How to Hire a Hotel Manager

Why hire a hotel manager?

The need for new staff can affect both your existing team and your bottom line. A great hotel manager hire can help your business:

• Manage hotel staff to ensure an optimal guest experience
• Assist in the execution of large-scale events that may take place on the grounds
• Keep track of reservation costs and expenditures and reconcile monthly revenue reporting

What are the ranks of hotel managers?

There’s a variety of levels in management in the hotel industry. Each of these types of managers oversees a specific aspect of the hotel:

• General manager: The general manager is the head of the hotel. They oversee the entire property and report directly to the vice president or owner.
• Assistant general manager: Assistant general managers focus more on the day-to-day tasks of running the hotel while the general manager handles big-picture matters. 
• Front desk manager: The front desk manager typically interfaces with the hotel’s residents and customers. They help clients check in and handle any problems that arise. 
• Overnight manager: Overnight managers oversee the hotel during the nighttime. Since the hotel’s residents are usually asleep at this time, the overnight manager may have less to do. 
• Director of food and beverage: The director of food and beverage is in charge of any restaurants and food establishments inside the hotel. Their team is also responsible for arranging room service deliveries. 

Where to find hotel managers

To find the right hotel manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Post help wanted flyers: Posting notices about the available position may increase awareness and lead to interested candidates who have prior experience. 
• Promote from within: Interviewing current employees of the hotel may help you hire quality candidates for the position. Current employees may already be familiar with the hotel and may require less training than an outside hire. It’s also usually cheaper to promote from within than to hire a new employee. 
• Search for candidates online: Many quality candidates available for hotel management positions may advertise themselves online. 
• Post your job online: Try posting your hotel manager job on Indeed to find and attract quality hotel manager candidates.

What are the ranks of hotel managers?

There’s a variety of levels in management in the hotel industry. Each of these types of managers oversees a specific aspect of the hotel:

• General manager: The general manager is the head of the hotel. They oversee the entire property and report directly to the vice president or owner.
• Assistant general manager: Assistant general managers focus more on the day-to-day tasks of running the hotel while the general manager handles big-picture matters. 
• Front desk manager: The front desk manager typically interfaces with the hotel’s residents and customers. They help clients check in and handle any problems that arise. 
• Overnight manager: Overnight managers oversee the hotel during the nighttime. Since the hotel’s residents are usually asleep at this time, the overnight manager may have less to do. 
• Director of food and beverage: The director of food and beverage is in charge of any restaurants and food establishments inside the hotel. Their team is also responsible for arranging room service deliveries. 

Writing a hotel manager job description

A thoughtful description can help find qualified hotel manager candidates. A hotel manager job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your hotel manager job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on hotel manager jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Hotel
• Hotel general manager
• Hotel management
• Hotel manager
• General manager
• Manager
• General manager hotel
• Hospitality
• Management
• Hospitality management

Interviewing hotel manager candidates

Strong candidates for hotel manager positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Previous hotel management and guest relation experience
• Instances of hosting or facilitating special events or conferences
• Managing a variety of staff, from groundskeepers to desk clerks

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of hotel manager interview questions for examples (with sample answers).