Basics

• Hotel maintenance managers report to the overall manager. They may be the lone maintenance employee or may be responsible for hiring and training other workers. Either way, hotel maintenance managers are in charge of making sure the hotel is clean and safe for both guests and other workers. They typically have a master key that gives them access to every room, allowing them to make repairs when rooms are empty. Occasionally, they have to be prepared to make an emergency repair, such as when an air conditioning unit breaks or an electrical outlet is malfunctioning.
  
  

Skills

• Hotel maintenance managers must be skilled with their hands and know the tools needed for each job. That includes hammers, nails, drills, screwdrivers, mops and perhaps lawnmowers and weed-eaters. In some cases, hotel maintenance managers are expected to possess a strong knowledge of duties often handled by an electrician or plumber. Either way, they should be motivated, organized, analytical and own strong communication skills, as they interact with everyone from hotel management to co-workers to guests. Also, in the event they manage a staff, hotel maintenance managers should be capable leaders who are comfortable delegating.
  
  

Background

• Most hotels prefer candidates with previous experience as a janitor or custodian when hiring a maintenance manager--although that experience doesn’t need to have taken place at a hotel. Some hotel maintenance managers may have worked at schools or hospitals or for government buildings. Almost all are required to possess at least a high school diploma along with relevant work experience. Some may also need certificates obtained from vocational or trade schools that qualify them to be electricians or plumbers (or both).
  
  

Prospects

• Hotels will always need workers to be in charge of making sure the establishment is clean, safe and generally maintained, meaning opportunities for maintenance managers should always be strong. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for maintenance-type workers in hotels are likely to increase by 3 percent through 2018. The BLS also reported that employment of hotel grounds maintenance workers is projected to grow by 13 percent during the same decade.
  
  

Earnings

• Hotel maintenance managers are likely to earn wages in line with maintenance managers in all fields. According to PayScale.com, those type of workers earned anywhere from more than $40,000 to nearly $73,000 per year in June 2010.