A hotel manager oversees all staff and is in charge of all hotel operations. Hotel managers usually have each department head reporting to them, such as the heads of housekeeping, human resources and accounting plus the kitchen and front desk supervisors. A typical hotel manager has hectic workdays that involve communicating with staff and hotel guests, observing how well things are going, making necessary improvements in the facilities or staff and always trying to maintain or increase the hotel's profit while staying on budget.

Most hotel managers don't spend the entire workday sitting in an office. Rather, they are actively observing how staff interacts with hotel guests and may check the grounds daily making sure everything is functioning well and no repairs are needed. It's also a hotel manager's duty to ensure the hotel's exterior and interior are being maintained and he or she may also initiate or approve decor improvement work as long as it fits in with the budget.

The department supervisors handle problems and complaints and keep the hotel manager advised of everything that occurs. The daily report is a record book that hotel department heads communicate in to keep the manager informed of the important events that occur in all departments each day. If a problem or complaint is too large for them to handle, or it can't wait, the general hotel manager deals with it as soon as possible. Hotel managers may sometimes be called in the middle of the night at home during non-working hours if there is an emergency. Some hotel managers live on site, but not all do.

A hotel manager's workday often begins with meeting with department heads to discuss entries in the daily report. The discussions aren't just about staff issues or guest complaints, but also about earnings and profits. Hotel managers may delegate new assignments or objectives to staff during these meetings.

Although department supervisors usually hire or fire those who report to them, the hotel manager will have the final decision-making authority in both the hiring and firing of all staff. Marketing and promoting the hotel is another responsibility of managers. A hotel manager may delegate some of the promotions and advertising projects to the front desk manager.