Hotel Schools: Global List of Hotel Management Schools

Hotel schools provide a range of training on every topic you can think of about the hotel industry. At a hotel school, you might find courses covering everything from general management to accountancy. Hotel schools are vital to developing your career to its full potential. You’ll learn about the top hotel schools and their courses in this article.

Table of Contents:

• Hotel Industry: Everything You Need to Know About Hotels
• What is a Hotel School?
• 5 Reasons to Study at a Hotel School
• Video: Why Study Hotel Management?
• Hotel School: What Will You Learn
• Global list of Hotel Schools
• Video: Day in the Life of a Hotel School Student
• What Kind of Jobs Can You Get With a Hotel School Degree?
• Graduated from Hotel School? How to Get a Job!
• Overview of Websites to Find a Job With a Hotel School Degree
• Hotel Management Explained!

Hotel Industry: Everything You Need to Know About Hotels

Hotel schools are an important part of the hotel industry. In the article “Everything You Need to Know About Hotels”, you’ll learn about some of the most important aspects of the hotel industry, what defines hotel management, and better understand why hotel schools are so vital for your career in the industry. You’ll learn about concepts like the various types of accommodation and the difference between the hospitality and hotel industries.

What is a Hotel School?

A hotel school teaches the various aspects of the hotel industry. Many people attend hotel schools to improve their knowledge of the industry and obtain certification that can be valuable for career development.

5 Reasons to Study at a Hotel School

You may be wondering: “Why would I study at all when I have plenty of experience? If I do decide to take a course, why not go to a more general institution where the range of topics is broader? Why choose the hotel industry at all?” Here are five reasons to choose a hotel school.

1: You’ll be joining a vibrant and exciting industry

Few sectors are as varied and exciting as the hotel industry. Opportunities are very diverse and offer some great experiences. Even under the umbrella of “hotel manager,” there are many different roles, with plenty of scopes to utilize and broaden your skills.

2: The sky is the limit

No limit exists to how high you could rise in the hotel industry. Unlike other sectors, the hotel industry offers considerable scope to develop your career. From upper management positions to owning your own hotel, you can keep climbing as high s you want.

3: You’ll gain important and transferrable skills.

Many of the skills you’ll learn while you study at a hotel school will be highly valued in any career and other areas of your life. You’ll learn vital “soft skills” such as employee psychology and interpersonal relations, crucial financial management skills, and other widely sought competencies.

4: Network and build your brand.

Attending a hotel school, whether in person or via distance learning, is the ideal way to connect with fellow industry professionals. You’ll be able to connect with your peers, find mentors and make useful contacts in the hotel industry. Instead of going alone, you’ll meet people in the same business as you to share ideas and plans. You’ll be able to demonstrate your aptitude, skills, and commitment.

5: Travel and see the world

The hotel industry offers great opportunities for international travel. With the right credentials, you can secure employment almost anywhere. Imagine managing a hotel in Miami, Paris, or Tokyo. With many hotel chains operating around the globe, there are many possibilities: you might want to spend a year overseas, or even emigrate to another country.

Video: Why Study Hotel Management?

Students from different hotel schools tell you why you should study hotel management.

Hotel School: What Will You Learn

General Management

Hotel schools often design their general hotel management courses to introduce students to the management of people in the hotel industry. Courses are often geared towards understanding how management and employees interact, and may contain valuable instruction on management psychology. A general management module may also look at analyzing self and group dynamics. These can be important as they influence how managers and employees perform. You’ll learn to reflect critically on situations using both individual and group exercises. In this way, you’ll learn to apply management principles effectively.

Operational leadership

Hotel schools aim to teach “big picture” thinking through operational leadership courses. In an operational leadership course, you’ll learn about problem-solving, designing systems, and acting as a coordinator. Operational leaders help to provide organizations with stability by maintaining a solid working knowledge of everything that goes on and creating effective structures based on their understanding.

Food & Beverage management

Food and beverage management is a crucial element of the hotel industry. That’s why hotel schools often include courses and modules on the subject. Whether you’re managing a simple bed-and-breakfast or a five-star luxury hotel with a cordon-bleu restaurant on-site, you must grasp the food management’s ins and outs. Depending on the course, you might learn about the foodservice industry’s history, menu planning, and facilities design. You’ll also learn about marketing, revenue management, and human resources.

Human Resource Management

In a people-focused industry like the hotel sector, human resources are hugely important. Many hotel schools offer modules on Human Resource Management. As well as recruiting and selecting the right staff, you’ll learn about inducting and orientating employees, providing training and development, evaluating employees’ performance, and determining compensation. You’ll learn how to motivate staff, maintain good relations with employees and any trade unions, and maintain effective health and safety per local regulations.

Accounting

Many hotel schools offer accounting for the hotel industry as a stand-alone topic or as one module in a course. You’ll learn about collecting and analyzing financial data, calculating and valuing hotel assets, financial organization, and financial reporting. Accounting is a very complex topic and highly important in the hotel sector.

Economics

The hotel industry is unusually sensitive to economic factors, both within and outside. Many schools, therefore, offer an economics course so that you can better understand factors affecting the industry. You’ll learn how to follow economic trends and conditions and respond with strategic planning. You’ll learn about macro and microeconomic theories. You’ll also develop a sophisticated understanding of supply and demand, competition, business cycles, taxation, and regulation.

Marketing Strategies

In hotel management, marketing is of paramount importance. Competition is often stiff, and ensuring your business is visible to your clientele is the only way to succeed. On a hotel school marketing course, you’ll learn how to maximize revenue by increasing bookings and optimizing your occupation levels. A hotel marketing course will give you the tools you need to identify the best marketing channels, make the most of social media, and attract the right guests at the right price.

Revenue Management

The importance of optimizing financial results in the hotel industry can hardly be overstated. Revenue management is vital in an industry that must balance fixed operating costs with a fluctuating level of demand. Hotel schools sometimes dedicate whole courses to learning the ins and outs of predicting demand, optimizing inventory and selecting the most appropriate prices for both accommodation and services.

Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are some of the most important capabilities you can develop. Hotel schools understand this. Whether you’re dealing with an unsatisfied guest, friction among staff members or bad relations between hotel employees and staff from other organizations, you must be able to manage these effectively. You’ll learn how to interact respectfully with guests who may hail from many very different cultures. You’ll also receive tips on emotional regulation that will be valuable in many aspects of your life.

Global List of Hotel Schools

Some hotel schools provide hotel management and other hospitality training as part of a larger and more general institution. In contrast, others are independent organizations focusing solely on the hotel industry. Examples include Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, which forms part of the larger university, and EHL, founded as a dedicated hotel school. Here are some of the most popular hotel schools you can attend.

Video: Day in the Life of a Hotel School Student

A practical day in the life of Cornell University, a first-year student studying hotel management at the world-famous Ivy League School of Hotel Management. Every day is very different, but this day was packed with tests, lectures, and a little socializing.

What Kind of Jobs Can You Get With a Hotel School Degree?

A degree in hotel management equips you with an impressive range of skills and competencies. Depending on what your degree covers, you could thrive in any one of a wide range of careers.

The hotel industry offers an unusually wide range of different positions. No two hotels are quite the same, and the opportunities available will vary depending on the size, location, and other factors. Some hotel opportunities include positions in the food and beverage side, such as restaurant management. Front office positions that might require a degree include front desk management. Other hotel management roles you could consider include purchasing, sales, or human resource managers. You might also find yourself taking over as the general manger of the entire hotel. To find out more about the openings that hotel schools can equip you for, you can read the article A Comprehensive Overview of All Hotel Positions.

Graduated from Hotel School? How to Get a Job!

Finding your first job after finishing hotel school can seem a little daunting. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to track down your perfect career. The connections and networks you’ve built up during your time at hotel school will be invaluable here. As well as your industry contacts, there are many other approaches. Hotel job boards are one option, or you could take a more direct route and visit the websites of hotels you’re interested in. Recruitment agencies can be very helpful in tracking down the openings you want. You should also learn to use social networking platforms such as LinkedIn effectively. The article “Hotel Careers: 10 Valuable Tips to Find a Job in the Hotel Industry” will give you some great ideas.

Overview of Websites to Find a Job With a Hotel School Degree

Many online channels can help you find a job after hotel school. Some are more important than others. Your first stop might be dedicated to hotel management job boards, such as HCareers and Hospitality Online. You can also apply directly for hotel management jobs. Major chains are more likely to be helpful here as they will have more openings than individual businesses. If nothing is advertised online appeals, you can often find great opportunities through recruitment agencies. These are a particularly good option if you’re looking for international opportunities. This List of The Most Important Channels for Finding Hotel Management Jobs has more information to help your job search.

Hotel Management Explained!

Management roles are the apex of many hotel jobs, but success in this capacity demands a thorough knowledge of the industry and what management means. In addition, it is vital to understand the entry requirements for such a position and some of the emerging trends. Learn more in the article “Hotel Management: Everything You Need to Know About Managing a Hotel”.

Hotel schools have great options for students at all levels. Courses may be full-time and long-term, or there are part-time and flexible courses. Classes may be taken in person or via distance learning. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to develop your career, there’s a hotel school for you.

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This article is written by:

Martijn Barten

Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I specialize in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have successfully developed, implemented, and managed revenue management and marketing strategies for individual properties and multi-property portfolios.