Do you want to bring people the ultimate hotel-stay experience and manage teams to reach that goal? To help you get there, you can pursue a variety of degrees, certificates, and hotel management courses both online and on-campus.
If you are interested in discovering the difference between hospitality professionals and hotel professionals, what exactly hotel management is, and how to get an education in hotel management, then see our list below of some of the best hotel management courses around.
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What Is a Hotel Manager?
There is a misconception that hotel management falls under the hospitality sector. In reality, although hotel management can be considered a part of hospitality, it is more accurately described as part of the hotel or travel and tourism sector.
The main departments a hotel manager can work in are:
- Food and Beverage Services
- Housekeeping
- Front Office
- Kitchen and Production
A hotel management program can teach you about food service to customer service to cleaning department management and front office skills. First, let’s take a look at different management roles and how they work within hotel management.
Hospitality Management
Hospitality managers work in service management and deal with customer care, meaning they can work in many sectors. In a hospitality management course, you will learn everything from fire safety and first aid to how to manage staff and create budgets.
Only some of these duties overlap with those of a hotel manager. The biggest thing hotel and hospitality managers have in common is that they work with people and are likely to be on their feet all day.
Hotel Revenue Management
Hotel revenue managers use pricing and distribution strategies to sell inventory to boost revenue growth. This includes rooms, food, drinks, and other services a hotel provides.
Revenue managers use market data to create strategies that will ensure the success of their hotel. Most hotel management courses include training in this area to help students become more employable.
Event Planning Manager
Event planners create tailored experiences, whether it be a wedding, party, product launch, or corporate event. Event managers must have the ability to organize events for clients.
What Does a Hotel Manager Do?
The exact duties of a hotel manager vary depending on the hotel, but below are some examples of what a manager does day-to-day.
- Create sales targets
- Book events for corporate clients
- Manage staff
- Meet guests
- Deal with guest complaints and queries
- Organize building maintenance work
- Lead staff recruitment
- Organize catering
- Hotel Marketing
- Financial record-keeping
- Organize staff training
- Create schedules
- Security maintenance
- Inspect the hotel’s premises
- Forecast the hotel’s income
- Maintain health and safety standards
The Best Hotel Management Courses
Would you love to bring vacationers happy experiences they will never forget, while also being able to travel the globe yourself? Maybe hotel or hospitality management is the right career for you.
If you are ready to begin hotel management training, below are several highly recommended courses in hotel management, hotel revenue management, hotel event management, and hospitality management.
Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration & Hospitality Management
Courses:
Undergraduate Program in Hotel Administration
MS & PhD in Hotel Administration
Master of Management in Hospitality
Where: On-Campus in Ithaca, New York
Sector: Hotel and Hospitality
At the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, students can study for an undergraduate degree in hotel administration or a graduate degree in hotel administration or hospitality. In the hotel-focused courses, students will learn about more than just hotels. They will also explore business essentials such as marketing, operations, finance, real estate, and more.
Michigan State University
Course:
Where: On-campus in East Lansing, Michigan
Sector: Hospitality
Michigan’s School of Hospitality Business does not provide specific hotel management training and is more business-focused. The curriculum teaches students operations, management, finance, accounting, marketing, human resources, and more.
We have included this bachelor’s program on the list because Michigan State is ranked as the #2 hospitality programs in the United States, and can still facilitate students’ careers in the hotel business.
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University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Courses:
MS in Hotel Administration and MS in Management Information Systems (Dual Degree)
MBA and MS in Hotel Administration (Dual Degree)
Where: Online or on-campus
Sector: Hospitality and Hotel
UNLV offers students a wide range of courses to jump start their hotel management career. The BS degree in hospitality provides concentrations such as event and design management and hospitality beverage management. Plus, the dual MBA/MS program in hotel administration will prepare students for a leadership role in hotel administration.
Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Courses:
BS in Restaurant and Foodservice Management
MS in Hospitality and Tourism Management
Where: On-campus in Orlando, Florida
Sector: Events, Hospitality, and Tourism
At the University of Central Florida, students will explore all aspects of the industry, including finance, customer service theory, operations, human resources, digital marketing, and communications to help them secure positions at hospitality companies around the world.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Course:
Hospitality and Tourism Management
Where: On-campus in Blacksburg, Virginia
Sector: Hospitality and Tourism
The HTM program offers specialized courses in event management, lodging operations, hospitality, finance, catering, restaurant management, tourism destination management, franchising, revenue management, international business analytics, and data analytics and security.
Northern Arizona University
Course:
Online BS in Hotel and Restaurant Management
Where: Online Course
Sector: Hotel and Food Service
Students at Northern Arizona University will gain experience in online management classes. These classes include hospitality organizational behavior, hospitality information technology, human resource management, and revenue management.
Should I Take a Hotel Management Course?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a hotel manager in the US earns a median salary of $54,430 per year, with food service managers earning slightly more at about $55,320 per year. So, depending on your chosen specialty, taking a hotel management course could be a worthwhile investment.
Before signing up, be sure to check that your course is an accredited certificate program that provides real-world experience. With this, you can be confident that you will secure a job after graduating. Also be sure to research the financial aid and scholarships that are available to you to make your higher education experience more affordable.
If you are interested in learning about managing staff, organizing hotel systems, and ways to create memorable experiences for others, then a hotel management course will help you settle in the perfect career.
