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Hotel Manager Interview Questions

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  1. What would be your strategy for organizing a large event like a conference or convention in the hotel? See answer
  2. How do you plan to handle things like bulk check-ins and similar scenarios at the hotel? See answer
  3. How do you plan to oversee the training of new staff as the hotel’s manager? See answer
  4. How will you react to a negative review or complaint from a guest(s) while staying at the hotel? See answer
  5. What are some methods you use to keep costs down? See answer
  6. How would you go about handling a situation where a hotel guest has become extremely angry?
  7. Why are you interested in working in the hospitality industry?
  8. What steps do you take to maximize staff productivity?
  9. What do you find most challenging about being a hotel manager and what do you do to overcome that challenge?
  10. How do you handle negative feedback from staff members?
  11. Can you tell me about a time you worked collaboratively with staff members to improve hotel services?
  12. How do you allocate the budget to prioritize maintenance tasks?
  13. What experience do you have with budgets and how do you divide funds to best help the hotel?
  14. How do you help staff deliver the best quality customer service?
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5 Hotel Manager Interview Questions and Answers

Q:

What would be your strategy for organizing a large event like a conference or convention in the hotel?

A:

Given the amount of control a hotel manager has over a hotel, knowing how a candidate will deal with a major aspect of running a hotel (renting out space for events) is a fundamental thing you should check for when hiring. Candidates will also have the opportunity to talk about some of their prior management and event planning experience, both skills that can come in handy for a hotel manager.

What to look for in an answer:

  • Demonstration of prior skills and experience
  • Leadership and a good team work ethic
  • Organizational skills and the ability to multitask

Example:

“I would approach organizing hotel events similar to how I’ve done in the past. In both high school and college, I was in charge of organizing several fund-raising efforts for different clubs and organizations and managing them as they happened.”

Q:

How do you plan to handle things like bulk check-ins and similar scenarios at the hotel?

A:

Bulk check-ins test the mettle of any hotel manager, putting their ability to manage multiple moving parts in a hectic scenario into question. Candidates should seem confident in their ability to handle the large volume of guests without overlooking or missing people and in their ability to keep customers satisfied through good service and a friendly demeanor. They should also be able to organize staff to assist in these efforts.

What to look for in an answer:

  • Friendly customer service attitude
  • Exceptional management acumen and good leadership capabilities
  • Multitasking capability and the ability to perform jobs efficiently

Example:

“When dealing with a large number of guests checking in at once, I would preemptively call various staff members to assist me in checking them in. My goal would be to move through the process as quickly as possible but without compromising the quality standards a guest would expect from our hotel.”

Q:

How do you plan to oversee the training of new staff as the hotel’s manager?

A:

A good hotel manager will always want to be at least somewhat hands-on in training staff, both for quality assurance reasons and for building morale among new employees. That said, the ideal candidate will know at what point to allow others to take over. Hotel management requires a large amount of work and time commitment to different tasks, so understanding when to delegate is also an important skill for managers.

What to look for in an answer:

  • Attentiveness and concern for hotel staff and team morale
  • Familiarity with Human Resource Management and training
  • Ability to delegate effectively

Example:

“I would certainly want to meet all new hires and be there for orientation and training. After showing them the ropes and ensuring everyone is on the same page, I would hand the job off to other senior staff members for more personalized training.”

Q:

How will you react to a negative review or complaint from a guest(s) while staying at the hotel?

A:

Responding well to criticism is important in any customer service job, but a hotel manager holds a unique spot as the top of the food chain. All complaints should eventually find their way back to them, at which point they will need to assess what they can do to change things. A good candidate will evaluate criticism to see what can be changed in their management to benefit guests. If possible, they should also strive to find a way to satisfy the unhappy guest before they leave.

  • Humility when faced with criticism
  • Adaptability and willingness to change when needed
  • Critical thinking and analysis to find good solutions

Example:

“If a complaint is issued under my management, I would want to handle things personally. If possible, I’d consult with the guest in person to find out what happened and how we could fix it. Should this problem happen again or has happened in the past, I’d also consult with staff to see what the issue is on our end.”

Q:

What are some methods you use to keep costs down?

A:

The candidate's response to this can reveal their financial competency. Additionally, a response can indicate their problem-solving skills and creativity when it comes to difficult tasks or finding solutions to problems that may not be immediately clear. The question gives you the opportunity to see how the candidate can effectively manage a budget and where they see priorities within the hotel.

The candidate's response should emphasize:

  • Critical thinking skills
  • Innovation
  • Values in the workplace

A response to this question may look like this:

Example:

"In my previous role, I was tasked with ensuring that guests had a fresh supply of toiletries and linens. While doing this I observed that most guests traveled with their own supply of toiletries, but we would put new ones out daily, regardless of whether they had been used or not. This was an expense that was not necessary for each guest. After discussing the issue with my manager at the time, we implemented a plan to reduce cost by providing toiletries upon request."

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