In Macau, gaming usually means casino floors alive with activity, luxurious halls with cascading crystal chandeliers, lobbies filled priceless Chinese treasures, fortunes decided by chance. The air hums with anticipation.
But the kind of gaming AIHM student Irin Phoorukissaraphab stepped into had nothing to do with cards, chips, or roulette wheels.
Her “game table” was a hotel front desk. Her stakes were professional credibility. Her odds depended entirely on skill.
Just across the border from Macau, at the Angsana Zhuhai Hengqin Hotel, Irin took part in the WorldSkills Hotel Reception Hengqin International Skills Exchange—an intense, real-world competition where hospitality skills get tested, and every participant emerges a winner with the new tactics and insights they acquire.
Accompanied by Lecturer Sombat Makhon, Irin represented AIHM and Thailand at the weeklong intensive training and exchange programme. What challenges were in store for her? Read on to discover how the competition and industry adventures unfolded.
The Moment the Games Began
The guest is already tapping their fingers.
They need to check out now. Their flight is boarding soon, and they will have to rush to make it on time. Their voice is controlled but strained, polite in the way people get when patience is almost gone. The ticking clock is audible even if no one mentions it.
While Irin is processing the check-out, a delivery person appears beside the desk. Papers. Questions. Another demand for Irin’s attention.
This was the opening scenario.
WorldSkills engineers moments of realistic chaos. Distractions arrive at the exact wrong moment. Pressure stacks up. Unexpected situations test how future hoteliers adapt to solve problems.
In the kick-off challenge, Irin doesn’t rush. She doesn’t freeze. She takes control of the interaction. She reassures the guest clearly, sets expectations without over-explaining, and keeps the check-out moving. She acknowledges the delivery without letting it fracture her focus. Her tone stays even. Her body language steady.
Irin maintains authority. She showcases her ability to make the guest feel that everything—despite appearances—is under control.
Observers later note this moment. When evaluating Irin’s performance, they highlight her disciplined actions and the sense of cool and calm she projected. She led the situation instead of visibly reacting to it. The way Irin tackled the first scenario showcased hospitality under pressure and how professionals can succeed by exhibiting smart judgment.
The Pressure Rises with New Challenges
The urgent check-out coupled with a distraction was only the first test.
In another scenario, a man identified himself as a Revenue Manager and requested information about a VIP’s reservation. The challenge here was how to respond carefully. Irin verified his identity and authorisation before sharing anything, demonstrating discretion and diplomacy.
Later, two problems landed at the desk at once: an early check-in request and a report of a missing necklace. Competing priorities. Emotional guests. One desk. Irin handled the sequence calmly, addressing the first guest then escalating the lost item properly through the Duty Manager.
Then came a scenario every front office professional dreads: the PMS (Property Management System) went down. No screens. No shortcuts. Manual check-ins using printed reports. A test of product knowledge and composure when technology disappears.
Across all of these challenges and the ones that followed, Irin succeeded by keeping a sense of structure and calm, by making intelligent professional decisions that held up under later observation.
Training for
a Changing Hospitality Landscape
Early in the programme, Irin had already been placed at a disadvantage. Intentionally.
The competition ran on Cambridge PMS, a system she had never used before. Her prior experience, like that of most participants was with Opera PMS. Cambridge felt different immediately.
Day 2 of the WorldSkills Exchange focused on training. The session included basic navigation with Cambridge, how to create reservations, assigning rooms, checking housekeeping status, guest profiles, payment handling, and check-out procedures.
Where Opera prioritises ease and speed, Cambridge demands structure. Guest profiles run deeper. Workflows are more detailed. Accuracy is non-negotiable.
Later, reflecting on the experience, Irin articulated the contrast clearly:
- Cambridge focuses on precision and detailed guest information, supporting personalisation and long-term data accuracy.
- Opera offers a more user-friendly interface, allowing faster task execution with fewer steps.
- Cambridge becomes smooth once the logic is understood, whereas Opera is easier from the beginning.
The real lesson was about adaptability. In modern hospitality, systems change. Properties differ. Leaders are expected to move between platforms without losing accuracy or confidence. WorldSkills forced that realisation quickly.
Macau, Beyond the Competition
In addition to the scenarios and training activities, Irin and her fellow WorldSkills participants dove deep into the hospitality scene of Macau itself.
Yes, there were casinos. Vast, meticulously choreographed spaces like those at MGM Resorts International, where hospitality operates at immense scale. The young professionals explored the luxurious cutting-edge resort attractions.
They also visited the Macao University of Tourism, seeing how hospitality education is embedded directly into the city’s identity. Walking through Macau’s historic districts, they soaked up the destination’s contrasts: heritage streets and modern integrated resorts existing side by side, demanding different forms of service intelligence.
The educational experience immersed Irin in the glamour and complexity of Macau’s hospitality market. WorldSkills showcased how hospitality success is about systems, culture, scale and judgment. Often all at once.
When Skill Replaces Chance
Macau’s casinos thrive on uncertainty. That’s the appeal.
WorldSkills removes it.
Every scenario Irin faced was designed so that outcomes depended on preparation, composure, and decision-making luck. There were no second chances. No quiet corrections after the fact.
By the end of the exchange, Irin was more confident. She was calibrated and meticulous, aware of how she performs when the pressure is high.
Irin’s WorldSkills adventure exemplifies the kinds of global experiences AIHM students are encouraged to pursue during their time with us. Exposure to global standards. Real operational pressures. Environments where theory becomes practice very quickly. And a strong foundation built at AIHM and tested in real-world settings.
Master the Hospitality Game at AIHM
Do you want to work in an industry where glamour is your backdrop, where luxury sets the scene, and where every day poses new challenges and high-stakes moments?
Step up to a game where skill replaces chance and where preparation defines the odds. AIHM’s BBA in Global Hospitality Management is designed to take you there.
Explore the BBA degree programme now, or request more information.
