Worth It: Hotel Management Degree Programs

You may have noticed that it can be pricey to stay at a hotel for only one night. But people still pay the price. Why? Reasons vary, no doubt, but the important thing is--if the hotel is doing things right, people don't complain about the price. They pay it and then enjoy their stay.
A hotel management degree program can teach you how to "do things right," so you can make sure one night is worth it for your customers.

Available Hotel Management Degrees

Hotel management degree programs have different areas of emphasis, but they all strive to prepare you for the real world of managing a thriving hotel.
Some popular hotel management online degree programs are:

• Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management (associate's degree)
• Business/Hospitality Management (bachelor's degree)
• Hotel and Restaurant Management (bachelor's degree)

You can also pursue a specialized Master of Business Administration (MBA) that focuses on the hotel business. And you can do all this through online education.

Hotel Management Career Options: What Do You Do, Anyway?

What you do as a hotel manager depends on what part of the hotel you're managing. Large hotels generally compartmentalize job duties. Examples of hotel departments that might need managers are:

• Front desk
• Reservations
• Convention services
• Special events
• Recreation

With a degree in hotel management and relevant work experience, you may find yourself managing any of those departments, or even overseeing them all, as a general manager.

Pay Scale and Employment Outlook

The median annual salary for hotel managers was $44,240 in 2007. However, more expensive hotels pay considerably higher than that. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the best job opportunity at upscale or luxury hotels, it's a good idea to have an upscale degree in hotel or hospitality management.
Source:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lodging Managers

Andrew Freiburghouse is a writer and businessman. As a partner at Los Angeles tax preparation firm Pronto Income Tax of California, Inc., Andrew learned the fine art of growing a small business into a not-so-small business. Currently, Andrew lives in Brooklyn, NY.