Claire Caviglia has always known she wanted to work in hospitality. What she didn’t know was how her path would wind. After spending years building experience in every aspect of hospitality, Caviglia found herself at a crossroads. It was 2020 and her trainee program in Hong Kong was suddenly interrupted by not only mass protests and unrest, but a global pandemic that made her rapidly return the U.S.
With a degree from the University of Denver’s Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management and years of experience working the front desk, acting as a concierge, and serving and managing events, she found herself back home in California, unsure of what to do next.
“There was this brand new hotel opening up in my hometown called The Darling Hotel, with 32 rooms and a rooftop restaurant,” Caviglia recalled. “There was no boutique market in that town, so it really was local ownership—people who were active in the community.”
She signed on for six months of work, hoping to move on to something bigger soon, but ended up falling in love. Within just a few months, Caviglia was promoted to assistant hotel manager and later, hotel manager. In 2022, when hotel management company Charlestowne Hotels purchased The Darling Hotel, they saw potential in Caviglia.
Today, she is director of housekeeping for two of Charlestowne Hotel’s properties: French Quarter Inn and The Spectator Hotel. Her management expertise recently earned her a spot on Hotel Management Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list.
“My main role is managing inventory planning, being strategic in cleaning processes and providing the overall vision,” she said. “If you don’t have that vision, sure, your property’s going to be fine in a year, but what about in two years, five years, 10 years? So, it’s important for the long-term, not just the immediate flip of the rooms.”
Caviglia has felt comfortable holding so much responsibility at a relatively young age due to her personal drive and DU’s education preparing her for success. She’s armed not only with theory, but boots-on-the-ground experience.
She was drawn to DU after touring the campus and learning about the curriculum, struck by the focus on tangible hours of hands-on work. Students at Fritz are focused not on the basics, but the intricacies of hotel management.
“I loved that they had a required work hour minimum, and study abroad also was a really big factor,” Caviglia adds. “I did three or four different internships; I did an internship abroad at one point. I was also a breakfast attendant at the Hampton Inn at 19. You have to be the person that takes out all the trash, and you have to learn those entry-level skills.”
That includes work outside of hospitality too, she says. During her time at DU, she landed an internship with the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai. At the time, she wasn’t even sure what the role would entail, but made unexpected connections that led to advancements in her hospitality career.
“My boss took me to every single luxury hotel, and I got to do property tours,” Caviglia said. “It made me realize that what I really love is operations and also reassured me that like if I wanted to span outside of hotels, I could.”
These moments, and the opportunity to take on work through several internships in China, earned Caviglia recognition among the best in her field.
“I’ve had the unique opportunity where I’ve worked in a lot of different states and a lot of different countries. This is my advantage,” she says. “I’ve seen just so many different cultural environments and workplace environments, and I’ve gotten to learn what I think works well and what I think doesn’t. The more you see the better you’ll be able to react to different situations.”
She hopes to see young hospitality students follow in her footsteps, getting out into the field and experiencing all the field has to offer, even as the global pandemic has shifted the way people work and travel.
Above all though, she hopes that folks remember what hospitality is all about: connection and kindness.