Taking a break from Luxury Hotel Management after 6 years at my property and no more promotions to receive. Am I making the right decision? What other careers should I consider that won't have all the nasty drawbacks and the life ruining nature of luxury hospitality?
I am a manager of a luxury hotel and have been the head of my department for two years this August, and I have been with the property for 6 years come October. I have received 4 promotions during my time there, and I am making more than I ever have but in the bay area it is still considered low income. I am starting to feel that my pay as much as I value it, is more to sacrifice my life for the company and not to live for it.
Life: I have not been able to enjoy any holiday, or weekend, or have any consistency inorder to plan events since I started in the luxury hospitality industry since 2018 when I started. I am now 33, and I started at my current company at 27. Luckily modest living and no life, has put me in a position where I can easily financially go a year without an income. I also have 3 months of PTO I would be paid out as soon as I leave (Cannot use it, always to essential to be gone). I also lost my father at the beginning of this year, which has helped assist me in realizing that life is finite and I do not want to be in the same place next year when I am 34...
Due to Burnout:
- I have lost so much professional confidence in my own abilities, I have achieved great achievements, I have learned so much become a professional. Yet I feel un-hirable, useless, and like I am always the problem at my property even though me sacrificing is always the solution.
- I have never been able to give the job search a true effort. I am always tried, always feeling i need to recover my facilities during any brief time off, and have never been able to bring myself to commit to the job search in my 6 years working with my current property.
- I am constantly full of anxiety, always feeling mentally drained, socially withdrawing due to an empty social battery. Shockingly unable to restart a social life with the random Tues/Wed off from work at best.
My Next Plan: Would be to most likely take 2-3 months off, start feeling like myself again. Regain my strength. Then jump into the job search, with returning to Luxury hospitality management as my backup or start a new career if that option presents itself.
I would love to chat, receive advice, hear ideas of what career I may be suited for next. Anything really.
I thank you for reading this, and hope you have a great day.
Posted Jul 13, 2026, 4:36 PM UTC