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Studies & Degrees in Hotel Management

Hotel Management Study Programs

Level: Professional Development     Location: Villaviciosa de Odón
Level: Undergraduate Bachelors     Location: Marbella
Level: Graduate     Location: Marbella
Level: Graduate     Location: Marbella
Level: Professional Development     Location: Marbella
Level: Undergraduate Bachelors     Location: Villanueva de la Cañada

Hotel management is the study of how hotels, restaurants and other hospitality businesses are run. It combines business subjects, such as finance, marketing, human resources and strategy, with the operational side of the trade: rooms and reception, housekeeping, food and beverage, and events. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sums up the job of a lodging manager as ensuring that guests have a pleasant experience while the establishment stays efficient and profitable.

The subject is practical. Most programmes include long periods of work in real hotels and restaurants, and many schools ask students to learn at least one extra language.

What students learn

The Spanish higher vocational diploma in tourist accommodation management shows the operational core: tourism marketing, accommodation management, housekeeping management, reception and reservations, human resources in accommodation, and the sale of events. University degrees add more business content. The four-year degree taught at the Centro Superior de Hostelería de Galicia (CSHG) starts with food and beverage operations and practical work, moves on to accommodation, and ends with financial analysis, strategic management of hotel companies, internal control and hotel marketing. English for hospitality and a second language (German or French) run through the first years.

Qualifications and levels

  • Vocational training in Spain (FP). Two higher-level diplomas of 2,000 hours each: Técnico Superior en Gestión de Alojamientos Turísticos, for accommodation, and Técnico Superior en Dirección de Servicios de Restauración, for restaurant service. Access normally requires the Bachiller certificate or an equivalent qualification.
  • Bachelor's degrees in Spain. Official bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits. At CSHG in Santiago de Compostela students receive the official degree of the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela in hospitality business management, with a specialisation in hotel management and a placement in companies in every year. The Escuela Universitaria de Hostelería y Turismo de Sant Pol, near Barcelona, teaches a four-year, 240 ECTS degree in Spanish and English, officially recognised through the Universitat de Girona, with practical work in the departments of its own training hotel.
  • Bachelor's degrees elsewhere. Glion Institute of Higher Education, with campuses in Switzerland and London, lists its Bachelor in International Hospitality Business at 180 ECTS credits over "1 + 3 years", with two internships and one on-the-job experience; one of the internships lasts 24 weeks. In the United States a bachelor's degree takes four years. At Penn State, students of hospitality management can put the emphasis on restaurant, hotel or institutional management and must document at least 1,000 hours of professional experience in at least two different jobs or internships.
  • Diplomas and associate degrees. Colleges offer shorter programmes. Vancouver Premier College, for example, has a Hospitality Management Diploma of 63 credits in 12 months, also available with a practicum or co-op work period.
  • Master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Master in Hospitality Management at Sant Pol is taught in English over 8 months of classes plus 3 to 6 months of placement. According to the school, it leads to the school's diploma and to a diploma from the Fundación Universitat de Girona that is a university's own qualification (título propio); an official master's degree of the Universitat de Girona is an optional addition for students who meet the requirements.

Admission and language

Requirements depend on the level. Glion asks for a secondary education diploma that meets Swiss or European university entry requirements and a minimum age of 17.5 years. Vancouver Premier College accepts an IELTS Academic score of 6, with no band below 5.5, as proof of English. The Sant Pol master's requires a university degree and English at CEFR level B2. Students from outside the European Union who enrol in Spain must apply for a student visa at the Spanish consulate before travelling.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 204 active schools for hotel management. The United States has 64, Spain 44 and the United Kingdom 18, followed by Australia and Switzerland with six each, Canada and Argentina with five each, and Ecuador with four. The list ranges from specialised hotel schools, such as Glion, CSHG and Sant Pol, to large universities with a hospitality department, such as The Pennsylvania State University, San Diego State University and London South Bank University, and community colleges such as Johnson County Community College.

Programmes in Spain are taught in Spanish, in a co-official language or partly in English. Programmes in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia are taught in English. Elsewhere, check the language of instruction of each programme.

Careers

Graduates work in hotels, resorts, restaurant and catering companies, cruise lines and event companies. Typical first posts named by the Spanish Ministry of Education for the vocational diplomas are assistant accommodation manager, head of reception, head of reservations and executive housekeeper, and, on the restaurant side, food and beverage manager, maître and banqueting manager.

According to the BLS, people become lodging managers in the United States by one of three paths: a high school diploma with several years of experience, a bachelor's degree in hospitality or hotel management, or an associate degree or certificate. It projects employment of lodging managers to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, and that of food service managers 6 percent.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a degree to become a hotel manager?

Not always. The BLS describes three routes in the United States: experience with a high school diploma, a bachelor's degree in hospitality or hotel management, or an associate degree or certificate. The BLS adds that full-service facilities may prefer candidates who have a bachelor's degree in hospitality or hotel management.

How long does it take to study hotel management?

From one year for a college diploma to four years for a bachelor's degree. In Spain a higher vocational diploma has 2,000 hours and an official bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits over four years.

Are work placements part of the programme?

Almost always. CSHG includes a placement in every year, Glion includes two internships and one on-the-job experience, and Penn State requires 1,000 hours of professional experience.

Is a master's in hotel management an official degree?

It depends on the programme. Some are official university master's degrees and others are a school's or university's own qualification, as Sant Pol states for one of its diplomas. Ask each school what recognition its qualification has.