Online Hotel Management

Written by Les Roches Insights

Learn how you can study hotel management online to accelerate your career – and why it’s a great option for those with professional commitments. If you’re already working but need a good degree from a credible institution that improves your promotion prospects, an online hotel or hospitality management program could be an ideal solution.

Quick facts

★ Online hotel management degrees are flexible and convenient.
★ Online hotel management degree programs cover a wide range of topics essential to the hospitality industry.
★ Online hotel management programs provide an engaging and interactive learning experience.
★ Online hotel management degree courses prepare you for a variety of career opportunities in the hospitality industry

An online hotel management degree is a flexible and convenient option for people interested in pursuing a career in the hospitality and tourism industries without the constraints of traditional, on-campus education. This approach to learning provides students with the opportunity to earn a degree in hotel management through virtual classrooms, interactive coursework, and remote access to educational resources. This lets students balance their studies with work, family commitments, or other obligations.

Graduates of online hotel management programs are prepared for a variety of career opportunities in the hospitality industry. They may pursue roles such as hotel manager, front desk supervisor, guest services manager, event coordinator, revenue manager, or hospitality consultant. With the global nature of the hospitality industry, online hotel management degrees can open doors to employment opportunities around the world

Top down image of a young lady studying via an online hotel management degree
Source: Justin Paget Getty Images

What is hotel management?

Hotel management involves the comprehensive oversight and operation of hospitality establishments, including hotels, resorts, motels, and other lodging facilities. It means ensuring exceptional guest service from check-in to check-out, managing day-to-day operations such as staffing and scheduling, overseeing financial aspects like budgeting and revenue optimization, developing marketing strategies and maintaining a positive work environment through effective human resources management.

When you’re already in full-time employment, especially in the hospitality industry, flexibility is crucial. It can mean the difference between deciding to study or not – and whether you acquire the academic qualification you need to progress.

Online hotel management degrees mean you can develop the skills you need to accelerate your career without having to give up your current role.

Online hospitality degree programs have a number of advantages over in-person courses. Some of the most important ones to consider are:

They give you the flexibility to study at a time that’s convenient to you, wherever you are in the world and at a pace that suits your current commitments.

Some of the better institutions offer programs that allow you to catch up with lessons that are recorded and download course content you may have missed and even have one-to-one catch-ups with faculty to ensure you’re on the right track.

An online degree program can be much more cost effective than a standard degree. Often the fees are lower. Plus, you will not have to relocate and spend more to live near a suitable school.

Working while you learn can help you manage the cost of studying, and if you’re working in a related field, you can gain even more experience.

Studying for an online education can be a great way to advance your career. It helps show dedication in any hospitality role.

It can help you gain a lot of skills that are relevant for all hospitality career paths.

Some schools give you ways to contact other online students to discuss the course and your other interests. This can enhance your online education with a sense of community.

Boost your career with Les Roches online courses.

There are a lot of skills that you can learn through online hotel management courses. These include soft skills, which are transferable to a wide range of different roles, and hard skills that are more focused on hospitality.

Hard skills from an online hotel management degree

If you study a hotel management degree online, you should learn skills such as:

→ Business analysis: Understand financial reports, market trends, and operational data to make informed decisions for hotel management.

→ Marketing strategies: Learn effective marketing techniques specific to the hospitality industry, including media planning and customer analysis.

→ Operations management: Master day-to-day hotel operations, from housekeeping to engineering and security.

→ Marketing: Acquire skills in how to market hotels and other venues to clients.

→ Customer relationship management: Learn how to build strong customer service and enhance guest experiences.

→ Sustainable tourism practices: Understand environmental considerations and promote responsible tourism

Soft skills from an online hotel management degree

You will also get a chance to learn a lot of soft skills. These skills are vital in hospitality and will also be helpful in any other career or job role that you consider. Soft skills include:

→ Leadership and management: Develop leadership skills to oversee hotel departments, manage teams, and ensure efficient operations.

→ Communication: Interpersonal skills and communication are vital to make sure that you can always work smoothly with your team and help customers with their needs.

→ Time management: This is important in the busy and fast-paced world of hospitality, where you will often need to juggle multiple different tasks at once.

→ Organization: Any management role will require high levels of organization and planning.


Earning a hospitality degree online opens up a diverse array of career opportunities within the thriving hospitality industry.

Traditional roles

No matter where your passion lies, pursuing an online hospitality degree equips you with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in various high-paying roles.

– Hotel manager
– Lodging management
– Event management
– Tourism and travel management
– Food and beverage management
– Resort management
– Hospitality entrepreneurship
– Corporate hospitality

Non-traditional roles

While a hospitality degree prepares you for various roles within the hospitality industry, it also equips you with transferable skills that are highly valued in other sectors.

– Customer service management
– Sales and marketing
– Human resources
– Event management
– Travel technology and innovation
– Healthcare
– Education and training
– Financial management

Not everyone has the time to devote to full-time education, especially those who are working or have family commitments, so online hospitality courses offer a great way of learning what you need to advance.

The good news is that there are plenty of options out there, but if you want to progress, you need to look for a program that offers a good return on investment.
Among the qualities to look out for in an online hospitality degree program are:

Respected institution

If you want to impress employers, you need to make sure your degree comes from a hospitality school that’s renowned as offering a high standard of education.

Employability

One of the main measures of return on investment, employability is key, so look for a school that provides great career support and is well connected with recruiters.

Network access

If you want to progress, you will need a lot of contacts in what’s very much a people industry, so seek out institutions with strong alumni networks that could unlock job opportunities in the future.

High standards

It may seem obvious, but the better the faculty and academic content, the better your degree will be, which could set you apart from the competition.

Expert opinion on hotel and hospitality management


Asian woman studying at  home with an online hotel management degree
Source @d3sign Getty Images

Technology is also a key consideration when weighing up which online hotel management degree is right for you.

The way we work online has moved on leaps and bounds in recent years and the best institutions have taken advantage of that, deploying software and other technologies that allow students to carry out projects online, work collaboratively and network with peers so they can make lifelong connections.

At the same time, the best hospitality institutions are implementing newer technologies that provide increased levels of flexibility so students can move modules, review lectures and take online tests at a time that suits their schedule.

Online hotel management degrees offer those already working the flexibility to study and still hold on to their current role.

But to get the best out of that learning experience – and get a good return on investment, you need to make sure the program is run by a well-respected hospitality institution that has good links with the best names in the industry and a thriving alumni network.

All the benefits of the world-renowned Les Roches MBA in Hospitality Management in an online program you can study while working

Two students looking hotel management notes on a laptop

Applying for a hotel management certification online can be confusing and stressful, so a key trick is to find out the entry requirements of the school you want to apply to.

Different schools will have different admission requirements, which might include certain previous qualifications or grades or previous work experience in the hospitality industry.

However, some schools, such as Les Roches, make it easy to apply for these courses with no previous experience or qualifications needed. Instead, it is more important to be dedicated and keen about the field of hospitality.

The application process is often simple, requiring you to fill in one or two forms for online degree courses. For online short courses, it is often as easy as registering your interest, paying the course fee and application fee, and then following the material provided at your own pace.


Unlock your potential with Les Roches’ executive online programs.