Abstract
A 1995 survey of over 80 general managers of fourand five-star hotels found little growth in base salary compared to a similar survey conducted three years earlier. The responding managers reported a mean annual base salary of $111,000, although average bonuses added another 25 percent to that amount. Well-educated, it took the majority of respondents six to fifteen years to achieve the GM's position. Along the way, half of the responding GMs had relocated between five and ten times. Some of the GMs were ready to leave their jobs, usually for greater opportunity and better pay and benefits, particularly equity or a retirement plan. The most frequent complaint by unhappy GMs is that they are treated poorly by owners or upper management. The GMs are motivated by the prospects of being rewarded for their work through bonuses, but those who are satisfied with their jobs also enjoy being respected and valued as managers.
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