General managers oversee all operations in a hotel, motel or resort. They exercise a great deal of authority within the boundaries set by the owner of the establishment. The authority may include setting prices of commodities, allocating resources to different departments through creation of budgets, approving the use of money, and setting standards to guide in the quality of service to be offered in their establishments.
The role of a resident manager is to resolve a crisis when they arise and to respond to emergencies. They live in the hotels to be able to carry out their duties efficiently.
Executive housekeepers maintain the general cleanliness of the hotel. They take care of keeping supplies stocked, while being in charge of the housekeeping staff and training.
The front office managers are in charge of making reservations, checking customers in, and assigning rooms to clients. They also make adjustments to bills, deal with complains and take care of guests needs.
As the title suggests, convention service managers on the other hand deal with the organization of conferences held in hotels. They help in making arrangements regarding the number of rooms needed, conference rooms scheduling, in addition to helping plan itineraries.
The assistant managers on the other hand assist the general managers in the day- to -day running of the hotels.
Nature of Work
The use of computers in lodging manager jobs and hospitality jobs is very prominent. Computers are used to simplify all the services offered by the lodging managers like assigning conference rooms and guest rooms, sending reports to hotel owners, making hotel reservations, ordering of stock supplies, communicating with other hotels, and calculation of bills. Lodging manager jobs call for a person to work during weekdays and weekends very often. This is determined by the guests' demand on the use of the hotel, and the peak season which will demand total concentration of a lodging manager.
Establishments such as resorts may sometimes have a high workload in certain seasons of the year, thus making it impossible for lodging managers to follow the 40 hours work-week. In events of a convention, a lodging manager's full presence is expected to see to it that all is well during the conference.
Lodging manager jobs and hospitality jobs require one to have the ability to be able to interpret the financial condition in their establishment. This is because lodging managers receive important information on financial matter from the controllers of the hotels, whose role is to supervise the accounting department in the establishment.
Education and Training Qualification
In order to serve as a lodging manager, one needs to have undertaken a course in hotel management. Normally a bachelor's degree in hotel management is preferred. However, with some experiences in hotel management and a degree in liberal arts, a person can be accepted to serve as a lodging manager. Working part time in hotels, motels, resorts, and working during summer is considered important by prospective employers.
In addition to educational qualifications, working in a lodging manager jobs calls for the following personal attributes; ability to coordinate other people's work, excellent communication skills, organization, self discipline, meticulousness, and the ability to be a good administrator. They also require having problem solving qualities like patience, understanding, and the ability to think quickly and decisively. Lodging managers must be able to interact and get alone with many people with varying individual differences. They must have ample knowledge of the hotel's operations including the security in their establishment.
Advancement
Growth in this hospitality jobs and lodging manager jobs is normally very slow. Most job openings are as a result of a former manager retiring or transferring to another hotel or another occupation. Big chains have taken into the business of buying most privately owned businesses, therefore making the need for more managers close to zero. In addition more growth is being experienced in extended stay hotels which do not require the presence of a manager continuously or on 24 hour basis.
Earnings
According to a research done in year 2002, most of the lodging managers earned between $20,000 and $45,000 and a median of $34,000. These earnings differ according to the level of responsibility held by a manager, type of establishment and the location of the business. However, salaries for hospitality jobs and lodging manager jobs are supplemented with large bonuses. Benefits like housing, food, and permission to use the services offered in the hotel like laundry and fitness areas is given to lodging managers. They may also get compensated for education.
