The hotel administrator is perceived by the establishment's clients as its owner. Therefore, their desire to stay at a hotel for relaxation or entertainment depends on his mood, worldview and manner of address. Competence, qualifications and the ability to win over a specialist have a direct impact on the number of visitors, since it is unlikely that a person will want to re-visit an establishment if its staff is negative, annoying and cannot resolve conflict situations. The administrator creates the reputation of the vacation spot, so the manager of the hotel project is recommended to take a responsible approach to the issue of personnel selection. What are the responsibilities of a hotel administrator?
Hotel manager
History of the profession
At a time when the concept of hotel complexes and hotels did not exist, and such establishments were called inns, the functions of administrators were performed by their owners. They established their own rules, greeted guests and exercised full control over their service, and in some situations they carried it out independently.
Currently, with the development of the tourism business, the number of hotels and hostels has increased. It is difficult for their founders to cover all areas of activity alone; moreover, modern business trends dictate the success of entrepreneurship only with the successful delegation of their responsibilities. This necessitates the use of hired labor to serve visitors. The hotel administrator in this scheme occupies a leadership position, since he is competent to carry out all business operations.
Features of the profession
The profession of a hotel administrator or receptionist requires attentiveness, accuracy, physical endurance, politeness, tact, friendliness, sociability, and presentable appearance. The specialist organizes the work of all personnel. He must have full information about events in the hotel.
Characteristics of applicants for the position
The administrator greets visitors, assists them in choosing a suitable room and in delivering luggage to it. He is responsible for instructing staff on how to behave with visitors and the nuances of their duties. He informs clients about the availability of additional services, issues and collects keys from them. The resolution of all conflict situations without the involvement of third parties rests on his shoulders. Managers of hotel complexes do not welcome the involvement of the police in resolving conflicts due to the decline in reputation and the acquisition of a negative status of the organization.
The administrator's job is shift work. It is characterized by troublesomeness and increased psychological stress. The employee must stand for the entire shift. At the same time, he is supposed to remain friendly, constantly smiling and cheerful.
Job responsibilities
The job description of a hotel administrator defines his obligations to meet visitors, negotiate with them, place them in rooms and provide service.
The administrator coordinates the work of all employees and is responsible for the coherence of their actions. He has the authority to give instructions to hotel staff, advise clients, accommodate them, and also issue and collect room keys. The responsibilities of the hotel administrator include:
- room reservations;
- meeting visitors;
- registration, placement and check-out of clients;
- mutual settlements between the parties;
- preparation of reporting documentation;
- consultation in person and by telephone about hotel services and the possibility of using them;
- quality control of customer service;
- control over clients in the field of their compliance with the rules of living in rooms;
- coordination of personnel activities;
- resolving conflict situations.
Job description of a hotel administrator
The job description for hotel staff should be developed taking into account the main functions that the employee needs to perform. In addition, this document must contain information about the hierarchical structure of the company. Many experts recommend including in job descriptions a section dedicated to the personal qualities of the person who wants to get the position in question. Below we propose to consider the main sections of job descriptions.
A person with secondary vocational education is appointed to the position of hotel administrator
General provisions
This section of the document contains information that the employee holding the position of administrator belongs to the category of company administration. This paragraph should indicate the procedure for accepting a position and terminating an employment contract . When compiling this section, it is recommended to record the basic requirements regarding the professional skills of the applicant for the open vacancy.
Despite the fact that the position of administrator is considered a managerial position, the specialist is directly subordinate to the division manager. However, only the CEO of the business can hire or fire an employee. As a rule, only applicants with higher professional education are considered for administrator vacancies. It should be noted here that applicants without professional experience can also get the position in question. One of the main requirements for applicants is fluency in a foreign language.
The applicant for the post in question must carefully study the hotel's internal regulations and safety precautions. Studying the rules for providing such services deserves special attention. In addition, before taking office, the employee must study the evacuation plan and the procedure for registering visitors. The administrator's responsibilities include working with cash register devices. This means that the applicant for the open position must have the appropriate skills. Before you begin to fulfill your job responsibilities, you must carefully study the structure of the hotel and its management system. This knowledge will be required directly in the process of work.
Responsibilities of a specialist
The job description of a hotel administrator contains information about the functional responsibilities of a specialist . Among them, it is worth highlighting the meeting of guests of the establishment, negotiations and control over the service. The main task of the hotel administration is to coordinate the work of staff. The administrator must not only book rooms and issue keys to clients, but also provide consultations regarding the operation of the hotel. Among the main responsibilities of a specialist are:
- Booking rooms and meeting guests.
- Registration of visitor documents and acceptance of payments.
- Maintaining reporting documents and providing consulting services to potential clients.
- Quality control of service and maintaining order in the establishment.
- Resolving possible conflicts and coordinating the actions of employees.
One of the specialist’s immediate responsibilities is to keep track of numbers occupied by clients. Additional obligations include such functions as control over the cleaning service, the procedure for changing linen and service work. Control functions apply to all hotel staff. This means that the specialist is obliged to coordinate the work of the entire establishment, taking into account the responsibilities of each employee. In addition to managing the hotel business, the administrator carries out financial activities. His responsibilities include purchasing household equipment, paying clients and transferring funds received to the company’s bank accounts.
The hotel administrator is appointed to the position by order of the hotel director
Rights
Along with a rich set of job responsibilities, the specialist is given broad powers. The employee is given the right to study all documents relating to the procedure for serving guests. This employee can make his own recommendations for activities aimed at improving guest service. In addition, the following employee rights should be highlighted:
- Independent identification and elimination of deficiencies in the organization of hotel operations.
- Collaborate with related departments to fulfill core responsibilities.
- Involving other company employees in performing the work necessary to improve the quality of service.
Based on the above, we can conclude that the work of the administration is closely interconnected with the work of the manager of the entire hotel. The main right of the administrator is to demand the creation of all conditions necessary to fulfill official obligations. It is important to note that the company's management is not obliged to follow all the recommendations received from the specialist. The head of the company can shorten this list and add new items to it at his discretion. The main task of the person drawing up job descriptions is to develop a clear structure of the work plan according to which the hired specialist will act.
Liability imposed
The rights and functions of a hotel administrator are the main sections of the job description. This document must necessarily contain information about the level of responsibility imposed. An employee who violates job descriptions and does not comply with the procedures established within the company may be subject to administrative liability . It is important to note that the job responsibilities of a specialist are prescribed not only in job descriptions, but also in the company’s internal regulations. Such documents are approved by order issued by the company's management. The employee must understand that any deviation from labor protection regulations, fire and labor safety rules can lead to negative consequences. Such violations may cause the institution’s clients to suffer harm to their health.
It is important to note that employees who are guilty of circumstances that threaten the health and life of hotel clients may be subject to criminal liability. The degree of guilt is determined by the attitude of personnel to their job responsibilities. Employees who violate deadlines for completing tasks set by management may receive a reprimand. Such disciplinary punishment is provided for those specialists who do not have information about the state of the rooms and the number of clients.
The hotel administrator reports to (the hotel director)
Responsibility
The hotel administrator has only administrative responsibility. An employee may be brought to it for failure to fulfill his obligations. They are determined not only by the job description, but also by the orders and instructions of the head of the organization. Violation of fire safety rules, labor regulations or safety regulations can lead to unpleasant consequences associated with health problems for visitors.
The occurrence of situations that threaten the life and health of visitors due to the dishonest performance of the assigned functions by personnel, control over whose actions is within the competence of the administrator, may cause him to be brought to criminal liability. Reprimands can be caused by violation of deadlines for completing tasks by subordinate employees, as well as possession of unreliable information about the status of rooms and their state of readiness to accept clients.
What the administrator is guided by
The administrator must be well aware of the hotel's internal documents: the charter, internal regulations, orders and instructions of the general manager, and his own job description. In addition, he must understand the rules of business etiquette (it is especially important to know the rules of greeting: turn, handshake rules, spoken words, etc.).
At the same time, when resolving many issues that do not “fit” into the regulations (as a rule, many situations require resolution “here and now”), the administrator is guided solely by his professional experience and intuition.
Advantages and disadvantages
The job responsibilities of a hotel administrator form the positive and negative aspects of the profession, which should be taken into account by a job seeker or a person planning to study in this field.
The advantageous parties are determined by:
- demand for the profession;
- the need for self-development in the field of psychology to ensure conflict-free communication with people;
- development of communication skills;
- high level of remuneration;
- the ability to work without special and narrow-profile knowledge.
The disadvantages of the profession include:
- shift work schedule;
- work pressure during periods of influx of clients;
- conflicts with visitors.
General requirements for a specialist
Since the administrator is considered the calling card of a hotel-type company, its manager carefully selects such a specialist. The main requirements for him are education and experience in the hotel industry. Receiving a diploma in any specialty indicates the ability to learn and improve one’s personal qualities.
Work experience is a guarantee that the applicant is familiar with job responsibilities and has an understanding of the nuances of the job. Its presence will save the employer’s time and financial costs on training a new employee. The ability to work with a computer and knowledge of basic office and specialized narrow-profile programs is necessary for preparing documentation and reporting on your work.
Basic functions of a hotel administrator
In the modern world, lack of knowledge of the basics of working with computer technology is considered a sign of lack of education, so this criterion also identifies the applicant’s orientation in advanced technologies and his ability to learn quickly. Knowledge of foreign languages is not required, but is encouraged. An applicant's proficiency in English at a conversational level may result in his being hired out of competition or given a higher salary.
Knowledge requirements
The hotel administrator must have perfect knowledge in the field of hotel business, be able to use computer equipment and understand the nuances of specialized programs. If the hotel’s regular clients are foreigners, then the specialist’s knowledge of a foreign language is mandatory. Some employers require knowledge of several languages.
When applying for a job, preference is given to applicants who are proficient in accounting, have a respectable appearance and competent speech. Experience working in an international hotel is preferred.
Education, skills and abilities
Having analyzed about a dozen vacancies on hh.ru, we can draw the following conclusions regarding these parameters (depending on the level of the hotel):
- Education: secondary, higher or incomplete higher (students are allowed)
- Work experience: no experience or 1-3 years
- English spoken and written (at least intermediate) or fluent. In some hotels, knowledge of other languages is an advantage
- PC: work in Bnovo, WuBook, Booking.com, 1C programs as an advantage
- Proficiency in office equipment
- Experience in the hospitality industry will be an advantage, but not required.
Education
Administration training is provided in higher education institutions. However, having a diploma in another specialty, it is possible to undergo short-term training at colleges or specialized courses, the duration of which ranges from several weeks to one year. When choosing an educational institution, you should focus on specialization in the hotel business, knowledge of which can be obtained in courses for receptionists, administrators and hotel managers.
Responsibility
When planning to work in international hotels, it is necessary to take foreign language courses. Newly opening hotels, in order to save money at the start, prefer to recruit workers without work experience, but with secondary or higher education. For a small salary, novice employees can receive a free knowledge base, which will later be useful to them in a more promising institution.
Administrator salary
In Moscow (data from hh.ru as of May 2020), the figures vary from 30 to 40 thousand rubles. In rare cases, for example, the Pokrovka 6 hotel, the administrator’s salary is 60-70 thousand rubles.
Of course, the salary level varies depending on the region and the prestige of the hotel. The individual salary level may also depend on the experience and professional qualities of the employee.
In addition to salary and bonuses, hotels may also provide a certain social package, for example, free food, telephone payment, a subscription to a fitness club, etc.
