The Hotel General Manager of the Future
The role of a Hotel General Manager is evolving rapidly. As the industry navigates a complex landscape of economic challenges, technological advancements, and changing guest expectations, the qualities of a successful leader are undergoing a transformation. To gain insights into the key characteristics required for hotel GMs in the future, we sought perspectives from industry experts: Matthew Engel, James Flynn, Frank Otero, and Dakeya Christmas.
Matthew Engel, Managing Director/ Partner, T.R. Engel Group:
The GM of the future needs a wide range of skill sets. Ideally, they spent time in their career in each of the categories to demonstrate confidence and competence with their colleagues, which hardly ever is the case.
Within the executive committee at the property level of a full-service or sophisticated focused service hotel, you will need to address the following key topics: sales, marketing, labor (housekeeping, engineering, front desk, food and beverage, valet), overall guest interaction with property personnel. That is just the labor component, then the GM needs to satisfy corporate requirements and investor expectations. Definitely do not forget revenue management or if your property operates a significant food and beverage/catering business.
GMs need to be able to take tours with everyone from insurance people, to convention center leaders, construction contractors, appraisers, lenders, etc. and know enough to represent themselves in a competent manner.
On the other end of the spectrum, the lower chain scales. GMs need to deal with most of the same issues. Not quite the same environment and oftentimes an owner operator/family type of relationship with the property. Besides dealing with family, not always a treat, GMs will deal with a higher incidence of crime and all that comes to bear with the authorities.
Either way, not an easy job.
James Flynn, Senior Managing Director, T.R. Engel Group:
The General Manager of a hotel should have these characteristics:
The person should be an effective leader with clear communication skills. A successful hotel general manager must be able to inspire and motivate their team, delegate effectively, and build strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
The person must be knowledgeable in marketing, including revenue management, direct sales, internet marketing and developing promotions. A strong understanding of marketing principles is essential for attracting guests and driving revenue.
The position needs a strong businessperson, managing all financial aspects of the hotel and the ability to recognize trends and adapt accordingly. A hotel general manager must have a strong financial acumen to effectively manage the hotel’s operations and ensure success.
Frank Otero, Managing Director, T.R. Engel Group:
The Hotel General Manager of the future needs to:
Be a great communicator, capable of effectively listening, conveying messages clearly and concisely, building strong relationships, and resolving conflicts diplomatically. By actively listening to guests, employees, and stakeholders, they can gain a deep understanding of their needs, concerns, and feedback.
Have a strong experience in sales and revenue management. Implementing revenue management techniques is essential for maximizing revenue, optimizing pricing, and managing demand effectively. Moreover, leading and motivating sales teams to achieve revenue goals and provide exceptional customer service is crucial for the hotel’s success. Building partnerships with travel agents, online travel agencies, and other distribution channels can increase market reach and drive bookings, further contributing to the hotel’s revenue growth.
Be a motivator who can train and retain top talent. Creating a positive and supportive work environment that fosters employee engagement, loyalty, and job satisfaction is essential for attracting and retaining top talent. Providing regular feedback, coaching, and performance reviews can help employees reach their full potential and contribute to the hotel’s success. Additionally, cultivating a company culture that aligns with the hotel’s values and mission, and that promotes teamwork, innovation, and customer service excellence, can further enhance employee morale and retention.
Jerry Cataldo, President & CEO, Hostmark Hospitality Group:
There are many important traits for a hotel general manager including professionalism, empathy, leadership, communication skills, motivator, and financial acumen. The General Manager is like the ring master at the circus, commanding a versatile role often requiring numerous skills, in order to understand operations, oversee an ever-changing workforce, and to deliver exceptional customer service. In the future, while these all traits will be important, three characteristics will be of the utmost importance.
First, to impact guest satisfaction in the future, the GM will have to be innovative in finding and leading the team to create impactful guest experiences, interactions and touch points. As the methods of how guests find, book, check-in and check-out and conduct their visits continues to evolve, the opportunities and methods of how to impact guest experience will need to evolve and be led by a laser-focused, innovative GM. An innovator will have the most success prioritizing guest needs and expectations and focusing on providing exceptional customer service.
Next, technical and data analysis skills will be imperative in the future as an understanding of how to interpret and see trends in the data will lead to success in all areas of the hospitality business. Sourcing, communicating and delivering exceptional experiences to our future guests will depend on this data understanding. While there will be tools to help the GM in these areas, possessing the knowledge of how to navigate these data waters and to analyze it and extract insights and strategies from it will be critical. A GM needs to work with their team to quickly review, understand, and action on data that they see on a daily basis. A General Manager that has the ability to adapt to ever changing technology and expectations will be the most successful.
Finally, communication skills will be critical in understanding the employees that the GM must lead, motivate and succeed in achieving collaborative success. Communication skills will be critical to coalesce multi-generational workforces with changing lifestyle needs and requirements. It becomes too easy in today’s data driven environments to find a GM that is locked in an office behind a computer screen and losing the interaction and the skill to impact the most critical resource in the property, the human resource. Technical and data skills will be critical. However, to be an inspirational leader that will bring out the best in his or her team, motivating the team is more crucial in hospitality than in other sectors, and driving that enthusiasm, passion, and performance cannot be accomplished without the ability to effectively communicate and connect with employees.
Dakeya Christmas, General Manager, Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton Boston Seaport District:
Care as much about your team as you do the business: As a General Manager it is your job to represent and operate the hotel for your owners as well as your guests. It is very important that you show appreciation to your team because they truly are the backbone of any property.
Embrace technology: We have a wide range of guests that we serve on a daily basis and the way they want to experience their hotel stay has evolved and we must evolve with it. Research new ways to give that experience to them, whether it’s digital check-in and interacting via phone, QR Codes or keyword searches that are specific to your property. AI is now the technology that will shape the new way we do things, be part of that change.
A.B.L (Always Be Learning): Days can be filled with just executing but learning is very valuable. Whether it’s a new report or that your guests like light roast coffee more than dark roast, the more you learn is the more you can share with your team and elevate your management skills. A leader who is not only continuously learning but sharing that knowledge will gain the respect of their team.
Be the leader that people need not want: It is easy to fall into trying to be the leader who is cool or runs a tight ship because that’s want the team wants. You need to find your footing and understand the hotel’s overall positioning statement, what does the hotel stand for and mean to people? What does the team need? Someone that can steer the ship with capable deckhands or a leader that needs to take constructive time with each department head and build them to a stronger leader. In most cases, it’s both, but that’s where learning who you have and how to motivate your team comes into play.
The consensus among these experts is clear: the Hotel General Manager of the future must be a multifaceted leader with a strong business acumen, exceptional communication skills, and a deep understanding of the evolving hospitality landscape. Such a leader must be able to balance the needs of guests, owners, and employees while embracing technological advancements and fostering a positive work environment.
As the industry continues to evolve, the Hotel General Manager who can adapt to changing circumstances, lead their team through challenges, and anticipate future trends will be essential to the success of any hotel. By combining a strong foundation in traditional hospitality management with a forward-thinking approach, the Hotel General Manager of the future will be well-equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Reprinted from the Hotel Business Review with permission from www.HotelExecutive.com.
