Hotel and Motel Managers

A Day in the Life

As a hotel or motel manager, the shift that you work will depend largely on your own preferences and seniority. You may be called a manager, an assistant manager, an associate manager or a hospitality manager. In most cases, you will begin your managerial career by working alongside an experienced manager before you handle shifts on your own.

When you get to work, you check in with the manager on duty to see how their day is going and if there are any pressing concerns that you need to know about. Your fellow manager lets you know that the wireless Internet has been acting up and that a repairman is supposed to come in several hours. She tells you that some customers have already complained about the Wi-Fi issues, so you work together to formulate a refund that will please the customers who have complained.

After you've caught up with the other manager, you call a brief shift meeting. You let your employees know that there are problems with the Wi-Fi, and tell them to call you if any guests become particularly upset. Before you dismiss the employees, you review their assignments for the day. You make sure that your employees understand what is expected of them, and answer all questions that they have about their duties.

The afternoon rush is beginning, so you staff the main reception desk with your check-in clerks. It's your job to assist employees in any way you can, especially when it comes to ensuring that all guests of your hotel have a great stay. After things have slowed down at the front desk, you head to the manager's office and check your phone messages. One of the swing shift employees is ill and will not be able to come in tonight. Even though you won't be working that shift, you contact the on-call employee so that there isn't a staff shortage.

While you're finishing up some daily paperwork, one of the front desk clerks calls and lets you know that the Internet repairman has arrived. You speak with the repairman and show him where the hotel's routers are kept. He repairs the problem fairly quickly. You check the invoice, ensure that Wi-Fi is working throughout the hotel and sign the bill of work. It's been a busy day, and your shift has gone by quickly.

Before you leave for the evening, you walk the night manager through your shift. You let them know that the Wi-Fi has just been repaired. You also inform her that the on-call employee will be coming in for the individual who is sick. You make final notes on the manager's clipboard about how your shift went and head home so that you'll be refreshed for your shift tomorrow.