Growing Hospitality’s Next Generation

May 23, 2025 | Operations

A hotel is only as good as the people who work in it. Recruitment and retention, however, are persistent, industry-wide challenges. According to a recent AHLA survey, 71% of hotels have job openings they cannot fill. And despite improvements, overall hotel employment across the country is still nearly 10% below pre-pandemic staffing levels.

Building a pipeline of talent is, therefore, just as critical as building a pipeline of projects — and two of OTO Development’s Maryland properties are helping to make that happen. Through an innovative, experiential partnership with Montgomery College, AC Hotel Bethesda and Hilton Garden Inn Ocean City are showcasing authentic, scalable career pathways for hospitality’s next generation, thus building a stronger industry, one future leader at a time.

The career readiness initiative was created by Montgomery College and funded through a $150,000 EARN (Employment Advancement Right Now) Grant from the Maryland Department of Labor.

Dubbed “Hospitality to Possibility,” this 16-week, fully immersive job training and education program is designed for Hospitality Management students in their final semester at the community college in Bethesda, Maryland. The goal? To develop supervisory- and managerial-level candidates ready to step into leadership roles in the hospitality industry.

As Strategic Industry Partners, OTO’s Maryland properties provide a range of experiential learning opportunities. Students receive on-site training throughout the semester at AC Hotel Bethesda, followed by a capstone, weeklong externship at Hilton Garden Inn Ocean City. There, they work alongside hotel management and team members, rotating through every department — starting in entry-level roles such as housekeeping, food and beverage, and front desk, then advancing into supervisory and managerial functions.

The EARN grant funds four cohorts of ten students each. Now at the halfway point, “Hospitality to Possibility” successfully provides a hands-on feel for what makes hospitality work.

“OTO Development continues to be an exceptional partner in this initiative,” says Jana Anderson, Chair of the Business and Hospitality Department at Montgomery College. “The company’s unwavering commitment to student development, operational transparency, and workforce readiness is the foundation of this program’s success.”

CAPTION: BUILDING A PIPELINE by showcasing careers to students enrolled in Montgomery College’s “Hospitality to Possibility” program are (photo 1) Angelina Jones, Front Desk Associate, left, at AC Hotel Bethesda; (photo 2) Peter Priesner, General Manager, top row center, at Hilton Garden Inn Ocean City; and (photo 3) Shahan Amath, Director of Sales, left, and Alexandra DeFlice, Assistant General Manager, second from right, at AC Hotel Bethesda.