What is it like to bartend in a hotel? Do hotels even have bars?!
What is it like to bartend in a hotel? Do hotels even have bars?
Is there really such a thing as a hotel bartender? What is the job like, do they require uniforms, do they have tabs etc?
Answers:
A bar is a bar.
yes there is such a thing..someone i used to work with did this and he made a killing at it and yes they had uniforms tabs all that
Most full service hotels have a bar and employ bartenders. The hotel bar is often the place where a traveling businessman unwinds after a day of meetings and conferences. The tourist may stop in for a nightcap after a day of shopping and sightseeing.
Usually a bartender in a hotel wears a uniform and sometimes a nametag. When I worked for Marriott (a large chain of American hotels) we wore nametags that not only listed the employee's first name, but also listed their hometown. Often a hotel guest would initiate a conversation because they were visiting from from the same hometown or had traveled there sometime in the past.
Hotel bartending can be fun if you have an outgoing personality and enjoy meeting new people. It can be lucrative...you can make very good tips plus an hourly wage.
Often a customer runs a tab and at the end of the evening their bill is charged to their room. When they check out of the hotel they settle their bill which may include other in-house charges like room service, dry cleaning, or pay per view movies.
Below are some random links that all deal with the topis of hotel bartending.
Hotels do have bars, at least the nicer ones do. It can be a very wild and fun experience!( the things people do in hotels can get outrageous!) At the higher end hotels, which are the only ones I would recommend working at, the bars are run just like any other regular bar. The geeky uniforms are part of the job. Just be careful of all the nuts trying to get you to go to their room! Also, these jobs tend to have benefits which you usually do not get elsewhere.
hotel bartenders cater to those guests who want to drink, simple right... ok yes they require uniforms and yes there are tabs, some tabs are on the room tab, others are bar tab
Yes. I am a hotel bartneder and I've done it for 21 years.
The job is fun and easy. We get to meet pepole from all over the country and world without traveling. We have made many friends who invite us to their towns and shower us with hospitality. We run tabs for room charges, casino comps and credit cards only. The days of cash tabs, unless you know the guest are long gone.
We have to be outgoing, personable, professional and courteous. We should know where to go for different types of dinners, dancing and entertainment. We should also know directions to the airport, Parkway, Expressway and golf clubs. I don't find hookers or drugs, but am asked for that occassionally.
We have had several uniforms over the years, from Eisenhower jackets (waist coats) and tuxedo shirts to our current black, button down, short sleeve shirt and black pants.
We are unionized and have excellent benefits and wages. Our free cafeteria has 2 or 3 hot dishes, pasta with three sauces, potatoes, a salad bar, cold-cuts, cereal, soda, ice cream, milk and deserts. Our uniforms are provided to us, laundered and maintained by the hotel and parking on site is free. We are not required to contribute to our medical, dental or eye insurance, no matter the size of our families.
We do have too many supervisors who are afraid or not empowered to make decisions. Specifically, providing the bar with enough liquor and approving overtime on busy nights.
It's fun, the tips are good, the wages great, the benefits outstanding. And I love the hours. I am home during the day with the kids. Shopping, errands and doctor's appointments do not require that I take time off. I can play golf during the week when the course is not crowded and the same is true for the movies and dining out. Working weekends can be tiresome, but I never have to wake up to an alarm clock,