In a nutshell: The hospitality industry offers perks not found in other career fields.
Every career field and industry offers perks to employees. But employee benefits in the hospitality industry — which covers hotels, restaurants and similar companies — tend to stand out as more interesting than others.
Perks in these jobs tend to prove more colorful than, say, a special parking spot at the office. Hospitality careers allow for a great deal of mobility and the chance to meet a wide variety of people from every walk of life.
The following covers five of these perks. For the right kind of person, the employee benefits of the hospitality industry make it a very attractive career option.
Free Meals
Getting a meal “comped” is one of the mainstays in the hospitality industry. A hotel manager, for example, typically gets every meal for free or at a deeply discounted price, one of the benefits of working in hotels. The same perk is usually extended to the entire management staff.
Discounted Travel
Everyone always wants a travel discount, but good ones are hard to come by. Not so in the hospitality industry, especially if you work in hotels or for a tourism agency. Perks can come in the form of discounted rooms, lower rates extended to those who are traveling with you, and discounts on services such as massages and spa time.
Work Anywhere
The hospitality industry extends into every corner of the world. It’s one industry where it is realistic to plan on working your way around the world. For example, hotel chains based in the United States typically offer management staff the chance to transfer to other locations. And, of course, restaurants and pubs are everywhere. For someone who finds the idea of changing locations every few years enticing, the hospitality industry may be appealing.
Meeting People
Boredom is not an issue in the hospitality industry. Anyone who has ever spent time in the lobby bar of a big hotel knows it has few rivals for meeting interesting people from all walks of life. This is also true if you work in hotels, restaurants and bars located in interesting places. Actors, politicians, business leaders, celebrities — they all eventually make their way into these spots. Bigger hotels are great venues for meeting interesting people, and many locations offer that opportunity.
Tips and Bonuses
Yes, there are always tales of terrible tippers. That gives everyone something to talk about. But more common are generous customers and guests who tip hospitality staff regularly. Tips can go as high as 20% of a customer’s purchase. Some hotels also include service fees into bills, which go to employees. Hotel managers also can do well with bonuses, earning as much as 25% of their annual salary in bonuses if they meet goals in areas such as customer satisfaction and annual revenue.
Hospitality often attracts people with a different outlook on life. For those considering earning an education in the field, the above perks can make it an attractive career possibility.
