The vast majority of workers in this industry-more than 8 out of 10 in 2002-were employed in service and office and administrative support occupations. Workers in these occupations usually learn their skills on the job. Postsecondary education is not required for most entry-level positions; however, college training may be helpful for advancement in some of these occupations. For many administrative support and service occupations, personality traits and special abilities may be more important than formal schooling. Traits most important for success in the hotel and motel industry are good communication skills; the ability to get along with people in stressful situations; a neat, clean appearance; and a pleasant manner.
Service occupations, by far the largest occupational group, account for 66 percent of the industry’s employment. Most service jobs are in housekeeping and building service occupations-including maids, housekeepers, janitors, linen-room attendants, and laundry workers-and in food preparation and service jobs-including chefs and cooks, waiters and waitresses, bartenders, food counter workers, and various kitchen workers.
Workers in cleaning and housekeeping occupations ensure that the lodging facility is clean and in good condition for the comfort and safety of guests. Maids and housekeepers clean lobbies, halls, guestrooms, and bathrooms. They make sure that guests not only have clean rooms, but all the necessary furnishings and supplies. They change sheets and towels, vacuum carpets, dust furniture, empty wastebaskets, and mop bathroom floors. In large hotels, the housekeeping staff may include assistant housekeepers, floor supervisors, housekeepers, and executive housekeepers. Janitors help with the cleaning of the facility and perform minor maintenance work. They may fix leaky faucets, do some painting and carpentry, see that heating and air-conditioning equipment works properly, empty trash, mow lawns, and exterminate pests.
Workers in the various food service occupations deal with customers in the dining room or at a service counter. Waiters and waitresses take customers’ orders, serve meals, and prepare checks. In restaurants, they may describe chef’s specials and suggest appropriate wines. In small establishments, they often set tables, escort guests to their seats, accept payments, and clear tables. They also may deliver room service orders to guests. In large restaurants, some of these tasks are assigned to other workers.
Hosts and hostesses welcome guests, show them to their tables, and give them menus. Bartenders fill beverage orders that waiters and waitresses take from the customers at tables and seated at the bar. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers assist waiters, waitresses, and bartenders by clearing, cleaning, and setting up tables, and by keeping the serving areas stocked with linens, tableware, and other supplies. Counter attendants take orders and serve food at fast-food counters and in coffee shops. They also may operate the cash register.
Workers in the various food preparation occupations prepare food in the kitchen. Beginners may advance to more skilled food preparation jobs with experience or specialized culinary training. Food preparation workers shred lettuce for salads, cut up food for cooking, and perform simple cooking under the direction of the chef or head cook. Chefs and cooks generally prepare a wide selection of dishes, often cooking individual servings to order. Large hotels employ cooks who specialize in the preparation of many different kinds of food. They may have titles such as salad chef, roast chef, sauce chef, or dessert chef. Chef positions generally are attained after years of experience and, sometimes, formal training, including apprenticeships. Large establishments also have chief stewards and assistant stewards who plan menus, purchase food, and supervise various kitchen personnel.
Many full-service hotels employ a uniformed staff to assist arriving and departing guests. Baggage porters and bellhops carry bags and escort guests to their rooms. Concierges arrange special or personal services for guests. They may take messages, arrange for babysitting, make hotel reservations in other cities, arrange for or give advice on entertainment, and monitor requests for housekeeping and maintenance. Doorkeepers help guests into and out of their cars or taxis, summon taxis, and carry baggage into the hotel lobby.
Hotels also employ the largest percentage of gaming services workers because much of gaming takes place in casino hotels. Some gaming services positions are associated with oversight and direction-supervision, surveillance, and investigation-while others involve working with the games or patrons themselves, by tending the slot machines, handling money, writing and running tickets, dealing cards, and performing related duties.
Office and administrative support positions accounted for 17 percent of the jobs in hotels and other accommodations in 2002. Hotel desk clerks, secretaries, bookkeeping and accounting clerks, and telephone operators ensure that the front office operates smoothly. The majority of these workers are hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks. They process reservations and guests’ registration and checkout, monitor arrivals and departures, handle complaints, and receive and forward mail. The duties of hotel desk clerks depend on the size of the facility. In small lodging places, one clerk or a manager may do everything. In large hotels, the duties are divided among several types of clerks. Although hotel desk clerks sometimes are hired from the outside, openings usually are filled by promoting other hotel employees such as bellhops and porters, credit clerks, and other administrative support workers.
Hotels and other lodging places employ many different types of managers to direct and coordinate the activities of the front office, kitchen, dining room, and other departments, such as housekeeping, accounting, personnel, purchasing, publicity, sales, and maintenance. Managers make decisions on room rates, establish credit policy, and have ultimate responsibility for resolving problems. In small establishments, the manager also may perform much of the front-office clerical work. In the smallest establishments, the owners-sometimes a family team-do all the work necessary to operate the business.
Lodging managers or general and operations managers in large hotels often have several assistant managers, each responsible for a phase of operations. For example, food service managers oversee restaurants, lounges, and catering operations. Large hotels and conference centers also employ public relations and sales managers to promote their image and to attract business. Large hotels have many different sales managers, including convention managers, merchandise managers, foreign sales managers, and tour and agency managers. Sales managers often travel around the country selling their meeting, banquet, and convention facilities.
Workers at vacation and recreational camps may include camp counselors who lead and instruct children and teenagers in outdoor-oriented forms of recreation, such as swimming, hiking, horseback riding, and camping. In addition, counselors at vacation and resident camps also provide guidance and supervise daily living and general socialization. Other types of campgrounds may employ trail guides for activities such as hiking, hunting, and fishing.
Hotels and other lodging places employ a variety of workers found in many other industries. Among these are cashiers, accountants, personnel workers, entertainers, recreation workers, and maintenance workers, such as stationary engineers, plumbers, and painters. Still others include guards and security officers, barbers, cosmetologists, valets, gardeners, and parking attendants.
