Who is a hotel manager?
A Hotel Manager oversees all operations and day-to-day activities in a hotel organization. They take on a variety of duties including managing everything from accounting, sales, business development, and customer service. Also referred to as a Hotel Operations Manager
What does a hotel manager do?
Hotel managers are responsible for managing employees and for planning, marketing, coordinating and administering hotel services such as catering and accommodation facilities.
Duties and responsibilities of a hotel manager.
As a hotel manager, you'll need to:
plan and organise accommodation, catering and other hotel services
promote and market the business
manage budgets and financial plans and control expenditure
maintain statistical and financial records
set and achieve sales and profit targets
analyse sales figures and devise market and revenue management strategies
recruit, train and monitor staff
plan work schedules for individuals and teams
meet and greet customers
deal with customer complaints and comments
address problems and troubleshoot accordingly
ensure events and conferences run smoothly
supervise maintenance, supplies, renovations and furnishings
deal with contractors and suppliers
ensure security is effective
carry out inspections of property and services
ensure compliance with licensing laws, health and safety and other statutory regulations.
What is a workplace of an hotel manager like?
A hotel manager normally works at hotels or motel or related places of their jobs. They may attend meetings. Sometimes they can also work from home and coordinate their tasks.
How to become a hotel manager?
Minimum qualification necessary for a hotel management course is 10+2. Depending on the cost and duration of the course, one can opt for a certificate, diploma or degree course.
Certificate courses can be of six months to one-year duration, a diploma of two years and a degree course of three-year duration.
Selection for government recognized colleges and institutes is done through the common entrance test held in April every year. The test consists of multiple-choice questions in English, Reasoning, General Science and General knowledge.
Skills required
You'll need to have:
a friendly personality, with a genuine desire to help and please others
the ability to think clearly and make quick decisions
good organisational and leadership skills
numeracy and logistical planning skills
a professional manner and a calm, rational approach in hectic situations
the ability to balance customer and business priorities
excellent communication and interpersonal skills, especially when dealing with speakers of other languages
proficiency in another language - this is not essential but could be an advantage, especially for hotels which are part of an international chain
energy and patience
a smart well-presented appearance.
Job prospects
You can find employment as a hotel manager (also commonly known as a general manager) in a range of establishments, including:
bed and breakfast accommodation
inns
large multinational chain hotels
motels
residential and country clubs
small family-owned independent hotels
travel lodges.
Each type of establishment offers a different kind of experience for staff and guests and you can decide which suits you best. In smaller, privately-owned town hotels, for example, the manager (who may also be the owner) deals directly with all business issues. On the other hand, when working as a manager for an international global hotel group you'll have a large team of staff, each with their own specific responsibilities. International chain hotels, often situated in exotic locations, offer a huge variety of catering, entertainment and leisure facilities. The facilities in smaller hotels are often limited and may be of a lower standard.
Apart from jobs in Hotels and restaurants, hotel management diploma holders /graduates can find good jobs in:
Airline Catering (flight kitchen) and Cabin Services
Club management
Cruise Ship Hotel Management
Hospital administration and catering
Hotel and Tourism Associations (for e.g.: state tourism development corporations)
Hospitality services in the Indian Navy
Hospitality services in various MNCs
Forest Lodges
Guest Houses, resorts
Kitchen Management (in hotels or running canteens in college, schools, in factories, company guest houses etc.)
Catering departments of railways, banks, armed forces, shipping companies etc.
Hotel and catering institutes (as a management trainee/ marketing or sales executive)
Self-employment (as an entrepreneur)
Salary
The average salary of a hotel manager can range from 5,00,000 to 15,00,000 per annum
Colleges providing courses in hotel management in India
1. Institute of Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition, Pusa, New Delhi. (IHM Pusa)
2. Welcome Group School of Hotel Administration. Manipal (WGSHA)
3. Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Chennai. (IHM Chennai)
4. Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Hyderabad. (IHM Hyderabad)
5. Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Mumbai. (IHM Mumbai)
6. Army Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (AIHMCT) Bengaluru
7. Banarasidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology. New Delhi
8. Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Bhopal. (IHM Bhopal)
9. Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Gwalior. (IHM Gwalior)
10. Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Bangalore. (IHM Bangalore)
11. Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Lucknow. (IHM Lucknow)
12. Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Kolkata. (IHM Kolkata)