Hotel or Motel Manager

A hotel or motel manager oversees all operational, financial, and customer service functions of a lodging establishment in Australia. They manage staff rostering and performance, maintain occupancy and revenue targets, ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, and resolve guest complaints to uphold the property's reputation and profitability.

Recruit, train, and supervise front desk, housekeeping, maintenance, and food and beverage staff across multiple shifts. Set room rates and occupancy targets using revenue management principles and competitor analysis to maximise average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR). Review daily and monthly profit and loss statements, manage departmental budgets, and control operating expenses including labour, utilities, and supplies. Process and reconcile guest accounts, authorise refunds and adjustments, and ensure cash handling procedures comply with internal controls. Prepare and lodge business activity statements (BAS) with the ATO and ensure accurate payroll tax withholding for all employees. Conduct regular inspections of guest rooms, common areas, and back-of-house facilities against property standards and health and safety legislation. Respond to and document guest complaints, arrange service recovery solutions, and analyse feedback to identify operational improvements. Coordinate with external contractors for maintenance, repairs, and facility upgrades; approve work orders and manage expenditure authorisation.

The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You're on-call constantly. Guest crises happen at 2am, staff call in sick during peak season, and you're expected to solve problems that aren't in your control: like a pipe burst flooding rooms or a food poisoning incident. Seasonal tourism means feast-or-famine months and staff turnover is brutal.

Regional jobs exist but are fewer and often lower-paid. Hospitality employment data shows management roles cluster where hotel supply is densest: major cities and established tourist destinations, not remote areas.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 1413, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Complaint Handlingcore
• Conflict Resolutioncore
• Coordinate activities across hospitality rooms divisioncore
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
• Customer Needs Assessmentcore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Ensure compliance with legal requirementscore
• Handle customer complaintscore
• Implement sales strategiescore
• Invoicing and Accounts Receivablecore
• Manage budgetscore
• Manage different departments in a hospitality establishmentcore
• Manage front operationscore
• Manage health and safety standardscore
• Manage staffcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Rostering and Scheduling Supportcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Build business relationships
• Comply with food safety and hygiene
• Coordinate redecoration of hospitality establishment
• Digital Literacy
• Feedback Collection and Actioning
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Incident Reporting
• Maintain customer service
• Manage inspections of equipment
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Negotiation
• Plan shifts of employees
• Process Improvement Identification
• Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
• Report Writing
• Supplier Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Hotel or Motel Manager workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026