Home >> Career Center >> Hotel Manager >> What is a Hotel Manager?

hotel manager Career Center

What is a Hotel Manager?

Posted by: Ira Sider, July 07, 2012

The term “manager” covers a variety of job duties. A manager is someone who oversees daily operations, ensures the business is ready and aesthetically pleasing for guests and acts as a liaison between community and corporate partners.

But when it comes to the hospitality industry, the question of what is hotel management becomes more difficult to answer. In hotels, there are many aspects of the business that require a manager to guarantee that everything runs smoothly. This is especially true in high-end and high-occupancy facilities. Therefore, the position of a hotel manager can be a difficult one to define.

Here are some of the most common managerial positions held by hotel management.

  • General – The general manager has the daunting task of doing it all. The role of this person requires him or her to oversee all aspects of the operation and find a way to make them mesh well together. For example, a general manager must ensure that there is proper and efficient communication between the housekeeping department and the front desk. If the front desk does not notify the housekeeping department of a large group of people arriving early, then the rooms may not be ready.
  • Front Desk – The role of the front desk manager is to oversee all aspects of the check-in and checkout procedure. This includes preparing the lobby each day to appear welcoming and clean. The first impression of the guest’s stay is given by how the entire process flows upon check-in. For this reason, the manager who runs the front desk must properly train staff members to treat guests with high levels of customer service and prepare them to handle any situation that may arise.
  • Housekeeping – If a room is unclean, the image of a welcoming and comfortable place to stay is tainted immediately and hard to overcome. It is the job of the housekeeping manager to train and properly oversee the efforts of his or her staff to make sure each room is cleaned to the highest standards. This means sheets are folded correctly, supplies are restocked each time and the small touches are completed before the guest arrives.
  • Food and Beverage – Many hotels offer not only breakfast service, but also catered events for conferences or formal dinners. The position of the food and beverage manager is to see that all food is cooked and served to the standard promised to the guests.

Each and every player in the managerial roles in the hospitality industry contributes to creating an overall enjoyable stay for the guest. Because customer satisfaction is so vital to the success of this industry, managers are held to a high level of responsibility when it comes to overseeing their department. For this reason, long and often odd hours are required to guarantee the most success for their team and for their place of employment.