London will soon welcome Canada’s inaugural Hard Rock Hotel, and Fanshawe College students are playing a big role in making it happen.

In collaboration with Dora Hotel Company, the hotel’s US-based operator, Fanshawe students from the Hotel and Resort Management, and Hospitality and Tourism Operations Management programs have been helping the hotel prepare for its official launch.

The hands-on partnership involves 160 students completing weekly four-hour shifts over seven weeks. From installing phones and placing coffee makers in guest rooms to organizing barware and cleaning brand-new culinary equipment, the students contribute to nearly every aspect of the hotel’s setup.

“We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the Hard Rock Hotel opening this semester,” said Kathy Butler, professor and program coordinator at the School of Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Arts. “Our senior-level students are working alongside the hotel management team. They’re not just cleaning rooms—they’re learning how to launch a hotel from the ground up.”

Butler and her colleague Omar Smith, a program coordinator and professor in the Hotel and Resort Services Management program, pitched the idea to Dora Hotel Company last spring. After months of planning and touring Fanshawe’s facilities, the company agreed.

“We were the first to propose getting students involved in a Hard Rock Hotel opening,” Butler said. “Dora saw the potential in our faculty and students and believed in us.”

The collaboration officially began in March and will continue through mid-April. Students are working in teams each weekday during morning and afternoon shifts. In addition to setting up rooms and amenities, they’ve helped install and program telephones, stock closets with hangers and robes, and ensure every guest room is spotless and fully equipped.

“Students have been integral from A to Z,” said Smith. “Everything a paying guest would expect to find in a hotel room—our students have had a hand in placing it there. We’ve had them also working in food service areas, cleaning kitchen equipment and helping organize culinary spaces.”

Smith emphasized the project’s educational value, noting that students are getting a rare behind-the-scenes look at hotel operations before doors open to the public.

“They’re thrilled,” he said. “They’re happier doing this than sitting in a classroom. They never realized how much effort goes into launching a hotel. And the best part? Some of them have already been hired.”

According to both coordinators, multiple students have secured jobs with the Hard Rock Hotel due to their performance during the project. With Fanshawe graduates among the hotel’s new staff, the partnership reflects a growing talent pipeline between the college and the hospitality industry.

The experience also deepens students’ understanding of brand standards, teamwork, and flexibility.

“It’s certainly not just about coming in and cleaning,” Butler said. “They’re being exposed to managers, asking questions, learning inventory management—everything that goes into opening a hotel.”

The Hard Rock Hotel is the first of its kind in the city and the Dora Hotel Company’s first Canadian location. Although no official opening date has been announced, the hotel is expected to welcome guests later this spring.

Butler and Smith are optimistic the collaboration will continue, potentially expanding to include co-op placements and further training opportunities for Fanshawe students.

“There’s a huge sense of pride knowing that the only Hard Rock Hotel in Canada is opening with the help of Fanshawe,” said Smith. “From cocktails developed in our mixology lab to student-built guest rooms, we’ve been a part of every step.”