What if you made such an impression on an organization, they created a brand-new position for you?

That’s exactly what happened to Hospitality Management major Marlowe Curalli ’27, who interned at Aloft Providence Downtown this summer — but plans to be with the company much longer, thanks to a position Aloft will be creating just for him.

How Curalli Landed His Internship at Aloft

Although Aloft has employed other Johnson & Wales University students, Curalli made minor history as the hotel’s first official intern.

“I’d already worked there last academic year,” he says of the modern, dog-friendly hotel situated between JWU’s Downcity Campus and the Providence River. “I knew I liked working there, and I preferred completing my internship there rather than looking somewhere else.”

“I asked Aloft if there was an opportunity to do an internship over the summer,” he continues. “They were a little hesitant because they’ve never had an intern before and the hotel is still pretty new, but I thought it would be cool to do. I’ve really enjoyed the vibe while working here.”

Luckily, the hotel was willing to give an enthusiastic student a chance. “My general manager, Damaris Messina ’06, ’14 MBA, put a plan together that the team developed into an internship experience, and the rest was history,” explains Curalli.

An Opportunity to Learn Every Facet of Hotel Operations

Throughout the summer, no day looked the same for Curalli.

“During my internship at Aloft Providence Downtown, I had the opportunity to experience several different departments, which helped me understand how much each team contributes to the overall guest experience,” he explains.

“Since I already had experience working at the front desk, my internship allowed me to look at front office operations from a leadership and operational perspective. I saw firsthand how the front desk acts as the central point of communication between housekeeping, engineering, food & beverage, sales and management. I dealt with everything from room assignments and special requests to resolving guest complaints and coordinating service recovery. One of the biggest things I learned was that providing a great guest experience often comes down to communication between departments rather than just what happens at the front desk.”

Some future hotel managers may balk at being assigned housekeeping duties, but Curalli found value in the perspective of housekeeping staff.

“I saw how much work goes into preparing a room before a guest ever walks through the door,” he shares. “I learned more about room inspections, cleanliness standards, room status communication, and the time and attention required to turn rooms efficiently on busy days. It helped me improve at the front desk because I had a much better understanding of what I was asking of the housekeeping team when guests requested early check-ins, room changes, extra amenities or other accommodations.”

His favorite rotation was with Aloft’s sales department, which felt like a calling to the young man who had been inspired to pursue hospitality from a young age. “I looked up to my dad,” he explains. “He was in sales at Hilton’s head office in Washington, D.C. for the longest time. He would come home and talk about his day at dinner, and that made me fall in love with sales and hospitality.”

Now, Aloft gave him a chance to follow his father’s footsteps: “I shadowed the director of sales, participated in revenue meetings, reviewed business forecasts and even attended other hotel site tours,” he shares.

Overall, Curalli’s rotation through different departments solidified one thing: that hospitality is a team effort.

“A guest may only interact with a few employees during their stay, but there can be dozens of people behind the scenes contributing to their experience,” he notes.

Benefitting from JWU Faculty Industry Connections

Curalli credits Associate Professor Leslie Kosky, M.Ed., for connecting him with Aloft in the first place.

Kosky, a certified meeting professional (CMP) who has been a certified hospitality educator (CHE) for 30 years, has held positions in concierge services, front office, guest services, reservations, catering and event planning within Westin Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels and Disney World Golf Resort. She’s an active member of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, the National Association for Academic Advising and Meeting Planners International, and she has presented at numerous concierge workshops as well as at national conferences for academic advising professionals and leaders.

“She’s been my faculty mentor for the past couple of years, and she introduced me to Aloft,” Curalli shares of Kosky. “She takes her first-year classes on tours of the hotel. It’s really cool now to be at Aloft and see her bring a new class, because I was once in that same spot.”

Having a New Position Created for You, and Other Proud Moments

While still a student, Curalli is breaking new professional ground: having a brand-new position created just for him.

“In September, Aloft will be creating a job title for me: technical supervisor for front operations,” Curalli reported over the summer. “Having management recognize my work ethic and abilities enough to create a new opportunity for me was especially meaningful, because it showed me that the effort I’d been putting in was being noticed.”

He adds, “At the same time, some of the smaller guest interactions have been just as rewarding. Working at the front desk gave me opportunities to turn frustrating situations into positive experiences, whether that meant finding a solution to a room issue, coordinating with another department or simply taking extra time to listen to a guest and make sure they felt taken care of.”

“Those experiences have reinforced why I chose hospitality in the first place,” asserts Curalli. “I enjoy the business and sales side of the industry, but ultimately everything comes back to the guest. My internship at Aloft has helped me see how operations, housekeeping, food & beverage, sales and revenue all connect to create that experience.”

Curalli’s Post-Graduation Plans

After Curalli graduates with his bachelor’s degree in May, he’ll stay on at JWU to complete his MBA in Hospitality.

After that, he has even more learning ahead. Along with sibling brands such as the W, the Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Westin and Renaissance hotels, Aloft Hotels are part of the Marriott International family — and Aloft asked Curalli to continue to grow with them. Employees with managerial acumen complete Marriott’s Voyager program, a global initiative for recent university graduates, and in 2028, Curalli will be among those emerging leaders.

“Basically, it’s an externship program that I’ll do for a 12-month period after graduation,” Curalli explains. “I’ll be in a salaried management role with responsibilities, which will give me a better experience in the hospitality industry.” The mentorship he has enjoyed at JWU will continue in Voyager as well; he’ll learn the ropes from seasoned Marriott mentors.

Although Marriott Voyager is offered in dozens of cities, Curalli already has his eye on a location for his future management training. “I’d like to do it in Boston because it’s a big city that had a lot of industry ‘firsts’ in hospitality,” he notes. “Marriott has a huge presence there.”

Marketing & Advertising major Ava Morgan ’28 contributed to this story while working as a student assistant for JWU.