Table of Contents
- What is a Hotel Engineer?
- Why are Hotel Engineers Important?
- What Kind of Experience or Education Does a Hotel Engineer Need?
- How to Become a Hotel Engineer
Love to fix things?
Hoping to be an indispensable part of a team?
Want to spend your time working with your hands, instead of driving from job site to job site?
You may want to try a career as a hotel engineer. This role is crucial to the guest experience, the safety of everyone who visits and works in the building, and the long-term success of the hotel.
What is a Hotel Engineer?
A hotel engineer looks after the mechanical systems, equipment, and facilities of a hotel. This could include inspections and preventative maintenance, diagnosing problems, making repairs, and installing new equipment.
A hotel engineer may work on their own in a very small hotel, or they may manage and lead a team of additional engineers and technicians. They will also be responsible for bringing on contractors for specialized work that can’t be completed in-house. A hotel may not have a certified elevator mechanic on the team, for example, so they may need to bring in an outsider for maintenance or repairs.
The hotel engineer is also responsible for keeping the building’s systems in compliance with applicable local, state, and possibly federal codes and regulations. So they must keep careful records of all work done, and schedule the necessary inspections and certifications.
Why Are Hotel Engineers Important?
Clearly, having a reliable person on staff to keep the hotel’s systems working is crucial. If the air conditioning stops working in Texas in July, hotels want someone on hand to fix it immediately!
But the hotel engineer’s role is also one of safety. This person will be responsible for the maintenance of vital safety equipment, like sprinklers and fire extinguishers—items that you may not think about until you need them. They run tests of fire alarms to ensure the system is working properly, schedule recharges of extinguishers, and schedule the necessary inspections.
Hotel engineers may be responsible for monitoring the water in the pool and ensuring the chemical levels are in balance for safe swimming. They may check gym equipment, preventing possible guest injury from defective gear. They perform boiler maintenance, which is necessary to prevent a buildup of steam and possible explosion.
Plus, a good hotel engineer could implement cost-saving measures. Through technology like solar panels, water reclamation systems, and high-efficiency washers and dryers, the hotel engineer could reduce waste and boost profitability.
What Kind of Experience or Education Does a Hotel Engineer Need?
There is no single degree, diploma, or certification that qualifies someone to be a hotel engineer. Candidates must have the requisite skills for the position, which could come from a combination of education and experience, or from experience alone.
A high school diploma is usually a prerequisite for this type of job. Some may also attend a trade school for education in HVAC, electrical, or plumbing work. Hotel engineers must be able to read system manuals, electrical schematics, plumbing charts, and blueprints. Some hotels may also request specific credentials, like HVAC certification.
This is also a very physical job. A hotel engineer should be comfortable:
- Walking and standing for long hours
- Climbing ladders
- Lifting, pushing, or pulling heavy objects
- Bending, crawling, and kneeling
Job listings for hotel engineers usually require at least a year of maintenance experience. Some may also request a year or more of hotel-specific experience.
How to Become a Hotel Engineer
There are several ways to learn what you’ll need to be a hotel engineer.
You could begin with a trade school or community college program in a discipline like HVAC or electrical work. You could also look for an apprenticeship where you would learn at the side of a more experienced, skilled worker. This could be in a hotel, or with a commercial contractor.
A Chief Hotel Engineer may supervise a team of engineers and technicians. So once you have a year or two of experience, you may be eligible for a “ground floor” role as a mechanic or technician. And after a few years of hotel experience, you may be able to climb the ranks as a supervisor, and eventually become a full-fledged hotel engineer.