Apprenticeships / Training in the Hotel Industry

This is what you will learn during training at a hotel as a hotel specialist

During training at a hotel, you will go through all departments of a hotel. This gives you different perspectives and teaches you from the ground up how a hotel works. “Learning by doing” is usually the motto here. You get to know and master the processes of each department. This includes many operational tasks, such as making a bed properly, cleaning a room, serving food, and checking in and out guests. These are just a few of many tasks. There is a training framework that states exactly what you will learn per training year. You can find this on the Dehoga site the federal state in which you would like to learn.

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It is important to understand that training can depend heavily on the hotel in which you are studying. Training in a hotel often starts in the breakfast kitchen, in the breakfast service. In this way, you will first learn simpler things, such as carrying plates correctly, setting up a buffet and dealing with guests. This could be followed by a few months in housekeeping. Most trainees either love this time or hate it. Here you tend to have less contact with guests. Depending on the housekeeping team, you can have a lot of fun here. It is important for a hotel specialist to know how to properly clean a room and know housekeeping processes. Because by the time you're at reception, it will help you understand how the housekeeping team works. You also need to be able to sell the rooms here and the best way to get to know them is when you've cleaned them all before.

This is how much do you earn in training

The training allowance in the hotel industry has been increased in recent years. It now starts at an average of 700€ and increases by around 100€ in each training year. What you definitely shouldn't forget is that you usually get tips on a monthly basis. Nice pocket money! The amount may depend on operation and season. Each hotel regulates the distribution of tips differently.

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Some training companies offer you additional services. There may also be discounted staff housing. There is also another federal training allowance, which you can apply for under certain conditions in order to receive support.

Is it the right job for you?

You'll be done with school soon and are wondering if this job is right for you? We will tell you some of the qualities that benefit you for a hotel training course:

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What you should definitely bring

• A desire to work with people
• A desire to work in a team
• The willingness to work in the evening, on weekends and on public holidays.

People come to most hotels, among other things, to go on vacation and relax. And when do they do that? That's right when they have time off. And that's mostly on weekends and holidays. The good thing is that this is not the case for everyone, so a hotel can also be open all year round. There are also business travelers who fill the rooms during the week.

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So don't be afraid. There will still be opportunities for you to have a weekend off. What you definitely have to be prepared for, however, is that you won't be taking on a nine-to-five job on Monday-Friday. But that can certainly have its advantages! In most cases, you'll find lots of friends in your team anyway, with whom you'll do a lot (no matter what day of the week). Consider carefully what is important to you and whether you could live working on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve. But also keep in mind that it's fun to work on days like this when you get along well with your team and enjoy the work itself.

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If you're not sure, try it out! Do an internship or talk to people who are currently doing or have completed an apprenticeship. However, it is always best to have your own experiences. In addition, there is a trial period for exactly this reason, which is usually four months long for training.

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You will need these qualities

The following qualities will help you in your education. Don't worry though, they're all traits you can learn if you want to!

• Ability to work in a team — you work with your colleagues every day and you depend on good cooperation
• The ability to deal with difficult people — guests can be difficult! You'll find that out quickly. As a hotel specialist, you are often the point of contact for complaints and have to deal with them. But don't worry, you'll learn that too.
• Flexibility — especially during training, it can happen that you will be in housekeeping today, in a restaurant tomorrow and at reception the day after tomorrow. In reality, trainees are always deployed where they are needed most. Your advantage: You learn a lot in the process.

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What are the differences between the training occupations of hotel specialist and hotel clerk?

The two training occupations usually start almost the same way. In both training courses, you will first go through all departments. From the 2nd year of apprenticeship, hotel managers usually have an increased focus on reception. There are also differences in learning content in vocational schools. Hotel managers increasingly have commercial and business content.

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Hotel specialists are increasingly being used in service. In the meantime, the two training occupations are becoming more and more similar. Many companies no longer train hotel managers at all because they strengthen the front desk role for hotel professionals. Basically, if you are most interested in the reception, then you should either learn a hotel clerk or a hotel manager in a company that does not train hotel clerks.
Take a look at several companies, talk to former trainees and address this question specifically in a job interview.

What are the career opportunities and salary prospects after training?

Hotel professionals are welcome everywhere because they are considered to be stress-resistant, friendly and flexible. In the hotel industry itself, it depends on where you're from and where you're going. Smaller companies have fewer hierarchical levels, meaning that career opportunities are rather limited. In larger hotels, you can theoretically up to hotel manager ascend. In chains in general, there are a wide variety of options. Hotel chains often have headquarters responsible for reservations, project management, marketing or something similar are responsible. Here, too, you have good opportunities with classic hotel management training.

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There is a fundamental difference between privately run individual hotels and chain hotels. The structures and hierarchies are very different here. In chain hotels, there are many standardized processes, which often mean that the process is more professional. However, family hotels are often much more personal. Ideas can be implemented more quickly and you have greater chances of taking on responsibility.

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Where can I do the training? You should check this with your training company!

First, consider whether you are location-bound or not. Would you like to stay at home or would you like to go further away? Maybe even abroad?

Once you're aware of this, go through our checklist: