Hotel General Manager

Summary: To ensure continuing long-term revenue maximization and profitability while adhering to the pricing and market philosophy of continuous improvement of quality and service; protection of the owner?s asset, including physical structure, financial stability and reputation.

Responsibilities: General Manager must blend strategic thinking for long-term success with tactical planning and action. Communication with and through department heads is crucial to ensuring the success of these plans. The General Manager is also the chief executive officer of a small business and needs to be able to relate to other business leaders on an equal basis, through sales calls and community involvement.

Typical Daily Activities:

• Required office hours for managers are as follows:
  • Monday through Wednesday 7 a.m. ? 5 p.m. or 8 a.m. ? 6 p.m.
  • Thursday and Friday 7 a.m. ? 4 p.m. or 8 a.m. ? 5 p.m.
  • Friday (if a manager?s reception) 7 a.m. ? 2 p.m. or 8 a.m. ? 3 p.m.
  • Saturday 8 a.m. ? Noon
  • A one-hour lunch break is taken Monday through Friday
• Meet with each department head, either individually or as a group, to review the day?s planned activities, maintain focus and troubleshoot problems. Visit each department area (Housekeeping/Laundry, Maintenance Shop, Sales Office, etc.). Greet as many employees as possible in the course of your visits.
• ?Work? breakfast bar; visit with guests (to solicit guest comments and obtain sales leads and referrals). Make sure the breakfast presentation is attractive, well stocked and adheres to our hotel standards.
• Tour the property, both interior and exterior, including pool, parking lot, corridors, meeting rooms and inspection of several guest rooms. Follow up on action items with department heads or staff members.
• Check reservations, review and analyze room inventory and forecast.
• Review and prepare daily business reports. Implement revenue maximization strategies.
• Review and approve audit pack.
• Prepare and/or verify and approve deposit.
• Conduct five personal sales calls, either in person or over the telephone Tuesday through Friday.
• Balance accounts receivables, verify billing, send statements and call past due accounts.
• Review and sign applicable logs: front desk, security, etc. Follow up on items requiring action.
• Review previous day?s labor cost; compare to required labor standards.

Weekly Activities:

• Review activities designed to develop and maintain guest loyalty.
• Prepare or approve weekly payroll, compare to labor standards.
• Review progress on Preventive Maintenance Program and special projects. Review and follow up on maintenance requests.
• Review Housekeeping performance: quality inspections, efficiency (minutes per room), and deep cleaning.
• Forecast occupancy and sales for 90-day period and adjust business operations as needed.
• Report all newly hired and rehired employees to your State Directory of New Hires.

Monthly Activities:

• Drive by all billboards. Follow up on any problems.
• Attend community meetings and activities, such as Chamber of Commerce meetings or mixers, Convention and Visitors? Bureau or Hospitality Association meetings, etc.
• Review financial performance on cost analysis.
• Review information on revenue performance and Guest Satisfaction Ratings report for quality and service performance. Share with department heads, prepare action steps and follow up; communicate with all staff members.
• Review hotel sales and marketing plan. Prepare scheduled action items. Evaluate plan and take appropriate actions.
• Review all training needs and schedule appropriate actions.

Meetings:

• Daily management meeting with all department heads to review day?s planned activities, maintain focus, troubleshoot problems and maximize opportunities.
• Weekly staff meeting with all department heads to review forecast, groups and/or meetings, staff training issues, budget adjustments and capital project.
• Weekly sales meeting with all sales staff (if any) and assistant general manager to discuss sales call volume and reports, forecast, performance against budget and to determine strategies.
• Weekly revenue meeting with sales manager, assistant general manager and front desk manager.
• Facilitate monthly meetings to discuss issues related to hotel improvement plans, team communication, employee motivation and other topics.
• Monthly all-staff meeting with all hotel employees, general manager and department heads report to the entire staff on operations, financial, quality results and progress toward goals in each area.
• Progress toward goals should be the primary focus of the meeting, with celebrations and milestones and individual improvement.
• Hotels often hold other types of meetings, such as safety and security meetings, inter-departmental problem-solving sessions and various types of training sessions.