Six-figure salaries are routine for five-star managers in London

An average salary for a general manager of a five-star London hotel is well over £100,000, leading managers confirmed last week.

Commenting on last month's salary survey, by recruitment company Berkeley Scott (Caterer, 29 November, page 12), general managers said they were surprised at the lowest figure quoted for managers of five-star hotels with 100 bedrooms or more (£55,000), but not at the highest (£175,000).

Geoffrey Gelardi, general manager at the 95-bedroom Lanesborough, said that he earned more than the highest figure but added he was responsible for Rosewood hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Asia as well.

None of the general managers spoken to by Caterer knew of anyone paid as little as £55,000 a year, but all knew at least two at or above the upper level, either as a basic wage or topped up by bonuses (which average 25-35% if set goals are achieved).

Beverly King, general manager at the four-star, 917-bedroom Cumberland hotel, believed few would be earning below £75,000 in London.

Francis Green of the 299-bedroom Landmark said his deputy earned £10,000 more than the £55,000 base.

Gelardi at the Lanesborough said he worked with four heads of departments who earned more than £55,000. He said: "For £55,000 I think you would probably get someone who was enthusiastic but a bit amateur."

Most managers said they would expect to find the higher salary paid in non-chain hotels with high turnovers. Green said the responsibilities and workload would be far greater than in a chain hotel where accounts, sales and marketing, purchasing, human resources and reservations were handled centrally.

"It is no different from being a chief executive officer of a company," King said.

He added that hotels keen to recruit a general manager working abroad could offer "fantastic" expatriate packages including free flights for the family, free private education for children and free accommodation.

Conversely, Green said, expatriate managers desperate to return to London would accept much lower salaries to gain a foothold.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 13 - 19 December 2001

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