What is an Accommodation Manager?
Accommodation Managers are in charge of the day-to-day operations of facilities that house a wide range of individuals, from tourists and students to NHS patients and the elderly who require round-the-clock care and assistance.
To become an Accommodation Manager, you must have the requisite expertise and education to oversee the whole administration of a property and all of its duties, including everything from guest satisfaction to budgeting and training. Accommodation Managers, regardless of the sort of management that they work in, must fulfil specified educational, experience, and skill requirements.
Operations, strategy, human resources, marketing, and finance are all part of a hotel manager’s job description, which is as varied as it is demanding. You’ll need exceptional people skills as well as a calm, trustworthy, and professional manner if you want to be an Accommodation Manager. This multifaceted position necessitates strong leadership skills, excellent communication skills, and a keen sense of numbers and developing trends.
In order to succeed as an Accommodation Manager you’ll need to be nimble, resilient, and quick-thinking, in addition to exhibiting skill and devotion.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities for Accommodation Managers may vary depending on their work setting. However, as an Accommodation Manager you may be expected to:
- Plan and coordinate the organisation’s overall operation (including guest services, personnel management and organisation administration).
- Supervise, manage, and train workers and apprentices.
- Recruit new employees and provide responsibilities to them.
- Observe and monitor employee performance to ensure efficiency and policy and procedure adherence.
- Meet with and collaborate with department managers to guarantee hotel activity coordination.
- Control quality to ensure that required standards are met in areas like guest services, decor, housekeeping, meals, banqueting, and so on.
- Create and market marketing strategy.
- Manage and coordinate accounts, budgeting, and statistical data, compute operational figures, determine room rates, and seek to meet profit goals.
- Oversee maintenance, supply, and furnishings duties, negotiate with contractors and suppliers, and plan efficient security.
- Coordinate with external parties including suppliers, travel agencies, and conference planners.
- Coordinate front-of-house duties, including meeting, greeting, and registering guests.
- Respond to questions regarding hotel policies and services, as well as client complaints and comments.
- Ensure that health, workplace safety, licensing, and other legislative regulations are followed.
Salary
As with most other occupations, the salary for Accommodation Managers is influenced by the geographic location, experience and the type of organisation that employs them.
In the United Kingdom, the projected total income for an Accommodation Manager is £32,045 per year, with an average income of £29,668 per year. Overall salaries range from £21,000 to £50,000 per year. Accommodation Manager’s annual income in London is predicted to be £35,557, ranging from £25,000 to £51,000.
Working hours and work location
Accommodation Managers’ working circumstances are as diverse as the places they supervise. The Accommodation Manager usually works 37 to 40 hours per week. Most businesses that employ Accommodation Managers are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and managers may work long, irregular hours in addition to being on call for emergencies.
Accommodation Managers operate in a wide range of work settings, some of them are:
- NHS hospitals
- Accommodation for health care workers
- Hotels
- Conference centres
- Halls of residence
- Nursing homes
- Housing associations
- Youth hostels
What to expect
Accommodation Managers must be well-versed in all aspects of their establishment’s operations. They must have strong financial management abilities as well as a solid understanding of hospitality legislation and safety regulations. Other criteria differ according to the kind of organisation that they work for.
Managers of smaller commercial facilities such as hotels or youth hostels may be entrepreneurs with prior hospitality expertise. Managers of specialty institutions, such as those for disabled individuals, may be required to have specific relevant post-secondary education and training.
An Accommodation Manager’s typical responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of the property’s operations, including facilities, guest services, establishing and enforcing company policies, accounting, staffing, front desk, room rates/fees, food and beverage, housekeeping, and handling complaints. You must pay close attention to detail and be an effective communicator, in addition to having the necessary education and experience.
Overall, your aim as an Accommodation Manager will be to maximise earnings while also increasing sales and improving the company’s reputation.
Qualifications
A combination of experience and education in management provides the finest foundation for Accommodation Managers. For example, working your way up from the bottom in hotel management is still achievable if you augment on-the-job training with continuing education. Some prominent hotels provide on-the-job management training programs.
Most companies, however, prefer job applicants with relevant post-secondary education, with a Baccalaureate or a Masters degree in one of the following subjects:
- Business
- Health and safety
- Tourism
- Marketing
- Hospitality Management
- Human resources
- Management
- Hotel and Catering
- Leadership
Skills
Working as an Accommodation Manager entails specific abilities. Some of the skills that you will need to acquire or possess include:
must have skills:
- Language skills, both oral and writing
- Service orientation skills
- Social Perceptiveness
- Skills in Management and Human resources
- Maths skills
- Customer services skills
- Conflict resolution skills
- High level of energy
- Administration and management skills
- Capacity to inspire others, assign duties, and collaborate as part of a team
- Detail orientation and accuracy
- Knowledge of related rules and procedures (for example, contract, housing or employment legislation, health and safety, cleaning practices, and waste management)
Work experience
Most Accommodation Management professions demand at least two years of experience due to the wide range of responsibilities.
For example, new graduates who begin their careers at the front desk can expect to be promoted to chief clerk and subsequently assistant front office manager.
You’d probably go to the front office manager, sales/marketing manager, and then general manager from there. Naturally, you’ll receive training in addition to your on-the-job experience, but most management-training programs are designated for people with a college diploma who have demonstrated leadership potential.
Accommodation Management trainees will work in a range of operational jobs such as food and beverage management, which includes restaurants, bars, room service, conference and banquet services, for 1 to 2 years. Some of the larger chains offer mentorship programs that evaluate your training and growth on a regular basis.
In order to advance your knowledge in Accommodation Management and gain access to the most prestigious jobs with the best companies you may consider pursuing a certification in a relevant field. The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) offers housing-related certifications and short courses, such as the CIH Level 4 Certificate and Level 5 Diploma in Housing.
These credentials are applicable to all housing employees, including those who work in student housing. Work shadowing an Accommodation Manager in a hotel or at your university’s accommodation services, or volunteering at a hostel, are other options of gaining the necessary experience. Moving to a larger hotel in a different region or even travelling abroad for more experience are possibilities to advance your knowledge first hand.
Career prospects
Advancement to Accommodation Management roles often involves years of experience and on-the-job training.
You’ll most likely begin your job as an assistant manager in order to earn enough experience to advance to manager. Once in a managerial position, most people go on to larger companies, which provide more chances and frequently more responsibilities. Being geographically mobile is advantageous since it gives you more alternatives.
The next stage after becoming an Accommodation Manager, in most people’s careers, is to become a general manager, in charge of a hotel, home service, or estates section. A general manager’s job is significantly more business-oriented, with an emphasis on profitability, strategy, and planning.
Accommodation Managers employment forecast will be impacted by a number of factors, including:
- Trends and events that have an impact on total employment (especially in the Accommodation and Food Services industry)
- Location
- Turnover of employees (when people leave existing positions)
- Professional advancement (when new positions are created)
- The size of the company
Related Courses
This one-year full-time program from the University of the West of Scotland will provide you the executive training you need to get your career in accommodation management off the ground. This program is offered at UWS’ London Campus, which is located in the heart of London’s economic district.
Students can choose from a variety of start dates for this full-time program given by the University of the West of Scotland London over the course of two years and eight months. Industry experts, guest lecturers, and seasoned professionals are available to teach students at UWS London. The nicest thing about this course is that it is held on the London Campus, in the centre of the United Kingdom.
The MBA and digital marketing components are combined in this one-year full-time program at the University of the West of Scotland’s London Campus. The MBA portion of the course looks at business practices and operations such accounting, finance, and human resources, as well as how they are all related. This course allows students to specialise in digital marketing in a more specific manner, in addition to gaining a wide business perspective.
The MBA with Leadership program at the University of West Scotland’s London campus is a fantastic way to advance your leadership career while also gaining a strong academic foundation. This full-time, one-year program is for graduates with prior business or managerial experience who want to further their careers and take on leadership roles.
FAQ Summary
Accommodation Managers are in charge of the day-to-day operations of facilities that house a wide range of individuals, from tourists and students to NHS patients and the elderly who require round-the-clock care and assistance.
As with most other occupations, the salary for Accommodation Managers is influenced by the geographic location, experience and the type of organisation that employs them.
In the United Kingdom, the projected total income for an Accommodation Manager is £32,045 per year, with an average income of £29,668 per year. Overall salaries range from £21,000 to £50,000 per year.
A combination of experience and education in management provides the finest foundation for Accommodation Managers.
For example, working your way up from the bottom in hotel management is still achievable if you augment on-the-job training with continuing education.
