The hospitality industry offers vast opportunities for those with a passion for service, management, and leadership.
If you’re passionate about hospitality and dream of a leadership role in the industry, now is the perfect time to invest in your future. The International Master in Tourism and Hospitality Management offers the skills and expertise needed to thrive as a hotel manager in today’s competitive market.
A hotel manager’s job is to ensure the hotel runs efficiently, guests are satisfied, and financial objectives are met, all while maintaining the hotel’s reputation in a competitive market.
A hotel manager oversees all aspects of hotel operations, from managing staff to ensuring an excellent guest experience. Their role involves financial planning, marketing, and operational management. Key functions include coordinating with department heads, handling budgets, and implementing guest satisfaction strategies.
Hotel managers are responsible for:
In addition to the above, a hotel manager’s tasks may include:
Becoming an hotel manager requires a combination of education, practical experience and leadership skills.
Aspiring hotel managers typically choose between pursuing a hotel management degree or completing a hotel manager course. A degree offers comprehensive education in hospitality management, covering business principles, marketing, and operations, while a short-term course provides a quicker, more focused path to the industry. Find out more about Rome Business School’s International Master in Tourism and Hospitality Management .
For those new to the field, entering as a hotel manager trainee is a common path. Trainees gain hands-on experience across different hotel departments, learning how operations function while developing the leadership and problem-solving skills needed for management roles.
There are some key skills that are required for hotel management. Let’s find out which ones are crucial in this industry:
Opportunities for hotel managers can be found in a variety of settings, including large international chains, boutique hotels, resorts, and even cruise ships.
To land a hotel manager role, preparing for the interview is critical. Common hotel manager interview questions include:
Your responses should demonstrate your leadership abilities, problem-solving skills, and commitment to maintaining high standards of guest satisfaction.
The hotel manager salary can vary significantly depending on the size and location of the hotel. On average, hotel managers earn between $50,000 and $120,000 per year. Managers at luxury hotels or large resorts tend to earn on the higher end of this scale, while smaller, independent hotels may offer lower salaries.
Several factors influence how much a hotel manager earns, including:
Salaries for hotel managers vary globally. For example, in the U.S., hotel managers in metropolitan areas such as New York or San Francisco may earn significantly more than those in smaller cities. Similarly, European hotel managers in popular tourist destinations such as London or Paris can expect higher compensation than in less tourist-driven regions.
The role of a hotel manager assistant is to support the hotel manager in daily operations. This includes supervising staff, managing guest relations, and assisting in administrative tasks. Assistants often serve as the intermediary between the manager and staff, ensuring that management’s strategies and directives are properly implemented.
As you gain experience, you can move into regional management roles, overseeing multiple properties or transitioning to corporate positions within hospitality brands. Additional certifications and continuing education, such as International Master in Tourism and Hospitality Management can be a way to provide opportunities for career growth and advancement.