I often have heard that professionals in the hotel business enjoy it because every day is different. While I find this to be a huge understatement, I, too, enjoy this business for the same reason. My day begins with a large cup of coffee. I like to arrive at work early so I can walk the property and greet the early-morning team members and check on the daily banquet functions. | A Day in the Life of a Hotel General Manager Tom Underwood Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved Introduction As the General Manager, you must be able to react and prioritize where your daily efforts are focused, and very commonly, your efforts are directed towards immediate guests’ issues, fire alarms, being understaffed, etc. Our efforts are always focused in 3 areas: guest satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and owner satisfaction. Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved Introduction Cont. We all live by Mr. Marriott’s words that if you take care of the associates, they’ll take care of the guests, and the guests will return, which ultimately will take care of the owners. A “typical” day for me starts at 7 . When I arrive at 7am, I immediately report to the lobby/front desk, and check in with our front office staff and manager. Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved Introduction Cont. After checking in with the front desk, and attending their pre-shift meeting, I usually do a quick walk through of the lobby area, greeting guests, picking up trash/newspapers, making sure the lights are on, the tv’s are on the correct channels, etc. After my tour of the lobby, I visit the restaurant. Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved Introduction Cont. I then proceed to the banquet area. I try to do a very quick walk through of the meeting rooms that are being used that day, and also do a quick visual inspection of the room set-up, the buffets, lighting, and the rooms’ cleanliness. At approximately 8am, I try to break away and visit the housekeeping department’s pre-shift meeting. Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved Introduction Cont. At 8:30 am each morning, I attend the Daily Stand-Up meeting for our sales department. At 9:00 am each morning, I attend the hotel management Daily Stand-Up meeting, which is attended by at least one manager from . | A Day in the Life of a Hotel General Manager Tom Underwood Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved Introduction As the General Manager, you must be able to react and prioritize where your daily efforts are focused, and very commonly, your efforts are directed towards immediate guests’ issues, fire alarms, being understaffed, etc. Our efforts are always focused in 3 areas: guest satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and owner satisfaction. Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved Introduction Cont. We all live by Mr. Marriott’s words that if you take care of the associates, they’ll take care of the guests, and the guests will return, which ultimately will take care of the owners. A “typical” day for me starts at 7 . When I arrive at 7am, I immediately report to the lobby/front desk, and check in with our front office staff and manager. Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved Introduction Cont. After checking in .
