Hotel and Motel Managers

High School

It's a good idea to begin preparing for a career in hotel management while in high school. Concentrate on a business-oriented curriculum, with classes in finance, accounting, and mathematics. Computer literacy is also important in the hotel industry, for reservations, accounting, data analysis, and management of supplies. Brush up on your communication skills while in high school. You'll need them when giving direction and supervision to a large and diverse staff. Take English classes and other courses such as speech or drama, which will give you the chance to polish your grammar and speaking skills. A second language, especially Spanish, French, Mandarin, or Japanese, will be very helpful to you in the future.

Postsecondary Training

Many large hotel companies now require management trainees to have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in business, hotel, or hospitality management; smaller hotels may only require an associate’s degree. Numerous community and junior colleges and some universities offer associate's, bachelor's, or graduate degree programs in hotel or restaurant management. In addition, technical, vocational, and trade schools and other institutions offer hotel business programs resulting in a formal recognition of training, such as a certificate.

Classes in hotel management cover topics such as administration, marketing, housekeeping, hotel maintenance, and computer skills. To complement class instruction, most programs require students to work on site at a hotel.

Many hotels and motels will also consider candidates with liberal arts degrees or degrees in such fields as business management and public relations if they are highly qualified and talented.

Visit http://www.guidetocollegeprograms.org for a list of colleges and universities that offer degrees in hospitality and hotel management.

Approximately 65 hospitality management programs in the United States are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration. Visit http://www.acpha-cahm.org for a list of schools.

Other Education or Training

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute offers a variety of online continuing education courses. Visit http://www.ahlei.org for more information.