Gary Gutierrez (at left), president of HRI Lodging, Inc., presents a check
to UNO's John Williams at the Hyatt Place grand opening

The grand opening of a new Warehouse District hotel was a reason for celebration for the University of New Orleans. At the Tuesday ribbon cutting of the Hyatt Place New Orleans Convention Center, UNO’s Kabacoff School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Administration received a $3,000 scholarship from Hyatt Place.

Gary Gutierrez, president of HRI Lodging, Inc., presented the check to John Williams, director of the Kabacoff School. Gutierrez said New Orleans is fortunate to have a university like UNO, which educates so many leaders in the local hospitality industry.

“We are extremely grateful for the generosity of Hyatt Place,” Williams said. “We know that this money will help a UNO student achieve his or her goals in the hospitality industry, which is such a vibrant part of our local economy.”

The Kabacoff School has the largest undergraduate program in hospitality and tourism in the state; it has the only master’s program in hospitality and tourism in the nation with a 100% job placement rate.