Archive for the 'Hospitality Management' Category

The Hospitality Industry and Theme Park Careers

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on June 8, 2011
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When we talk about careers in hospitality management, most people assume the field includes hotels, motels, and other overnight accommodations. While it’s true that these types of professions dominate the hospitality trade, the field is actually quite large. Spas, cruise lines, restaurants, catering companies, event planners, and even theme parks are all included. That’s why a degree in hospitality management is so versatile; there are plenty of places where employment is a real possibility.

Working in a theme park (or water park) might not be something you’ve considered before, but the truth is that there are good job opportunities here. When you have a degree in hospitality management (either at the Associate or Bachelor’s level), you can go beyond serving popcorn at the concession stand or wearing a giant dog costume to work in guest relations, marketing, and other mid-management roles.

What Does a Theme Park Manager Do?

Your job as a member of a theme park’s management staff will vary depending on the employer. For example, a large corporation like Disney is run differently than a more science-oriented place like SeaWorld or a locally owned and operated water park. Your personal background and professional goals will dictate where and how you will best succeed.

With that disclaimer in place, you can still expect to:

  • Create business plans and strategies
  • Implement marketing plans and promotional packages
  • Monitor and maintain customer satisfaction
  • Oversee facility management
  • Handle finances
  • Hire, fire, and train employees
  • Work with legal departments to ensure safety

This kind of work comes with a high level of responsibilities, which is why most theme parks look for someone who has a degree in hospitality management, recreation services, or another related field. These courses are offered at many different types of schools, and you should be able to find both online and local options at the community college, private college, or public university level. As is the case with most degrees, the higher you go (all the way up to a Master’s in hospitality management), the better your chances of promotion and higher rates of pay.

Of course, all that hard work can pay off you’re really interested in the field. Whether you’re drawn to taking advantage of perks like free admission for your family, or you love being around an industry that thrives on fun, this can be a very rewarding profession. And with salaries that figure into the six figures for highly trained and experienced managers, the financial aspect is appealing, as well.

For more information on beginning a theme park hospitality career, you may want to visit the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), which offers workshops, conferences, and training opportunities for professionals already in the field.

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Find a Hospitality Management Program in Your City

Hospitality Management Programs: The Lodging Operations Course

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on April 18, 2011
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Lodging OperationsHospitality management is a great career path for those who want to straddle the line between culinary training and a more business-oriented approach. Like restaurant management, this field is all about making the experience of the guest positive from the first moment they arrive. Whether this means providing great accommodations, putting the guests in front of an exquisite meal, or planning an event they’ll never forget, hospitality management is customer service at its best.

As you go through your hospitality management course (either at the Bachelor or Master’s level), one class that is likely to come your way is lodging operations.

What are Lodging Operations?

Lodging operations is a leadership-oriented course that focuses on hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and resorts. It goes beyond simply teaching students how to set up reservations and organize large-scale customer service initiatives to include:

  • Marketing and branding concepts
  • Incorporating the culinary experience into the hospitality setting
  • Developing employee training programs
  • Implementing energy-saving innovations
  • Surviving in a competitive hospitality market
  • Everyday leadership opportunities

This broad scope of learning is ideal for students who are pursuing an advanced degree in hospitality management. After all, if it is your goal to seek high level work in the field, it’s important to have a strong basis of understanding for how to help a hospitality organization succeed. And in many cases, these same principles are applicable in a restaurant setting, as well, making it easy to switch between fields as your career advances.

The Lodging Operations Course

Depending on where you go to hospitality management school and the degree you’re pursuing, your exact course syllabus will vary. Overall, you can expect to make on-site visits or virtual field trips to successful hotel models, and you may even be eligible for an internship at one of these locations near the end of your education.

A degree in hospitality management is a great core for a future career in restaurants, hotels, resorts, and other similar settings. Lodging operations is just one part of the whole picture. In addition to culinary training, management courses, communication skills development, and technology training, it’s important to incorporate theory-based and logic-based courses like this one.

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Hotel Management as an Alternative to Becoming a Chef

Culinary Degree or Hospitality Management Degree

Find a Hospitality Management School in Your City

Hotel Management as an Alternative to Becoming a Chef


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on July 24, 2010
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Hotel ManagementOne of the biggest challenges new culinary school graduates encounter is the job market. Although the restaurant and food service industry is expected to grow at a larger than national average, many of the open jobs are offered at a low- to minimum-wage and with a heavy competition to move up the ladder.

Fortunately, culinary training provides more than just one employment avenue. In addition to careers like food writers, food photographers, and restaurant owners, graduates might be able to find jobs in the hotel management field.

More and more hotels, motels, and bed & breakfast locations are offering an upscale dining experience and catered services as a way to boost their image and income. And professionals with culinary training – particularly if that training is matched by an Associate degree, Bachelor’s degree, or some business classes – have a good chance of getting these jobs.

What is Hotel Management?

Hotel management (or hospitality management, as it is also known) combines the culinary field and the business field in varying mixtures. The professionals who work in this field are the masterminds behind the facade that a hotel or other service-related company puts forward; from elaborate brunch spreads to making sure each guest feels as though he or she was treated well, hotel management is all about pleasing the customer – both from a culinary and a general comfort standpoint.

Some employers place a heavy emphasis on the management side of things, while others provide a more creative outlet in culinary opportunities.

For example, you might find yourself spending an entire day behind a desk, managing employees and providing customer service, or you might find yourself working with chefs to create a menu and run a safe and sanitary kitchen. Many individuals who work in this field find that they develop the skills necessary to start their own bed & breakfast or catering company someday, as well.

Chefs with a culinary degree and a head for business tend to be well suited for hotel management, and these jobs can be very rewarding. Not only is the average annual salary offered at around $45,000, but there tends to be more opportunity for personal advancement at the mid- to high-range management level.

How to Get Started in Hospitality Management

If you already have a culinary degree or a degree in hotel management, you should have a strong resume for the field, especially if you have a history in running a restaurant or kitchen. If you’re considering culinary school for the first time, you might want to look for a program that specializes in the hospitality trade as well as general cooking skills, since it is the combination of these two that can really give you a competitive edge.

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Finding a Culinary School

Finding a Hospitality Management School

Culinary Degree or Hospitality Management Degree

Published
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on October 20, 2009
in Hospitality Management
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Culinary Degree or Hospitality Management DegreeWhat is the Difference between a Culinary Arts Degree and a Hospitality Management Degree?

Hospitality management is one of the hottest fields in the culinary community right now. Not only does it tie into the food aspect of the food and restaurant industry, but it also includes a strong sense of business and general management. For some culinary students, this represents the perfect combination: creative license when it comes to issues of food, and a little more structure when it comes to career logistics.

What Exactly is Hospitality Management?

Hospitality management is basically the business side of running a restaurant, hotel, or other facility. Much of the work relates to things like:

  • Menu development
  • Human resources/hiring
  • Managing employees
  • Ordering and keeping a kitchen stocked
  • Customer service
  • Keeping a facility up to code

However, depending on whether you work in a restaurant, catering facility, cruise ship, hotel, or other facility, your required skills will vary. For example, you may have to jump on the line to help with a peak period one day and spend the next sitting at your desk helping to prepare tax documents.

How Hospitality Management Degrees are Structured

Because so much of hospitality management is about business, it is often taken as an Associate, Bachelor, or even Master’s Degree course. There are shorter education options, but individuals with a higher education degree are more likely to find a job in middle management or get promotions once your career is underway. You can also switch to other fields with greater ease, should you discover that the culinary field is not for you.

Remember, though, that much of hospitality management is about people and numbers. If you want to go to culinary school to focus on food, you might be better off pursing a culinary degree.