The study investigated the work ethics that pose great challenge to hotel managers today and the evaluation of leadership ethics and principles within which future hotel managers must function. This survey study was conducted in the metropolitan city of Owerri, the capital of Imo State Nigeria. Twelve hotels were randomly selected for the study. A total sample of 120 were purposively drawn from among the management staff of the selected hotels to whom copies of the questionnaire were administered to each and interview conducted on. A five point likert rating scale and a bench mark of 4.0 mean () score were used on a 15 point scale of leadership ethics. The study disclosed that the work ethics that pose great challenge to hotel managers today in the city to be lack of commitment to work among the young staff, theft, mistreatment of others, lateness, shifting of blame to others and poor motivation. The study also revealed that managers of those hotels hardly engage hotel employees into frequent conversation about ethics and organizational values. Managers should proactively adopt creative and integrated approaches to address those problems posing great challenge to them as well as engaging employees in discussions about ethics and organizational values. Hotel managers should always lead by examples by doing the right thing for others to follow.