Hotel manager

Hotel management redirects here.

A hotel manager, hotelier, lodging manager is a person who, by efficiently manages staff members so that hotel guests have a positive experience The hotel could also be a motel or a resort. The hotelier can also be referred to as the hotel's general manager, though their duties and responsibilities vary depending on the hotel's size, purpose, and ownership. Generally, the hotelier will contribute to the business' profitability.

Hotel management structure

The size and complexity of a hotel management organizational structure varies significantly depending on the size, features, and function of the hotel or resort. A small hotel operation normally may consist of a small core management team consisting of a General Manager and a few key department managers who directly handle day-to-day operations. On the other hand, a large full-service hotel or resort often operates similar to a large corporation with an executive board headed by the General Manager and consisting of key directors serving as heads of individual hotel departments. Each department at a large hotel or resort may normally consist of subordinate line-level managers and supervisors who handle day-to-day operations.

Example of Large/Full service hotel

A typical organizational chart for a large resort hotel operation may often resemble the following:

General Manager reports to a Regional Vice President and/or Ownership/Investors

• General Manager or Managing Director
  • Assistant General Manager or Director of Operations or Resident Manager
    • Director of Front Office or Director of Front Services
      • Assistant Director of Front Office
      • Front Desk Manager (Shift Manager)
      • Bell Captain
      • Chief Concierge
      • Valet Captain or Parking Manager
      • PBX/Communications Manager
      • Overnight Manager
    • Director of Revenue Management
      • Reservations Manager
      • Revenue Manager
    • Director of Housekeeping or Executive Housekeeper
      • Assistant Director of Housekeeping
      • Housekeeping Manager (Shift Manager)
      • Laundry Manager
    • Director of Sales & Marketing
      • Senior Sales Manager
      • Leisure Sales Manager
      • Business Travel Sales Manager
      • Social Group Sales Manager
      • Corporate Group Sales Manager
      • Marketing Manager
      • Social Media Manager
      • Public Relations Manager
    • Director of Food & Beverage
      • Restaurant Manager
      • Executive Chef
      • Room Service Manager
      • Bar & Lounge Manager
      • Banquets Manager
    • Director of Events and Catering
      • Assistant Director of Events
      • Convention Services Manager
      • Event Manager
      • Catering Manager
    • Director of Finance
      • Accounting Manager
      • Payroll Manager
      • Purchasing Manager
    • Director of Engineering
      • Chief Engineer
      • Maintenance Manager
      • Facilities Manager
    • Director of Human Resources
      • Human Resources Manager
      • Recruiting Manager
      • Training Manager
      • Labor Relations Manager
    • Chief of Security
    • Recreation Manager
    • Information Technology Manager

Additional Management Positions may exist for additional facilities such as hotel-owned golf courses, casinos, or spas.

Example for Small/Limited service hotel

A typical organizational chart for a small low-rise hotel operation may resemble the following:

General Manager reports to Regional Director and/or Ownership/Investors

• General Manager
  • Front Office Manager
  • Housekeeping Manager
  • Chief Engineer
  • Sales & Marketing Manager
  • Food & Beverage Manager

Administrative functions for a small-scale hotel such as Accounting, Payroll, and Human Resources may normally be handled by a centralized corporate office or solely by the General Manager. Additional auxiliary functions such as security may be handled by third-party vendor services contracted by the hotel on an as-needed basis.

Typical qualifications

The background and training required varies by the type of management position, size of operation, and duties involved. Industry experience has proven to be a basic qualification for nearly any management occupation within the lodging industry. A BS degree in Hospitality Management or an equivalent Business degree is often strongly preferred by most employers in the industry but not always required.

A higher level graduate degree may be desired for a General Manager type position but is often not required with sufficient management experience and industry tenure. A graduate degree may however be required for a higher level corporate executive position or above such as a Regional Vice President who oversees multiple hotel properties and General Managers.

Working conditions

Hotel managers are generally exposed to long shifts that include late hours, weekends, and holidays due to the 24 hour operation of a hotel. The common workplace environment in hotels is fast-paced, with high levels of interaction with guests, employees, investors, and other managers.

Upper management consisting of senior managers, department heads, and General Managers may enjoy a more desirable work schedule consisting of a more traditional business day and having weekends and holidays off.

Depending on the size of the hotel, the hotel manager's day may include scheduling breaks, covering a window for check in or check out, handling cash, reconciling bank accounts, writing a review for an employee, disciplining an employee or handling dissatisfied guests. These duties may vary each day depending on the needs of the property. The manager's responsibility also includes knowing about all current local events as well as the events being held on the hotel property. Managers will be required to attend regular department and company meetings. A hotel/casino property may require additional duties regarding special events being held on property for casino complimentary guests.

Salary expectations

The median annual wage in 2011 of the 50,400 lodging managers in the United States was $46,810.