Summary: Hotel and motel managers are in charge of businesses that rent rooms to customers.

Hotel and motel managers run room rental businesses. Duties vary with the size and type of the business. In large hotels, general managers are in charge of the entire hotel. They set room rates, monitor income and expenses, and supervise other staff. Large hotels have restaurants and meeting rooms. These hotels hire assistant managers to supervise the various areas of the hotel. Often, the job title of the assistant manager describes their duties. Executive housekeepers make sure that all areas of the hotel are clean. Front office managers are in charge of reservations and room assignments. Food and beverage managers oversee restaurants and banquets. They plan menus, set prices, and order supplies. Convention services managers coordinate all hotel activities related to meetings. They meet with clients and plan a schedule. Then they work with the food service and front office managers to serve and lodge the visitors. Assistant managers hire, train, and supervise the members of their staff. They use computers to write reports about their area or to order food or supplies. They may meet and talk with the general manager several times a week. Some assistant managers are in charge of accounting, sales, and maintenance. Managers of small hotels and motels perform different duties than managers of larger businesses. This is because there are fewer employees in smaller hotels and motels. Many times these managers are more likely to fill in for absent workers. Thus a manager may clean rooms, take reservations, or make general repairs. Managers in small hotels and motels have many administrative tasks. For example, they interview and hire new staff. They also keep track of the money they take in each day. Managers may schedule pick-up and delivery for the laundry service. Resident managers live in hotels and motels. They are on-call 24 hours a day. They usually work an 8-hour day, while overseeing the hotel. In their off hours, resident managers are called for emergencies or problems. In some hotels, the general manager also serves as the resident manager.

Work Activities

• Manage and maintain all year or seasonal lodging facilities.
• Observe and monitor workers' performance to make sure that company rules and procedures are being followed.
• Confer and cooperate with other department managers to coordinate hotel activities, such as weddings.
• Answer questions about hotel policies and services. They also resolve customers complaints.
• Arrange telephone answering service, mail delivery, and answers customers questions about area.
• Use computers to order food and beverages, or prepare reports.
• Purchase supplies or services from outside vendors, such as laundry, repair, and trash.
• Inspect hotel for cleanliness and appearance.
• Coordinate front-office duties and resolve problems.
• Greet and register guests.
• Show, rent, or assign rooms or cabins.
• Collect payment and record money earned and spent.
• Receive and process advance payments. They usually send out letters to confirm that they have received payment. They may return checks if space is not available.
• Interview and hire staff.
• Assign duties to workers and schedule shifts.

General Activities

• Inspect hotels to gather information and monitor surroundings and decide what needs to be done.
• Communicate with other managers to plan large events. May negotiate with managers about whose staff will help with projects.
• Make decisions and develop plans for how to manage hotel.
• Analyze financial information on computer and create reports for owners.
• Handle money and record payments onto computer. Computers allow managers to know how much money is earned daily or monthly.
• Identify staffs' actions and evaluate whether it meets hotels' standards.
• Estimate the number of rooms needed for special events. Managers may monitor the number of open rooms when renting to non-event customers.
• Answer customers' questions, make them feel at home, and build on-going relationships.
• Update what they know about community and help customers understand what they can do in the area.
• Schedule work activities and communicate duties and hours to staff. Coach staff on how to do the job and motivate them to finish projects.
• Coordinate front desk staffs' work, and build a team environment.
• Interview applicants and judge the quality of their skills to staff various positions in hotels.
• Perform general physical activities and administrative tasks when delivering mail or answering phones.