We often view the hotel industry through rose-tinted oversized sunnies, perhaps because most of our dealings with hotels involve sun, sand and a whole lot of sangria. It’s hard to imagine, when you’re midway through your 11am water aerobics class underneath the Mediterranean sun, the sheer magnitude of the operations that takes place behind-the-scenes.

Whether you’re in a small seaside hotel in Blackpool or a vast resort in the Bahamas, it takes a lot to bring a hotel to life and even more to ensure that it’s a positive experience for guests. Although the reality of working in a hotel doesn’t come with quite as much R&R as staying in a hotel, it is one of the most interesting career paths within the hospitality industry, one that can take you around the world, working in some of the most beautiful of places. In this blog, we’re taking a look at the typical career path of a Hotel Manager to see whether you have what it takes to reach the top of this career ladder.

What is The Role of A Hotel Manager?

A Hotel Manager is responsible for the day-to-day running of a hotel from operations to recruitment, finance to compliance and marketing to public relations. They run the show, everything in front and behind the curtains is under their control. However glamorous this may sound, it’s not for the faint hearted – this is a job that requires the thickest of skin and the strongest of stamina to succeed.

The truth is that there is no “one size fits all” job description for a Hotel Manager, or any role for that matter, it’s dependent on an array of factors. The size of a hotel, the company you work for and its location are just some of the factors that can influence a Manager’s role. In smaller hotels, you can expect a Hotel Manager to switch hats, often doing jobs that they may be overqualified for; however, they must do what it takes to ensure the smooth running of the hotel and if that means jumping on reception for a few hours, that’s what they must do.

In larger hotels, the most senior Hotel Manager is often supported by a team of department managers who focus on the day-to-day operations, allowing them to concentrate on the bigger picture: generating revenue, increasing productivity and of course, maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. However, there are some duties that you can expect regardless of where you work:

Financial Management

Rule Number 1: Make Money

The primary function of any business is to make money and hotels are no exception to the rule, it’s the most important part of any successful business. Hotel Managers must be able to deliver profitability, withstanding the tempestuous economic environment and have a thorough understanding of how much it costs to run the hotel.

Their tasks include:

• Managing budgets and controlling expenditure
• Forecasting and monitoring revenue and profits

Key skills needed:

• Financially savvy
• Commercial awareness

Guest Satisfaction

Rule Number 2: Make Guests Happy

In order to make money, hotels have to ensure the highest levels of guest satisfaction. You can find over 10,000 hotels across the UK and Hotel Managers must figure out how to make their hotel stand out from the crowd. Not every hotel has to be five-star luxury to meet guest expectations, it simply has to deliver on its promises and do the basics brilliantly.

Guests won’t always expect to be greeted with champagne and a personal butler, but they will always expect a warm welcome, clean rooms and to feel safe. Although Hotel Managers don’t often engage with guests, they are responsible for setting the standards of service that they receive and through strong leadership, will ensure that they are met.

Their tasks include:

• Managing staff training to ensure the highest standards of service
• Being present and keeping a watchful eye over each area of the hotel
• Monitoring review platforms and guest feedback

Key skills needed:

• Attention to deal
• Leadership skills

Operations Management

Rule Number 3: Make it Work

In order to achieve the maximum satisfaction for guests, the hotel must run like clockwork: there must be a workforce of people who know what they’re doing and do it well. This can only be achieved if there is a solid operations plan in place that details processes for every aspect of the hotel from staff training to reservation systems, accounting to food supplies and plenty of contingency plans.

It takes an almost superhuman level of operations management to bring a hotel to life and as a Hotel Manager, that’s your bread and butter. A Hotel Manager is ultimately responsible for every employee, every guest and everything else inbetween. With this comes a great level of responsibility.

Their tasks include:

• Hiring, training and monitoring staff performance
• Planning work and operational schedules (rotas, deliveries, contractors, etc…)
• Adhering to health and safety laws

Key skills needed:

• Organisation
• Problem solving

What Skills Do I Need to Become a Hotel Manager?

3 Essential Skills For a Hotel Manager:

Leadership Skills

Many people believe that all managers are leaders by default, it’s a misconception that has been alive and well in the corporate world for decades. The concept of leadership and its distinction between management is relatively new, according to an article from The Harvard Business Review, “business leaders have much more in common with artists than they do with managers”

In short, leadership is more like a personality trait than a job title. A leader is focused on creating a positive culture of empowered employees, inspiring their team to achieve a common goal. It’s a supportive and empathetic mentality, tolerant of failure for its ability to accelerate success. For a Hotel Manager, it’s a skill that can unite teams, contributing to the success of the hotel and its brand.

Operational & Financial Skills

It’s important for Hotel Managers to have a strong grasp of their hotel’s finances, its operations and understand the market to remain competitive. Like most industries, there are natural peaks and troughs within the hospitality industry and this is certainly the case for hotels. Think chaos at Christmas and tumbleweeds in January, it’s the reason room rates fluctuate so much, a fact that you hate when you’re trying to book your summer holiday but will totally understand when you’re running your own hotel.

A Manager must be able to predict these fluctuations and prepare accordingly: altering rotas, introducing promotions and managing stock levels.

Conflict Management Skills

When working in any customer-led industry, you are bound to have your fair share of complaints, angry guests and upset staff members. Nobody enjoys conflict, however, it’s part and parcel of a management role, especially in the fast-paced pressure cooker of the hospitality industry. It’s your responsibility as management to handle this experience with the utmost levels of professionalism and empathy, ensuring the situation comes to a swift conclusion. Poor management within this area can cost your hotel its reputation, staff and profit.

Beneficial Skills for a Hotel Manager

Proficiency in Another Language

In 2023, there were approximately 37.5 million visits to the UK from foreign tourists. Although asking you to learn every language spoken by those millions may be a bit too high of an expectation from employers, being able to speak at least one other language is a superb advantage to have. Not only does it benefit your hotel guests but it also broadens your horizons too, opening up more job opportunities across the globe!

How to Become a Hotel Manager

The route to becoming a Hotel Manager is multi-faceted, there are many options to consider and you can choose which one suits you best.

Education

There are many universities which offer hospitality or management degrees, however, there are only a select group of universities across the UK that offer specific hotel management degrees. At the University of South Wales, for example, the degree is run in conjunction with a luxury five-star hotel in Wales, allowing its students to gain real hands-on experience as a Hotel Manager. This type of combined practical and theoretical learning is a fantastic way of beginning your career well-prepared for exactly what’s to come.

Do I Need a Degree to Become a Hotel Manager?

Not necessarily, it is completely dependent on the company and its requirements. Many of the larger chain hotels request a degree, especially for external applicants. However, hotels may be more flexible for internal candidates, basing their decision on other factors including the number of years within the business or recommendations from managers.

Working Your Way Up

There is no better way to prepare for a role in hotel management than getting first-hand experience working in positions that one day you’ll be responsible for. Although education will give you theoretical knowledge, practical hands-on experience is something that simply can’t be taught through books or lectures.

Whether you begin on reception, as a Kitchen Porter, or even in housekeeping, it’s invaluable experience that allows you to see the real day-to-day operations of what it takes to run a hotel.

Thinking of Becoming a Hotel Manager?

If we’ve convinced you to enter the exciting world of hotel management and you’d like to start the process of working your way to the top, check out our most recent jobs and apply today!