Hotel Front Office Manager (gn)

What is a Hotel Front Office Manager and what are the required skills and studies to become one?

A Front Office Manager delivers and manages all aspects of the front office of a hotel. This person manages the front office team and is the first point of contact with the guests. She/He needs to create a warm atmosphere to make them feel at home.

She/He is responsible for ensuring an efficient check-in and check-out process and must ensure its guests’ and employees’ satisfaction.

What are the different job titles?

• Front Office Manager
• Empfangsleitung (German)
• Front Desk Manager
• Head Receptionist
• Front of House Manager

What is the role of a Front Office Manager?

A Hotel Front Office Manager is directly supervising all front office personnel (receptionist) and ensures the proper completion of all front office duties. The Manager also directs and coordinates the activities of the front desk, the reservations, the guest services, and the phone calls.

This includes managing staff, handling reservations, checking guests in and out, and addressing any issues or concerns that guests may have.

The front office manager is also responsible for ensuring that the front desk runs smoothly and efficiently, and may be involved in tasks such as scheduling, training, and budgeting.

The Front Office Manager is working closely with the General Manager of the hotel but also with the Concierge and Bell Captain, Reservation, Sales & Marketing and Housekeeping departments. She/He needs to communicate daily with all the teams about the arriving, staying, and leaving guests to ensure that they have a positive experience during their stay.

What are the main tasks of a Hotel Front Office Manager?

The main tasks of a Front Office Manager that you could find in a job description are the following:

• Manage day-to-day staffing needs, plan and assign work. Schedule staff shifts and manage other HR-related tasks
• Provide mentoring, coaching, training and regular feedback to improve team member performance
• Ensuring the correct room allocation taking into account the existing reservation details as well as the preferences of the guests
• Develop plans to increase occupancy and ADR through walk-ins and upselling at the front desk
• Check billing instructions and guest credit for compliance with hotel credit policy and ensure all transactions are handled in a secure manner
• Ensuring the front office team delivers great service, professional attention and personal recognition to give the best experience to the guests
• Anticipate and resolves guest-related problems quickly, efficiently and with courtesy
• Solicit feedback and build relationships to increase the guest’s satisfaction
• Conduct inspections of the front office and public areas and take immediate action if needed

What are the skills required for a Front Office Manager?

Here are some hard and soft skills that are important for this role:

Hard Skills:

• Hotel software like Butler, Thakuru, Synexis, Mirus
• PMS: Opera, Oracle, Fidelio…
• Excel
• English is a must with at least 1 other language

Soft Skills:

• Flexibility
• Strong customer service
• Problem-solving
• Strong verbal and written communication
• Good listening skills
• Organisation
• Patience and self-control
• Good presentation

What salary does a Front Office Manager earn?

Depending on which city or country you are living in and the size of the hotel, the salary might differ.

The gross salaries per year are around:

• 0 – 5 years: EUR 30.000 – 35.000
• 6 – 10 years: EUR 36.000 – 45.000
• > 10 years: EUR > 46.000

What are the qualifications to become a Front Office Manager?

To become a front office manager, a hotel management training (German: Berufsausbildung) is required as well as previous experience in a hotel at the front desk or reception. Studies for a bachelor’s degree, a higher education qualification or equivalent in Hotel Management or business administration are optional.

You can also start working in a hotel in a lower position like Front Office Agent, Receptionist or Bellhop and gain long-term experience to become a Front Office Manager.