VIDEO: A day in the life of… the general manager
November 1st, 2011 by Susan Reynard | Categories: feature, hotels, industry, restaurants, tourism, training
In this fifth and final part of the series, Susan Reynard chats to management and staff at Hilton Sandton to find answers to the burning question: What brings guests back?
Every team needs a leader and the general manager of a hotel has to know every inch of the property, every member of the team, as well as all the changing needs of guests. In addition, the GM manages millions of rands worth of asset. It may appear glamorous, but it is a lot of hard work.
Every student at hotel school dreams of the day they will one day run the hotel. However, it takes many years and a wealth of knowledge, training, experience and instinct to get to the top of a major hotel, like Hilton Sandton.
Axel Hauser is the well-known general manager of this five-star hotel. He says: “Guests expect more today than they did 20 years ago, and 20 years ago you had more staff in hotels than you do today.”
Dealing with the realities of running a top hotel means there is no average day, as every day has its own challenges. Informing every decision is the question: “Is this what the guest wants?” explains Hauser.
As captain of the ship, Hauser is tasked with ensuring that his team works together to ensure the hotel fills its rooms. He says that creating a home away from home is different for each guest – they have different expectations and need to feel something: luxury, comfort and recognition.
GM’s have to spend a lot more time in their offices today than before, taking care of administration and also looking for new ways to stay competitive and draw in new and existing clientele, notes Hauser.
An international brand means cultural diversity and a recognised standard of offering, but it is nothing without its people, Hauser maintains. Team members need to put themselves in the guests’ shoes, to see all of their actions through the guests’ eyes.
Staying up to date with the latest technology, including e-commerce, social networking, the internet and mobile marketing opportunities is critical in hospitality.
It is also important to stay ahead of environmental trends, maintains Hauser. He looks into how the hotel uses and conserves energy, recycles, heating and cooling technology, and lighting options. He has seen much innovation and new thinking in running environmentally-friendly hotels.
View the other videos in this series:
VIDEO: A day in the life of… chefs, restaurant, bar and banqueting staff
VIDEO: A day in the life of… human resources and training staff
VIDEO: A day in the life of… housekeeping and maintenance staff
Thank you for this video and article. I am new in the industry and I am still studying. This post really gave me some good insight into the day in the life of a GM
Great stuff especially for us who aspire to be GM’s for an international brand. I drive Guest satisfaction, brand loyalty, efficiency in our TEAM, energy savings,leadership, costs and try to balance these against my other hobbies at the Protea hotel ekpan warri Delta state nigeria; so this is for me. I thank you for this material. cheers