Director of Sales & Marketing

Compensation Type

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

Located in the exclusive Nob Hill neighborhood,The Huntington provides guests with modern amenities and conveniences within a historic space. Guests can enjoy fine dining, a three level spa, beautiful rooms and suites as well as meeting and event spaces without ever leaving the property. The Huntington provides guests with the best location and amenities San Francisco has to offer.  

Overview

The Director of Sales & Marketing is primarily responsible for leading & driving top-line revenue strategy, with direct booking responsibilities, for traditional sales related segments to include group, volume transient & consortia, and catering (where appropriate) for The Huntington Hotel, San Francisco's deserved and exemplary ancestral home.  The city's only true world-class five-star hotel, where every guest is a friend of the family.  The individual is additionally responsible for staying ahead of market trends, market share movement, and ongoing competitive hotel analysis, while directing the property sales team to ensure budgeted revenues are met or exceeded. As a member of the Executive Committee, the Director of Sales & Marketing is also responsible for developing and implementing a marketing communications plan designed to achieve the desired positioning for the hotel, as well as managing the sales and marketing budget that supports revenue attainment. 

Responsibilities

• Responsible for leading & driving top line revenue at The Huntington Hotel for traditional sales segments to include group, volume transient (business travel & consortia) through customer acquisition and retention strategies/tactics
• Assesses & reacts to market trends, market share & the competitive luxury hotel environment.
• Develops and implements a marketing and communications plan designed to achieve the desired positioning of the hotel, as well as manage the sales & marketing budget that supports all initiatives.
• Identify and research potential accounts/clients and prospect for new business opportunities, generate leads, and set up meetings/presentations with clients that will keep the hotels pipeline consistently full of opportunities. Regularly contact existing accounts based on the tracing frequencies of the Account Coverage Program.
• Actively sell guest rooms and food & beverage where applicable to small groups as assigned, ensuring monthly and quarter goals are met.
• Initiate and follow up on leads.
• Use property’s computerized sales management system to manage the hotel’s business, including (but not limited to) generating reports, entering business, blocking space, building accounts, and logging activities. Act as the hotel’s voice of the customer and communicate key issues/concerns at all levels of the organization.
• Fluent in reading/assimilating/using Smith Travel Research data, financial P&L, mix of sales, forecasting, group pace/position & a wide array of traditional hotel reporting.
• Ability to understand and communicate market trends, demand generators, supply/demand and economic factors affecting hotel performance.
• Conduct comprehensive competitive set reviews, SWOT analysis & keep tabs on new supply.
• Understand GEO source & ability to develop a plan to penetrate the primary markets.
• Develop/implement key segment strategy & managing key accounts (both existing & target).
• Design effective sales deployment schemes & market assignments.
• Develop sales goals designed to achieve budget & market share targets.
• Manage group pace measurement and set sales production goals.
• Manage sales activity & travel schedule.
• Participate in weekly Sales Meeting, Operations Meeting, BEO Meeting and any other required meetings relevant to role.
• Develop networking opportunities through active participation in community and professional associations, activities, and events.
• Develop relevant brand partnerships and activations that help drive awareness and differentiation
• Collaborate with agency partners (PR, Social, Digital) where appropriate and orchestrate strategies and tactics that support established KPIs that will positively impact the hotel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in Marketing
• At least 5 years’ experience as a luxury sales leader, with prior hotel luxury sales experience.
• Experience dealing with/communicating with ownership groups and asset management.
• Proficient in managing/using sales automation (DELPHI) & PMS systems.
• Experience working collaboratively with revenue management.
• Well-rounded knowledge of all market segments and channel sources, as well as ability to develop a strategic plan for each.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team environment.
• Ability to direct, lead, train, motivate & drive a direct sales team; and develop a cooperative & competitive team spirit & winning attitude.
• Must be proficient in MS Office including Word, Excel, and Power Point.
• Must be able to multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines
• Superior Negotiation Skills - Proven ability to close deals
• Should anticipate working weekends and holidays as needed as hospitality is a 24/7 industry.
• Sales Skills – Possesses strong ability to influence and/or persuade buying decisions and to close sales or gain commitment from others; creates good rapport and exhibits the ability to grow and maintain key partnerships.
• Communication – Has both verbal and written skills, in order to effectively execute meetings and events this includes keeping the appropriate departments informed with BEO’s and other necessary information; actively listens to extract essential information in order to maximize revenue and execute successful meetings and events.
• Organizational Skills - Ability to determine priority tasks and maintain strong attention to detail.

Salary: $180k-$225K base PLUS BONUS