The Hotel Sector in Ireland is thriving. Recent figures show the revenue per available room across the State’s hotels increased by 16.1 per cent in the year to May 2018, driven by an almost threefold growth rate outside Dublin. Average daily room rates over the same period grew by 12.7 per cent to €144.55.

Occupancy was also strong with growth outside Dublin outstripping the capital. In actual terms however Dublin hotels still have higher occupancy. In May 2018, Dublin hotels had an occupancy rate of 90.5 per cent, up 1.2 per cent on the year, while hotels outside Dublin had occupancy of 80.2 per cent, up 5.3 per cent on the year.

The Hotel Sector employs approximately 50,000 people in 850 hotels around the country. Every hotel needs a large number of people, in a wide range of different roles in order to function properly. Career opportunities for people interested in the hotel sector are wide and varied.  Some of the job roles include:

• Rooms Division - Front Office Manager; Reservations Manager;  Guest Services Manager; Security Manager; - responsible for the effective management of the reception desk, reception staff and the number of bedroom sales in the hotel; safety and security of guests
• Receptionist - Works at the front desk of a hotel, resort, etc. and is the first person a guest deals with on arrival
• Accommodation Manager/Assistants - responsible for the cleanliness of bedrooms and all public areas of the hotel
• Events & Leisure - Director of Events; Conference and Banqueting Managment; Event Manager;

Careers in these roles are available not only in hotels, but in B&Bs, Guesthouses, Hostels, Campsites and Holiday Villages all over Ireland. In addition to these roles are the managerial roles that keep the business side of things running including:

• General Manager/Group General Manager
• Duty Manager
• Sales and Marketing Manager
• Human Resource Manager

Food and Beverage

Food and Beverage is a growing industry within the hotel and hospitality sector. It covers all types of establishments supplying food and drinks, from hotels and restaurants, to pubs, clubs and venues.

Careers in the Food and Beverages area include:

• Chef
• Commis Chef - entry level role of a chef – prepares dishes to be cooked, general kitchen work
• Restaurant Manager
• Waiter
• Sommelier - Wine expert
• Bar Staff
• Bar Manager

Getting into the Hospitality Sector 

The range of courses available spans all levels from Further Education (FET/PLC) courses at Level 4-5 through to Level 6 and 7 courses with both FE Colleges and the Institutes of Technology and Level 8 Degree programmes in Hospitality Management.  Check out the Course Search tools available here to help you with finding the right course.

Joint degrees make it possible to study combinations of subjects, such as Tourism and Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Hospitality and Marketing. The international nature of the industry means that the study of languages is a valuable part of any course. Most courses in hospitality and tourism include language courses, either as core components or as options.

The CareersPortal Team