How hard could it be to run a hotel?
It’s all just folding towels and changing the sheets, right?
Tell us a little about yourself and your experience.
My official title is “Operations Manager.”
I’ve been at this hotel for one year.
What drove you to choose your career path?
Nothing drove me to this career path except a need for beer money, at first.
That’s my number one reason why I’ve continued to work in hotels.
You meet some amazing people.
It’s never boring at a hotel in a city or a vacation resort.
The nature of the business is that there are always people checking out and new people checking in.
These things come easily to me.
How did you go about getting your job?
What kind of education and experience did you need?
To get my first hotel job I just walked in and applied.
It’s easy to get an entry level position.
Did you need any licenses or certifications?
What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?
Imagine you’re throwing a dinner party at your house.
At the same time you have to confirm that dinner is ready on time.
Once the party is over and your guests have gone home you have to clean up the mess.
It’s the worst part of throwing a party but it’s gotta be done.
That’s what running a hotel is like.
If you check in to a hotel with an unhappy staff, it shows.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
This is not true.
Most hotels never do this because they preferably want every room rented every single night.
It’s more expensive to have a room sitting empty than to have someone renting it.
These rooms are negotiable.
So it doesn’t hurt to ask about out of order rooms when a hotel is fully booked.
Seasoned travelers know this but the average Joe doesn’t.
It doesn’t even have to be a lot.
What are your average work hours?
My average work hours are six days a week, 12-16 hours a day.
Hotels are a 24 hour a day, 365 day a year business.
So I’m always on call in case of an emergency, unless I’m out of town.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
Well it helps to have the right attitude and very thick skin.
A lot of people can be rude, disrespectful, demanding, and sometimes just plain insane.
If they screamed he would start screaming too.
So a thick skin and a positive, zen like attitude.
What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?
I worked front of house so that’s where I like to be.
I trust the managers of my departments and expect a lot from them and they know it.
It’s as simple as that.
So I don’t take a stab at do everything myself.
What’s the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?
The worst part of my job is that it’s a 24 hour-a-day, 365 day-a-year business.
It does get tiring.
Sometimes I just wish that we could lock the front door and unplug the phones for two days.
The best way to deal with it in my experience is to actively seek a balanced life.
It’s easier sometimes than others.
I have to remind myself to keep boundaries between home and work.
What’s the most enjoyable part of the job?
Best part of the job is all the characters that stay and work there.
Or you might just tell the story that you met them and shook their hand.
Either way it’s satisfying.
The employee discount at any hotel in my chain isn’t bad either.
There’s always something going on and new people to meet.
It’s really impossible to be bored and I’m not forced to stay in an office all day.
Do you have any advice for people who visit your hotel?
Being nice and understanding will get you what you want much faster than being ugly to employees.
Just keep moving, and when it gets slow, ask to speak to a manager.
What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?
Money is okay when you’re a manager.
It’s not great, but like I mentioned, there are perks.
Some go all the way up to $100kit depends on the city and the owners of the hotel.
How do you move up in your field?
It can be very cutthroat, politically speaking, at most hotels I’ve worked for.
It’s a longer road than some other ways of moving up but it’s more satisfying.
What do your customers under/over value?
With few exceptions, any problems that occur are not intentional.
If you have a concern or a problem, hey bring it up to a manager.
We will do our best to fix your problem and make you happy.
That’s our job.
Those reviews on Travelocity, Priceline, and Yelp, etc.
have a huge effect on business nowadays.
They affect real people’s jobs and lives.
Also, don’t lie and don’t make up non-existent problems to try and get a room discount.
You will piss us off and we’ll remember you.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
It’s not for everyone.
As long as you have a great attitude that spreads to everyone else around youthat really is the key.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
If you’d like to share your career, email us at[email protected].
Image adapted fromRonald Sumnersandwavebreakmedia(Shutterstock).
