Hotel Manager

Hotel managers are responsible for every aspect of their hotel, from ensuring everything runs smoothly and guests are satisfied, to budgeting, marketing and overseeing housekeeping and general maintenance.

Depending on the size of the hotel, specific management duties are likely to include:

• purchasing and stock control
• developing marketing and publicity strategies
• recruiting and managing staff
• ensuring staff and guest health and safety
• meeting food safety and licensing laws.

In a large hotel, the hotel manager may lead a team of managers. In a small hotel, managers are more involved in the day-to-day running of the business.

Hotel managers work long hours, sometimes through the night and often at weekends and holidays. They may work shifts. Some managers live in the hotel. They may also travel to meetings, which could mean being away from home.

Hotel managers may earn between £17,000 and £55,000 or more a year.

Hotel managers need:

• business skills
• to be excellent organisers and problem-solvers
• the ability to motivate and lead staff
• a friendly, helpful and tactful manner
• an interest in providing a good level of customer service.

There are 12,000 establishments within the UK hotel industry, employing 248,700 people. This is a growing industry and there are lots of opportunities, but there is competition for jobs, especially in prestigious hotels and large hotel groups.

There are a number of routes into becoming a hotel manager, including:

• working up from junior posts to management level, sometimes via a structured fast-track training scheme or an Apprenticeship
• completing a BTEC Higher National Certificate/Diploma (HNC/HND), foundation degree, degree or postgraduate qualification prior to entry and joining a management training programme.

Relevant subjects include hospitality management and international hospitality management, hotel and catering management and hotel, tourism and licensed retail management. The Diploma in hospitality may also be relevant for this area of work.

Most training is on the job, and involves gaining experience in different areas of the business. The Institute of Hospitality and Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH) offer relevant qualifications in hospitality management. A Level 3 Diploma in hospitality supervision and leadership skills is also available.

It is possible to work up from assistant front of house manager to deputy manager and then manager. With experience, managing several hotels or a specific aspect of the business is achievable.

Further details