Director of Rooms

Compensation Type

Yearly

Highgate Hotels

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.

Location

 

Renaissance Honolulu, HI

Overview

The Director of Rooms is responsible for ensuring the operation of the Front Office, Guest Experience, Housekeeping, and Security departments, in an attentive, friendly, efficient and courteous manner. The Director of Rooms will drive Guest Satisfaction initiatives and monitor key metrics to continually improve the guest experience. While general oversite of the entire Rooms Division is required, this position will also directly oversee the day-to-day operation of the Front Office

Responsibilities

• Employees must, at all times, be attentive, friendly, helpful, and courteous to all guests, managers, and fellow employees.
• Respond to all guest requests, problems, complaints, and/or accidents arising in person or through reservations, comment cards, letters, and/or phone calls in an attentive, courteous, and efficient manner. Follow up to ensure guest satisfaction.
• Prepare and conduct all front-of-house (FD) interviews and follow hiring procedures according to SOP's. Actively support Human Resources with recruiting efforts.  Ensure that all managers are in compliance with the standards in their interviewing and hiring procedures.
• Develop employee morale and ensure training of Rooms Division 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. Understand hospitality terms.
• Ensure sign-off of all Service Standards by Position competencies for Front office leaders. Monitor completion of the Service Standards by Position Training Checklists for hourly staff.
• Monitor oversold dates to ensure the maximization of room revenue.
• Tour rooms operating departments daily, greeting employees and soliciting feedback.
• Maximize room revenue and occupancy by reviewing status daily. Analyze rate variance, monitor credit reports, and maintain close observation of daily house count.  Monitor the selling status of the house daily, i.e., flash report, allowances, etc.
• Attend daily and monthly Rooms meetings.
• Complete the monthly forecast.
• Monitor expenses to ensure expense control and maximize profit, using checkbook accounting as a control mechanism.
• Monitor and ensure compliance with SOPs in Rooms and Loss Prevention.
• Conduct walk-throughs of public areas and guestrooms to ensure that cleanliness and maintenance standards are met.
• Perform Rooms Managers’ performance reviews according to SOPs and ensure that managers are in compliance with the standards in their administration of performance reviews to their employees.
• Monitor labor expenses through the schedule approval process and ensure budgeted productivity.
• Prepare department heads for succession through the development of their need areas.
• Prepare the Rooms Division annual budget, including Laundry, Communications, and Other Income.
• Maintain the department’s schedule, payroll, and commission.
• Develop employee morale and ensure training of Front Office personnel.
• Monitor room inventory to ensure the maximization of the room’s revenue and occupancy.
• Tour Front Office operating departments daily, greeting employees and soliciting feedback.
• Analyze rate variance and monitor credit reports.
• 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 o