I will kick this off with “you’re mileage may vary”.I’ve been a GM of mid-scale branded hotels for the past 7 years and most recently Area GM of a group of 4 hotels in my area.You need to be commercially savvy. You hold a great deal of accountability in regards to the success of the hotel – a good grounding of your hotel market, competitors and market drivers is key. You need to control your middle-of-the-account so you’re converting profit and you need to be confident in delivering numbers to owners/investors and having significant push back when commercial decisions didn’t pay off…I’ve also found in my career having experience across all departments is a great strength, I can proudly clean a room, change a door lock, serve, cook breakfast, and run the day to day operations of the accounts, front office and housekeeping departments. That way when something drops in your lap, you can solve the problem while leading by example. “Do as I do” is much better than “do as I say”.Having a good and trustworthy management team is also an incredibly important factor, I’ve always recruited those who are hot on my heels and essentially want my job. This not only allows me to elevate my own career path to the next level, it gives a great deal of peace of mind so I can shut my phone off when on holiday, or take a long weekend without having to worry about what my inbox will look like on a Monday morning.I’ve been able to work Monday-Friday for the past 4/5 years due to having a great leadership team around me that solve problems, but I still receive the odd phone call at the weekend when something big goes wrong.At the end of the day, your owner(s) expect you to deliver results. How you do that defines your career, this isn’t a 40-hour a week job however. I still put in an average of 55-60 hours a week, but I also receive a substantial bonus each year that makes it all worthwhile.Upvote13DownvoteShareAustinBennettWriter•2y agoThis.Upvote4DownvoteSharehoteliercanada•2y agoGreat summation, 40+ years in the industry and I couldn’t have said it any better.It’s been a great career and I still look forward to going to work every day. As the saying goes, find something you love to do and you’ll never work a day in your life.Cheers!Upvote4DownvoteShareDubsTepWolf1OP•2y agoWow, this was amazing to read, and it definitely makes me feel a bit better.If you don’t mind me asking, what was your journey like? You don’t have to share too much if you are uncomfortable!For context, my ideology is to work in a kitchen for a while, that way I can at least understand how a kitchen would work, then I was thinking of branching out to other departments the same way you did.Upvote2DownvoteShare2 more repliestrailless•2y agoIt’s a tough call, some people are cut out for it and some aren’t. It all depends on your team. If you have a strong team, it’ll make your life easier.If you go into a hotel with a strong team, that’s a god send. If you go into a hotel with a horrible team, you’re life is the hotel for a while. I’ve been a GM role but also ownership side for the last 10 years. I’ve always taken on distressed properties and turned them around. It’s been a challenge and I’m ready to hang up the GM hat in a bit and move towards regional of multiple hotels/development.Upvote5DownvoteShareDissidium123•2y agoWhy do you want to be GM with Hyatt in particular?Upvote4DownvoteShare4desnn•2y agoThis. Why limit yourself to Hyatt?Upvote3DownvoteShareDubsTepWolf1OP•2y ago•Edited 2y agoI only say Hyatt specifically because during high school, my culinary program and Hyatt were beginning to form a business partner relationship.I happened to get in contact with their director of Human Resources and one of their executive chefs.So essentially: just influenced because that is what I was exposed toEdit: I recently graduated and still have contact. I also heard that Hyatt has great employee retention because of how they treat their staff (I don’t know how true that is).Upvote3DownvoteShareAlpha-Leader•2y agoIt really depends on the hotel and the environment. In the high-end luxury segment with crazy ownership, it can literally kill you.I have been in the industry for a quite awhile now and the stress isn’t for everyone. There have been a couple of friends and colleagues of mine who just never showed back up for work. Did a wellness check and they had died of heart attacks. All between 35-40. GMs or Directors in the luxury space. They never had time for family and sadly, died alone.Some aspects can be brutal. Be sure you don’t end up in that kind of a place. There is a lot of prestige chasing in the industry and people will put up with a lot because that feels like what it takes to get ahead, but nothing is worth that.Upvote2DownvoteShareArtichokeGold4774•6mo agoBeing a Hotel General Manager (GM) is a dynamic and demanding role that involves overseeing all aspects of hotel operations. It requires balancing day-to-day management, from guest satisfaction and employee supervision to financial performance and marketing strategies. A GM is responsible for ensuring smooth operations, resolving guest issues, and meeting revenue targets, all while maintaining a positive work culture for staff. The role can be stressful with long hours and high expectations, but it is rewarding for those who enjoy leadership, problem-solving, and the fast-paced environment of hospitality.Upvote1DownvoteSharesmartymartyky•2y agoHave you done hotel work in the past?Upvote1DownvoteSharesmartymartyky•2y agoBut no having a 9-5 in a hotel as a GM is near impossible. You will have multiple departments, some of which require a person to be working 24/7. I used to work as a night auditor and sometimes calling the GM between midnight at 7 was unavoidable