Ensuring a gracious and comfortable stay for a wide variety of guests with different needs is no easy feat. It requires more high-level management than many people realize, especially in 24-hour operations. The hospitality industry offers a serious career trajectory for individuals with meticulous attention to detail and a focus on customer service who want to put their mark on the visitor experience.
Many schools offer ... professional degrees in Hotel and Hospitality Management. Two- and four-year programs in this field emphasize managerial skills, preparing students to oversee all aspects of running a hotel. This includes everything from front desk procedures to back end scheduling, budgeting, and staffing. Students may also learn how to manage corporate conferences and special events, which have taken on more importance in the hotel business
Experienced individuals with a wide breadth of knowledge will face the best job prospects in the hospitality industry, especially in hotels and motels where managers must be jacks of all trades and have a range of responsibilities. In larger hotels—or resorts, clubs, or cruise ships—each department might have a different manager, so specializing is also beneficial. Areas of specialty include food and beverage, concierge services, housekeeping, sales and marketing, spa and recreation, or guest relations.
Salaries of hotel managers vary greatly according to their level of responsibility and the places in which they work. In 2008, median annual earnings for Lodging Managers were $45,800. This does not include, however, the many entrepreneurial individuals in the field who decide to start bed-and-breakfasts. And for hoteliers at the most posh spots around the world, the kind frequented by celebrities and billionaires, salaries and bonuses can approach the six-figure range.
