Customer satisfaction is a primary goal in hotel management. Hotel managers strive to achieve this objective by ensuring smooth operations across different departments such as food and beverage (F&B), event planning and guest services.
The demand for professionals in this industry is growing rapidly as well. Vic Sithasanan, managing director of Jobstreet by Seek Malaysia, told the New Straits Times that hospitality and tourism had the highest number of job advertisements in 2023. Since many organisations are looking for these professionals, you can find many opportunities to step foot in this industry and work towards becoming a hotel manager.
Some hotel managers have a hotel management degree, while others pursue their bachelor’s degree in other fields like hospitality, tourism and business administration. They typically climb their way up in this field after working in various hospitality roles.
In this article, we explore what the role of a hotel manager entails to help you determine if this could be the career choice for you.
What is a hotel manager?
Hotel managers supervise the overall operations of hotels, motels, resorts and other lodging facilities. This may involve overseeing day-to-day activities, managing staff performance and ensuring guest satisfaction.
These hospitality professionals manage diverse hotel employees across different departments, such as housekeeping, guest services and maintenance. This role may require them to interact with guests directly to resolve their issues. They may work with external stakeholders like contractors, consultants, suppliers and local authorities. Hotel managers may also report to hotel owners or other leadership executives.
Some hotel managers may have long and irregular work hours as they need to be available to solve any issues that may occur at the establishment. They may work in an office setting or on-site dealing closely with guests and employees.
What does a hotel manager do?
Hotel manager responsibilities typically involve the daily operations and strategic growth of a hotel. Some of their duties may include:
- managing and monitoring the performance of staff members
- inspecting guest rooms, public spaces and facilities to ensure compliance with health and safety standards
- handling financial matters such as allocating funds, preparing budgets and tracking revenue
- interviewing, hiring, coaching and terminating employees
- resolving customer issues and evaluating their feedback
- executing operational adjustments to improve workplace efficiency and guest satisfaction
- developing and implementing capital improvement plans to renovate and upgrade the hotel
- working together with external organisations such as suppliers, travel agencies and event planners
- creating marketing strategies to promote the hotel
4 steps to becoming a hotel manager in Malaysia
A hotel manager has extensive experience in the hospitality field. If you’re aiming for this role in the long run, consider taking these steps:
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Attain an undergraduate degree
After finishing your secondary education with a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) qualification or equivalent, pursue a diploma or a pre-university course. This usually takes one to two and a half years of study.
Once you have completed your programme, study a bachelor’s degree in hotel management, hospitality and tourism, business administration or a related field. You can gain industry-specific skills to flourish in your hospitality career as you may take on subjects like Hotel Operation Management, Food and Beverage Management and Organisational Behaviour for Service Industry. A bachelor’s course typically takes three to four and a half years of study.
As an aspiring hotel manager, consider getting a head start by working part-time in a hotel while completing your studies. You can gain industrial exposure and real-world experience as you put your formal education into practice. Some roles that don’t require a university degree include front desk clerk, housekeeper and catering crew.
While you may start working as a diploma holder, a bachelor’s degree can offer more career opportunities and a higher starting salary. If you’re a working professional from a different discipline planning to take on hotel management jobs or move up in your hospitality career to pursue a leadership role, you can pursue an undergraduate degree in hotel management to get started.
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Gain hospitality experience
Aspiring hotel managers typically need three to five years of relevant work experience to be considered for this role. Look for hospitality roles that will help you understand the standard practices in the industry and familiarise yourself with the basics of hotel operations. Some roles you can explore include banquet coordinator, operation executive and hotel sales executive.
While some entry-level jobs do not require an undergraduate degree, having this academic qualification is highly advantageous especially if you have long-term professional goals in this field. Some hotel management jobs also require candidates to have a bachelor’s degree.
After mastering the fundamentals, you may then apply or get promoted to higher roles with more responsibilities. Depending on your position, you may be involved with preparing marketing strategies, negotiating contracts or executing sales campaigns. Find opportunities to lead projects and teams to improve your leadership skills.
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Aim for managerial roles
It’s crucial for you to gain managerial experience to be considered for the hotel manager role. Hotels have various departments for you to work in, such as guest services, housekeeping, maintenance and F&B. Try becoming a manager for one of these departments and obtain hands-on experience in leading and supervising other staff members.
You can also observe and learn from the current hotel manager and other department managers. A hotel manager supervises various aspects of hotel operation, so take this time to observe how different departments function.
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Upskill in your role
As you work towards becoming a hotel manager, you can improve your prospects through various avenues. If you’re aiming to work in an international hotel, you can look into learning different foreign languages to cater to a wide range of guests.
Studying a postgraduate degree such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) can help you develop crucial skills to become a competent manager. You can also explore postgraduate courses specialising in hospitality management to gain deeper insights and knowledge of the best practices in this field.
Hotel manager salary in Malaysia
According to Indeed, the average monthly salary for hotel managers in Malaysia ranges from RM4,000 to RM5,000. The table below explores average salaries according to different states and territories.
| State/territory | Average salary per month |
|---|---|
| Johor | RM7,000 to RM8,000 |
| Kuala Lumpur | RM6,000 to RM7,000 |
| Perak | RM6,000 to RM7,000 |
| Putrajaya | RM5,000 to RM6,000 |
| Sarawak | RM5,000 to RM6,000 |
| Penang | RM5,000 to RM6,000 |
| Labuan | RM4,000 to RM5,000 |
| Perlis | RM4,000 to RM5,000 |
| Terengganu | RM4,000 to RM5,000 |
| Pahang | RM4,000 to RM5,000 |
| Melaka | RM4,000 to RM5,000 |
| Kedah | RM3,000 to RM4,000 |
| Negeri Sembilan | RM3,000 to RM4,000 |
| Selangor | RM3,000 to RM4,000 |
| Sabah | RM3,000 to RM4,000 |
| Kelantan | RM2,000 to RM3,000 |
What skills do hotel managers need?
Here are some of the top hotel manager skills you need to develop to become successful in your role:
Soft skills
Communication: Being an excellent communicator allows you to build rapport with guests, resolve their concerns and provide a positive customer experience. As a hotel manager, you also need to communicate your instructions clearly to employees.
Strategic thinking: This skill is essential as you need to evaluate diverse factors that can influence long-term growth plans for a hotel. Being strategic helps you to overcome challenges and fulfil business goals.
Leadership: You must have exceptional leadership skills to supervise the overall hotel operations efficiently. A great leader inspires and motivates other employees, delegates tasks responsibly and ensures a positive work environment.
Adaptability: It’s vital for hotel managers to be flexible and adapt to new environments and situations, such as new management, technological upgrades and changing guest preferences. Being open to change can help you adjust quickly in these circumstances.
Customer service: Hotel managers must be skilled in providing high-quality service to guests to boost customer satisfaction. When guests have a positive experience, they will be more likely to return to the establishment, improving the hotel’s customer retention rate and revenue.
Hard skills
Operational knowledge: This role requires extensive knowledge of how hotels operate. You must have an understanding of how different departments function and the duties of their staff members. This enables you to improve workplace efficiency.
Financial management: You need to have strong financial knowledge to make a profit while managing an establishment. Other financial duties may include preparing annual budgets, organising audits regularly and managing payrolls.
Risk management: As a hotel manager, you will examine various risks the hotel may face and develop mitigation plans to keep the environment as safe as possible. Some risk assessments you may perform include food safety, room hygiene and electrical equipment.
Business development: Hotel managers must continuously find ways to increase business growth and profitability. This may involve collaborating with other hotels, travel companies and event planners. You may also develop effective branding strategies to improve guest loyalty and retention.
Data analytics: This skill allows you to understand customer preferences and habits. The insights you gain can help you personalise hotel offerings, boost service quality and improve guest satisfaction.
Provide top-quality guest experience
Hotel management is a rewarding field that provides many opportunities for professional growth. It’s highly recommended that aspiring hotel managers have a combination of relevant educational background and years of hands-on experience to take on this role. Take the first step in your journey by studying a hotel management course. Discover various programmes offered by top universities in Malaysia in hotel management and other hospitality and tourism areas here.