Asst. Front Office Manager

Compensation Type

Highgate Hotels

Highgate is a premier real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. Highgate is the dominant player in U.S. gateway markets including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, with a rapidly expanding presence in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Highgate’s portfolio of global properties represents an aggregate asset value exceeding $20B and generates over $5B in cumulative revenues. The company provides expert guidance through all stages of the hospitality property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition.  Highgate also has the creativity and bandwidth to develop bespoke hotel brands and utilizes industry-leading proprietary revenue management tools that identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive out performance and maximize asset value. With an executive team consisting of some of the industry’s most experienced hotel management leaders, the company is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. Highgate maintains corporate offices in London, New York, Dallas, and Seattle.

Location

Located in the heart of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, the 294-room Graduate Providence is a landmark hotel with an illustrious past. Designed by the celebrated firm Warren and Wetmore, the architects behind New York City’s Grand Central Station, the hotel debuted to widespread acclaim in 1922 and quickly became the tourist and social center of Providence. Today, deeply woven within the city’s fabric and culture and beloved by generations of guests, the Graduate Providence is an authentic Providence tradition. The Graduate Providence is a member of the Historic Hotels of America.

Overview

The Assistant Front Office Manager is responsible for ensuring the operation of the Front Office in an attentive, friendly, efficient and courteous manner, providing all guests with quality service prior to and throughout their stay, while maximizing room revenue and occupancy.

Responsibilities

• Works closely with Sales and Reservations in order to fulfill all special requests for groups, VIP’s, etc.
• Assist daily in the guest reception.
• Responds daily all social media feedback, follow up with guest as well as internally.
• Communicates effectively and genuinely with guests, team members and other departments.
• Assists and often leads guest service training initiatives within the front office department
• Maintains a friendly and caring demeanor at all times in a fast paced environment.
• Maintains a professional image at all times that falls within the hotel and company guidelines for appearance and dress.
• Demonstrates team work by co-operating and assisting colleagues as needed.
• Provides all Front Desk Assistant job duties like registering guests into the hotel in a prompt and courteous manner, using up-selling techniques to maximize room rates; preparing for group check-ins and check-outs, and VIP arrivals
• Maintains and updates all guest profiles
• Reviews all daily and future reservations in order to accommodate special requests, makes amenity cards, works closely with IRD and PH to communicate all F&B requests
• Works with all new hires for FD training.
• Interviews, hire and train guest services agents
• Becomes informed of events/functions in the hotel during shifts.
• Maintains a house bank and keeps an accurate report of daily receipts and deposits.
• Is able to work with and understand basic financial data and information.
• Is able to find guest centric solutions
• Promotes hotel services, facilities and outlets, provides the guest with information such as local attractions and directions, using the James Report to increase guest satisfaction.
• Is able to take or assist with reservations.
• Is able to assist at PBX.
• Resolves guest complaints to the satisfaction of the customer by being guest centric, friendly and caring. Communicates to Management any problems, complaints or unhappy guests.
• Is intuitive to guest needs, anticipates needs in job performance, being proactive instead of reactive.
• Responds quickly to all guest requests in a caring friendly and professional manner, consistently follow up to ensure guest satisfaction that meets and exceed our services standards.
• Maintains a good relationship with repeat guests and their special requests.
• Is able to supervise a shift when needed.
• Works closely with Sales and their VIP Clients.
• Stays current with developments in the hotel by reviewing the communication log book each shift; updates log book for next shifts as well as communicates effectively the policies and procedures to other team members of the hotel.
• Has knowledge of and assists in all emergency procedures as required.
• Attends all mandatory meetings and training classes.
• Has knowledge of the names, titles and positions of key people within the hotel.
• Has knowledge of the hotel’s surrounding area, such as pharmacies, theaters, Public Transportation, Retail, and Restaurants etc.
• Completes all checklists as assigned.

Qualifications

• A 4-year college degree and at least 1 year of related experience required.
• Supervisory experience required. Labor experience and OPERA experiences preferred.
• Must be proficient in Windows, Company approved spreadsheets and word processing.
• Long hours sometimes required. Two overnight shifts with this position. 
• Light work - Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• Ability to stand during entire shift.
• Maintain a warm and friendly demeanor at all times.
• Must be able to effectively communicate both verbally and written, with all level of employees and guests in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service oriented manner.
• 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.
• 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, which include 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.