience.

It was that very idea that led Katz to reimagine the SHA course Experience Management (HF150) so it could be taught in Paris for the first time (for the past two years, it's been conducted solely in Boston). But given the city's robust hospitality culture and world-famous cultural sites and hotels, he thought Paris would be the perfect living laboratory for the class' lessons.

The course aims to introduce students to the emerging field of customer experience management, which draws on practices from marketing and data science to help manage customer and organizational interactions-and ultimately, increase customer satisfaction.

Over the span of six weeks, through workshops, lectures, discussions, guest speakers, and client work, students developed new and innovative ways of thinking about customer experiences. They were able to visit and have leadership discussions at the LVMH Lab, Ephemera Group, Paradox Museum, CXG Group, Le Bon Marché, and Citizen M.

The small size of the class-only six students-also meant they were able to travel around Paris for frequent field trips. "It was very much an experiential learning class," Katz says.

Students visited citizenM Paris La Défense Hotel, where they spoke with hotel management.

What raised the bar even higher for students was this year's client: Le Château de Versailles.

Formerly the royal residence of King Louis XIV, Versailles is a breathtaking World Heritage site in Yvelines, in the country's Île-de-France region. From the palace itself to the magnificent gardens that surround it, Versailles garners nearly 15 million visitors a year, making it one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.

"Versailles gave students a set of challenges they wanted us to address from the experience management perspective," Katz says.

The SHA students were divided into two teams, with the first group tasked with studying American retirees visiting the palace, while the second focused on college-age visitors. The two groups were given full access to the grounds of Versailles, where they conducted observational and market research and interviewed more than 200 visitors. All this culminated in a meeting with Versailles leadership, where the students presented their findings and recommendations.

The first group had several research-based recommendations, highlighting the need for improved accessibility, communication, and specialized programming. The students suggested ways that Versailles could cater to older visitors, who are often less physically able, by helping to manage the fatigue of touring the 2,000-acre site, optimizing hydration, and curating experiences that allow for seating.

The second group suggested special programming that targeted younger visitors and increased their engagement with Versailles without diminishing the site's prestige. This included working with social media influencers who could lead virtual tours of the palace, keeping in mind the tone and mindset of Gen X.

"The Château de Versailles staff were very impressed with each group's insights and suggestions," says Renée Pontbriand (CAS'91), director of Study Abroad Paris, who attended the students' final presentations. "The staff commented that these presentations and recommendations were the best they had seen so far and hoped to be able to implement certain proposals."

Working with such a prestigious client motivated the students to put their best foot forward, Katz says.

"When they learned that the palace was going to be our client for the term, I think all of them were amazed," he says. "They put their best work forward, and I very much hope and believe that it'll be an experience that each of them will carry forward into their futures."

Katz says that Versailles leadership was so impressed with the students' work that they are considering continuing their relationship with SHA.

"It goes without saying that the highlight of this class for me was being able to work so closely with the leadership members at Le Château de Versailles," says Molly Hartigan (CAS'27). "I had never given a professional presentation before that."

When Hartigan, a neuroscience and psychology student, first enrolled in the course, she says, she didn't know what to expect and didn't have a comprehensive understanding of what hospitality entailed. She had never taken a SHA course and chose this one because it checked off three separate HUB areas.

She wasn't the only newbie-of the six students enrolled in the course, Katz says, only one was enrolled in SHA. "I think this goes to show you the utility of hospitality as a mindset in any number of industries," he says. "Truly it's unlimited."

"At first, I believed hospitality only involved hotel work, but I didn't realize how much more there was to it," Hartigan says. "This course taught me about every aspect of hospitality, from enhancing the customer experience to personalized staff training and development."

Pontbriand says that taking risks is at the core of studying abroad.

"Any time you move away from your comfort zone, you learn not only about the new place, customs, and culture, but you also learn a great deal about yourself and how you cope with difference and change," she says. "Study abroad not only prepares you in a personal way-by helping students gain skills in global intercultural fluency-but it also prepares them professionally for their careers as they gain competencies in communication, teamwork, and professionalism."

Pontbriand hopes that with enough continued interest, Experience Management can be taught through BU Paris next summer as well.

"I would recommend this experience to anyone who is thinking about doing a study abroad program; my time in Paris, and with this course, changed me," Hartigan says. "I made incredible friends whom I can't wait to reconnect with in the fall. And I was able to challenge myself and learn to adapt to not only a new learning environment, but a completely new culture."

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