How many of us have seen the new “Love Aaj Kal” movie? Remember how Raghu (Randeep Hooda’s character) started out as a waiter in that movie? And more importantly, notice how he ends up running a chain of restaurants across the city by the end of it? That’s the kind of pace that the hospitality & hotel management industry is advancing at currently!
Before we get started with hotel management, it is important to address the myths surrounding it. And before we discuss the myths around it, we need to understand its eminence throughout history. How do you think a group of people got together and celebrated a common occasion for the first time? It is not too far-fetched to think that someone must have overlooked all the arrangements for the event.
Think of wars for that matter; thousands of soldiers fighting away from their homeland needed an organised group of people to prepare their daily meals.
If you think about it, there are multiple such instances that are indicative of the significance of hospitality management through the ages. However, certain myths have had a negative impact on the profession’s perception. Some popular myths that you’ll hear are that this is not a lucrative line of work or that you’ll only be a waiter all your life! Please don’t fall for such baseless claims! For more such unfounded myths about the hospitality industry, you may read Busted! 5 Myths About A Career In Hotel Management.
In today’s time, the hospitality & hotel management sector is not only a good career option but also a guide to living with etiquette. With the growing middle-class population now being able to afford a premier hospitality experience has fueled the demand for professionals within the hospitality industry. Each year, the hotel and catering industry employs millions of graduates from various hotel management colleges.
This blog endeavors to discuss the different pathways that can lead you into this evergreen industry.
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Eligibility:
All high school graduates are eligible to apply for hotel management programs. However, the most sought-after programs are extremely competitive, as the demand for hotel management graduates continues to soar across industries. The vocational qualities that are desired in a potential hotel management candidate are the following:
- Outstanding communication and people skills
- Well versed in etiquette, tact and handling a situation diplomatically
- Qualities of leadership and teamwork
- Creative and original problem solving skills
- Impeccable organizational skills
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Entrance Exams:
There are more than 400 hotel management & hospitality colleges in India. There are multiple entrance examinations conducted by either independent entities or a group of institutions at the national (or state) level that you may enrol for in order to gain admission into a hospitality/tourism/catering/hotel management program. The most popular examinations are the following:
- NCHMCT JEE, IHM Multiple Campuses – National Council of Hotel Management and Catering Technology Joint Entrance Examination
- IHM Aurangabad – Profile Assessment, Group Discussion, and Personal Interview
- STEP, Oberoi Group of Hotels – Assessments & Interviews
- IIHM eCHAT – International Institute of Hotel Management Electronic Common Hospitality Admission Test (For IIHM campuses)
- Ecole Hoteliere (Lavasa) – Entrance Exam
Apart from the aforementioned, the following are some additional entrance examinations:
- AIMA UGAT – AIMA Under Graduate aptitude test is for the following colleges:
- Dr. YSR National Institute of Tourism & Hospitality Management, Hyderabad
- Vidya Jyoti Institutions, Raipur
- Goa University, Plateau
- V M Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education, Salcete
- Goa College of Hospitality & Culinary Education, Tiswadi
- Culinary Institute of India & CITMS, Durgapur
- SRM Institute of Hotel Management, Chennai
- AIHMCT WAT – Army Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (Written Ability Test)
- BVP CET – Bhartiya Vidya Peeth University (Pune)
- IPU CET BHMCT – Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University’s Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology (BCIHMCT) runs a four-year BHMCT program
- PUTHAT – (Punjab University Tourism and Hospitality Aptitude Test) is conducted by the Punjab University & offers admissions to B.Sc Hospitality and Hotel Administration (H&HA) and Tourism Management
Furthermore, the following exams are conducted at the state-level for entrance into the respective state hotel management institutes:
- UPSEE BHMCT – Uttar Pradesh State Entrance Examination for admission in Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering Technology
- UKSEE BHMCT – Uttarakhand State Entrance Examination is a state-level entrance exam for Bachelor of Hotel Management
- WBJEEB JEHOM – West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board for admission of candidates in Four years Degree course in Hotel Management and Catering Technology
- MAH BHMCT CET – Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test for the candidates seeking admissions in the Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering Technology
Top Hotel Management Courses and Colleges:
- Institute of Hotel Management [IHM]
a) Aurangabad-
One of India’s premier hotel management & hospitality universities, IHM Aurangabad is a synergy of Dr. Rafiq Zakaria’s Maulana Azad Educational Trust, and the Taj Group of hotels.
They offer the following courses:
i) 4 Year BA (Honours) Hotel Management
ii) 4 Year BA (Honours) Culinary Arts
b) Delhi / Mumbai / Bangalore / Chandigarh / Bhopal / Ahmedabad / Jaipur / Chennai / Bhubaneswar / Goa / Gurdaspur / Gwalior / Guwahati / Hajipur / Hyderabad / Kolkata / Lucknow / Shimla / Shillong / Srinagar / Trivandrum
The other IHM’s, also counted among the top hotel management colleges in India, offer the following courses:
B.Sc. in Hospitality & Hotel Administration (3 years) - International Institute of Hotel Management [IIHM]
(Delhi / Kolkata / Bangalore / Pune / Jaipur / Ahmedabad / Hyderabad)IIHM is known to impart world-class education across all its campuses. Their illustrious faculty members, as well as state-of-the-art resources, enable students to learn holistically.
They offer the following courses:
i) B.A. Hospitality from University of West London, UK
ii) Degree from MAKAUT (In collaboration with ZEL)
iii) B.A. (Vocational Studies) Tourism Management – (BAVTM) from IGNO - Oberoi- Systematic Training and Education Programme [STEP]
One of the premier institutes of hospitality and hoteliering, the Oberoi group pays special attention towards screening and selecting candidates for its 3-year STEP program.
They offer the following courses under Bachelor of Tourism Studies:
i) Hotel Operations Programme – Front Office and Food & Beverage Service
ii) Hotel Operations Programme – Housekeeping
iii) Hotel Operations Programme – Kitchen - Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (Manipal)
Manipal group of institutions offers a nourishing and rigorous 4-year BHM (Bachelor of Hotel Management) course. Along with a beautiful campus, their students get the opportunity to receive hands-on experience in their respective areas of study. Students are selected based on an entrance test called the Department Test (DT).
They offer the following courses:
Bachelor of Hotel Management (4-Year) - SRM Institute of Hotel Management (Chennai / NCR)
Since its inception, SRM University has been consistent in maintaining high academic standards and offering quality hospitality education.
They offer the following courses:
i) B.Sc Hospitality & Hotel Administration (Affiliated to NCHMCT)
ii) B.Sc Hotel Management & Catering Technology - Ecole Hoteliere (Lavasa)
Their hospitality management programme is academically certified by Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), Switzerland. It is the oldest and most prestigious hotel management school in the world. Other than enjoying one of the most serene college campuses in the world, their students also have the enthralling opportunity to undergo specializations in front desk administration, catering management, etc.
They offer the following courses:
4-Year Bachelor of Hotel Management [BHM] - Delhi Institute of Hotel Management [DIHM]
Originally established in 1983 by the Ministry of Tourism in association with the Government of Delhi to train professionals in the craft of hotel & catering operations, DIHM offers the following courses:
3 Year BSc. in Hospitality & Hotel Management (BSc. HHA) - Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology [CIHM]
A popular name among top hotel management colleges since 1973, this college was earlier known as The Food Craft Institute that initially had a small class size of 18 students in each program. It was upgraded to the Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology in 2006. They offer the following courses:3 Year BSc. in Hospitality & Hotel Management (BSc. HHA) - Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology (BCIHMCT)
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University’s hotel management college is among the foremost institutes for hospitality & hotel management in Delhi. Their 4-year program equips the students with all the tricks of the trade while giving them ample opportunities to gain experience through local and international tie-ups.
They offer the following courses:
4-year Bachelor Degree in Hotel Management and Catering Technology [BHMCT] program - Rayat & Bahra Institute Of Hotel Management
Situated in Mohali, Punjab, this independent self-sufficient campus is known for developing analytical, communication, team building, and problem-solving skills in its students. Moreover, this institute provides professional courses in various technologies and is equipped with new-age laboratories and infrastructure.
They offer the following courses:
Affiliated to Punjab Technical University
i) 4-year Bachelor in Hotel Management and Catering Technology [BHMCT]
ii) 3-Year BSc. in Airlines, Tourism and Hospitality Management (BSc.ATHM)
iii) 3-Year BSc. Hotel Management and Catering Technology (BSc. HMCT)
Affiliated to NCHMCT
i) 3 Year BSc. in Hospitality & Hotel Management (BSc. HHA)
Although the aforementioned list includes a few of the top hotel management colleges in India, please note that there are many more colleges across the world that have not been listed here. However, even if you register for the programs mentioned above, you’ll set your career trajectory toward a bright future in the fastest growing industry in the world.
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Career Landscape:
A career in hotel management doesn’t mean that your role will be limited to hotels, restaurants, and resorts. Contrary to popular belief, hotel management graduates have access to excellent job opportunities in different areas across the hospitality sector such as:
- Airline Catering (flight kitchen) and Cabin Services
- Club management
- Cruise Ship Hotel Management
- Hospital administration and catering
- Hotel and Tourism Associations (for eg: state tourism development corporations)
- Hospitality services in the Indian Navy
- Hospitality services in various MNCs
- Forest Lodges / Guest Houses / Resorts
- Kitchen Management (in hotels or running canteens in college, schools, in factories, etc.)
- Catering departments of railways, banks, armed forces, shipping companies etc
- Hotel and catering institutes (as a management trainee/ marketing or sales executive)
- Self employment (like our Raghu from Love Aaj Kal 2)
Conclusion
To wrap things up, the hospitality industry has several departments that work in sync to form a successful conglomerate. A hospitality and hotel management graduate may obtain lucrative offers in any on these areas:
- Front Desk
- Operations
- Food and Beverages
- Sales and Marketing
- Security
- Basic Engineering and Maintenance
Want to know a fun fact before we finish?
One of the few sectors that was relatively unaffected by the economic crisis of 2008 was the hospitality and tourism sector.
Don’t let anyone convince you that hotel management isn’t a viable career option, it very much is and has been a crucial part of the hospitality industry.
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