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How to hire a hotel sales manager

Hotel sales manager hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring hotel sales managers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a hotel sales manager is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new hotel sales manager to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a hotel sales manager, step by step

To hire a hotel sales manager, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a hotel sales manager:

Here's a step-by-step hotel sales manager hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a hotel sales manager job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new hotel sales manager
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a hotel sales manager do?

Hotel Sales Managers are responsible for making the hotel money through generating new business from travel agents, corporates, or individuals. Their duties include setting business strategy with the marketing and sales team, tracking key performance metrics, building relationships with online travel agencies, and assisting with proposal requests from individuals and corporate businesses. Hotel Sales Managers are also responsible for managing room reservations, bill processing, and updates through their point of sale system (POS) and updating lead and account information through the hotel's customer relationship management (CRM).

Learn more about the specifics of what a hotel sales manager does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The hotel sales manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A hotel sales manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, hotel sales managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    Here's a comparison of hotel sales manager salaries for various roles:

    Type of Hotel Sales ManagerDescriptionHourly rate
    Hotel Sales ManagerSales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.$15-36
    Sales Manager/Sales TrainerA sales trainer or manager provides training for the sales staff. The target of the training is to improve the sales figures and meet target sales... Show more$25-74
    Business To Business Sales ManagerA business to business sales manager is responsible for monitoring the company's business transactions and ensuring that the team meets sales goals and targets. Business to business sales managers review business accounts and perform adjustments to sales plans as needed to adhere to clients' requests and customer demands... Show more$20-62
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Booking
    • Hotel Sales
    • Trade Shows
    • Guest Satisfaction
    • Reservations
    • Revenue Management
    • Site Inspections
    • Sales Strategies
    • Group Business
    • Delphi
    • Sales Efforts
    • Hotel Services
    • Telemarketing
    • Group Sales
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage the front office, including guest registrations, booking reservations and concierge requests.
    • Leverage other sales office resources and administrative/support staff to achieve personal and team relate revenue goals.
    • Prepare reservations for blocks of rooms, to coordinating efforts with banquet staff to kitchen staff.
    • Travel domestically and internationally to meet with customers, representatives and distributors as well as run customer evaluations at their facility.
    • Generate sales utilizing sales database (Delphi) lead generation, direct phone calls and online prospecting.
    • Create marketing content for pages and promotional initiatives, newsletter design and implementation, create designed and produce PowerPoint presentations.
    More hotel sales manager duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your hotel sales manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A hotel sales manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a hotel sales manager in Maryland may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level hotel sales manager usually earns less than a senior-level hotel sales manager. Additionally, a hotel sales manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average hotel sales manager salary

    $49,819yearly

    $23.95 hourly rate

    Entry-level hotel sales manager salary
    $32,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 23, 2026

    Average hotel sales manager salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New York$61,231$29
    2Utah$60,114$29
    3California$59,089$28
    4Texas$57,577$28
    5Florida$56,213$27
    6New Jersey$56,139$27
    7Delaware$52,681$25
    8Pennsylvania$52,092$25
    9Massachusetts$51,694$25
    10Indiana$51,577$25
    11Georgia$51,423$25
    12District of Columbia$51,117$25
    13Washington$50,831$24
    14Ohio$47,147$23
    15Missouri$46,170$22
    16Alabama$45,897$22
    17Louisiana$45,329$22
    18Nevada$45,016$22
    19Illinois$44,725$22
    20Michigan$43,988$21

    Average hotel sales manager salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Travelzoo$62,618$30.10
    2Gillis$55,270$26.57
    3Northwestern Mutual$53,292$25.625
    4Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants$52,469$25.2345
    5AEG$51,569$24.7912
    6Goodwin Recruiting$51,394$24.718
    7Benchmark Group$51,278$24.652
    8Wyndham Hotels & Resorts$51,061$24.5526
    9InterContinental Hotels Group Resources, Inc.$50,879$24.4630
    10Guest Services$50,761$24.401
    11Aramark$50,258$24.169
    12The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa$50,070$24.07
    13Embassy C E S$50,040$24.067
    14White House Inn$49,977$24.03
    15HelmsBriscoe$49,841$23.96
    16Marriott International$49,314$23.71219
    17Lodging Enterprises$48,952$23.537
    18The Ohio State University$48,760$23.441
    19Crescent Hotels & Resorts$48,663$23.401
    20Concord Hospitality$48,438$23.2962
  4. Writing a hotel sales manager job description

    A good hotel sales manager job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a hotel sales manager job description:

    Hotel sales manager job description example

    If you are a self-motivated, Sales Manager with 3 years of sales experience in the hospitality industry with a minimum of 1 year at the supervisory level, that is ready to lead the Sales and Marketing department, this may be the opportunity for you!


    What will I be doing?


    • Conduct and continuously update local market research.
    • Sell incremental room nights for assigned properties.
    • Develop and execute each hotel’s marketing plan.
    • Achieve and exceed the revenue targets for the assigned properties.
    • Assess the market potential and develop new business opportunities while at the same time increasing revenues from existing customers.
    • Conduct and enhance public and community relations.


    Primary Functions


    Include but are not limited to:


    Revenue


    Sales & Marketing: Prepare and implement the hotel’s annual Sales and Marketing plan, make sales calls to key accounts and potential clients, and capitalize on all revenue opportunities.

    Financial: Aggressively pursue revenue goals and effectively utilize yield management and revenue maximization tools.


    Quality


    Guest Service: Work closely with the front office and housekeeping staff to ensure that the hotel meets/exceeds Greens and brand standards for guest satisfaction.

    Community involvement


    Ensure good standing in the community by developing and maintaining relationships with the Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau, other hotels, local schools, local government and other community and civic organizations.


    Leadership


    Leading: Motivate, coach, and train front office team members, set goals, and hold team members accountable. Provide feedback, rewards, and recognition.


    Work Ethic: Demonstrate a high level of integrity, take ownership of personal and team actions, communicate effectively, promote collaboration, nurture a positive, professional work environment, and adhere to Greens’ Standard Operating Procedures.

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find hotel sales managers for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your hotel sales manager job on Zippia to find and recruit hotel sales manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with hotel sales manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new hotel sales manager

    Once you've selected the best hotel sales manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new hotel sales manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a hotel sales manager?

Recruiting hotel sales managers involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

Hotel sales managers earn a median yearly salary is $49,819 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find hotel sales managers for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $15 and $36.

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