How Do I Become a Hotel Front Office Manager?

A person who wants to become a hotel front desk manager can start his or her training by completing an undergraduate degree in business administration or hotel management. If the educational program has a work-study component, this experience can help the student find his or her first job in the hospitality industry. Another route to obtaining this type of position would be to get an entry-level job working at a hotel front desk and applying for an in-house management training position.

A hotel front office manager is responsible for supervising the desk. He or she deals with room assignments and reservation requests from guests. The manager will be called to deal with complaints from guests, as well as any other issues concerning the reservations desk. He or she may also become involved if guests have any special requests to make their stay at the hotel more comfortable.

A bachelor’s degree program in business administration includes courses in accounting, marketing, statistics and financial management. Other required courses in the first and second years of the program include business ethics, organizational behavior and human resources management. During the third and fourth years of the program, students will take courses which closely reflect the concentration the student has chosen. A person who has set a career goal to become a hotel front office manager may want to consider focusing on international business to prepare for career opportunities in hotels around the world. This person would take courses in regional business systems and international finance to complete his or her degree.

Completing a degree in hotel management is another choice available to a person who wants to become a hotel front office manager. The student will have to take a number of required courses as part of this type of program, including management principle relating to this industry, accounting, hospitality marketing and facilities management. Other courses required to complete this degree program include ones focusing on law, leadership and financial analysis.

The final route for a person who would like to become a hotel front office manager is to start by getting a job in the hospitality industry and eventually qualifying for a management trainee program. An individual can start working toward this goal by getting part-time or summer work in the industry as a teen or young adult. Spending time working in the industry will help a person to determine whether working toward a management position is something he or she is really interested in pursuing.