The document summarizes the author's experience on an Erasmus+ exchange program in Chester, United Kingdom. She worked in various departments at the Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel & SPA, including the kitchen, restaurant, SPA reception, main reception, and housekeeping. This gave her exposure to how a hotel operates. She learned important life skills like independence and overcoming challenges. Additionally, she improved her English language skills and experienced British culture while staying with a host family. Overall, the exchange program helped her grow both personally and professionally.

1. My Erasmus+ in Chester

2. On August, 24th
I left Italy to go to Chester, in the United
Kingdom for a month. I was not alone, I was with nine girls
and one boy.
Before leaving for this
experience, I attended the First
Certificate course and I took the
exam. To be selected, instead, I
had to write my own curriculum
and take part in a kind of job
interview with two teachers.
In July I attended a meeting with
some expert people about what
we would have found once that
we were in Chester.

3. The hotel where I worked
Two weeks before leaving I got a mail that told me what my work placement
was. I was in a hotel called Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel & SPA. It is a
luxury hotel just outside Chester and it is surrounded by the countryside. It is
well known for its new SPA and for its perfect location for weddings.

4. In fact, every week, there were at least one
wedding and a couple of meetings per day,
thanks to its five meeting rooms and a
building built just for weddings and big
events.

5. The hotel has also a large SPA where you can get beauty
treatments, massages or you can just use the gym or the pool.

6. What I did in the hotel
In the hotel I did not have just one assignment. In
fact, in the first week I was in the kitchen and in
the restaurant; after that, I worked also at the
main reception, at the SPA reception and in the
housekeeping.
I was not alone, I was with another girl and in the
first week we worked together. We worked six
hours per day, from 9AM to 3PM.
I liked most the SPA reception because the staff
was friendlier than in the other departments.

7. First week: kitchen and restaurant
In the first week, I worked as a kitchen and restaurant helper. In the
morning I had to help preparing and serving breakfast at the tables,
clean the tables and the restaurant and then, after lunch, I had to set
up tables for dinner. I sometimes had to help also at the bar.
I also had to help to tidy up the kitchen, so I had to clean and then
put the plates on the shelves.

8. Second week: SPA reception
This was the job I liked most! I had to stay at the SPA reception and
greet the guests when they arrived; if they had booked an
appointment I had to make them fill up an information schedule. If
they were here to use the pool or the gym, I took their card and I gave
them a towel.
I sometimes helped cleaning or tidying up the cabins where they had
the massages. If I did not have anything to do, I worked at the
computer and I put the guests’ data in the company website.

9. Third week: main reception and housekeeping
In this week I stayed in the main reception and I helped with the
housekeeping.
In the reception I greeted guests when they arrived and I did some
computer work, such as reservations or emails.
In the housekeeping I helped cleaning the rooms and setting them
up for the new guests to arrive.
On the last three days I came back at the SPA reception.

10. In the hotel I had three supervisors, who followed me during my internship.
At the end, they gave me some positive feedback and I even got a reference
letter from the SPA manager!
I also received my Europass, which is a certificate that I got because I took
part in the Erasmus Plus, and a certificate from the hotel.
I was very happy about it because in the hotel I found people who helped me
with everything I did not know or I did not understand. I also met a girl who
was one year older than me and we worked together in the SPA.

11. What did I learn from this experience?
Taking part in this experience taught me a lot of things. Firstly, I am more
responsible because I was “alone” far from home.
Then I learnt how a hotel works and how to overcome challenges, such as
problems or doubts. I improved my English and I learnt new words, even if it
was tiring listening to English all day long, especially on the first days!
I also learnt how to live in a different country with a different culture and get
used to it, even if my culture and the one in Chester were really different.

12. My host family
In Chester I stayed in a host family that
was 15 minutes on foot from the centre. I
was not alone, I was with another girl,
Chiara. We were hosted by a woman,
Sophie, and her son, Callum. During a
month we have been talking to them a lot
and they made us feel like home.
We also celebrated Sophie’s birthday! We
cooked Italian ravioli and we bought her a
cake.

13. The other side of my experience
During the weekends I
visited Chester and some
nearby cities, such as
Shrewsbury, Liverpool
and Manchester.

14. Shrewsbury

15. Liverpool

16. Manchester

17. And, of course, Chester

18. Some time spent together

19. At the end I was sad to leave Chester but I was
happy to go back home and see my family and
friends again! I hope to go back there one day
but as a tourist.
I suggest everyone to take part in this
experience or in other experiences abroad
because it helps you a lot: you improve the
language, you get to know other cultures, you
meet new people and you learn how to behave
in the world of work. You also learn a lot of
things and, most of all, you learn how to become
more responsible on your own!

20. Made by Asia Mariancini