Hotel specialist (Hotelfachmann/Hotelfachfrau)
You welcome hotel guests, handle reservations and oversee the rooms and the restaurant: a paid 3-year training to become a versatile hospitality professional.
What a hotel specialist does
They look after the guest from arrival to departure: reception, reservations, restaurant service, housekeeping, events, billing and team planning.
Welcome and book
Work at reception and in reservations, selling the hotel's overnight stays and services.
Serve and organise
Serve in the restaurant and at breakfast, help in the kitchen, organise events in the hotel.
Run the property
Oversee housekeeping, monitor stock, calculate prices and plan staff.
This occupation is for you if…
- you enjoy welcoming guests from all over the world
- you are friendly, organised and have a sales sense
- you like moving between service, reception and the office
- you accept shift work, weekends included
Less suitable if…
- you refuse early-morning, evening and weekend hours
- you cope badly with stress and noise at peak times
- you cannot carry trays or stand for long periods
A typical day in the workshop
What you will learn, what is expected of you
Technical skills
Reception and reservationsSelling overnight staysRestaurant and breakfast serviceHousekeeping managementEvent organisationPricing and sales managementPersonal qualities
FriendlinessService mindsetOrganisationVersatilityTeamworkHow the Ausbildung works
In Germany you learn by working: this is the “dual system”. You are an employee of a company and a student at a vocational school (Berufsschule) at the same time.
The hotel basics
- Welcoming guests, service
- Kitchen and goods
- Care of premises
Reception and sales
- Reception and reservations
- Selling overnight stays
- First part of the exam
Running the hotel
- Housekeeping and catering
- Sales and marketing
- Events and team
Exams and qualification
The final exam is split into two parts (gestreckte Abschlussprüfung). The first (welcome, reception and catering offers) takes place in the 4th half-year and counts for 25 %. The second ends the training: events and catering, sales and marketing, hotel organisation, economics and society. Qualification: IHK certificate.
You are paid during the training
Gross monthly pay during the training. These amounts are averages: they vary by region, sector and collective agreement.
What you need to apply
Education level
German level
Physical fitness
Documents to prepare
- CV and cover letter in German
- Translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts
- German B2 level certificate
Advantages and difficulties
Advantages
- Paid training from the first year
- Versatile job: reception, dining room, management, events
- Contact with guests from many countries
- Route to Hotelmeister or hotel management studies
Difficulties
- Shift hours, weekends and public holidays
- Seasonal work peaks
- Noise, kitchen smells and a brisk pace
- Constant contact with the public is demanding
Where it can lead
Qualified hotel specialist
Work in a hotel, a restaurant or a catering firm.
Department head
Lead reception, housekeeping or the restaurant of a hotel, train as a Fachwirt in hospitality.
Hotelmeister or studies
Take the Hotelmeister (hotel master), study hotel management or open your own hotel.
Other trainings: Hospitality, catering and tourism
Not quite convinced by this occupation? Here are related trainings in the same field.
We are by your side from day one until you arrive in Germany
Four steps to move forward, all run by our own structures.
Take the test online or at the office
The eligibility test is done online on our website, or by visiting our Douala office directly.
Take the testTalk to our team
Germany: +49 (0) 7033 694 18 80
Cameroon: +237 622 20 81 64
DZK, our language centre
Deutschzentrum KAGEDEV (DZK) is our own language centre in Douala. Outside Douala: partner language centres, call us to find the nearest one.
AZUFA is always us
AZUFA is our platform: it connects you with German companies that recruit apprentices and follows your application through to the training contract.
Go to AZUFAFrom German A1 to the first day of training in Germany
Each step is run by one of our structures. You keep the same contact from start to finish.
- 1
Check my eligibility
The test is done online on our website or at our Douala office.
Run by Campus Germany
- 2
Talk to an advisor
Review your profile, your wishes and the chosen occupation.
- 3
Learn German, from A1 to B2
Courses adapted to your starting level, up to the required B2 level. In Douala at our own language centre; elsewhere, with our partner centres.
Run by DZK
- 4
Prepare the application file
CV and cover letter in German, translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts, B2 level certificate.
- 5
Find the company and sign the training contract
We connect you with German companies that recruit apprentices, and follow your application through to the contract.
Run by AZUFA
- 6
Prepare the visa and paperwork
Support to gather the documents and complete the administrative steps.
- 7
Prepare your departure and settling in
Travel, housing and first steps in Germany: we prepare you before you leave.
Run by KAGEDEV e.V.
- 8
First day of training in Germany
You arrive prepared and supported, with a team that has known you since day one.
Stay informed
Join our channels to receive new offers, session dates and advice. These are announcement channels: no private conversations.
Our structures for this occupation
Our platform for recruiting apprentices and skilled staff from Africa: matching with German companies through to the training contract.
Our own German language centre, in Douala. Outside Douala: partner centres.
Training offers for this occupation
No offer is open here at the moment. Browse apprenticeship offers on AZUFA, or receive an e-mail as soon as a partner company recruits.
See offers on AZUFA →Take this sheet with you
A 5-page document to read offline or show your family: the occupation, the training, the pay and the whole pathway, from German A1 to the first day of training.
Download the brochure (PDF)You may be wondering…
What German level is required?
How long does the training last?
Am I paid during the training?
Where can I take the eligibility test?
Where can I learn German?
Can I learn bar work during the training?
What does “Berufsschule” mean?
Ready to find out whether this occupation is for you?
Take the test online or come and see us at the office. We are by your side from day one until you arrive in Germany.