Hotel or lodging managers have the ultimate responsibility in their respective establishments, ensuring all aspects of their guests’ stays are pleasant.
Vacationers and business travelers appreciate a comfortable room, good food and a helpful staff. Providing all three is the primary responsibilities of a lodging manager.
The specifics of the job, of course, can vary depending on the type of establishment.
Job Duties for Hotel Managers
Lodging establishments can vary in size from independently owned bed and breakfast inns and small motels with just a few rooms to large hotels that can house more than 1,000 guests.
Services also vary from a simple room to luxurious suites; minimal accommodations to Olympic-sized pools and gyms; from free, serve-yourself breakfasts to full-service restaurants.
Some larger facilities host conventions and even operate casinos and other entertainment attractions.
Customer-service skills are at the top of the list of necessary attributes for successful hotel managers. They also must have excellent interpersonal skills to deal with a wide variety of personality types, both among their guests and their employees.
Leadership, organizational and management skills also are paramount, particularly for mangers who must oversee a large staff and hundreds of guests. Finally, problem-solving skills are mandatory, particularly when dealing with unhappy guests.
Among a lodging manager’s duties are:
• Inspecting guest rooms, public areas and grounds to ensure cleanliness and an attractive overall appearance
• Greeting and registering guests
• Establishing and ensuring standards are met for guest service, décor, housekeeping and food quality
• Answering questions from guests
• Keeping track of the facility’s finances
• Interviewing, hiring, training and, if necessary, firing staff
• Monitoring the staff’s performance to ensure guests are enjoying their stay
• Coordinating front-office activities and resolving problems
• Setting room rates and budgets, approving spending, and allocating funds to various departments
Hotel Management Career Options
Larger lodging facilities may employ several managers who oversee particular departments and duties. Among these are:
General managers. General managers are in charge of all of a facility’s lodging operations. The general manager and assistant managers coordinate the activities of separate departments, which may include housekeeping, personnel, office administration, marketing and sales, purchasing, security, maintenance and recreational facilities.
Revenue managers. Oversee financial management, monitoring room sales and reservations, managing accounting and cash flow, projecting occupancy levels and deciding when to offer special rates.
Front-office managers. They coordinate reservations and room assignments and are in charge of a hotel’s front-desk staff. They ensure that guests are treated with courtesy, that complaints and problems are resolved, and that requests for special services are carried out. They also handle adjustments of bills.
Convention service managers. They oversee the activities of the departments that accommodate meetings, conventions and special events. They help groups plan their event, from choosing the number of conference rooms to be reserved, designing the configuration of the meeting space, and determining what other services will be needed, such as catering or audiovisual requirements. During the event, they handle unexpected problems to ensure that guests’ expectations are met.
Smaller facilities may require potential managers to have only a high school diploma and experience working at hotels. Large, full-service hotels usually require a bachelor’s degree in hospitality or hotel management. Course work includes classes in hotel administration, accounting, economics, marketing, housekeeping, food service management and catering, and hotel maintenance and engineering.
In May 2010, the average median salary for lodging managers was $46,880, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment growth in this field is forecast at eight percent from 2010 to 2020.
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