Highgate Hotels, LP Looking for Director of Front Office at Honolulu, HI  Full Time

Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. Highgate is the dominant player in major U.S. gateway cities including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, with a growing Caribbean and Latin America footprint. The hospitality forward company provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate has a proven record of developing its diverse portfolio of bespoke lifestyle hotel brands, legacy brands, and independent hotels and resorts with contemporary programming and digital acumen. The company utilizes industry-leading revenue management tools that efficiently identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive outperformance and maximize asset value. With an executive team consisting of some of the most experienced hotel management leaders, the company is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. Highgate maintains corporate offices in New York, Chicago, Dallas, London, Miami, and Seattle. www.highgate.com.

This 645-room hotel is perfectly located on Honolulu’s famous Kalakaua Avenue, where it is just steps to the beach and an arm’s reach to the best dining, shopping, and entertainment in the area. Guests can borrow the hotel’s own towels and beach chairs to spend the day by the sea, or choose to lay out by the hotel’s pool with a tropical drink from nearby Tiki’s Grill and Bar. And for the adventurous, The Twin Fin offers a on-site activities desk ready to curate a number of fun experiences.

The Director of Front Office is responsible for the management of all aspects of the Front Desk, Guest Relations Managers, and Guest Services Managers while providing all guests with quality service, maximizing room revenue and productivity, and developing managers and employees.

General Requirements:

Outstanding verbal and written communication skills with all levels of employees, guests and third party companies.
• Must be effective at listening to, understanding, and clarifying concerns raised by employees and guests.
• Must be able to multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
• Approach all encounters with guests and employees in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service-oriented manner.
• Attend all hotel required meetings and trainings.
• Participate in M.O.D. coverage as required.
• Weekends and PM shifts required.
• Maintain regular attendance in compliance with Highgate Hotel Standards, as required by scheduling, which will vary according to the needs of the hotel.
• Maintain high standards of personal appearance and grooming, including wearing nametags.
• Comply with Highgate Hotel Standards and regulations to encourage safe and efficient hotel operations.
• Maximize efforts towards productivity, identify problem areas and assist in implementing solutions.
• Must be effective in handling problems, including anticipating, preventing, identifying and solving problems as necessary.
• Must be able to understand and evaluate complex information, data, etc. from various sources to meet appropriate objectives.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.
• Maintain a warm and friendly demeanor at all times.

Fundamental Requirements:

• Respond to all guest requests, problems, complaints and/or accidents. Follow up to ensure guest satisfaction.
• Motivate, train, and counsel all Front Office personnel according to hotel standards.
• Conduct all Front Office interviews and follow hiring procedures according to Highgate Hotel Standards.
• Maintain the department’s schedule, payroll, and commission.
• Develop employee morale and ensure training of Front Office personnel.
• Maintain a professional working relationship and promote open lines of communication with managers, employees and other departments.
• Ensure implementation of all Highgate Hotel policies and house rules.
• Monitor room inventory to ensure the maximization of room’s revenue and occupancy.
• Tour Front Office operating departments daily, greeting employees and soliciting feedback.
• Analyze rate variance and monitor credit report.
• Monitor and support guest satisfaction surveys and social media platforms.
• Monitor expenses to ensure expense control and maximize profit, using checkbook accounting as a control mechanism.
• Strictly enforce front office and accounting SOP’s.
• Conduct walk-throughs of public areas and guestrooms to ensure that cleanliness and maintenance standards are met.
• Conduct regular Front Office meetings.
• Have regular performance review meetings with managers and employees.
• Monitor labor expenses through schedule approval process and ensure budgeted productivity is met.
• Work in conjunction with the Hotel Manager and General Manager to prepare the Front Office annual budget.
• Operate all aspects of the Front Office computer system, including software maintenance, report generation and analysis, and simple programming.
• Partner with other department heads, including third party companies, to identify efficiencies and ensure operational synergy.
• Responsible to ensure effective processes and response time of guest interactive tools, including but not limited to texting, apps, and social media channels.
• Maintain key control system.
• Carry a hotel issued cell phone at all times.
• Monitor all V.I.P.’s, special guests, and group requests.
• Ensure overall guest satisfaction.
• Involvement in the Lobby Ambassador coverage.
• Ensure overall associate satisfaction.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.

Salary Range ($ 80,000.00 – $90,000.00)

Education & Experience:

• At least 3 years of progressive experience in a hotel or a related field.
• Previous management experience required.
• Knowledge of Opera PMS preferred.
• Multi-lingual preferred.

Physical requirements:

• Long hours sometimes required.
• Medium work – Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.