Anyone work in hotels and actually enjoy it?

[OneSeriousPerson]

Specifically hotel management? I'm considering retraining.

Omg… do not do it!! I was in hospitality most of my career and made it to GM. After Covid it was worse than ever and still is, no staff, extremely bad/unsociable hours, very poor pay, physically and mentally demanding.

I left last year and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Not a chance. I worked in hotel management a long time ago, for a big name 4* level corporate chain, and after a few years of it I left the industry never to return. It’s horrendous, or at least it was in those days. Ridiculous hours. Zero work-life balance. Crap pay (unless you’re a General Manager). Constant recruitment & staffing issues because the hours are ridiculous, the pay’s crap etc etc. Theft of stock etc by guests & staff. And then there’s dealing with the guests…

Never, ever again.

As a student I worked on reception and it was the best job I’ve ever had, went in hungover at 7 am not too taxing, started drinking at 9 pm on a late shift then out at 11pm straight out on the town. Don’t think that’s what you are looking for but if any students are reading this, enjoy your youth.

So bad pay and bad hours even at manager level? :-(

Do you think it makes a difference whether you work for eg a big chain or a small independent? Did you do both?

I don’t know anyone that has done it for a career. As a stepping stone to somewhere less intense - definitely as you can make good connections.

I worked at a hotel years ago and stayed in touch with some colleagues in management, and an old university friend was the daughter of a luxury hotel manager and married another. None of these people’s marriages lasted. Literally not a single one.

Don’t know. I never worked for a small independent, I started as a graduate management trainee with a multinational corporate & stayed in that sector of the hospitality industry. My assumption would be that many independent hotels would be experiencing similar pay & staffing issues as the big players. Might depend on the area, though.

As a manager the pay was good on paper, £60k a year but not for 90hrs a week, no rest day, constant phone calls at home, the stress, the cheek from staff and customers and my marriage almost failing apart as my DH was raising two kids virtually alone. I missed my kids childhood because I was obsessed with my career and becoming one of the very few female GMs and it almost destroyed everything I had.

As ppl said marriages never last in that industry I was just extremely lucky that I had an amazing husband who was willing to stand by me.

I am now working as a consultant 9-5 and the difference in my life and my mental & physical heath is astonishing. Try something else honestly I wouldn’t wish that life on anyone even though at the time I enjoyed it most days.

My husband and I worked in hotels. Never , ever ever ever again.

the independent I worked at was pretty miserable and the chain (H) was AWFUL in every way. From colleagues, to management, hours, pay and the guests.

Im a hotel manager and get well paid for what I do.
I came into hotels after a career break and I moved up the ladder pretty quickly.

Big chains have sales, revenue and HR departments offering excellent career opportunities and 9-5 roles. Lots of perks including cheap hotel stays, travel and training.

I would recommend it but do your homework and choose a path that suits your lifestyle best.