The Best Job You Never Heard Of-From Ancient Inns to Global Giants

Best Job You Never Heard Of_S1_Ep4_From Ancient Inns to Global Giants: Hotel Careers

[00:00:00] Welcome back to another episode of The Best Job You Never Heard of in case you haven't been listening to my previous episodes. That's the hotel sales manager job. By the way, I'm your host Grace, and today we're going to do a little time traveling.

We're looking at the history of the hotel business, how it began, how it evolved, and which companies dominate the landscape today. Why does this matter? You ask because if you wanna work in this industry. Or you already do. It helps to know the roots of the business and where it's heading. So grab a comfy seat and get your favorite drink, and let's go back to the beginning.[00:01:00]

Hospitality is one of the oldest professions in the world. Think about it. People have always needed a place to rest, eat, and feel safe while traveling in ancient civilizations, there were inns and guest houses along trade routes. In the Middle Ages, monasteries provided shelter. For pilgrims one of the oldest and most famous stories there is about Jesus birth.

Remember, there was no room for them in the end. Okay, so fast forward to the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and the US and you see the rise of coaching inns and early luxury hotels. Places like the Tremont House in Boston and the Savoy in London. These weren't [00:02:00] just functional, they were elegant, and they introduced the idea that staying somewhere could be an experience, not just a necessity.

So the birth of the modern hotel industry pretty much arrived in the 20th century. It changed everything with the rise of railroads, automobiles. Even air travel, people were on the move like never before. That meant the demand for comfortable, reliable, lodging skyrocket. This is when hotel chains began to emerge.

Brands that promise, consistency, quality, and a recognizable name no matter where you were traveling. It also marked the beginning of business travel. Hotels weren't just for vacations anymore. [00:03:00] Corporations were sending employees to conferences, meetings, and events, and that opened the door for hotel sales to become a crucial department

after World War ii, everything expanded. The American dream included road trips and vacations. Motels popped up along highways across the country. This was a golden age of hospitality. Las Vegas took off. Resorts flourished, and brands like Holiday Inn became household names. Meanwhile. Luxury brands kept pushing the boundaries.

Think Ritz Carlton seasons and intercontinental, these were the names that defined elegance and world class service. [00:04:00] So today, five major hotel companies dominate the global landscape and if you wanna work in this business. Or do business with these companies, you need to know who they are. Marriott International, with over 8,000 properties always growing, so who knows what it's at the time of this recording worldwide.

Brands like. Ritz Carlton, JW Marriott, Weston Sheraton, courtyard, all of those are Marriott sub-brands, and it's the largest hotel company now in the world. After acquiring Starwood Hotels, it became a mega giant. Hilton Worldwide. Hilton operates more [00:05:00] than 7,000 properties and includes brands like Waldo Astoria, Conrad DoubleTree, embassy Suites, and Hampton Inn.

Their loyalty program, Hilton Honors, is one of the strongest in the business. Hyatt Hotel Corporation. It's smaller than Marriott and Hilton, but mighty known for luxury and innovation. Hyatt includes brands like Park Hyatt, Andes Thompson, and Hyatt Regency Intercontinental Hotel Group. This group includes Intercontinental Crown Plaza, holiday Inn, and Kimpton.

They're a powerhouse in both upscale and midscale markets Accor. I've never heard of them before, but I guess they're a major global player, especially in Europe and [00:06:00] Asia. That's probably why brands include stel, NovAtel, Fairmont. And raffles. A is noted for its lifestyle, brands and innovation. Each of these companies has a unique culture, different brand portfolios, and so many opportunities for growth.

If you're starting your career, learning about these companies can help you figure out where you might fit best. Now the hotel. Industry keeps evolving. We have boutique hotels, lifestyle brands, eco resorts, extended stay coworking spaces, digital check-ins, the pandemic sped up tech adoption now mobile keys, contactless service, [00:07:00] hybrid meetings.

There's also a growing focus on sustainability, personalization, and wellness. Today's traveler wants more than just a bed. They want an experience that aligns with their values. If you're someone who loves people. Service, innovation, and even global culture, there is truly a place for you in this industry.

Now as far as my own experience, I've worked for several. Hotel companies all right here in the Palm Springs area, because I had kids in school and I didn't wanna move. I've worked for Marriott. A good experience. You know, they're just so, they're so well established and well organized and they have a sincere dedication [00:08:00] to training and I really appreciated that.

It's a little cookie cutter and, uh, you know, some people don't like that. What's happened is that so many of these companies that were. Independence over time, they've been swallowed up, if you will, by the big companies. For example, Ritz Carlton, I worked for them too. They were their own company. They had a small portfolio of hotels, uh, across the world.

They were just starting really in the United States. And, uh, Marriott ended up acquiring them. And eventually Weston who I didn't work for, but I certainly tried Sheraton Courtyard, I think was developed by Marriott. I don't know for sure. And now [00:09:00] they have Starwood.

All under that Marriott umbrella. Hilton, I have not worked for Hilton or Waldorf Astoria. I have stayed at the Waldorf but I did work for DoubleTree. And that was a great experience, but they weren't owned by Hilton at the time. All of this huge hotel companies with multiple brands underneath, you know, their umbrella.

It's relatively recent, development. I worked for Renaissance Hotels a little. Kick ass group of hotels, creative, independent, acquired by Marriott. Still good, not quite as, um, distinctive with its own personality, [00:10:00] but I can't criticize Marriott. I, they, they just have high standards and, and I appreciate that.

I have never worked at a Hyatt, but I would've loved to. I did work at a Crown Plaza, which is an Intercontinental Hotels group brand. It was good. Crown Plaza is the Holiday Inn, or it used to be upgraded brand they have good standards too. I, I was impressed with that.

Then I also worked for LA Quinta Resort and Club, which is, you know, it's like five minutes from my house. It's a, really impressive property and it's historic, the core of it. Because it used to be just a getaway for celebrities who wanted [00:11:00] to, get away from Hollywood and come out here and play tennis and golf and stuff.

And, um, the town that I live in, LA Quinta is actually named after this resort, which is still here. As I said, I worked there at the time, it was a KSL property, which is not among these properties now, I think it is a Hilton but it has, you know, world class golf associated with it. And, you know, there's just a lot of gorgeous hotels out there.

But the thing that I always say is even if you work at a lower end property a limited service is what you would call it. It's probably like a hall. Yeah. There are big fancy holiday inns, but, you know, just a motel. It's usually a lovely place to go to work. You'll have a [00:12:00] nice little office. It's clean and inviting.

Because it has to be, you're welcoming people in all the time. A lot of people would just walk right out. As a matter of fact, that limited service business has become just as much, if not more competitive between brands in, these times than any others. They really try to offer a lot of services and amenities.

If you are a born problem solver or a sales mind to go getter, hotel sales is just gonna be right up your alley. Now you've gotten a bird's eye view of the hotel business. From Ancient Inns to International Giants. It's a business rooted [00:13:00] in kindness and driven by innovation. In our next episode, I'm going to share, I'm.

So now you've gotten a bird's eye view of the hotel business from ancient inns to international giants. It's a business rooted in care for others, and it's driven by innovation.

Whatever hotel you start working in, whatever the brand, whatever the overarching hotel company.

It's going to be a formative, an important experience because whether you move up in that hotel or whether you parlay this into a different job, a better job at a different hotel, [00:14:00] you've begun your journey and as you'll find. The longer you work in a hotel, the more marketable you are for your next job in that hotel or in a different hotel.

So it's really an exciting first step. I'm excited for you.

In our next episode, I'm going to share how to land your first hotel job, even if you've never worked in one before. I'll walk you through job titles to look for how to tailor your resume, how to use your non-hotel experience to your advantage.

We'll, deep dive, we've talked about that in the last episode, but we're gonna hone in on the specific things you need to say and do. Thanks for joining me today. Once again, I'm Grace and this has been the best job you've never heard [00:15:00] of. Until next time, keep dreaming. Keep dreaming big.