Hotel Manager Job Description: 6 Templates
Free hotel manager job description templates: general, small hotel, boutique, GM, B&B, and assistant. With FLSA, tip, and ADA guidance. Download as DOCX.
Hotel Manager Job Description Templates
6 free templates: general, small hotel, boutique, GM, B&B, and assistant, with FLSA, tip-credit, and ADA guidance built in. Download as DOCX.
The hotel manager job description covers a wider range of jobs than almost any single title, and the generic templates online flatten all of them into one. A general manager owning the P&L of a full-service property, a hands-on manager running a small independent hotel single-handedly, and an innkeeper providing personal hospitality at a five-room B&B all share the title, but they do very different jobs. And the templates online miss the two things that matter most for this role at a small property: the FLSA classification, which trips up small hotels constantly, and the hospitality-specific compliance around tips and accessibility.
At FirstHR, we build templates for exactly that situation: the small, boutique, and independent hotels, B&Bs, and inns that hire directly, where the owner does the hiring and the manager wears many hats. The six templates below cover the real property types: general, small/independent, boutique, GM, B&B/inn, and assistant, each ready to fill in and post, with the classification and compliance guidance built in. The guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What a Hotel Manager Does
A hotel manager runs the day-to-day operations of a lodging property and leads the team that delivers the guest experience. The work spans overseeing front desk and housekeeping, hiring and scheduling staff, controlling budget and occupancy, resolving guest complaints, maintaining cleanliness and safety standards, supporting bookings and revenue, and ensuring health, safety, and licensing compliance.
What changes is the property. In a small or independent hotel, one manager wears many hats and effectively runs everything, often covering the front desk. In a larger property, a hotel manager may run a department under a general manager who owns the full P&L. A boutique manager focuses on brand and a high-touch experience; a B&B or inn manager provides personal, hands-on hospitality. For scoping the role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Hotel Manager vs General Manager
Hotel manager and general manager are not always interchangeable, and naming the right one keeps pay, expectations, and the org chart clear. Here is how they compare.
| Hotel manager | General manager (GM) | |
|---|---|---|
| Owns | Daily operations or a department | The whole property and P&L |
| Financials | Budget and costs for the area | Full profit and loss |
| Leads | Staff and shifts | Departments and managers |
| Reports to | Owner or GM | Ownership or management company |
The simplest way to tell which you need: if you need someone to own the whole business including the financials, you are hiring a general manager; if you need someone to run daily operations under an owner or GM, you are hiring a hotel manager. The catch is scale: at a small or independent hotel, there is usually one manager who is effectively the GM, wearing every hat. Match the title, the pay, and the job description to the actual scope. This page includes both a general hotel manager and a GM version.
Hotel Manager Duties and Responsibilities
Hotel manager duties center on four areas: operations, people, business, and guests. Every property shares these, with the emphasis shifting by type and size. These are the duties grouped the way the templates use them.
A strong posting grounds these in your property: the type and size, your systems, your service standards, the team they will lead, and the reporting line. It also names the real scope honestly, since at a small hotel the manager will spend real time on the front desk and frontline work, which both sets expectations and affects classification. Candidates read a hotel-manager posting for the property type, the scope, the schedule, and the pay before applying.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by your property type and the scope of the role. The run-the-property core runs through all six, but the duties, the scope, and the requirements differ enough that the matched version reads more credibly. Use this guide to choose.
6 Free Hotel Manager Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: property overview, position summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, classification, compensation, and how to apply. Fill in the brackets, set the classification and reporting line, and post.
Template 1: General Hotel Manager (W-2)
The universal version: oversee operations across departments, manage staff and budgets, and ensure guest satisfaction. The right base to adapt for most properties.
Template 2: Small / Independent Hotel Manager
For a small independent hotel where one manager runs everything. Hands-on, covers front desk and steps in across roles, working directly with the owner.
Template 3: Boutique Hotel Manager
For a boutique property where the guest experience and brand are the differentiator. Adds brand standards, personalized service, and reputation management.
Template 4: Hotel General Manager (GM)
For a GM with full responsibility: owns the P&L, leads all departments and department managers, sets strategy, and reports to ownership.
Template 5: Bed & Breakfast / Inn Manager
For a bed & breakfast or small inn. Personal hospitality: reservations, check-in, breakfast, housekeeping oversight, and the warm touch a B&B is known for.
Template 6: Assistant Hotel Manager
For a supporting manager who supervises shifts, covers front desk, helps run the team, and steps in for the manager. Often a non-exempt role.
Exempt or Non-Exempt?
A hotel manager's FLSA classification depends on the actual duties and salary, not the title, and small hotels are where this most often goes wrong. Get it right before you post, since hospitality is a frequent target of wage-and-hour claims over misclassification.
A hotel manager can be exempt under the executive exemption, but only if all the tests are met: paid on a salary basis at or above the federal threshold, with a primary duty of managing the property, customarily directing two or more full-time employees, and genuine authority over hiring and firing. At a larger property a true manager usually qualifies. The trap is the small hotel, where the manager spends most of the day covering the front desk, helping with housekeeping, or doing maintenance, all non-exempt frontline work; when that is the real primary duty, the manager may be non-exempt and owed overtime regardless of the title. The operative federal threshold is the 2019 rule's $684 per week, after a court vacated the 2024 increase. The exempt vs non-exempt guide covers the full test. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with a professional.
Tips, ADA, and Safety
Beyond classification, a hotel manager sits close to three hospitality-specific compliance areas that generic templates ignore. Name them in the role and onboarding where they apply. These rules change and vary by state, so treat this as a prompt to check current requirements, not legal advice.
You do not put regulatory citations in the posting itself, but if the manager oversees tipped staff or is responsible for accessibility and safety, the job description should name those duties so candidates understand the role, and onboarding should cover the specifics. State rules on tip credits and minimum wage vary widely, so always check your state.
How to Write a Hotel Manager Job Description
A strong hotel-manager posting takes about 15 minutes once you settle the property type, the scope, and the classification. Here is the process the templates are built around.
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
Hotel Manager Pay and Outlook
Hotel manager pay varies by property size, location, and scope, but there is a solid national benchmark to anchor your number.
The big variables are your property type, size, and market. Whether the role is salaried or hourly also matters, since an exempt manager is salaried while a non-exempt working manager is paid hourly with overtime. For your posting, benchmark to your specific property and market rather than the national median, decide whether the role is exempt or non-exempt to set salary versus hourly, and include a good-faith pay range where your state or city requires it. National compensation surveys and local listings both help you set a competitive number for the specific hotel manager role you are filling.
Hiring a Hotel Manager
A large hotel or chain hires managers through a recruiting team and a standard structure. A small, boutique, or independent hotel, a B&B, or an inn makes the same hire directly, where the owner runs the whole process. Here is what actually matters.
After You Hire: Onboarding
The job description is step one, and for someone who will run a property around the clock, the onboarding should center on the systems, standards, and compliance the manager will own. Send the offer letter with the pay, the correct classification, and the terms, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 within the first days along with the rest of the new hire paperwork, and gather tax forms.
Then the onboarding should cover the property and its systems, who they manage, the budget and occupancy targets, brand and service standards, safety and emergency procedures, and the compliance basics, alongside the usual onboarding documents. Because a hotel runs evenings, weekends, and holidays, a structured first weeks that covers on-call and shift coverage helps a new manager settle in, and a repeatable onboarding template makes it consistent, the kind of structured start the employee onboarding guide describes. Once terms are agreed, the offer letter template handles the core terms, and if your property has a restaurant or bar, the restaurant employee handbook template covers tip pooling, food safety, and service policies. FirstHR fits this directly for an owner-led hotel, B&B, or inn: send the offer letter for e-signature with the classification stated, store the signed documents, assign onboarding with completion records, and run an onboarding checklist that covers systems, standards, and compliance. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with your payroll provider. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a hotel manager do?
A hotel manager runs the day-to-day operations of a lodging property and leads the team that delivers the guest experience. The core responsibilities are consistent across properties: overseeing front desk, housekeeping, and guest services; hiring, training, scheduling, and supervising staff; controlling the budget, costs, occupancy, and revenue; resolving guest complaints; maintaining standards for cleanliness, safety, and service; supporting marketing and bookings; and ensuring health, safety, and licensing compliance. The scope shifts by property. In a small or independent hotel, one manager wears many hats and effectively runs everything, often covering the front desk and stepping in across roles. In a larger property, a hotel manager may run one department under a general manager who owns the full P&L. A boutique hotel manager focuses heavily on brand and a high-touch guest experience, while a B&B or inn manager provides personal, hands-on hospitality at a small scale. What unites them is leading the operation and the team that serves guests. This page offers a template for each common property type, with the FLSA, tip, and ADA guidance generic templates leave out.
What is the difference between a hotel manager and a general manager?
A general manager (GM) owns full responsibility for the property, including the P&L, while a hotel manager often runs day-to-day operations or a department, though at a small hotel the two roles merge into one person. A GM sets the property's strategy, owns the financial results, leads all departments and department managers, and reports to ownership or a management company. A hotel manager, in a larger property, runs daily operations or a specific area under the GM. The catch is scale: in a small or independent hotel, there is usually just one manager who is effectively the GM, wearing every hat from front desk to budgeting to staffing. So the right title depends on the property. If you need someone to own the whole business including the financials, you are hiring a general manager; if you need someone to run daily operations under an owner or GM, you are hiring a hotel manager; and at a small property, one person covers both. Match the title, the pay, and the job description to the actual scope rather than defaulting to the more impressive title. This page includes both a general hotel manager and a GM version so you can pick the right one.
Is a hotel manager exempt or non-exempt from overtime?
It depends on the actual duties and salary, not the title, and small hotels are where this most often goes wrong. A hotel manager can be exempt under the FLSA executive exemption, but only if all the tests are met: paid on a salary basis at or above the federal threshold, with a primary duty of managing the property, customarily directing the work of two or more full-time employees, and genuine authority to hire and fire or to significantly influence those decisions. At a full-service or larger hotel, a true manager usually qualifies and is not owed overtime. The problem arises at small and independent hotels, where the manager spends most of the day covering the front desk, helping with housekeeping, or doing maintenance, all non-exempt frontline work. When that frontline work is the real primary duty, the manager may be non-exempt and owed overtime despite the title. The operative federal salary threshold is the 2019 rule's $684 per week, after a court vacated the 2024 increase. Hospitality is a frequent target of wage-and-hour claims over exactly this issue, so the practical test is what the manager actually does day to day. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with an employment professional, since classification depends on specific duties and pay and state rules vary.
What qualifications should a hotel manager have?
A hotel manager needs hospitality experience plus the leadership and business ability to run a property and a team, with the specific bar set by the property type and size. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes lodging managers typically take one of three paths: a high school diploma plus several years of lodging experience, a bachelor's degree in hospitality or hotel management, or an associate's degree or certificate in hotel management, with full-service properties often preferring a degree. Beyond education, the universal qualifications are hospitality or hotel experience, leadership and team-management ability, strong guest-service and problem-solving skills, comfort with property and booking systems, and availability for evenings, weekends, and on-call coverage since hotels run around the clock. Calibrate to the version: a small or independent hotel wants a hands-on generalist who will cover the front desk; a boutique property wants brand sensibility and high-touch service; a GM role wants a P&L and revenue-management track record; a B&B wants warm, personal hospitality. For your posting, lead with the experience and leadership every version needs, then add the property-specific requirements and name the systems you actually use.
How do I write a hotel manager job description?
Start by deciding which role you need for your property type and size, then write the job description around the real operations and the compliance points that apply. Pick the version that matches your property: general, small or independent hotel, boutique, general manager, B&B or inn, or assistant. Write an honest position summary and list the actual responsibilities, which for a hotel manager span operations (front desk, housekeeping, maintenance), people (hiring, training, scheduling, supervising), business (budget, occupancy, revenue), and guests (service, complaints, reviews). State the reporting line, who they manage, and what authority they have, since this directly affects FLSA classification. Classify the role as exempt or non-exempt based on actual duties and salary, which matters most for small hotels where a working manager may be non-exempt. If the role oversees tipped staff or accessibility, note those responsibilities. Add the requirements, the compensation with a good-faith range where your state requires it, and an equal-opportunity statement. Naming your property, systems, and standards makes the posting far stronger than a generic template. The free templates on this page give you a starting structure for each property type.
How much does a hotel manager make?
Hotel manager pay varies by property size, location, and scope, but there is a solid national benchmark. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for lodging managers was $68,130 in May 2024, with the occupation holding about 52,000 jobs and projected to grow 3% from 2024 to 2034. Pay ranges widely around that median: managers at small independent hotels, B&Bs, and inns typically earn less, while general managers at larger or full-service properties, and managers in high-cost or high-demand markets, earn more, sometimes well into six figures for a GM at a sizable property. Whether the role is salaried or hourly also matters, since an exempt manager is salaried while a non-exempt working manager is paid hourly with overtime. For your posting, benchmark to your specific property type, size, and market rather than the national median, decide whether the role is exempt or non-exempt to set salary versus hourly, and include a good-faith pay range where your state or city requires it. National compensation surveys and local listings both help you set a competitive number for the specific hotel manager role you are filling.
Does a small hotel or B&B need to comply with the ADA?
Most do, with a narrow exception for the very smallest owner-occupied properties. The ADA's Title III covers places of public accommodation and explicitly names inns, hotels, and motels, which means most lodging properties must provide accessible guest rooms, an accessible reservation system that lets guests book accessible rooms, accessible parking, and removal of architectural barriers where readily achievable. There is one specific exception relevant to tiny properties: an establishment that is actually occupied by the proprietor as their residence and has five or fewer rooms for rent is not covered as a public accommodation under Title III. That carve-out is narrow. It does not apply to most hotels, and it does not apply to an inn or B&B that the owner does not live in, so do not assume it covers your property without checking the specifics. For a small hotel, B&B, or inn, the manager is usually the person responsible for day-to-day accessibility, so the job description can include accessibility and guest-accommodation responsibility where relevant. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm your specific obligations with an attorney.
What happens after I hire a hotel manager?
Once the candidate accepts, the hire moves into onboarding, and for someone who will run a property that operates around the clock, getting the offer, the paperwork, and the first weeks right matters. The base sequence matches any W-2 hire: send the offer letter with the pay, the correct FLSA classification, and the terms; collect the signed offer; complete Form I-9 within the first days; and gather tax forms. Then the onboarding should cover what makes a hotel manager effective: the property and its systems, who they manage, the budget and occupancy targets, brand and service standards, safety and emergency procedures, and the compliance basics including FLSA, tip rules where applicable, accessibility, and OSHA recordkeeping. Because a hotel runs evenings, weekends, and holidays, a structured first weeks that covers on-call expectations and shift coverage helps a new manager settle into the rhythm of the property. FirstHR fits this directly for an owner-led hotel, B&B, or inn: send the offer letter for e-signature with the classification stated, store the signed documents, assign onboarding with completion records for systems and standards, run an onboarding checklist, and use the HRIS and self-service portal. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with your payroll provider. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR; today the platform handles onboarding and document tracking once the candidate signs.