Hotel manager Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Hotel manager

Hours

Variable
Starting salary

£19,000 + per year

If you can manage staff, and you want to get into the hospitality industry, this job could be ideal for you.

Hotel managers oversee all aspects of running a hotel, from housekeeping and general maintenance to budget management and marketing.

In this job will need strong business skills. You will need to communicate well, with a sensitive and diplomatic approach. You will also need to think on your feet to solve problems quickly.

To get into this job you could enter at a junior position and work your way up to management. Or you could do a higher education qualification in a subject like hospitality management and go straight in as a manager. An Apprenticeship in hospitality and catering can also be a route in.

The work

Large hotels may have a manager for each department, reporting to the general manager. In smaller hotels, the manager is more involved in the day-to-day running of the hotel, often dealing directly with guests.

As a hotel manager, your tasks would typically include:

setting annual budgets
analysing financial information and statistics
setting business targets and marketing strategies
managing staff
organising building maintenance
making sure security is effective
dealing with customer complaints and comments
making sure the hotel follows regulations such as licensing laws
securing corporate bookings for entertainment and conference facilities.

In larger hotels you will spend a lot of time in meetings with the heads of departments.

Hours

Your working hours will include evenings, weekends and public holidays. You will usually work shifts, including split shifts, especially as a junior manager.

In a small hotel you might help out in the bar or restaurant during the day. You may have the option to live in at the hotel.

Income

Trainee and assistant hotel managers can earn around £19,000 a year
Managers of small hotels or deputy managers of larger ones can earn from £20,000 to around £35,000
Senior or general managers can earn £60,000 or more.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

You could become a hotel manager in either of the following ways:

working your way up to management level from a more junior position
entering management after completing a HNC/HND, degree or postgraduate qualification.

Relevant degree and HNC/HND subjects include:

Hospitality Management
International Hospitality Management
Hotel and Hospitality Management
Hospitality and Licensed Retail Management.

You can also complete foundation degrees in subjects such as Hospitality Business Management. These are vocational courses that are usually studied over two years. You can study part-time whilst in relevant employment or full-time with work placements.

To search for foundation degrees, HNDs and degrees see the UCAS website.

UCAS

An Apprenticeship might help you build the skills you need towards this role. You may be able to get into this job through an Apprenticeship scheme such as the Level 3 Apprenticeship in Hospitality & Catering (Supervision & Leadership). The range of Apprenticeships available in your area will depend on the local jobs market and the types of skills employers need from their workers. To find out more about Apprenticeships in hospitality, visit:

Training and development

Once you are working as a hotel manager, you will usually train on the job, gaining experience in all aspects of the hotel.

You may be able to start at a lower level, such as administrator or department manager, and work towards qualifications including:

Level 3 NVQ in Hospitality Supervision & Leadership
Level 3 Certificate in First Line Management.

By joining the Institute of Hospitality, you will have access to seminars, networking events and opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD). Check the Institute's website for details.

Skills and knowledge

To be hotel manager you should have:

business skills
the ability to manage staff
good written and spoken communication skills
tact and diplomacy
the ability to keep calm under pressure and solve problems quickly
energy and enthusiasm
good organisational skills.

More information

Springboard UK (Opens new window)
http://springboarduk.net

People 1st (Opens new window)
2nd Floor
Armstrong House
38 Market Square
Uxbridge
Middlesex
UB8 1LH
Tel: 01895 817 000
www.people1st.co.uk

Institute of Hospitality (Opens new window)
www.instituteofhospitality.org

Opportunities

You could work in hotels all over the UK. With some large hotel chains you could also have the opportunity to work abroad. If you start as a trainee with a hotel chain you will need to be prepared to travel to different areas of the country.

Your prospects for progression will depend on the size of the hotel, your experience and whether you are willing to move around the country. As an experienced manager you could open your own hotel.

In hotel chains, you may be able to specialise in areas such as marketing or training, perhaps after completing further qualifications.

Jobs are advertised through the local and national press, Jobcentre Plus offices, industry journals (such as Caterer and Hotelkeeper), and hotel group websites. You may also find the following useful for vacancies and further reading:

Caterer
UKSP
Institute of Hospitality – vacancies page

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

The hotels industry is represented by People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism. The hospitality, travel and tourism sector incorporates the following industries: contract food service providers, events, gambling, holiday parks, hospitality services, hostels, hotels, membership clubs, pubs, bars and nightclubs, restaurants, self-catering accommodation, tourist services, and visitor attractions. The sector accounts for a workforce of 2.1 million, most of which are based within the restaurants, hospitality services, and pubs, bars and nightclubs industries. The roles within the sector are extremely diverse and include managers, technical staff, front-of-house staff, back-of-house staff, and non-core staff.

The hotels industry covers paid accommodation that is open to the general public, which can include budget hotels, bed and breakfast accommodation, plus hotels rated from one to 5 star. As an accommodation provider, hotels overlap with other industries, such as youth hostels, farms, pubs, and restaurants and others that may also provide accommodation.

Key facts:

There are 253,900 people working in the hotels industry.
17% of the workforce has an NVQ Level 4 or above qualification.
The majority of the workforce has a NVQ Level 2 qualification (25%).
13% of the workforce has no qualifications.
64% of the workforce is employed full‐time.

[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2009.]

Jobs in the industry range from: bar manager, events co‐ordinator, general manager, exhibitions co‐ordinator, head housekeeper, chef, cleaner, conference and banqueting manager, front of house staff, porter, receptionist, waiter/waitress, linen room assistant.

National and regional data

East Midlands – There are approximately 15,400 people working in the hotels industry in this region, of which:

62% work full‐time
72% of the workforce is female
94% of the workforce is white
19% of the workforce is 25‐29 years
32% of the workforce has an NVQ level 3 qualification

East of England – There are approximately 20,200 people working in the hotels industry in this region, of which:

67% work full‐time
65% of the workforce is female
92% of the workforce is white
16% of the workforce is 20‐24 years
34% of the workforce has an NVQ level 2 qualification

London – There are approximately 32,000 people working in the hotels industry in this region, of which:

74% work full‐time
55% of the workforce is female
61% of the workforce is white
23% of the workforce is 25‐29 years
26% of the workforce has an NVQ level 1 and entry level qualification

North East – There are approximately 7,800 people working in the hotels industry in this region, of which:

43% work full‐time
70% of the workforce is female
91% of the workforce is white
Equal proportions of the workforce are aged 16‐19 years (18%) and 50‐54 years (18%)
41% of the workforce has an NVQ level 1 and entry level qualification

North West – There are approximately 33,300 people working in the hotels industry in this region, of which:

54% work full‐time
55% of the workforce is female
88% of the workforce is white
22% of the workforce is 20‐24 years
30% of the workforce has an NVQ level 3 qualification

South East – There are approximately 37,500 people working in the hotels industry in this region, of which:

69% work full‐time
65% of the workforce is female
94% of the workforce is white
17% of the workforce is 16‐19 years
26% of the workforce has an NVQ level 2 qualification

South West – There are approximately 30,300 people working in the hotels industry in this region, of which:

65% work full‐time
Workforce is evenly split between men and women
93% of the workforce is white
Equal proportions of the workforce are aged 20‐24 years (17%) and 25‐29 years (17%)
28% of the workforce has an NVQ level 2 qualification

West Midlands – There are approximately 14,700 people working in the hotels industry in this region, of which:

74% work full‐time
64% of the workforce is female
93% of the workforce is white
17% of the workforce is 16‐19 years
29% of the workforce has an NVQ level 2 qualification

Yorkshire and the Humber – There are approximately 11,300 people working in the hotels industry in this region, of which:

49% work full‐time
Workforce is evenly split between men and women
98% of the workforce is white
34% of the workforce is 25‐29 years
32% of the workforce has an NVQ level 3 qualification

Northern Ireland – There are approximately 43,900 people working in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector as whole in Northern Ireland, of which 5,500 work in the hotels industry in 200 establishments. Details as follows:

55% work full‐time
62% of the workforce is female
93% of the workforce is white
24% of the workforce is 20‐24 years
29% of the workforce has an NVQ level 1 qualification

Scotland – There are approximately 183,500 people working in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector as whole in Scotland, of which 35,700 work in the hotels industry in 2,200 establishments. Details as follows:

60% work full‐time
59% of the workforce is female
97% of the workforce is white
17% of the workforce is 25‐29 years
30% of the workforce has an NVQ level 4 qualification

Wales – There are approximately 86,100 people working in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector as whole in Wales, of which 10,200 work in the hotels industry in 900 establishments. Details as follows:

63% work full‐time
60% of the workforce is female
100% of the workforce is white
21% of the workforce is 25‐29 years
29% of the workforce has an NVQ level 3 qualification

[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2009.]

Career paths

Further sources

People1st
UKSP – guide to career pathways, employers and job opportunities in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector
British Hospitality Association

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