Overview
With close to 18,000 establishments in France, the hotel industry is made up of a great many roles, every one of them essential to the smooth running of a hotel. Among them is the role of reservations manager.
What is a reservations manager?
The hotel industry is evolving constantly and recorded 45,750 planned recruitments in 2020. It is an accessible sector, open to qualified job seekers with recognised credentials. In a field as exacting and complex as hospitality, the reservations manager deserves particular mention, being indispensable to the running of a hotel.
By telephone, fax, post or online, the reservations manager handles every booking request from guests. Equally capable of covering the reception and cashier desk, the reservations agent is in daily contact with guests, consumers whose loyalty they must earn by delivering a service of the highest quality.
Well placed to build a career in hospitality, this reservations specialist can also work in a number of other fields, including tourism, transport and catering.
What does a reservations manager do?
As the guest’s first point of contact, the reservations manager must be able to offer a courteous, warm and high-quality first experience. Skilled at making the best use of their time and summarising their work, they are adept with a wide range of office software.
- Welcoming guests
- Recording bookings
- Administrative and financial management
- Analysing and meeting guests’ needs
- Making the best use of the hotel’s available space
- Communicating regularly with the hotel’s other departments
- Knowledge of the hotel’s environmental and geographical strengths as well as its weaknesses
- Proposing additional services
- Completing the full administrative process for every booking
Added to these responsibilities is a demanding pace of work, which will sometimes require the reservations manager to work evenings and weekends.
What skills & qualities does a reservations manager need?
To carry out the many tasks that make up the role of reservations manager, the postholder must demonstrate sharp professional qualities and personal skills.
- Interpersonal and language skills: a reservations manager needs excellent spoken communication. Always impeccably turned out, multilingual and naturally sociable, they must be able to advise international guests in a professional manner.
- Personal and ethical qualities: the postholder must show great diplomacy, unwavering motivation and boundless patience in the face of guests who are sometimes (overly) demanding or impatient. Composure, courtesy and thoroughness are three essential attributes in a role such as this. Finally, independence, responsiveness and a sense of organisation make all the difference at critical moments.
- Technical and intellectual skills: a good command of communication and information tools is what allows people to excel in this role. With broad general knowledge, the postholder will find it easier to resolve a difficult situation.
What career prospects and salary can a reservations manager expect?
At the start of their career, a reservations manager earns between €1,500 and €1,900 gross per month, rising to as much as €2,900 gross per month later on. Several factors naturally come into play when assessing a salary, beginning with the hotel itself: its prestige, its reputation and its standing. The better known the establishment, the higher the salary; the reverse is equally true.
After a few years of dedicated service, a reservations manager can move up to the position of front of house and accommodation manager, a more senior role involving the supervision, coordination and oversight of all hotel departments.
Working abroad is a realistic option, depending on the choices and needs of management, with the destination determined by the hotel group the postholder works for. Specialising permanently in guest relations and reception is also possible.
How do you become a reservations manager?
Before moving into higher education proper, it is advisable, though not compulsory, to hold the baccalaureate (général, STMG or Bac pro). There are, however, other types of qualification that will equip you to work in a hotel.
It is important to choose the right course, the one that best matches the student’s expectations. Several two-year post-baccalaureate qualifications are available for those continuing their studies, starting with the BTS (higher technician’s certificate) and the DUT (university diploma in technology) in hospitality, tourism or business.
CMH Academy, which specialises in a range of fields including hospitality, tourism, luxury and communications, offers its students several programmes lasting three to five years on a work-study basis.
On completion of this qualifying programme, the school awards a state-recognised RNCP certified qualification at level 1 or 2, depending on the specialism.
Other programmes are available at CMH Academy, including:
- the European Bachelor in Hotel & Tourism Management
- the MBA International Hospitality & Brand Management
Through placements, professional projects and assignments abroad, students build experience and strengthen their CV. This exposure to the world of work helps new graduates find a position in the hotel industry.
