Managing a hotel successfully requires a manager to have a certain set of traits and skills as well as knowledge and experience.

1. Amin Deroui - How to successfully manage a hotel
There are many factors that contribute to a successful hotel — from the location of the
hotel, to the popularity of the destination, the hotel facilities and finally the staff that works
at a hotel. However, hotel management does play a critical, and unique, role in the overall
success of a property. Managing a hotel successfully requires a manager to have a certain
set of traits and skills as well as knowledge and experience.
What makes a successful hotel manager?
While each individual hotel manager often finds their own techniques for success, the
majority of those who know how to successfully manage a hotel possess the following traits
and qualities:
Motivation
Hotel managers have to want to be successful in their role. The top managers around the
world are self-motivated, and are capable of being disciplined enough to effectively run
their hotel while managing the many tasks and responsibilities that come along with their
role. Incentives and awards can be enticing, but ultimately, the best managers have a
natural inclination to strive toward success.
Adaptability
Change is practically a guarantee within the hotel industry, and hotel managers must be
able to adapt quickly and effectively. Whether it’s a sudden shift in market conditions, an
impending weather event or a gradual change in guest preferences, hotel managers must be
able to identify change and adapt to it.
Empathy
Hotel managers must be empathetic and supportive, not only to their guests but also to
their staff members. Hotel managers recognise the importance of offering tools and
resources to staff members and guests that will ultimately improve their experience with
the hotel brand. They need to be good listeners who know when to take action and provide
solutions.
Organisation
Hotel managers are tasked with endless responsibilities, so they must be organised in order
to complete them all successfully. Often, hotel technology can be implemented in order to
aid with organisation and keep the property running smoothly. When a hotel manager is
scattered and does not keep track of all goals, tasks and responsibilities, something is bound
to fall through the cracks. A hotel manager simply must be organised.

2. Communication
Effective communication is necessary to running a hotel brand, growing bookings and
increasing revenue. Hotel managers must be able to communicate with guests, but also with
staff members, distribution agents and marketing professionals. Without using the proper
tools and resources that are essential to communicating in the modern age, a hotel
manager will not maximise their potential within the property.
Tips to successfully manage a hotel
While the skills to manage a hotel effectively come naturally to many hotel managers, these
tips can also help improve operations at any property:
Hotel management tip #1
Use technology to maximise your efficiency as well as improve results
A technology suite that is built specifically for the hotel industry is the best way to increase
efficiency while simultaneously boosting revenue at any hotel property. Hotel managers
must wear several different hats at any given moment of the day, and technological
resources that can help lessen their workload will have a direct impact on their overall
success.

3. Hotel management tip #2
Manage your hotel staff by delegating appropriate tasks and rewarding them for a job well
done
Managers across all industries and fields have to know the importance of delegating. The
most effective managers know when and how to delegate specific tasks to capable
employees. The best managers take it one step further, and recognize as well as reward
staff when they produce results. This is key to recruiting and retaining the most qualified
staff members.
Hotel management tip #3
Understand your hotel brand and communicate that message throughout every aspect of
your marketing strategy
Regardless of the size and type of hotel a manager is operating, there will be a brand
message to communicate. Effective managers recognise their hotel brand and promote it to
their target market segments. They know how to create and implement a marketing
campaign that will increase brand recognition, improve loyalty and boost bookings.
Why hotel success relies on having an effective hotel manager
The hotel manager plays a key role in the overall success of a hotel property, whether it is
an independent boutique hotel or a single property within a large corporate chain of hotels.
There are many reasons for why hotel success relies on having an effective hotel manager.
For starters, the hotel manager is the individual who coordinates and implements all of the
business strategies that have been designed for the property. The hotel manager applies the
marketing and social media strategies, they design and implement the revenue
management strategy and they set the tone for the approach to guest relations. The hotel
manager is one of the top leaders in the organisation, and therefore plays a pivotal role in
its success.
In addition, the hotel manager is often the person who hires staff and who provides staff
with direction. Hotel staff play a critical role in the guest experience, and a good hotel
manager will know how to recruit and hire the most effective team members. A quality
hotel manager knows that all staff members play an important role in the daily operations
of a hotel, from the cleaning and maintenance staff to the front desk staff, the marketing
directors, the chefs and the concierge.

4. The importance of hotel technology and managing a successful hotel
The hotel manager is only as successful as the tools they use, and hotel technology is playing
an increasingly important role when it comes to revenue management and marketing
techniques.
A hotel manager will need to utilise the most effective technology in the industry in order to
maximise the results of their strategies.
Hotel managers should look for hotel technology that helps with the following:
Accepting and booking reservations
Travellers around the globe are becoming increasingly self-reliant. They prefer to book
directly with hotel brands, so there must be technology in place to accept direct bookings
over the web. In addition, a hotel must also be able to accept mobile bookings from devices
such as tablets and smartphones, as more guests are using their mobile technology to
research and complete hotel reservations.
Creating an effective, visible website
Hotel managers should invest in technology that allows them to create a visually-appealing,
brand-centric website for their hotel brand. It is critical to work with a website building tool
that allows the manager to quickly and easily update the website on their own. The best
websites showcase high-resolution photographs and incorporate many multimedia
elements, while also using SEO best practices to remain visible in the search engine results.
Managing all channels within a hotel distribution strategy
Every hotel needs a distribution strategy that encourages the development of distribution
partners. In order to effectively manage and maintain these pivotal relationships, a hotel
manager needs to use hotel technology that includes a channel manager. This is the only
way to broadcast live rates and availability across all online distribution channels.
Planning and executing a successful room pricing strategy
Room pricing is not stagnant, and should fluctuate based on the changing market
conditions. To maximise revenue at any given time, a hotel manager should work with
technology that assists them in developing as well as implementing their room pricing
strategy.
While it takes a unique set of skills to manage a hotel and to manage hotel staff, it’s
important to know that all of the most successful managers consider honing their skills and
improving their experience over time.