Abstract: A substantial body of research has advocated that work engagement has positive outcomes for employees. However, little research has been conducted on the predictors of work engagement in the hotel industry. Therefore, the objective of this study is to present a proposed model linking emotional intelligence and work engagement among customer-contact employees. Given the fact that gender differs in regards to their work attitude, it has been proposed as a moderator in the above-mentioned relationship. A review of the literature to support the proposed linkage within the Malaysian hotel industry is provided.