Everyday is different in the life of a Hotel Manager. You must love the environment, the snow and working with people in order to make the most of seasonal work in a ski resort. So, if variety, flexibility, control, responsibility and outdoor activities are your thing then this could be the job for you. You get to live in a beautiful part of the world and meet many different people whilst gaining a wealth of experience. You need to be extremely organised, be happy to have fluid plans and able to juggle your responsibilities.
A Hotel Manager is often the face of the company and can be the difference between a successful or terrible business. The role may differ from hotel to hotel depending on its size, if it has a restaurant and bar or not, how guests are catered for and the type of company you work for, however, the key principles will remain the same.
As a Hotel Manager, you are able to manage your own time and this does have its benefits. For example, you are able to work long days when the weather is not so good and then enjoy some skiing time when the snow is great or when your friends are available or your family is visiting. The exception to this rule is, when there are arrivals, during dinner service and when you need to be present for deliveries or go shopping for example, these things are not flexible. You are able to live in the most wonderful environment with a vast amount of activities on your doorstep so there is certainly never a dull moment. This is a varied role with a lot of responsibility and you must thrive from the challenge of working with people. It is a great experience and will stand you in good stead for any future career.
Your days can start anytime between 4am and 10 am and you may be out skiing by 10am or you may need to work right through until midnight. This variety is great but sometimes hard going. You should expect to be able to ski 4 days a week but this will depend on the company and indeed your desire to get out on the mountain. In my opinion, you would be too tired to keep this up regularly for the whole season but everyone is different and you will find a balance that suits you. You need the balance of down time as well as work and activities otherwise you will burn yourself out. The evening starts around 4-5pm but I may start earlier if I have skied in the morning or if guests are arriving. Guest arrivals in a hotel can be on any day of the week unlike in a chalet and this is even more of a reason to be organised and plan your days appropriately for the guests sake and yours.
You will: need to be contactable 24/7; meet and greet all of the guests at whatever time they choose to arrive and deliver a welcome speech which can sometimes be to large groups; not only need to organise yourself and your staff, but also the guests to ensure they get on the slopes and to their ski lessons on time; need to speak to all of your guests regularly to ensure that they are enjoying their stay and if needs be, try to resolve any issues which may arise; help with cleaning, food preparation and service, bar service and any other tasks which your staff undertake; deal with collecting monies; balance up monies and may keep accounts; be around when guests return from a days skiing to discuss their day; book a restaurant for guests to eat out; arrange a baby sitter should they require one; deal with any maintenance issues in and around the hotel, informing the correct person of any problems; meet any people who come to fix the problems or to maintain the Hotel; see in any deliveries you may have; organise shopping and keep a stock take of food and beverages on site; manage your staff; check and action emails regularly; produce and deliver staff training; produce price lists and menu plans; discipline staff; need to have good personal skills to help boost the morale amongst staff, especially towards the end of the season when everyone has a little bit of a lull; enjoy the mountain.
You may: need to contact guests prior to arrival and post holiday, to ensure they have the information they require and to gather feedback; deal with budgeting; need to think of money saving or cost cutting ideas; ski or socialise with guests; help guests to plan a skiing route and aid them by providing local knowledge; advise them with regards to restaurants, activities and places to visit; write a rota; be involved in employment and interviewing; coordinate laundry services; arrange ski lessons and crèche for guests.
On an application, we would expect to see a well written, nicely presented application and CV. We would want it to portray an enthusiastic individual who is looking for a challenge, is not afraid of hard work and likes the outdoors. We would need to see experience of work in the area for which you are applying in either a hotel, bar, restaurant or guest house. Ideally we would like you to understand the ski resort environment and have some idea of the guests and staff you would be dealing with. Knowledge of the resort and the company for which you are applying would also be desirable. Management experience is a must and the knowledge or a desire to learn about food and wine is advantageous. The ability to speak the language to an appropriate level is vital.
The 20 week season will fly by so fast with each week bringing a fresh start, new people and new weather and activities. I can’t explain why but you very quickly forget the hard work, and solely remember the greats times you had, the wonderful people you met, the lessons you have learnt, those fresh powder days, the sunshine in January, the nightlife, the free easy going environment, the buzz of working with people on holiday and the natural happy environment that it creates and the pace of life it brings.
Seasonal work is the hardest work you will ever do but it is certainly something you will never forget and many people, myself included, just can’t help but keep coming back for more. That must tell you something!
"You get to live in a beautiful part of the world and meet many different people whilst gaining a wealth of experience."
Written by Katie Clough from Family Friendly Skiing, who provide family skiing holidays in Courchevel and La Tania.