Front Desk Lead | Sarasota Art Ovation Hotel

Position Summary

The Front Desk Lead supports the daily morning operations of the hotel front desk by working alongside the Front Office leadership team and front desk staff to ensure smooth, efficient, and guest-focused service. This role serves as an operational resource and first point of escalation for routine guest concerns, while maintaining high service standards and adherence to hotel policies.

This position is not a supervisory role and does not include disciplinary authority, formal coaching or counseling responsibilities, payroll management, or department oversight outside of the front desk.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Actively organize, prioritize, and drive front desk workflow during AM operations to ensure efficiency and guest satisfaction.
• Work collaboratively with other members of the Front Office leadership team to maintain operational consistency
• Process all guest check-ins and check-outs in accordance with established hotel standards and procedures
• Adhere strictly to payment, cash handling, and credit policies and procedures
• Communicate effectively with Housekeeping, Engineering, and other departments to expedite guest requests and resolve routine concerns
• Serve as the first point of escalation for guest satisfaction issues, referring to high-level or complex escalations to management
• Generate, print, and distribute daily reports to designated departments and personnel as needed
• Monitor and maintain cleanliness, sanitation, and organization of the front desk, back office, and lobby areas
• Maintain complete knowledge of hotel amenities, features, room types, rates, availability, and expected arrivals/departures
• Train front desk team members on front desk systems, procedures, and service standards
• Ensure brand standards and service expectations are consistently upheld at the front desk

Schedule & Availability

• Must be available to work a flexible schedule, including weekends, holidays, and varied shifts
• Position will primarily maintain a consistent weekly schedule, with flexibility to cover PTO as needed

Role Boundaries & Clarifications

This position does not include responsibility for:

• Supervising employees or acting as a manager
• Formal coaching, counseling, or disciplinary action
• Performance evaluations or scheduling
• Managing payroll or timekeeping
• Valet, shuttle, or gift shop operations or staff
• Handling high-level, sensitive, or executive guest escalations

Qualifications

• At least 6 months of previous hotel front desk experience required
• Strong guest service and communication skills
• High school graduate or equivalent, some college preferred. 
• Ability to multitask and remain calm in a fast-paced environment
• Working knowledge of OPERA preferred
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills

Shaner Hotel Group

Shaner Hotels is one of the foremost award-winning hospitality owner-operators and management companies in the hospitality industry. Our current portfolio consists of over 65 full-service, select-service, extended-stay and resort properties with more than 7,500 rooms in 14 states and four countries.  We partner with the top Hospitality Brands including independent locations as well.  We provide a variety of services for investors, hotel owners and brands—including hotel development, design and construction, e-commerce, and revenue management.  You can find out more by visiting our website, www.shanercorp.com!