Hotel management forms part of the tourism and hospitality industry, which is one of the fastest-growing industries in South Africa. As a result, there are numerous exciting opportunities available for those who want to pursue a career in hotel management.

What does it take to become a successful hotel manager?

Aside from meeting a general set of job requirements, a hotel manager also needs to have the right personality traits, as well as the support of his or her employees, if he or she wants to be successful in this role.  

Qualities such as a friendly personality, excellent communication skills, and the ability to think on one’s feet are the obvious skills to have when a career in hotel management comes to mind. However, these qualities alone are not enough to succeed in this cut-throat industry, so here are 5 tips we have compiled for you on how to achieve a successful career in hotel management:

  1. Build a team that you are proud of

The people you employ will become the face of the hotel, as they will be the ones interacting with guests on a regular basis. This is why it is vital for you to choose and build a team that you are proud of.  To do this, you need to make sure that you hire people with the right skills, attitude, and character.

  1. Don’t be afraid to learn new things

When you are a manager, you are required to handle various tasks at the same time. You are also expected to be able to identify and solve problems quickly and effectively. This requires you to have an innovative attitude and the desire to learn new things. As a hotel manager, it is important that you keep learning, and that you keep up to date with new trends and developments in the industry. If you don’t do this, you run the risk of being left behind by your competitors.

  1. Get organised

As a manager, it is important to be well-organised. Your daily responsibilities often include a wide variety of activities, such as supervising staff members, scheduling shifts, delegating tasks, and dealing with requests and complaints from guests. To make sure that you don’t neglect any of these responsibilities, you need to make sure that you have a system in place to help you stay on top of things.

  1. Be prepared for emergencies

No matter how hard you try to avoid them, emergency situations are going to occur at some point in your career as a hotel manager. And in the hospitality industry, the manner in which you respond to an emergency is key to your managerial success.

If you are able to respond swiftly, keeping your guests safe and happy, you will be able to uphold the hotel’s, and therefore also your own, reputation. You therefore need to make sure that the necessary risk management and emergency procedures are in place, and that both staff and guests are aware of them.

  1. Get good quality education

There is no shortcut to success in hotel management — but with the right training and qualifications, you can surely thrive in this industry. Most of the time, hotels employ managers who are both qualified and experienced. Therefore, it is important that you get the type of training or qualification that will give you the skills you need to succeed.

Explore your hotel management training options:

View the courses at Oxbridge Academy