How to Use the Hotel General Manager Performance Review Template
Recording your performance reviews in Pilla means every assessment, objective, and development conversation is captured in one place. Instead of paper forms that get filed and forgotten, you build a continuous record that connects to one-to-one notes, tracks progress against objectives, and gives both you and your hotel general manager a clear reference point. When pay, bonus, or progression decisions come up, the evidence is already documented.
Key Takeaways
- Metrics to Review checklist ensures you gather RevPAR and RevPAR index, GOP and GOP margin, guest satisfaction, and employee engagement data before writing anything
- Previous Objectives Review documents what was achieved, partially achieved, not achieved, or blocked since the last review
- Technical Competencies assessment covers P&L management, department coordination, guest satisfaction, owner relations, and brand standards with Exceeds/Meets/Below descriptors
- Behavioural Competencies assessment covers leadership, strategic thinking, stakeholder management, and crisis management
- Compliance and Standards confirms fire safety, health and safety, licensing, data protection, and employment law
- Key Achievements and Development Areas use specific evidence, dates, and measurable outcomes
- Objectives for Next Period sets SMART targets covering operational performance and career development
- Overall Assessment selects Exceeds, Meets, or Below expectations as a holistic rating
- Meeting Notes and Review Summary capture the review conversation and agreed next steps
Article Content
Why structured hotel general manager performance reviews matter
Your hotel general manager owns the P&L, the culture, and the guest experience for your property. A well-written performance review helps them understand exactly where they stand, what they're doing well, and what they need to work on. Unlike informal conversations, a formal review creates a record, sets clear expectations, and connects their performance to career progression, bonus outcomes, and future opportunities.
This template walks you through a complete performance review: gathering evidence, assessing competencies, documenting achievements and development areas, setting objectives, and recording the review meeting. Each section is designed to produce a fair, evidence-based assessment that both you and your general manager can reference throughout the next review period.
Metrics to Review
Metrics to Review
Review objectives set at the last performance review. Note which were achieved, partially achieved, not achieved, or blocked.
Before writing any assessment, gather data on each of these metrics. Tick each one as you collect the information. Having the numbers in front of you prevents vague feedback and ensures your assessment is grounded in evidence.
RevPAR and RevPAR index — Pull RevPAR for the full review period and compare against budget, last year, and the competitive set (RevPAR index from STR). RevPAR index is particularly important — it shows whether the property is winning or losing share in its market. A GM who delivers RevPAR growth while the market is declining is performing exceptionally. One who loses share in a growing market has questions to answer.
GOP and GOP margin — Review Gross Operating Profit and margin for the full review period. Compare against budget and prior year. GOP is the most comprehensive measure of operational performance — it captures revenue generation, cost management, and operational efficiency in a single number. Understand the components: was GOP driven by revenue or by cost control? Both matter, but the balance tells you about management style.
Guest satisfaction — Compile guest satisfaction data from all sources: review sites (TripAdvisor, Google, Booking.com), brand surveys, internal guest feedback, and any mystery guest reports. Look at the trend, not just the current score. Compare against competitive set if data is available. Guest satisfaction is the leading indicator of future revenue — today's reviews predict tomorrow's bookings.
Employee engagement — Review employee engagement data: survey scores, turnover rates, exit interview themes, and any informal indicators. A GM who delivers strong financial results but has 60% annual turnover is building on sand. Employee engagement drives guest satisfaction, which drives revenue — it's a virtuous circle that the GM is responsible for creating.
Customisation tips:
- For branded hotels, add brand audit scores and standards compliance as a separate metric
- For properties with significant events business, add banqueting revenue and client satisfaction
- For city-centre hotels, add market penetration index and channel mix analysis
- Don't assess financial metrics in isolation — context matters. A GM who delivered flat RevPAR in a market that dropped 10% outperformed significantly
Previous Objectives Review
Review objectives set at the last performance review. Note which were achieved, partially achieved, not achieved, or blocked.
Pull up the objectives from the last performance review. For each one, document whether it was:
- Achieved: They met or exceeded the target — note the evidence
- Partially achieved: Progress made but not complete — note what was done and what remains
- Not achieved: No meaningful progress — understand why before judging
- Blocked: External factors prevented progress — ownership decisions, market conditions, capital not approved
Be honest about blocked objectives. If you promised capital investment that didn't materialise, or market conditions made a revenue target unachievable, that's context — not an excuse. Acknowledging external factors builds trust and makes the review fair. Equally, don't allow every missed target to be attributed to external factors — challenge where appropriate.
If this is their first review and no previous objectives exist, note that and use this section to document the baseline you're measuring from going forward.
Technical Competencies
Technical Competencies
Record your rating and evidence for each technical competency. Use specific examples and data.
Assess each competency based on observed behaviour over the full review period — not just the last two weeks. Tick each competency as you assess it.
| Competency | Exceeds expectations | Meets expectations | Below expectations |
|---|---|---|---|
| P&L management | Consistently delivers above-budget GOP, identifies and acts on revenue opportunities and cost efficiencies proactively, demonstrates deep commercial understanding | Delivers P&L within acceptable variance of budget, manages costs effectively, responds to commercial challenges | P&L consistently below budget, slow to address variances, limited commercial grip, reactive rather than proactive |
| Department coordination | All departments work cohesively, clear accountability and communication, consistent guest experience across all touchpoints | Departments function adequately, coordinates when needed, addresses cross-departmental issues | Departments operate in silos, inconsistent guest experience, poor cross-departmental communication, unresolved friction |
| Guest satisfaction | Satisfaction scores consistently above target and competitive set, proactively drives service improvements, creates a culture of guest-centricity | Satisfaction scores at target, addresses feedback appropriately, maintains acceptable service standards | Satisfaction below target or declining, slow to address patterns, service inconsistency across departments |
| Owner relations | Strong, trusted relationship with ownership, manages expectations effectively, communicates proactively, balances owner interests with operational reality | Maintains acceptable relationship with ownership, reports accurately, responds to requests | Poor owner communication, fails to manage expectations, creates or allows friction, ownership confidence declining |
| Brand standards | Consistently meets or exceeds brand standards, property represents the brand well, audit scores consistently high | Meets brand standards, addresses gaps when flagged, maintains acceptable audit performance | Below brand standards, recurring audit failures, slow to address compliance gaps |
Avoiding common rating errors:
- Recency bias: Check your notes from the start of the review period. A strong Q1 shouldn't be forgotten because Q4 was challenging.
- Halo effect: Excellent P&L management doesn't mean excellent team leadership. Rate each competency separately.
- Market attribution: Distinguish between the GM's contribution and market conditions. A rising tide lifts all boats — what did they do?
Customisation tips:
- For independent hotels, replace brand standards with property standards and market positioning
- For resort properties, add leisure and wellness management as a competency
- For properties in transition (renovation, rebranding, ownership change), add change management
Record your rating and evidence for each technical competency. Use specific examples and data.
For each competency, record your rating (Exceeds, Meets, or Below) with specific evidence. Use dates, numbers, and examples rather than general impressions.
Example phrases:
"[Name] delivered GOP 8% above budget for the review period, driven by rate-led RevPAR growth of 5% and cost reductions across utilities and procurement — contributing an additional £120,000 to the bottom line."
"[Name] improved guest satisfaction from 4.2 to 4.6 on TripAdvisor during the review period, moving the property from 15th to 7th in the competitive set."
"[Name]'s relationship with ownership has strengthened significantly — quarterly business reviews are now collaborative rather than adversarial, and capex approval for the bedroom refurbishment was secured in part due to the quality of the business case presented."
"[Name] failed the most recent brand audit, scoring 72% against a target of 85%. Several recurring issues from the previous audit were not addressed."
Behavioural Competencies
Behavioural Competencies
Record your rating and evidence for each behavioural competency. Use specific examples.
Assess each behavioural competency across the full review period.
| Competency | Exceeds expectations | Meets expectations | Below expectations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership | Builds and develops a high-performing team, creates strong culture, addresses performance issues decisively, inspires loyalty and engagement | Manages team effectively, addresses issues when they arise, maintains acceptable team performance | High turnover, avoids difficult decisions, team underperforming, culture issues unaddressed |
| Strategic thinking | Drives property strategy proactively, identifies market opportunities, anticipates challenges, thinks beyond day-to-day operations | Implements strategy effectively, responds to strategic direction, understands market context | Focused entirely on daily operations, doesn't engage with strategy, reactive to market changes |
| Stakeholder management | Navigates owner, guest, staff, and brand demands simultaneously, builds trust across all stakeholder groups, communicates proactively | Manages key stakeholder relationships adequately, responds to requests, maintains acceptable relationships | Poor stakeholder relationships, fails to balance competing demands, communication gaps, trust issues |
| Crisis management | Handles crises decisively and calmly, protects guests and staff, communicates effectively during emergencies, learns and improves from incidents | Manages routine crises competently, follows procedures, escalates appropriately | Panics under pressure, poor crisis communication, fails to follow procedures, doesn't learn from incidents |
Record your rating and evidence for each behavioural competency. Use specific examples.
Record your rating and evidence for each behavioural competency using specific examples.
Example phrases:
"[Name] reduced management-level turnover from 30% to 10% during the review period through structured development programmes and improved leadership practices."
"[Name] identified and secured a corporate partnership with [Company] that is projected to deliver £200,000 in room revenue over the next 12 months."
"[Name] managed the flooding incident in February with exceptional composure — 47 guests were relocated within 3 hours with zero complaints, and the property was fully operational within 48 hours."
"[Name]'s strategic engagement needs development — tends to report operational updates in regional meetings rather than contributing to strategic discussion."
Compliance and Standards
Compliance and Standards
Record any compliance concerns, training needs, or positive observations.
Confirm each compliance area has been assessed. Any gaps must be addressed immediately — compliance is pass/fail, not a development area to work on gradually.
Fire safety — Is the fire risk assessment current? Are fire alarm tests and evacuations being conducted on schedule? Are fire doors, extinguishers, and emergency lighting maintained? Can the GM demonstrate their fire safety management system is working? At GM level, this is about ensuring the entire property's fire safety framework functions, not just personal compliance.
Health and safety — Are all risk assessments current? Is the H&S management system functioning across all departments? Are incidents being reported, investigated, and learned from? Are contractors managed safely? Are legionella, asbestos, and other significant risks controlled?
Licensing — Are all licences current and conditions complied with? Is the designated premises supervisor available and active? Are TENs managed correctly for events? Does the GM understand the personal legal responsibility they carry for licensing compliance?
Data protection — Is guest and employee data handled correctly? Are GDPR requirements being followed? Are data breaches being reported and managed? Is the property's data protection framework up to date?
Employment law — Are employment practices compliant? Are contracts, policies, and procedures up to date? Are right-to-work checks current? Are disciplinary, grievance, and absence processes handled correctly? At this level, the GM is ultimately responsible for employment compliance across the entire property.
Record any compliance concerns, training needs, or positive observations.
Record any compliance concerns, training gaps, or positive observations. If any area is below standard, document the required action and timeline for resolution. Note any regulatory visits, audits, or inspections during the review period and their outcomes.
Key Achievements
Document 3-5 specific achievements with evidence, dates, and measurable outcomes.
Document 3-5 specific achievements with evidence, dates, and measurable outcomes. Achievements should be things that went beyond basic job requirements — moments where this general manager created exceptional value.
How to write strong achievement statements:
- Be specific: dates, numbers, names, outcomes
- Show impact: revenue generated, costs saved, satisfaction improved, team developed, reputation enhanced
- Use their contribution, not the market's: what did they do?
Example phrases:
"[Name] delivered GOP 8% above budget for the review period, contributing an additional £120,000 to the bottom line through rate-led revenue growth and procurement savings."
"[Name] led the bedroom refurbishment programme from planning to completion, delivering 40 rooms on time and 3% under budget, with zero guest impact during the works."
"[Name] improved TripAdvisor ranking from 15th to 7th in the competitive set during the review period, driven by a systematic service improvement programme."
"[Name] retained all department heads during the review period and developed their assistant manager to the point of GM readiness — a significant succession planning achievement."
"[Name] secured a 5-year corporate contract worth an estimated £500,000 in annual revenue through proactive relationship building and a tailored corporate programme."
Customisation tips:
- For GMs who took on a turnaround property, acknowledge the starting position and highlight improvement trajectory
- For established GMs, focus on innovation, market share gains, and strategic impact
- For properties that went through significant events (renovation, crisis, ownership change), recognise the additional leadership challenge
Development Areas
Document 2-3 development areas with specific evidence and improvement actions.
Document 2-3 development areas with specific evidence. Each development area should link to a concrete improvement action — not just a label.
How to write constructive development feedback:
- Focus on behaviour and outcomes, not personality
- Use specific evidence: dates, observations, data
- Connect each area to an action or opportunity
- Be direct but fair — vague feedback helps nobody at this level
Example phrases:
"[Name]'s strategic contribution at regional level needs development — tends to focus on property-specific updates rather than contributing to portfolio strategy."
"[Name] needs to strengthen the ownership relationship — communication has been reactive rather than proactive, and the Q3 business review was poorly prepared."
"[Name] has not yet built a credible succession plan — the assistant manager is not on a structured development pathway and would struggle to run the property independently."
"[Name]'s cost management needs attention — GOP margin eroded by 2% during the review period due to insufficient scrutiny of department-level spending."
"[Name]'s team leadership has been inconsistent — high turnover in housekeeping (65%) and two department heads citing management style as a concern in exit interviews."
Objectives for Next Period
Write SMART objectives for the next review period. Include both operational targets and development goals.
Set 3-5 SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) that connect to both the development areas above and their career interests.
Operational target examples:
"Achieve RevPAR index of 105 or above for the review period, demonstrating market share growth through rate management and segment strategy."
"Deliver GOP margin of 38% or above for the review period while maintaining guest satisfaction at 4.5+."
"Reduce property-wide staff turnover to below 25% during the review period through improved engagement, development, and management practices."
Development goal examples:
"Present quarterly strategic updates to ownership that include market analysis, competitive positioning, and forward-looking commercial strategy — not just historical reporting."
"Develop and implement a documented succession plan for the assistant manager and two key department head positions by end of Q1."
"Contribute to at least two portfolio-wide initiatives during the review period, demonstrating leadership beyond the individual property."
Connecting objectives to career progression:
| Current role | Typical next step | What to assess |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel General Manager | Multi-property Regional Director or Larger/More Complex Property | Portfolio thinking, remote team leadership, stakeholder management at scale, strategic planning across multiple assets, brand development |
If they want a multi-site role, include objectives that develop portfolio-level thinking and remote leadership. If they want a larger property, focus on commercial depth and complexity management. Set targets that stretch but don't break — if current RevPAR index is 98, aiming for 110 in one period is unrealistic; 103-105 is challenging but achievable.
Overall Assessment
Select the overall performance rating based on the full assessment.
Record the discussion from the review meeting, including their response and any context they provide.
Select the overall performance rating based on the full assessment. This is a holistic judgement, not a simple average of individual competency ratings.
Exceeds expectations — Consistently performs above the standard required. Demonstrates excellence across most competencies, delivers measurable commercial results above budget, maintains or improves guest satisfaction, develops a strong team, and manages stakeholder relationships effectively. This general manager is a genuine asset to the portfolio.
Meets expectations — Reliably performs the role to the required standard. Manages the property competently, delivers acceptable commercial results, maintains guest satisfaction, and leads the team effectively. Development areas exist but don't undermine overall effectiveness. This is solid, dependable performance.
Below expectations — Performance falls short of the required standard in one or more significant areas. Development areas are affecting commercial performance, guest experience, team stability, or stakeholder relationships. Improvement is needed with clear support and timelines.
Be honest. Rating every GM as "Meets expectations" helps nobody. If they're exceptional, recognise it — and connect it to rewards. If they're struggling, name it — with the support plan to address it.
Meeting Notes
Record the discussion from the review meeting, including their response and any context they provide.
Schedule at least 90 minutes for the review conversation — 60 for discussion, 30 for buffer. Meet in person if at all possible. This is not a video call conversation if you can avoid it.
How to conduct the meeting:
Give them the written review to read for 15 minutes. Don't hover — step out and let them absorb it privately. When they've read it, ask: "What are your thoughts? Does this feel fair?" Then listen. Don't defend immediately — understand their perspective first.
If they raise valid points, amend the document. If you noted "ownership relationship needs improvement" but they explain that ownership changed expectations mid-year without notice, that context matters — add it. If you disagree, explain your reasoning calmly with data.
The goal is a document both parties consider fair and accurate — not necessarily one they're delighted about. At GM level, this document may also be shared with ownership, so both parties should be comfortable with its accuracy.
What to record: Their response to each section, any context they provided that changes your assessment, points of agreement and disagreement, and their reaction to the objectives set.
Review Summary
Summarise agreed actions, amendments made during the meeting, and next steps.
Summarise the agreed outcome: amendments made during the meeting, final objectives confirmed, next steps, and when objective check-ins will happen.
Both parties should sign and date the final document. Give them a copy. The signature means "I have read and understood this review" — not necessarily "I agree with everything."
Follow-through matters: Schedule brief objective check-ins in your regular one-to-ones. "How's the RevPAR index tracking?" and "I noticed the ownership update was well received — what's changed in your approach?" keep objectives alive rather than letting them gather dust until the next formal review.
Be transparent about how this review connects to bonus, pay, and progression decisions. At GM level, performance reviews directly influence compensation and career trajectory — be clear about the link.
What's next
Performance reviews are most effective when they connect to ongoing one-to-one conversations. The evidence you need for a fair review should already exist in your one-to-one notes.
- Read our Hotel General Manager one-to-one guide for how to run the conversations that feed into this review
- Check out our Hotel General Manager onboarding guide if you're reviewing someone still in their first 90 days
- See our Hotel General Manager interview questions for hiring guidance