5 Steps to Become a Hotel Manager

Becoming a Hotel Manager takes a combination of strong communication, organization and management skills, as well as a proper education.

#1) Develop excellent communication skills.
Hotel managers are constantly greeting and speaking to guests, managing staff members, making phone calls and addressing any complaints or problems.

#2) Get organized.
Hotel managers need to be have impeccable organization because they are responsible for every single hotel operation. Hotel services and departments that the manager is in charge of include (but aren’t limited to):
* the concierge
* reception
* reservations
* guest services
* housekeeping
* catering
* entertainment
* engineering
* security

And the size of the staff varies. A small hotel may have a staff of thirty people, whereas a hotel in Las Vegas has a staff of thousands of workers. Either way, you must be organized and able to control several different hotel operations and people at once.

#3) Get educated.
For a comprehensive hotel education program, some choose to enter into a 4 year bachelor’s program. However, there are other options, such as certifications, associate degrees and training programs, readily available as well. Always make sure that the program you’re looking into is accredited by the ACPHA, meaning that it has been evaluated and approved by an authoritative agency.

#4) Learn how to budget.
Hotel managers are in charge of setting room rates, allocating department funds, signing off expenditures, setting restaurant prices, estimating costs of food, dealing with food suppliers and much more. In the end, hotel managers need to have made a decent profit, while having satisfied all customers with a pleasant and accommodating hotel experience.

#5) Don’t be afraid to start from the bottom.
Often times, hotel managers start out as a receptionist, a busboy, a cook, or a guest services representative. Remember that it is in these entry level positions that you will learn the daily operations of a hotel best. Be patient, and you will work your way up to hotel manager in no time.