Day-to-day management is an imperative in the hospitality industry. Indeed, this implies a knowledge of the imperative numbers in order to manage a hotel or restaurant in the same way as a business. In addition, it is imperative to provide the best possible experience or service to its customers. So if you are considering getting into the hospitality industry, do not hesitate to continue reading this article.
What is hotel management?
Managing a hotel involves supervising all functions of the establishment and coordinating actions to deliver an absolutely flawless guest experience. Among the daily operations, there is of course revenue management, providing a catering service, housekeeping and setting up an appropriate number of rooms in relation to the standard of the establishment. You are constantly working under pressure and it is imperative to carry out several tasks at the same time.
Whether it is a restaurant or hotel activity, they are mainly focused on customer contact. This is why it is essential to set up a very high quality service and the management of a hotel involves collaboration with many people behind the scenes. Efficient operation must imperatively be adopted and this is obviously the role of the hotel manager. The latter masters the ins and outs by knowing all the specificities of the profession.
For example, the general manager has a perfect knowledge of housekeeping and therefore he orders all the appropriate products to meet the needs of his customers. He also surrounds the servers so that they adopt a professional and polite attitude in all circumstances. We must also not forget the knowledge on the management of food products to deliver quality meals. The same rigor also applies to hotel marketing.
What are the qualifications required to apply good hotel management?
It is preferable to follow a hotel management course in order to access a position of responsibility, whether in the field of catering, hotels, luxury or tourism. To do this, choose to study management in the hotel industry at a higher education institution, whether in the private or public sector.
You act according to your preferences and your possibilities by choosing a vocational school or a hotel school with extensive experience in the field. First of all, you will reach a bac+2 level by choosing a BTS hotel and catering. But it is imperative to have a hotel management option to better understand the functioning of such an establishment.
By continuing your studies, you will have access to hotel management training at bac+3 level. That is to say a Bachelor of hotel management allowing you to pursue higher education to aim for a bac+5 or a bac+6. In this regard, the MBA in hotel management is essential, as is the Master's in the same specialty.
What are the different potential positions when you have a hotel management degree?
If you have a specialized course in hotel management, be aware that there are many job opportunities in the field of industry. You could very well work in a restaurant, in a hotel, on a cruise ship, in a guest house or in an airline.
To tell the truth, it all depends on your desires and your prospects for development. With a diploma in hand, the position of accommodation manager remains possible as that of retail manager or event organizer. With experience, you could rise to a position as a restaurant manager, pub manager or hotel manager. Let’s not forget the travel agent, the human resources manager or the customer service manager.
What are hotel management operations?
Whether in the management of an independent hotel or in hotel chains, there are many management operations to be applied in technologies, equipment, materials and resources. If you take on the role of director of operations, you must be vigilant about these different elements so that your customers can have an unforgettable experience.
In operations management, your role is to manage the various strategic issues, but also in the progress of ongoing projects. In the management of the restaurant, you define the role of each employee, you optimize finances, you ensure the supply of stocks and you put in place an efficient commercial strategy.
In the management of the hotel, you supervise all the operations necessary for the proper functioning of the establishment. You define the needs and once again, you assign the various tasks to the employees concerned. At the same time, it is impossible to ignore revenue management. It is your duty to optimize the financial results in order to generate comfortable income.
What are the solutions to help in the daily management of a hotel?
Software solutions exist and they are particularly numerous on the market. Their primary function is based on streamlining operations, facilitating reservations and overall hotel management in its various aspects. Hotels often use this kind of solution and on your side, it is better to do exactly the same thing by directing you to a popular management software.
But to make an informed choice, it is imperative to take into consideration a set of variables. Do not make your selection based on your personal preferences, but taking into account the characteristics of the hotel establishment and your needs. For example, does the hotel have a limited budget? Do you have a high ADR as well as multiple outlets?
By choosing the best support, you benefit from an intuitive interface and great ease of use. This is an essential feature, because if you choose complex hotel software, errors will multiply and day-to-day management will not be so easy. Nowadays, it is also preferable to orient yourself towards tablet and mobile compatible software.
As a result, each person will only have to use a mobile phone to understand the details of each operation. Without any difficulty, you have the possibility to add special events with a real-time update. These are particularly valuable features. Finally, loyalty remains essential in the management of a hotel.
From your software, you integrate all the information specific to customer profiles with the history of stays, their contact details and of course their preferences. Once again, you will be able to deliver the best experience possible.
How does efficient hotel management translate?
As you know, the list of responsibilities and tasks remains particularly long. It is therefore important to tame three distinct aspects.
First of all, cleanliness, because otherwise customers will flee your establishment. This is simply the bare minimum to do and be aware that the hygiene and safety rules are particularly strict in terms of catering and accommodation. It is therefore necessary to take into consideration all legal obligations, regardless of where the hotel is located. In the absence of appropriate measures, public safety is thus threatened and a health risk is also present.
To convince your customers to return to the hotel, the quality of service must obviously be impeccable. We insist on the importance of delivering the best possible experience and you must provide a service of a first quality. Keep in mind that you should never disrespect a customer and that it is important to find a solution when a problem is encountered. Ignorance should never be an option, because as soon as the customer feels left out, he will retain a negative preconception about the establishment.
Good hotel management also requires an absolutely irreproachable quality of service. This is what makes all the difference between existing hotels, starting with small subtle touches in terms of decoration, furniture or gastronomy. Quality must be integrated in its various aspects by applying a true philosophy specific to the hotel establishment.
Why is it a good idea to use a checklist in hotel management?
The use of a checklist remains particularly interesting for hotel managers. It is a digital operating tool allowing him to visualize the different tasks of each sector and each department of the hotel establishment. In addition, the implementation remains particularly easy to implement and inexpensive.
This saves you from using other digital means, especially since the checklist is available on a mobile device like a tablet or cellphone. The objective always remains the same, that is to improve the efficiency of the staff.
But for a hotel management without the slightest defect, the manager must carry out all the procedures in full compliance with the legal standards. To help the staff in their various missions, a digital checklist is also interesting. But under no circumstances can it replace the efficiency of hotel management software.
The essential departments of the hotel
Hotel management goes through many departments in order to achieve your goals. You find the direction of management and finance and it is an essential department to oversee all day-to-day operations. As a bonus, he provides strategy development, problem solving and oversight of all events. This implies a perfect knowledge of expenses and finances by following the most meticulous financial planning.
The food and beverage department is also essential, as a large portion of hotel establishments derive their profits from the sale of food and beverages. It is therefore necessary to follow a meticulous preparation of the meals while ensuring the stock.
The hospitality department is in a way the face of the hotel. Its application is then total in the processing of payments and reservations. It is also the department that is in constant contact with customers. The hotel maintenance department manages the maintenance of all equipment both in the rooms and in the common areas. The hotel manager issues a repair request and the maintenance team will intervene as soon as possible.
Let’s also not forget the hotel human resources department and the reservations department. They often work closely together overseeing development and visibility strategies.
What to remember about hotel management
There is a fundamental difference in running a restaurant or a hotel. But to cover the different aspects of the domain, use additional tools to manage your day-to-day operations more efficiently.