Right at the heart of a hotel, is the General Manager (GM). But what is the role of GM? Is it entrepreneur, host, business manager, forecaster, brand manager, data analyst, coach or leader? How has that role changed over time, what is it today and what about the future?
To celebrate the launch of a new book, called The Future of Hotels: Creating What’s Next by the Professors of the Hotel Management School Leeuwarden we explore the role of the Hotel General Manager – past, present and future through conversations with some of Europe’s leading Hoteliers.
The Past and Present
Fifty years ago, the GM was a visible authority figure who personally oversaw daily operations, managed staff through hierarchy, and built the hotel’s reputation through charm and community presence, relying on paper ledgers and face-to-face communication. Today, the role has evolved into that of a strategic leader who balances profitability with guest satisfaction, leverages digital systems and data analytics, and emphasizes collaborative staff culture, sustainability, and brand alignment.
The Future
By 2050 the GM may evolve into a strategic orchestrator of AI-driven systems and robotic service teams, curate hyper-personalized guest experiences through data and immersive environments, and act as stewards of regenerative and carbon-negative hospitality ecosystems or will the GM be replaced by a robot?
Leading Experts
Too ponder the past, present and future roles of the GM, we have brought together some of the leading educators, managers and experts to delve into these concepts including Ivanica Krizmanic (European Hotel Manager of Year 2025), Marco Truffelli (Psychologist & Hotelier), Gonul Uyanik (Hotelier), Dr Hanneke Assen (Professor of International Hospitality Education) and Nicole Turnhout – Ammerlaan (Hotelier & Consultant).
Date: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Time: 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM (CET, Amsterdam)
Registration and further details
