A-Z Guide to a Successful Career in Hotel Management

As humans, we always have the inherent desire to be a traveller. We want to travel around the world and experience nature, architecture, food, culture, and all that. One of the first things that we do when planning a trip is that we book a stay – mostly at hotels and resorts. So, professionals involved in hotel management manage the operations of these hotels and resorts. Do we book hotels only when we travel for leisure and recreation? Of course not. We book hotels for business travel, weddings, parties, meetings, conferences, exhibitions, seminars, and even for organising an event for sales promotion. As per a report on Bloomberg, the MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions) industry alone is going to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of about 7.6% to reach a size of 1439 Billion USD. The growth could be slower in 2020 and 2021 for the Covid-19 outbreak but it will start growing again post 2021. Moreover, the big fat destination wedding industry is growing at a dizzy pace. Therefore, happy days are ahead for those who are thinking about a career in hotel management.

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Seek Career Planning Help However, managing a hotel is not easy. In fact it comes with a lot of responsibilities and requires skilled and talented professionals who can take up these responsibilities. So, are you someone who wants to be a part of this industry? If yes, you are at the right place then. Likewise, we shall dive into the details of building a career in hotel management. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s start.

What is Hotel Management?

Hotel Management involves coordinating and managing all the operations that are required to run a hotel, a resort, a guest house, a service apartment, or in short, any other similar facilities where accommodation is provided to guests. Hotel Management includes:

• Front Office Management – answering queries of hotel guests, helping guests to book and check in the hotel, answering various service calls from the guest, and helping guests to pay bills and check out.

• Guest Services Management – helping guests to avail of various services offered by a hotel such as travel bookings, car rentals, business desk services, spa services, etc. This also involves answering queries of guess and resolving grievances.

• Food & Beverage Services Management – this involves – i) serving food and beverages to hotel guests at their rooms and ii) serving food and beverages at the various restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and lounges of a hotel.

• Kitchen Management & Food Preparation – cooks and chefs at hotels, along with their assistants, plan menu, order and receive food ingredients as well as beverages, and prepare various food dishes as well as various soft and hard beverages to serve the guests at a hotel.

• Housekeeping Services Management – Housekeeping involves upkeep of all the facilities in a hotel, including the rooms, passages, lobby, restaurants, and so on. Housekeeping involves cleaning rooms and various facilities, arrangement of linens and various other materials at rooms and at other facilities. Laundry services are also part of housekeeping services.

• Marketing and Sales – hotel management tasks involve marketing of hotel services to potential guests as well as selling of the various services to them.

• Banquet & Event Management – depending upon the star rating, a hotel may have a number of banquet halls and other venues for organising events. Managing events at these halls and venues are a crucial part of hotel management.

• Facilities Management & Engineering – depending upon star rating, a hotel may have large-scale infrastructure including buildings and various systems for smooth operations – such as civil engineering, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) engineering and so on.

Why Choose a Career in Hotel Management?

Some facts first:

• As the world gets smaller, connected and globalized, the number of tourists and business travelers has witnessed a high growth in the last decade. This has pushed the tourism and hotel industry to attain higher benchmarks of quality and service to cater to all kinds of demands made by travelers.

• Do you know that an influx of international hotel chains and large hotel brands are increasing their presence in India? Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) report says that the Hotel & Tourism sector received a total of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows of US$ 13.210 billion by the end of September 2019.

• Moreover, this accounts for around 47% share in the Indian Tourism & Hospitality industry by 2020 and by almost 50% by the year 2022. Do you know what this means? The hospitality and tourism sectors in India will invest more leading to more jobs and greater opportunities for those looking for a career in hotel management.

Skills Required to Succeed in Hotel Management

Hotel management requires a set of skills that you need in your day-to-day business operations. Although, some skills are acquired via pursuing courses in hotel management. However, there are a few skills which you’ll master over time while working. Moreover, hotel management allows people to work in an industry that requires a very diverse set of skills in an individual. Therefore, to cater to a number of responsibilities you are held accountable for, there are certain attributes that you should have. Some of the skills needed are:

1. Communication Skills
2. Interpersonal Skills
3. Leadership Skills
4. Organizational Skills
5. Problem Solving Skills
6. Creative Skills

Courses in Hotel Management

When we talk about courses for Hotel Management, there are numerous diploma and full-fledged degree courses you can pursue to begin a successful career in hotel management after Class 12th. Let’s get started with the best courses in Hotel Management after 12th class:

Top 15 Hotel Management Courses after 12th (Diploma and Other)

The Hotel Management courses after 12th prepare and train you in the key departments in a hotel. For the most part these are the front office, guest services, kitchen, food and beverages, housekeeping, facilities management, sales & marketing, etc. However, it’s your dedication which matters the most. Although a number of diploma and certification courses are available to choose from. Also, each of these diploma/ certificate courses helps you inculcate the knowledge and skills required to succeed in the hotel industry.

1. Systematic Training and Education Programme– STEP*, offered at the Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development (OCLD)
2. Diploma in Hotel Management
3. Diploma in Hotel Management & Catering Technology
4. Certificate in Catering and Hospitality Administration
5. Diploma in Hospitality Management
6. Diploma in Housekeeping and maintenance (DHK)
7. Certificate Program in Food Production
8. Diploma in Front Office Operations (DFO)
9. Diploma in Food & Beverage Operations (DFB)
10. Craftsmanship Course in Food & Beverage Service
11. Diploma in Food & Beverage(Production/Service) (DF&B)
12. Diploma in Hotel Management Catering Technology & Tourism (DHMCTT)
13. Certificate course in Restaurant Planning and Operations
14. Diploma in Aviation Hospitality and Travel Management
15. Diploma in Bakery and Confectionery

Top 9 Bachelor Degree Courses in Hotel Management

1. Bachelor in Hotel Management (BHM)
2. Bachelor in Hotel Management and Catering Technology (BHMCT)
3. B.Sc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration
4. BA (Hons) in Culinary Arts
5. B.Sc. in Hotel Management
6. B.Sc. in Hospitality & Hotel Administration
7. BBA in International Hotel Management
8. Bachelors in International Hotel Management
9. B.Sc. (Hons) in International Hospitality Management

Top 15 Master’s Degree Courses in Hotel Management

1. Master of Hotel Management (MHM)
2. Masters in Tourism and Hotel Management (MTHM)
3. Master of Management in Hospitality
4. MBA in Hotel Management
5. MBA in Hospitality Management
6. M.Sc. Tourism and Hospitality Management
7. MBA in Global Hospitality Management
8. M.Sc.in International Hotel and Tourism Management
9. M.Sc.in Dietetics & Food Service Management
10. Post Graduate Diploma in Accommodation Operations & Management
11. Guest Service Management Programme by OCLD
12. Housekeeping Management Programme by OCLD
13. Kitchen Management Programme by OCLD
14. Sales Management Programme by OCLD
15. M.Sc. in Hotel Operations Management

Fees Structure

Indian institutes such as IHM offering Hotel Management courses charge somewhere between Rs. 4,00,000 to Rs.15,00,000 for 3-year undergraduate programs. Moreover, for master’s degree courses in Hotel Management, Indian institutions charge around Rs. 2,00,000 to Rs. 5,00,000 for 2-year programs. However, the fee for studying in international institutes is higher and costs Rs. 30,00,000 – 48,00,000 or more, excluding travel and other expenses. So, below is a list of Top Indian and International Institutes for Hotel Management offering graduate and post-graduate courses in Hotel Management.

Top 10 Indian Institutes for Hotel Management

1. Institute of Hotel Management- IHM, Mumbai
2. Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development
3. Institute of Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition- IHM, Delhi
4. Institute of Hotel Management-IHM, Bangalore
5. Indian Institute of Hotel Management – IHM Kolkata
6. Institute of Hotel Management- IHM, Chennai
7. Institute of Hotel Management- IHM, Ahmedabad
8. Welcome Group Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA), Manipal
9. Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition- IHM, Dehradun
10. Christ University

Top 10 International Institutes for Hotel Management

1. EcoleHoteliere de Lausanne (EHL)
2. Les Roches International School of Hotel Management
3. Glion Institute of Higher Education
4. Cornell University
5. Hotel School The Hague
6. Hotel School Vatel
7. Oxford School of Hospitality Management, Oxford Brookes University
8. William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, University of Nevada
9. Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School, Torrens University
10. EcoleHoteliere de Geneve

Job Opportunities in Hotel Management

Altogether there are several departments in a hotel where you can find work as per your area of specialization and qualification in Hotel Management. Depending upon the diploma or degree course and also upon the reputation of the institute where you are passing out from, you may get any of the following jobs:

• Management Trainee: In this case, you do rotating duties in all the departments of a star hotel and then start working as an Assistant Manager/ in other junior level roles.

• Hotel Operations Trainee: In this case, you are mostly assigned for training in a particular department of a star hotel and on completion of the training, you start working in a junior level role in the same department.

• Commis Chef: If you get a job in the kitchen, your first role could be as a Commis Chef; in this role you will be involved in the basic aspects of food preparation such as cutting, chopping, marinating, mixing, etc.

Senior Level Job Roles

Well, the initial job opportunities should not be bothering you as there’s a lot that you must learn while on the job. Besides, you don’t learn everything in a classroom. But, not to worry. However, you can rise fast in a hotel, depending upon your attitude, skills, and work performance. Some of the senior level jobs roles are:

• Executive Chef: In brief, in this role you are the head of the kitchen and you are responsible for providing tasty, healthy, and hygienic food dishes and beverages to the hotel guests.

• General Manager: In this role you are the head of all the operating departments in a hotel, although the Executive Chef may not be reporting directly to you in some cases.

• Chef de Cuisine: In this kitchen role you are the head of a particular cuisine in a hotel, for example – Indian cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Mughlai cuisine, Italian cuisine, etc.

• Sous Chef: In short, in this kitchen role you are the deputy head of a particular cuisine in a hotel or you are the head of a particular type of food preparation.

• Executive Housekeeper: In this role you are the head of the housekeeping operations of a hotel.

• Head of Accommodation Operations/ Front Office Operations and Guest Services: In this role you are the head of the front office operations as well as the guest services management operations.

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Top Trending Industries Where You Can Work

• You can work in hotels, resorts, spas, guest houses, serviced apartments, and similar other facilities which offer boarding and lodging services
• Also, in hospitality or catering services for various Airlines/ Hospitals/ MNCs/ Indian Armed Forces/ Railways/ Banks/ Running canteens for schools, colleges, hostels etc.
• Moreover, you can work on board of luxury cruise ships
• Furthermore, you can work on board merchant navy ships – such as cargo carriers, passenger carriers, oil tankers, etc.
• And, you can work on board luxury personal cruise vessels – such as luxury yachts
• Plus, you can set up your own hotel after having acquired 15-20 years of industry experience
• After completing your higher studies in Hotel Management, you can also become a lecturer at Hotel Management Institutes

Top 20 Hotel Chains/ Brands as Recruiters

1. Hilton Hotels & Resorts
2. Hyatt Hotels
3. ITC Group of Hotels
4. Marriott International, Inc.
5. The LaLiT Hotels, Palaces and Resorts
6. The Oberoi Group
7. The Taj Group of Hotels
8. The Claridges
9. Ambassador Group of Hotels
10. Sarovar Hotels & Resorts
11. K Raheja Group of Hotels
12. Dusit Hotels & Resorts
13. Fortune Park Boulevard
14. Jaypee Group of Hotels
15. InterContinental Hotels Group
16. The Park Hotels
17. Radisson Hotel Group
18. Accor Hotels
19. The Leela Ambience Hotel & Residences
20. Lemon Tree Hotels

Salary in Hotel Management

At an entry-level, graduates from premier hotel management institutes are usually placed by the star hotels and resorts. However, the initial salary of a management trainee for the first one or two years of his training ranges from Rs. 20,000 to 30,000 per month in India depending on the trainee’s skills. Although only after one has gained experience of around 5 to 7 years, one can expect a rise in remuneration and responsibilities. However, on average, a Hotel Manager can expect a salary of Rs. 10 to 36 lakh or even more per annum which is highly dependent on the company running the hotel and the star rating, size & clientele of the hotel.

In Conclusion

The hospitality industry is already a booming industry in India and therefore if you are looking for a career in hospitality management, then now is the right time. Although, if you are having doubts and want expert guidance to plan and decide if Hotel Management is the right career choice, then you must get in touch with India’s best career counsellors and make informed career decisions. So, that’s it for today. We hope to bring another interesting article for you. Thank You. Also read;

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