Students take over Crescent Hotel for ‘Class Act’
Jan. 23, 2009Contact Information:
Kellie Knight, Director of Development
479-575-2270 / knight@uark.edu
Trina Holman, Assistant for Development/Recruiting
479-575-2179 / tfholman@uark.edu
Dr. Robert Harrington, Twenty-First Century Endowed Chair in Hospitality
479-575-4700 / rharring@uark.edu
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Marty and Elise Roenigk, owners of the 1886 Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, are turning their hotel over to some University of Arkansas students for a day or two in February.
Students in the Hospitality and Restaurant Management program in Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the U of A will operate the Crescent for a day for “A Class Act,” a fundraising event Feb. 6-7 that college faculty and administrators plan to make an annual event.
Jack Moyer, manager of the hotel, said the UA students will assist hotel staff with check-in and room cleaning of the Crescent Hotel and take over all operations of the restaurant.
“A Class Act” offers packages for an overnight stay in the Crescent, a reception with hors d’oeuvres, dinner featuring Arkansas-inspired cuisine, wine, entertainment and a breakfast buffet, said Robert Harrington, associate professor and the 21st Century Endowed Chair in Hospitality. UA students have planned the menus for the reception and meals and will prepare and serve them for the event.
There are four package levels: Corporate package, $1,400, includes the above plus four rooms at the Crescent for up to eight people; Cottage package, $750, for a two-bedroom cottage for up to four people; Benefactor package, $500, for two people in an upgraded room at the Crescent; and Patron package, $350, for two people in a standard room in the hotel.
Harrington said proceeds from the event will help support the growth and development of the Hospitality and Restaurant Management program. The money raised will be used to provide student scholarships, professional development programs for students and faculty, and equipment and supplies for research projects promoting excellence in hospitality.
The event will conclude with a career fair for the students. Moyer said the Crescent, which provides a summer internship for the UA students, will hire its 2009 intern during the fair. He added that other hotels attending the career fair include the Peabody Hotel of Little Rock and the Embassy Suites of Rogers, among others.
“We can’t say enough about how much we appreciate the support Marty and Elise Roenigk (owners of the Crescent) are giving us,” Harrington said. “This event will not only help provide funding for the program, but also offers a tremendous learning experience for the students.”
Harrington added that Crescent manager Jack Moyer is chair of the Hospitality and Restaurant Management Advisory Committee.
The Hospitality and Restaurant Management program is a concentration in the Food, Human Nutrition and Hospitality major offered by the School of Human Environmental Sciences in Bumpers College. It prepares students to enter management positions in the hospitality and restaurant industries. The curriculum provides business skills in marketing, economics, accounting and business management as well as in foods, hospitality, restaurant and hotel management.
The historic Inn at Carnall Hall and Ella’s Restaurant of the U of A campus serve as teaching and learning laboratories for both students and faculty.
For more information about “A Class Act” or to register for one of the packages, call Trina Holman, 479-575-2179, or Kellie Knight, 479-575-2270.