How To Become A Hotel Operation Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a hotel operation manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A hotel operation manager oversees all operations for a hotel, ensuring that everything is up to par and all guests' needs are met. They manage housekeeping, human resources, food service, facilities, security, and all other aspects of hotel operations. They typically work in the head office of the hotel, and they may perform regular rounds around the facility to ensure that everything is operating smoothly.

Along with their supervisory duties, a hotel operation manager is also in charge of developing and implementing strategies to help the hotel provide the best service to guests. To do this, they analyze guest feedback, observe staff performance, and meet with other departments to come up with new strategies or improve existing ones.

The general requirements for this role are a bachelor's degree in hotel and restaurant management or business, as well as extensive experience in the hotel industry. Ideally, an applicant should have at least three to four years of experience in a managerial role, as well as substantial experience in lower positions in the hotel. The average yearly income of a hotel operation manager is $50,000.

ScoreHotel Operation ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $49,083

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.36%

Black or African American 6.18%

Hispanic or Latino 15.17%

Unknown 4.34%

White 67.49%

Gender

female 50.65%

male 49.35%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a hotel operation manager

Explore hotel operation manager education requirements

Most common hotel operation manager degrees

Bachelor's

54.1 %

Associate

19.0 %

High School Diploma

11.7 %

Start to develop specific hotel operation manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Reservations	9.70%
Guest Service	8.43%
Cleanliness	8.09%
Payroll	8.03%
Hotel Operations	7.34%

Complete relevant hotel operation manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New hotel operation managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a hotel operation manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hotel operation manager resumes.

Research hotel operation manager duties and responsibilities

Recruit, train and monitor staff performance as well as managed payroll, AR/AP and inventory.
Manage trading/position control for equity and fix income portfolio management teams.
Handle individual and institutional client relations, inventory control, night audit and payroll.
Confirm reservations and collect proper payments for hotel accommodations and/or other hotel services.

Apply for hotel operation manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a hotel operation manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do hotel operation managers rate their job?

-/5

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Hotel operation manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019

Pros

People Busy Money Busy and variety in a job Solving problems

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Cons

Internal politics and human resources

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019