How to Record a Hotel General Manager Video Job Ad

Hotel General Managers run complex, multi-department operations with significant P&L responsibility. They balance owner expectations with guest experience, manage F&B alongside rooms, oversee maintenance and housekeeping, and somehow maintain a visible, welcoming presence. The best GMs are rare—the combination of commercial acumen, operational expertise, people leadership, and hospitality instinct isn't common. Your video job ad needs to communicate the strategic challenge and opportunity clearly, because qualified GMs are evaluating multiple options and need compelling reasons to consider yours.

Step 1: Open with the Opportunity

Experienced hotel GMs evaluate opportunities across several dimensions. Lead with what makes your property worth their attention.

The property's position: Market standing—luxury, upscale, midscale? Brand affiliation or independent? Recent performance trajectory? A GM inheriting a successful property faces different challenges than one taking on a turnaround. Be clear about where you are.

Room count, F&B outlets, event facilities, other revenue centres. The operational scope determines job complexity. A 60-room boutique hotel is a different GM role from a 300-room full-service property.

Ownership and governance: Who owns the property? Private owner, investment fund, brand-owned, franchised? What's the owner relationship like—hands-off investor, engaged hospitality family, corporate oversight? This fundamentally shapes the GM experience.

What decisions rest with the GM versus requiring owner approval? Operational autonomy matters to experienced GMs.

The strategic challenge: Every property has one. New opening requiring market establishment? Established hotel needing repositioning? Post-renovation relaunch? Performance improvement mandate? Successful operation needing steady leadership? Frame the challenge clearly—the GM who loves turnarounds differs from one who maintains excellence.

What success looks like: Be concrete about expectations. RevPAR targets? GOP improvement? Guest satisfaction metrics? Team development outcomes? Brand standards if applicable? GMs want clarity on how they'll be measured.

Step 2: Show Your Property

Film comprehensively—the public spaces, back of house, the building's character. GMs need to understand what they'd be running.

Guest-facing areas: Lobby and reception. Restaurant and bar spaces. Meeting and event facilities. Pool, spa, gym if applicable. The guest experience they'd be responsible for.

Back of house: Kitchen operation. Housekeeping facilities. Engineering and maintenance infrastructure. Staff areas. The operational reality behind the guest experience.

The rooms: Room types and condition. Recent refurbishment or renovation needed? The product quality that drives room revenue.

Property condition: Be honest about capital needs. Well-maintained property in good condition, or deferred maintenance requiring attention? GMs need to understand what investment might be needed and whether owners will support it.

Location context: The surrounding area, competitive set visibility, transport links. Local market factors that affect performance.

Current team: Department heads they'd inherit. Team capability and development needs. The leadership structure already in place.

Step 3: Paint a Picture of the Role

Hotel GM roles vary by property type, ownership structure, and brand affiliation. Define what yours involves.

P&L responsibility: Full P&L ownership—revenue and cost accountability. Budget development and management. Capital planning and requests. Financial reporting and owner communication.

What's the annual revenue scale? £2m? £10m? £50m? The commercial complexity varies enormously.

Rooms and revenue: Rate strategy oversight. Distribution channel management. Revenue management—direct responsibility or working with revenue manager? Sales direction and key account relationships.

Food and beverage: Restaurant and bar operation. Banqueting and events. Room service. What F&B exists and how does the GM engage—direct oversight or through department heads?

Operational departments: Housekeeping and accommodation. Front office and guest services. Engineering and maintenance. Security if applicable. HR and people management across all areas.

Brand relationship if applicable: Brand standards compliance. QA inspections and preparation. Brand communication and initiatives. The balance between brand requirements and local decision-making.

Owner relationship: Reporting structure and frequency. Owner meetings and communication. Managing expectations and building trust. For many GMs, this relationship determines job satisfaction more than any other factor.

Team leadership: Department head management and development. Building senior leadership team. Culture setting across the property. Being the visible leader who embodies hotel values.

External representation: Local business relationships. Tourism board and industry involvement. Community presence. The GM as face of the property externally.

The time commitment: Hotel GM is not a 9-5 role. Evenings, weekends, events, emergencies. What's the realistic time expectation? Accommodation included?

Step 4: The GM You're Looking For

Hotel GM hiring is about matching experience, capability, and style to property needs.

Track record: Previous GM experience—at what property type and scale? Commercial performance in previous roles? Evidence of achieving results relevant to your challenges.

For first-time GMs, what deputy or department head experience indicates readiness?

Commercial capability: P&L management experience. Revenue strategy and distribution understanding. Cost control and margin management. Capital planning and owner relations. Can they run the business, not just the hotel?

Operational depth: Do they understand operations across departments? Rooms division strength? F&B capability? The operational credibility to lead department heads effectively.

Leadership approach: How do they build and develop teams? Handle underperformance? Create culture? Manage in crisis? The leadership style that fits your property and team.

Guest experience instinct: Commercial pressure can erode guest focus. How do they balance efficiency with experience? Maintain standards while managing costs? The hospitality instinct that separates hoteliers from generic managers.

Property type match: A luxury boutique hotel and a conference property need different GMs. Brand hotel experience versus independent. Full-service versus select-service. Match experience to your specific context.

Stage and ambition: Where are they in their career? Building toward multi-property or regional roles? Or seeking a long-term home to develop one property deeply? Neither is wrong, but mismatched ambition creates retention problems.

Step 5: Make the Offer Compelling

Hotel GM compensation should reflect the complexity and responsibility of the role.

UK compensation context:

• GM (small boutique, <50 rooms): £55,000-75,000
• GM (mid-scale, 50-150 rooms): £70,000-95,000
• GM (upscale/luxury, 100-200 rooms): £85,000-120,000
• GM (large full-service, 200+ rooms): £100,000-150,000+

Regional variation is significant—London commands premium; regional properties typically less.

Bonus and incentive: Performance bonus tied to what? GOP, RevPAR index, guest satisfaction, owner objectives? What percentage of base, and what's realistically achievable based on property performance?

Be specific. "Competitive bonus" means nothing; "25% bonus at target with outperformance upside" means something.

Long-term incentives: Equity or profit share for exceptional performance? Retention incentives for multi-year commitment? These differentiate opportunities for senior talent.

Accommodation: On-site accommodation is common for hotel GMs. What's included? Quality of accommodation? This has significant value but also lifestyle implications—living at work.

Benefits package: Healthcare—private medical is expected at this level. Pension contributions. Life insurance. Car allowance or company vehicle. Professional development budget. Hotel group benefits for family travel.

Contract terms: Notice periods—typically longer at GM level. Non-compete considerations. Contract duration if fixed-term. These matter for career planning.

Support and resources: What support structure exists? Finance support, HR support, sales support? Is the GM building infrastructure or stepping into established support? Owner investment appetite for property improvement.

Step 6: The Application Process

Hotel GM hiring requires thorough assessment befitting the responsibility level.

Application requirements: CV with property-specific experience—room count, revenue scale, positioning. Cover letter addressing your specific property's challenges and their relevant experience. Salary and package expectations. Notice period.

Search approach: Many GM searches involve headhunters. If working with recruiters, mention this. If direct applications welcome, be clear about process.

Assessment stages: Initial conversation: fit, experience, strategic thinking, mutual interest. Detailed interview: commercial discussion, operational depth, leadership approach. Property visit: walking the property, meeting key department heads. Owner meeting: for private hotels, owner relationship assessment is crucial. Reference and background: thorough checking at this level.

What you're assessing: Commercial acumen: can they discuss P&L, strategy, performance intelligently? Operational depth: do they understand how hotels actually run? Leadership capability: evidence of building and developing teams? Cultural fit: do they match your property's positioning and values? Strategic thinking: do they have vision for the property's development?

Reference depth: At GM level, reference extensively. Previous owners, brand representatives, department heads who reported to them. Verify performance claims. Understand why they left previous roles. Check reputation in the market.

The owner relationship: For non-brand properties, GM-owner fit is crucial. Include meaningful owner interaction in the process. Both parties need confidence in working together closely.

Mutual assessment: Good GM candidates are assessing you. Provide information about ownership, performance, challenges, support. Answer their questions honestly. The process should help both parties determine fit.

The hotel GM community is relatively small. How you conduct the search—professionally, confidentially, respectfully—affects your reputation with current and future candidates.