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Find a Job You Really Want In
Yes, hotels/resorts is a good career path. Jobs in the hotel and resorts industry, including motels or other lodging establishments like bed and breakfast retreats, are an important component of the hospitality industry. Depending on your skills and interests, there are a variety of career paths to pursue in this field.
The hospitality industry is well-known for the various career advancement opportunities it provides. This is a great career path to pursue if you’re not interested in secondary education but wish to work your way up to a management position. This can also be an ideal part-time career for someone who is still in school.
Here are 12 great jobs in hotels/resorts:
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Maître D’ Jobs (Overview)
The 7 Best-Paying Jobs in Hotels/Resorts
If you’re looking to make a career in hospitality and are looking to get paid well for it, you’ll need some experience, training, and relevant education. Attending college and pursuing a degree in hospitality management is your best bet to landing one of these high-paying jobs; however, many can be accessible if you work your way up from entry-level.
Here are seven of the best-paying jobs in the hotel/resorts industry.
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Average Annual Salary: $43,000
A chef concierge is an individual who is responsible for providing customer service to hotel guests. Their responsibilities can vary from setting up scavenger hunts, arranging weddings, getting highly sought-after concert tickets, and more. The chef concierge essentially provides guests with whatever their hearts desire.
It’s the job of the chef concierge to know everything about their guests before they arrive. The chef concierge is the person who sets up tours, hires car services, and rents bikes or boats. They may send flowers to a room celebrating their birthday or anniversary or coloring books or toys to parties with children.
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Hotel Controller
Average Annual Salary: N/A
A hotel controller is responsible for the management and oversight of storeroom inventory, as well as accurate reporting of said inventory data. They are responsible for auditing invoices and completing requisitions of incoming and outgoing products to and from the main storeroom.
The hotel controller is essentially a financial manager who specializes in hospitality. They oversee the accounts department operations, budgets, and cash flow analysis and may work for a single hotel or a chain of hotels. These individuals typically report to the hotel’s board of directors and CEO and must provide financial reports to them.
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Average Annual Salary: $53,000
The guest relations manager is an individual who is responsible for customer satisfaction. They are responsible for training new and current employees, handling any customer requests or complaints, and performing other management and administrative duties as required.
A guest relations manager must excel in customer service and be able to always put the customer first, no matter the situation. This career requires plenty of experience in customer service, specifically in hospitality. This job can require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in hospitality as well as excellent leadership skills.
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Average Annual Salary: $39,000
Resort managers are individuals that work at a place of lodging or resort location where they manage all business aspects. This can include hiring and training staff, ordering inventory, marketing, advertising, maintaining a hotel budget, excelling in customer service, along with meeting guests’ needs.
Resort managers are responsible for overseeing all of the departments that make a resort function, including housekeeping, food and beverage, maintenance, attractions, and guest services. Responsibilities may vary depending on how large the resort is but may also include employee training, hiring contractors, paying bills, and more.
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Average Annual Salary: $31,000
A Maître d’ is an individual who works in food service, whether it be in a restaurant, hotel, resort, cruise ship, or other areas of hospitality. These individuals are responsible for greeting customers or guests as they enter food establishments, booking reservations, and providing information to potential patrons.
A maître d’ may also be responsible for the ambiance and aesthetic of a restaurant, meaning they control temperature, music, and lighting. A maître d’ can also be referred to as the head waiter, as they are in charge of all servers on staff and may be responsible for maintaining serving efficiency.
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Hospitality Director
Average Annual Salary: N/A
Hospitality directors are responsible for hospitality to the guests of a hotel. They can also work at resorts, restaurants, sports stadiums, event venues, and more. Hospitality directors are responsible for ensuring a pleasant experience for all guests, including the quality of food and beverage services.
Hospitality directors can also be responsible for arranging catering for special events like work events or weddings. They’ll often work with clients to customize their experiences and events, depending on their needs. They may also work with a sales team to attract new clients to the hotel or resort.
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Average Annual Salary: $36,000
Conference concierges are individuals who provide a personalized experience to clients who are visiting their hotel or event location for a professional conference or business meeting. This may include everything from recommending local dining options to entertainment venues and directing guests around the hotel.
Conference concierges work closely with event planners to help them plan events, prepare speakers, and prepare rooms within the hotel. Conference concierge individuals must bring excellent customer service skills as well as organizational and communication skills, which are essential for this role.
8 Entry-Level Jobs in Hotels/Resorts
Breaking into hospitality is a great option for a career. First, the barrier to entry is much lower than in other careers. If you enjoy working with people or working a service job, then consider checking out the hospitality industry. There are multiple ways to work your way up to management without needing secondary education.
Here are eight entry-level jobs in hotels/resorts.
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Average Annual Salary: $40,000
Hotels and resorts can have a lot of money moving in and out of the location at any given time, so accounting teams are a critical part of their smooth operation. Accounting clerks are individuals who provide support services to the accounting staff, including accounts payable and receivable departments.
The accounting clerk may be the point person for any guest inquiries, distributing mail, computing and recording charges and refunds, reconciling bank statements, and maintaining vendor files. This job is available for anyone with a high school diploma; however, a background in accounting can help you stand out from the competition.
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Average Annual Salary: $21,000
Hotels and resorts often offer a variety of activities for their guests. Activities attendants are responsible for creating and hosting these activities for guests of all ages. They may be responsible for maintaining inventory of the hotel’s games and related equipment and supplies.
For the actual events, the activities attendant must set up and break down all event equipment used and is usually responsible for promoting the events to hotel guests. A high-energy, confident individual is best suited for this role, especially if they have excellent customer service skills.
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Average Annual Salary: $49,000
Hotels and resorts put on a lot of corporate and personal events, which typically require some level of audio-visual support. These technicians support guests with any of their audio-visual needs and are responsible for maintaining, setting up, operating, and breaking down the hotel’s audio-visual equipment.
They may be tasked with providing support to guests on general audio-visual needs. This might include wi-fi connections or assist with connections to monitors or projectors. This job is available to anyone with a high school diploma and demonstrable audio-visual knowledge. You can also get certified in AV.
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Average Annual Salary: $24,000
Hotels typically have a bar and, many times, multiple bars. Barbacks are an important component of the success of any bar and are responsible for ensuring bartenders have everything they need to perform a successful service, including glasses, garnishes, stocked bottles, and fresh kegs, at all times.
Bar backs may also be responsible for keeping the bar area clean and tidy, as well as keeping beer lockers, refrigeration, and storage areas organized and tidy. If the bar offers food, they may also be responsible for clearing those dishes for the kitchen. As with other jobs on this list, a bar back only requires a high school diploma.
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Bell Attendant
Average Annual Salary: N/A
Bell attendants are important components to ensuring a smooth guest experience. They are responsible for opening doors, greeting guests, and assisting them with their luggage. This may include transporting a guest’s luggage the moment they arrive straight up to their room.
Bell attendants may also be responsible for delivering messages and other items to guest rooms. At certain places, they may also be tasked with pick-ups and drop-offs to the airport. Bell attendants should have excellent customer service and communication skills. Prior customer service is usually required as well as a high school diploma.
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Average Annual Salary: $63,000
We’ve all been to hotels that offer mini bars for in-room snacks and drinks. Between each guest’s visit, these mini bars must be replenished and cleaned adequately, which is where the mini bar attendant comes in. It’s their responsibility to inspect and restock the hotel’s in-room minibars.
Mini bar attendants must also record and report each guest’s consumption so that they can be adequately charged for their purchases. Additionally, mini-bar attendants must empty and clean the mini bar as needed. They may also be responsible for mini bar inventory and maintaining the store room.
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Average Annual Salary: $25,000
Due to the size and nature of hotels, most offer on-site parking or parking nearby. Parking attendants are responsible for parking and retrieving vehicles for arriving and departing guests. They may also assist guests when they first arrive, opening and closing vehicle doors and unloading and loading luggage.
Parking attendants are typically responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and safety of the hotel’s parking garage or lot and may process and collect parking payments. They may also be responsible for transporting guests to and from nearby destinations using a shuttle. A clean driving record and Driver’s license are required for this position.
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Average Annual Salary: $28,000
Most hotels and resorts offer gyms or fitness centers on-premises. This means there is always a need for a fitness attendant who is responsible for cleaning and maintaining the venue. In some cases, fitness attendants may also be responsible for cleaning and maintaining the hotel pool, hot tub, and locker rooms.
Fitness attendants may be responsible for providing guests with water, towels, and any assistance needed. They respond to guest requests and inquiries as well as monitor and report maintenance-related problems. Most fitness attendants are required to have a high school diploma, but prior health club experience can be helpful as well.
Why Choose a Career in Hotels/Resorts?
Working in the hotels/resorts industry is the 21st century’s fastest-growing industry. This industry is ever-evolving and sees some exciting and fun innovations. As the demand in this field grows, jobs in hotels/resorts become more varied, which entices new talent to join the industry. Here are some reasons to choose a career in hotels/resorts.
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Diversity. Working in hospitality allows you the opportunity to interact with a diverse group of individuals. This means you’ll meet people from all walks of life, from all different places on the globe, and experience new languages, cultures, and ideas.
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Opportunity. The hospitality industry is notorious for how much growth it offers its employees. If you’re interested in working in hotels/resorts, know that there is a fantastic career path to follow.
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Growth. Working in hotels/resorts gives you the opportunity to develop yourself both professionally and personally. You can improve your professional skills with both clients and team members.
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Job satisfaction. If you enjoy helping others, working in hotels/resorts is a great option for a customer service job. Taking a role like a concierge or Maitre D will allow you to work with clients one-on-one to help them have the best experience possible.
Education and Certification Requirements for a Career in Hotels/Resorts
The education and certification requirements for those wanting to work in hotels/resorts can vary significantly, depending on the role you desire. Here are a few general requirements in this industry.
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Consider a degree in the hospitality business for hotel management. These types of courses train you in service management, food management, hospitality accounting, human resources, and facilities maintenance. This can prepare you for management, even if you don’t have any experience in the industry.
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Hospitality certifications can help potential employers verify your skills. Employers may differentiate candidates based on their certifications, so obtaining one or two before you begin applying can help your success rate.
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Certifications help individuals pursue promotions. If you’re already working in the hospitality industry and are looking to pursue a promotion, consider getting a certification under your belt, as it can help your chances.
What Do People Working In Hotels/Resorts Do?
People working in hotels/resorts can do a variety of different things, including working for the hotel itself, working in restaurants, casinos, theme parks, cruise lines, and other facilities that meet customers’ leisure needs. These jobs can vary from being customer-facing to behind-the-scenes in marketing, sales, and accounting.
If you enjoy working in food service but don’t want to work in a traditional restaurant, working in hotels/resorts is also a great option. Food is a staple in almost any hospitality location; they hire wait staff, and other food preparation jobs are always available. This is a great gig because you know there will never be a shortage of customers.
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Author
Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research. Caitlin holds a degree in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.
