HOTEL AND MOTEL MANAGERS California Occupational Guide Number 114 Interest Area 11 1995
Inns for lodging have been in existence since ancient times. Beginning in Europe, parts of Asia and Africa as modest sleeping quarters for travelers, they evolved to establishments which offered dining and bathing facilities in the late fifteen century. Rail passenger travel created a greater need for hotels in the nineteenth century, but only a few offered luxuries resembling those offered by resort hotels and inns today. As highways crisscrossed the nation, motor lodges sprang up along them to capitalize on the developing mobility of American families. With modern interstate highway systems, chain-operated motels replaced the motor lodge. As air travel became commonplace, the number of lodging facilities increased dramatically in response to the need for services for business travelers and domestic and international tourism. The lodging facilities of today may offer dining, shopping, laundering, babysitting, hair styling and other services.
Inns and hotels began as stop-over, resting places for travelers enroute to a destination; today, many resort hotels and inns have become the destination itself. Pools, nightclubs, fine restaurants and convention centers are some of the attractions. In the twentieth century the number of chain-operated motels and the need to coordinate the complex aspects of running modern hotels created the jobs of Hotel and Motel Managers.
HOTEL and MOTEL MANAGERS direct and coordinate activities in the day-to-day operation of their business establishments. This includes the activities of the front office, kitchen, and dining rooms, as well as the various departments such as housekeeping, accounting, purchasing, and the like. They establish standards for personnel administration and performance, service to patrons, room rates, advertising, publicity, and audit. Handling problems and coping with the unexpected on a daily basis is an important part of the job.
Hotel size and type determine the scope of the manager's duties. In a large hotel where the job is primarily administrative (general manager), they coordinate the activities of the various department heads or delegate responsibilities to the appropriate managers. These include convention managers who organize and coordinate staff and convention personnel for meetings to be held in the hotel; food managers who coordinate menu planning, purchasing and preparing food; personnel managers in charge of hiring; front office managers who oversee room reservations and guest greeting; executive housekeepers who oversee the cleaning staff; hotel facilities recreational managers who take charge of making diversion activities available to guests; and sales managers who promote the maximum use of hotel facilities. Some large hotel and motel chains centralize activities such as purchasing and advertising so that individual branches may not need managers for these departments. In chain-operated hotels
and motels, room rates and credit policies are shared with corporate officers.
Managers of small or medium-sized hotels, who are often owner-operators, have more of a direct supervisory responsibility over all functions. Unlike managers in large hotels, they may take a direct role in the hiring process. They may also perform relief work in various activities such as inspecting rooms, setting up tables, and otherwise filling in wherever needed.
The tempo of work varies in lodging facilities; residential hotels in outlying districts operate at a slower pace than large commercial ones. The job of hotel manager is both physically and mentally demanding. Problems arise constantly and managers must maintain smooth operation of the establishment while satisfying all of the clientele.
The following information is from the California Projections of Employment published by the Labor Market Information Division.
Estimated number of workers in 1990 9,640 Estimated number of workers in 2005 13,960 Projected Growth 1990-2005 45% Estimated openings due to separations by 2005 2,850
(These figures do not include self-employment nor openings due to turnover.)
Jobs for these workers are expected to increase at a growth rate of almost twice the average for all occupations in the State. It is currently listed among the fifty occupations having the largest absolute growth in California. An additional 2,850 jobs will occur as a result of experienced managers leaving the labor market, with opportunities greater in major metropolitan and resort areas.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING
Most recent hires have a BA or an AA degree in hotel administration. The level and specific nature of the entry job depend on the work experience acquired during or before professional training. Many graduates start in front offices or accounting departments or as assistant to a department manager.
California state universities offering a four-year hotel management program include Pomona, Chico, Long Beach and San Jose.
The University of California, San Francisco and the Loma Linda University in San Bernardino county also have BA degree programs in hotel management.
In schools not offering a degree program in hotel administration, recommended courses are business administration, law, labor relations and economics.
The American Hotel and Motel Association offers a program of professional certification to employees in the industry. Candidates for the industry's diploma complete specified courses in either formal classroom or home study.
Personal characteristics ranked as very important by surveyed employers are oral and written communication skills, customer service skills, ability to read and follow instructions and willingness to work both independently and as a team member. The potential to manage activities of an entire department, ability to work under pressure, and possession of excellent problem solving and interpersonal skills also ranked high. Computer literacy and business math skills ranked as moderately important.
WAGES, HOURS, AND FRINGE BENEFITS
Salaries vary greatly among motel and hotel managers. Lodgings facilities that have less than 100 rooms pay an hourly range of $7.70 to $14.50; those with 100 rooms or more pay between $9.20 and $22.20 an hour or more. Larger, more prestigious hotels in metropolitan or resort areas pay the higher salaries. A few of these managers earn $10,000 a month.
Generally, paid vacation, sick leave, and medical insurance plans are included in the employee benefit package.
Long hours and work that usually includes evenings, holidays and weekends are common to this industry. Regular hours and work schedules are hard to establish and maintain for management staff.
There are no rigid rules regarding the pattern of promotion to the job of hotel manager. Managers or executive assistants are frequently selected from a front-office or department-head position. Willingness to relocate is essential for advancement in a chain-operated hotel.
Direct contact with employers, or leads from college placement offices and ads in the trade press are common ways of obtaining hotel work. Large chain operations usually recruit from within their own organization, although they may hire managers from rival hotels. Job seekers should also register with the Employment Development Department Job Service.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION
The American Hotel & Motel Association 1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 289-3100
The Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Motel Association 1407 S Harrison Road East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 353-5500
Food Service Managers No. 503
DOT (Dictionary of Occupational Titles, 4th ed., Rev. 1)
Manager, Hotel Or Motel 187.117-038 Manager, Front Office 187.137-018 Manager, Hotel Recreational Facilities 187.167-122 Executive Housekeeper 187.126-046 Convention Manager 187.167-078
OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) System
Food Service and Lodging Managers 150260 Lodging Managers 150280
Source: State of California, Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information Division, Information Services Group, (916) 262-2162.