MSc Strategic Hotel Management

This module provides an in-depth examination of the hotel investment landscape, focusing on the development, acquisition, and franchising of hotel assets from the perspectives of owners, operators, and lenders. Students will explore the strategic motivations and financial considerations that drive decision-making across the hotel real estate cycle.Through a combination of lectures and applied learning, the module covers key topics including feasibility studies, hotel valuation, capital structuring, debt and equity financing (including joint ventures), and the roles and implications of management contracts and franchise agreements. Students will gain critical insight into the transaction process, market and operational analysis, types of ownership, and asset management strategies.The module places strong emphasis on real-world application, enabling students to evaluate hotel investment opportunities and structure financially viable, operationally sound development proposals.In line with the University of Surrey¿s curriculum framework, this module contributes to the development of the following graduate capabilities:Digital Capabilities ¿ Through financial modelling, data interpretation, and industry-standard analytical tools.Global and Cultural Capabilities ¿ By engaging with international investment trends, cross-border financing, and global brand agreements.Employability ¿ By building commercial awareness, strategic thinking, and practical skills relevant to hotel development and investment roles.

This module deepens postgraduate-level operational analysis for hotels, combining a competitive computer-based hotel simulation (REVsim/HotelSim) with advanced analytics and AI-enabled techniques. Students will manage simulated hotels, analyse operational and financial outcomes, and apply theory to improve performance. The module emphasises use of AI and data tools for insight generation while embedding processes to ensure assessments are authentic, evidence-based and resistant to misuse of generative AI.

This module recognises the importance of human resources to the successful operation of Tourism, Hospitality and Events (THE) organisations and will emphasise the strategic aspects of Human Resource Management (HRM) that influence the development of organisations. THE companies need to develop and implement a strategic human resource perspective to achieve competitive success, especially in the current economic climate. The module is intended to provide an opportunity to review theoretical frameworks and concepts underpinning Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) along with current trends and issues in strategic HRM for international THE sectors. It therefore approaches the economic, social, environmental and cultural aspects of managing THE businesses world-wide from a critical perspective and asks students to consider how societal and organisational advantage can be achieved through strategic approaches to the management of HR. The module will provide a grounding in the knowledge and application of strategic HRM practices within tourism, hospitality and events sectors across a range of current and strategic HR priorities including employee resourcing, employee development and growth, reward systems, performance management, international SHRM and employee relations. The content of the module will review several case studies from across THE sectors and will consider the role of significant contextual factors like technology, social sustainability and culture.

The Research Methods module aims to help students to develop an understanding of the research process and prepare students to undertake research leading to successful completion of their dissertation. It enables students to conduct research independently and also provides them with the knowledge, skills and understanding required to develop their proposal for their dissertation. Students are required to identify an area of research and develop research questions to be answered or hypotheses to be tested in the industry context relevant to their course of study. The module covers ideas, techniques, and methods relevant to different stages of the research process, stressing the interdependence of each stage in conducting effective, coherent and rigorous research. The module also introduces students to the ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to support aspects of the research process in a transparent and academically appropriate manner.

This module equips students to develop a strategic approach to the management of international hotel companies. International hotel businesses are complex entities that operate across borders with multiple dynamic opportunities, challenges and contexts. The management of organisations with changing landscapes across regions are further challenged by fast paced innovations in technology and increasing concerns of social and environmental sustainability. Effective management of these global organisations require dynamic strategic thinking, global cultural awareness and innovative management approaches. The module aims to provide students with the knowledge, skills and opportunities needed to become future leaders and managers of international hotel companies. The strategy theory covered in this module will also have relevance to management of other parts of the hospitality sector.

This module builds on the prior knowledge of the fundamentals of marketing that have been learnt through an undergraduate programme. In particular, this module recognises the importance of brand identity, brand value, and brand building and maintenance for the success of international hotel groups and will build on existing marketing understanding to build an appreciation of the different marketing strategies that companies can employ in this area.

This module is designed to develop an understanding of revenue management (RM) in the international hotel industry. This has become a major strategic tool in the successful operation of these businesses. The module provides an overview of the RM, looking at all aspects of this activity from a variety of perspectives – strategic, marketing, operations and human resources. Contemporary issues surrounding RM, such as the implications of using algorithm pricing and augmented decision-making, will also be debated from different perspectives.

This module introduces students to the study of ethics and applies this to tourism, transport, hospitality and events. Within the last decade significant attention has been paid to the issue of ethics and sustainability in these industries. Issues such as: corporate social responsibility, global reporting, ethical consumption, to name but a few, are becoming increasingly central to business practice. This module will offer students the opportunity to reflect upon their own understanding of ethics and corporate responsibility. It will introduce them to a range of theoretical approaches to understanding ethics and ethical responses to business situations, as well as provide the opportunity for in-depth reflection and critique on ‘real life’ scenarios. In so doing, this module adopts the University's curriculum framework, which aims to develop learners with strong Global and Cultural capabilities, Sustainability, Resourcefulness and Resilience while enhancing their Employability and Digital capabilities.

This module aims to provide you with a number of service design techniques and models by which current and cutting-edge digital technologies can be designed into existing and new service journeys, therefore delivering service innovation through design and technology to create business value. You will be exposed to research-informed, practice-relevant teaching and a series of innovative design workshops using emerging service science and service logic thinking to help develop innovative digital solutions or improve current ones to address current managerial and sustainability issues.

Sustainability has become a major issue in contemporary service operations, including in the hospitality, tourism, transport, events, and related sectors. However, managers do not necessarily understand the specific aspects of sustainability which their business has an impact upon or is impacted by. Further, managers are not always familiar with the tools of sustainability assessment and have limited comprehension of how a robust sustainability audit can aid in reducing operational costs, improving corporate image, and increasing customer patronage. This module will introduce students into the array of sustainability-related issues that a business in hospitality, tourism, transport, or events may face and explain how these issues can be identified and assessed. The module will provide students with an opportunity to undertake a sustainability audit of a business and reflect upon the challenges of such audit's undertaking.

Corporations, governments, entrepreneurs, and various organisations around the world are using data to extract patterns and generate insights to support strategic decision-making and create innovative solutions to business problems. This module will equip you with the fundamental concepts and tools needed to understand the emerging role of visual analytics in service organisations, will show you how to use a leading business intelligence platform -Tableau-, and will inform you how to best communicate your data with industry professionals for making better business decisions. Emphasis will be placed on applications, concepts, visualisation, interpretation, and communication of results, rather than theory and calculations.

The dissertation is optional for all MSc programmes and is the final element of the programme, providing an opportunity for a sustained period of independent study and research. It allows students to concentrate on topics that are of particular interest to them and it draws upon a range of different aspects of the taught programme particularly the Research Methods module (MANM386). Students can build upon their knowledge and topics learnt from programme-specific modules studies in semester 1 to develop and define their research idea and questions. It also gives an opportunity for students to work independently with an individual supervisor. There are two forms of dissertations: An academic dissertation. This form of dissertation follows the standard academic pattern of identifying a topic arising from a gap in the literature and developing a methodology to explore this area in-depth. A business or applied dissertation. This form of dissertation starts with an emerging business problem, either provided by an industrial partner or with their co-operation in the process, and seeks to provide a research-based solution to or exploration of the problem. All forms of the dissertation seek to develop the same learning outcomes and follow the same assessment criteria. In some cases, taught modules, in addition to Research Methods, may be pre-requisites of taking a particular form of dissertation so that students are adequately prepared.

Students will have the opportunity to learn about the different approaches that aim to answer the question: how do I plan, assess and implement a new business venture? Business plans are essential not just for the successful implementation of start-up ventures, but also for continued business growth, including strategic competitiveness. A good business plan underpins business success on all levels and becomes a major guideline to sound management practices. All students will find much value in the business principles inherent to the planning process, which will lead to an enhanced commercial understanding. This module's content and outcomes build solidly upon undergraduate business-related courses from level 4, 5 and 6, as well as any accumulated business experience. Proper use of AI- and digital tools, together with technology where appropriate, are encouraged to complement the students' understanding in the business planning process. It doesn't just reiterate much of the theory previously learnt, but also applies it in a create and innovate way to emphasise creative business development, profitability, growth, and sustainability. It holistically addresses preferred business outcomes and brings all its components together. This module is also designed to give students an entrepreneurial- and industry-focused alternative to the traditional academic dissertation.