If you have an interest in hospitality and tourism and would like to use your skills in an in-demand profession, here are six reasons why you should consider a career in hotel management.
Heavily overlapping with the travel and tourism sector, the hospitality industry is one of the largest employers in the UK, but a range of job opportunities isn’t the only attraction.
1. Early responsibility
Fast growth and career development opportunities are excellent reasons to consider a career in hotel management. On the job training is a feature of the job and opportunities for promotion occur on a regular basis.
Hotel managers are responsible for each and every aspect of the hotel that they work for, from front-of-house departments such as reception and concierge services to housekeeping, maintenance and catering. Behind the scenes responsibilities include hiring staff, managing budgets, taking care of public relations and setting sales targets.
‘Hospitality is one of the few sectors where you can take early responsibility and achieve a management position at a relatively young age,’ says Gaurav Chawla, senior lecturer in hotel and hospitality management at the University of South Wales.
2. Salary potential
Traditionally salaries within the hospitality, travel, and tourism sectors are lower than those in other industries. However, there are still certain roles in these sectors that can prove financially lucrative.
Starting salaries for hotel managers are in the region of £20,000 to £40,000 depending on the location and size of the hotel. In London, general managers earn, on average, £85,000 with a range of £50,000 to £200,000 for the largest, most prestigious hotels.
3. Diversity
No two days will ever be the same as there is always diversity in the work you carry out, the people you work with and the guests that you meet. All this diversity presents a unique challenge, enabling you to learn something new every day.
Opportunities within hotel management are endless and to make the most of them you’ll need to be flexible. You could work for an independent or chain hotel, become a general manager or manage specific departments, and work in a variety of locations such as big cities or coastal areas. You’ll get to tackle new challenges every day and meet and make connections with people from all over the world. If you’re after a standard Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm job, hotel management probably isn’t for you.
4. Job satisfaction
As a hotel manager your job is about people and you therefore need to be a people person. Your aim is to ensure that every guest’s stay is as pleasant and enjoyable as possible and that the highest standards of customer service are met. In short it’s your job to make people happy.
Knowing that this has been successfully achieved through positive feedback and good reviews will bring you a great sense of job satisfaction and will spur you on to achieve even better results.
5. Creative input
In order to thrive and grow the hospitality and tourism industries need creative people. To succeed as a hotel manager you’ll need to be able to come up with and implement new ideas on a regular basis, such as themed afternoon teas or guided tours in order to improve the service that you provide.
‘Each guest is different and so are their needs. In this role you are always creating a product, be this a new recipe for the restaurant, innovative cocktail for the bar or the overall guest experience. There is always scope to be inventive,’ says Gaurav.
It often takes hard work to get new initiatives off the ground but since guest experience is a major part of a hotels success, employers are generally open to creative suggestions, especially if they will enhance or improve the organisation’s reputation.
6. The chance to travel
Hospitality, travel and tourism opportunities, including jobs in hotel management, exist in countries all over the world. If you work as a manager for a large chain hotel you’ll have the chance to travel not only locally and nationally, but also internationally.
‘The industry is truly global,’ agrees Gaurav. ‘It offers the opportunity to travel to (and work in) some of the most exotic locations on the planet.’