Financial knowledge is key in 2025 when the UK hospitality sector faces significant financial challenges, including the risk of insolvency arising from escalating operational costs, and shifting customer buying behaviours. To provide support for hotel general managers navigating these challenges the finance4hospitality academy (powered by arena4finance) is offering the next “Finance for Hotel General Managers” course, online on the 11th and 12th June providing a timely opportunity to improve financial knowledge and strategic decision-making skills.
The hospitality industry is undergoing significant transformations, with technological advancements and shifting consumer behaviours reshaping operations. Hotel general managers are expected to interpret complex financial data, manage budgets and forecasts effectively, and align the business objectives for operators and owners all of which requires increasingly levels of financial knowledge.
The financial pressures continue to build and are impacting on the bottom line and the liquidity of hotel operations. According to research from Opus more than one in five (22% or 1,561) hospitality companies had negative balance sheets (of at least a de minimis figure of £20k) as at June 2024 and 2,975 (42%) of the companies in the sector had negative working capital of at least £20k meaning that the current assets fail to cover the current liabilities.
This course to improve financial knowledge is particularly timely given the current economic landscape for hospitality businesses. Annual cost increases came into effect in April, with payroll costs particularly impacted due to the increase in the minimum wage and the increase in National Insurance Contributions (NIC). This coupled with a reduction in business rate relief and the ongoing levels of food inflation is creating unprecedented pressures on the profitability of food and beverage operations which traditionally have operated with tight margins.
UK Hospitality estimates that hospitality businesses will now face an additional £1.9 billion in wage costs, £1 billion of employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and £500m in business rates, as a result of relief being lowered from 75% to 40%.
This course provides insight into the financial issues impacting the sector with a focus on:
- Understanding the hotel profit and loss statements and departmental reports and optimisation of profitable revenue
- Evaluating the balance sheet and developing business finance strategies
- Planning for cash requirements, controlling assets, and forecasting working capital
- Analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) for benchmarking
- Monitoring flow through to optimise profitable revenues and improve gross operating profit (GOP) and EBITDA
- Understanding CAPEX evaluation methods
Participants will gain practical insights into financial terminology and strategies to optimize revenue and control costs, aligning with the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI).
Course Details
- Dates: October 28th / 29th 2025
- Format: Online sessions from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM (BST)
- Cost: £390.00 per person (inclusive of VAT)
- Tutor: Debra Adams, founder of the finance4hospitality academy powered by arena4finance, successful author, lecturer and management accountant, with over 30 years of experience in hospitality finance training
- Extras: One-month subscription to finance4hospitality academy resources and a Certificate of Achievement upon completion.
For more information or to register, visit Finance for Hotel General Managers
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