Hotel Management and the Career Paths in the Field
Are you considering starting an exciting career in the hotel management industry? If so, it’s important to understand more about the hotel industry and the educational qualifications needed to excel in a management role.
What is Hotel Management?
Before exploring career opportunities in hotel management, it is important to know what the hotel industry entails. The industry encompasses all types of guest accommodation such as hotels, bed and breakfasts, motels, and resorts. With a market size valued at about $198.34 billion in the US, hotel and lodging is one of the largest sectors of the hospitality industry.
From guest services and food and beverage to sales, hotel management involves planning, managing, and organizing various functions of lodging operations. Depending on the size of the lodging business, management may oversee different types of departments. A career in hotel management often serves as a leadership role in any of the following key areas to deliver a profitable business with excellent customer experience:
- Front Desk
- Reservations
- Sales and Marketing
- Housekeeping
- Restaurant Management
- Event and Catering
- Finance
- Human Resources
Hotel Management Jobs and Career Paths
As the hotel industry is considerably impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever, it needs highly educated professionals who can think innovatively to help hotels and lodging businesses thrive and ignite sustainable growth in these challenging times.
If you aspire to become a leader in hotel management to create the future for the industry, you may pursue the following rewarding career paths:
Hotel General Manager
National average salary: $111,300/year
General managers oversee the day-to-day operations to maximize the profitability of the hotel while ensuring the quality of services. Hotel managers also work alongside different department managers to make sure the hotel runs efficiently.
Marketing Manager
National average salary: $107,122/year
Marketing managers in the hotel industry are responsible for planning and supervising the implementation of marketing strategies. With the goal of building brand awareness, brand equity, and customer loyalty, marketing managers leverage various marketing channels to acquire new customers to the hotel.
Restaurant Manager
National average salary: $55,425/year
Food and beverage service is one of the most important components of hotel management. Restaurant managers are responsible for providing an excellent customer experience and overseeing the daily operations of the hotel’s restaurants or food service departments. They also play an important role in budgeting, inventory control, marketing, and hiring for the restaurants.
Director of Finance
National average salary: $120,318/year
Finance directors supervise the hotel’s financial activities, perform financial reviews, set goals, and prepare financial reports, forecasts, and budgets to support the operation of the hotel. They also direct financial assets to assist the hotel in improving revenue.
Director of Hotel Operations
National average salary: $95,141/year
Hotel operations directors oversee many aspects of the daily operations, from hiring and training employees to customer service. They are responsible for evaluating and optimizing the hotel operations processes to maximize efficiency and quality.
How to Start a Career in Hotel Management?
To break into the hotel industry and excel in managerial roles, you need to acquire a myriad of skills and hands-on experience in lodging management. What’s more, most of the large hotels and international facilities specify a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management as the minimum requirement. With that said, gaining a Master of Management degree in Hospitality Management can help you stand out from the job candidates and have a higher chance to land a management position in the hotel industry.
Key Skills for Hotel Management
Though management roles in different departments have their own responsibilities, almost all managers perform some common high-level tasks such as hiring and training, budget control, and ROI forecasting, which require various soft and hard skills. Therefore, if you want to start a job in hotel management, consider developing the following key skills:
Leadership
Good leadership skills are important for managers to establish a positive work culture and increase team productivity. Effective leaders should be able to listen to employees’ feedback, motivate their teams, and provide constructive suggestions to problem solve critical issues in the department.
Communication
Exceptional oral and written communication skills are often required for hotel management roles. Managers not only need to explain policies and assignments to their employees but also play an important role in communicating with stakeholders and customers. Moreover, in international hotel operations, managers need to demonstrate cross-cultural communication skills to work effectively with multinational team members. Therefore, the abilities to listen actively and express themselves effectively are crucial to leaders in hotel management.
Teamwork
Managerial roles in hotel management not only expect you to be a leader but also require you to be a team player that is able to work effectively in a highly collaborative environment. As a manager, besides coordinating your own department, you need great teamwork skills to collaborate with other department heads to make sure the hotel runs smoothly.
Financial management
Even if you are not a finance director, you still need to build your knowledge and skills in financial management in order to perform the duty of budget control for your department and the hotel. Good financial management skills can help you understand the financial health of the organization and make informed business decisions.
Technology literacy
As technology develops, it has become a major player in hotel management and lodging operations, especially when hotels need to manage the new protocols post-pandemic. Technologies such as automation, cloud services, and robots are leveraged to enhance guest experience. Therefore, staying current with the latest technology trends and increasing your ability to apply new technologies to operations is important to professionals in hotel management.
Earning a Degree in Hospitality Management
One of the most effective ways to acquire the required skills for hotel management roles is by earning a degree in hospitality management. Many universities and colleges created specialized programs in hospitality management to produce effective leaders in the field. Boston University’s Master of Management in Hospitality program, for example, provides you with hands-on internship experience and relevant courses to build essential knowledge in hotel management. For those who are interested in international hospitality management, the MMH program even offers a study abroad program in connection with the ESSEC Business School in Paris, France.
Break into the Hotel Management Industry with a Master of Management Degree in Hospitality
Are you ready to jumpstart your exciting career in hotel management? Gain the vital skills and knowledge through our robust Master of Management in Hospitality program! Contact us today to learn more!