Fun, stressful, rewarding, demanding -- managing hotels can be all of these things. If you're a problem-solver with a knack for working with people, you'll succeed. In fact, you'll probably revel in the challenge.
Those with hotel careers are often responsible for handling a wide range of issues. Conventions and large groups of tourists visiting your establishment can present unusual, unforeseen problems. Then of course, there's the crabby couple on the third floor that won't stop calling the front desk with complaints, or the inconsiderate family on the seventh floor who let their five rowdy kids run rampant in the lobby. To some people, these hurdles would be a deterrent, but to others, the pride and satisfaction of juggling as many challenges are there are rooms is exciting.
And hotel careers aren't just about keeping customers happy -- they're about business smarts, too. Managers must set room rates, develop the budget for each department, approve expenses, and establish the standards for service to guests, decor, housekeeping, food quality, and banquet operations.
One often overlooked benefit to hotel careers is the geographic limitations -- or lack thereof. Where there are people, there are hotels. There tend to be more job opportunities in major cities, and your options are varied -- hotel managers work in hotels, motels, inns, and resorts.
As of 2000, managers of hotels were earning up to $55,000, and the industry is growing. In fact, tourism is the United States' third largest retail industry. Check in to a flourishing future with hotel careers.
