Hotel Ezra Cornell dates back to 1925 when Dean Howard Meek took a group of students to New York City to manage the Hotel Astor for a day. Upon returning to Ithaca, the students decided to hold a "hotel for a day" to invite industry pioneers to Ithaca to see the new hotel program. On May 7, 1926, the first Hotel Ezra Cornell was held at Risley Hall, which was a women's dormitory at the time.

HEC provided a unique opportunity for Hotel School students to demonstrate to industry leaders the benefits of an education in the School of Hotel Administration. As a result, E.M. Statler donated the funds to construct Statler Hall and The Statler Hotel. From its earliest beginnings, HEC has played a significant role in the Hotel School's history.

During the 1950s, Hotel Ezra Cornell took advantage of technological advancements in the industry. Executive educational seminars were introduced during the 1970s to complement the food and beverage functions and exemplary service. In the 1990s, speakers provided information sessions about the World Wide Web and ethics in the hospitality industry.

Currently, HEC is an eighty year old organization dedicated to showcasing the best of the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. HEC is a student-run conference that brings together hospitality industry leaders, Hotel School faculty, and Cornell students for a weekend of education, culinary excellence, networking, and entertainment.

HEC offers a unique experience for the hospitality leader. Highlights include dynamic seminars that address pressing issues in the hospitality industry, an awards banquet celebrating research and academic achievement, and leisure activities that take advantage of Cornell's campus and the surrounding Finger Lakes region. This year's educational program will focus on industry trends, presented by a diverse group consisting of hospitality and non-hospitality professionals, Cornell University faculty and students.

HEC is the one link that every single Hotel School student, past, present, and future, can relate to. It is a link that not only embodies the very essence of hospitality, but also rekindles a sense of nostalgia for days gone by.