Guest Experience Manager

About Us:

Regent Santa Monica Beach—an IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) property—lands in Santa Monica in 2024 as the first destination in the Americas. The resort will set a new standard for modern upper luxury.

Located steps from the famed Santa Monica Pier, the resort will celebrate the beauty of unexpected harmony through contrasts, delivering inspired stays through a blend of serenity and a touch of decadence. The resort will feature sumptuous rooms and suites, along with a stunning beachfront pool deck, a destination spa, and a wellness center. Additionally, Regent Santa Monica Beach will welcome guests for unforgettable epicurean experiences, including a restaurant concept created in collaboration with an acclaimed celebrity chef as well as a high-end artisanal marketplace.

Job Summary:

As a Guest Experience Manager, you will elevate guest relations. Deliver impeccable, anticipatory service while acting as our established guests’ central property point of contact. This leader shall be accountable for overseeing the front desk, emerald connect, and enhancing the overall guest journey from pre-arrival to making a lasting impression post-departure by offering exceptional personalized service and “Enabling Uplifting Experiences.” This will ensure seamless coordination of guest preferences by maximizing satisfaction and acting with thoughtful kindness.

A little bit about your day:

Reporting to the Director of Guest Experience, every day is different, but you will mostly:

• Promote Regent’s service philosophy and style through our people attributes.
• Conduct daily shift briefings.
• Lead and manage a team of Concierge colleagues and serve as liaison for the guest to all departments, and all VIP Services, fostering a culture of excellence and ensuring consistent delivery of exceptional guest experiences.
• Welcome guests upon arrival, providing room escorts, and a warm and friendly introduction to the hotel's services and facilities.
• Act as a personal concierge, assisting guests with reservations, booking activities, arranging transportation, and providing recommendations for local attractions, dining, and entertainment options.
• Serve as a butler for designated guests and VIPs, attending to their every need, including packing and unpacking, garment pressing, shoe shining, and ensuring their accommodation is beautifully presented and well-maintained.
• Implement processes for pre-arrival and post-stay communication with all guests.
• Accurately update the Opera and KYC system for arrivals, departures, preferences, profile notes, traces, and alerts to ensure up-to-date guest information.
• Enter all guest requests and complaints in the KYC system and follow up accordingly.
• Develop and maintain relationships with VIP guests, understanding their preferences and expectations to provide personalized and tailored services.
• Collaborate with various departments to ensure seamless coordination of guest preferences and services, including front desk operations, housekeeping, food and beverage, spa, and transportation.
• Inspect guest rooms to ensure cleanliness and preferences have been elegantly and thoughtfully arranged.
• Oversee the implementation and execution of the hotel's guest recognition program (One Rewards), ensuring it meets the highest standards and provides a unique, memorable experience for our VIP guests.
• Continuously analyze guest feedback and reviews, identifying areas of improvement and implementing strategies to enhance the overall guest experience and satisfaction scores.
• Create and maintain a comprehensive database of guests and VIPs, preferences, and historical information to facilitate proactive guest engagement and personalized offerings.
• Ensure a high level of accuracy and attention to detail when managing guest preferences and maintaining guest history records.
• Stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices related to guest experience and VIP services, adapting strategies and practices accordingly.
• Develop and implement training programs according to Regent Santa Monica Beach standards for all colleagues to elevate service standards and foster a culture of exceeding guest expectations.
• Monitor key performance indicators and track progress towards meeting guest satisfaction goals, providing regular reports and analyses to senior management.
• Manage guest complaints and resolution processes, taking ownership of guest concerns and ensuring prompt and satisfactory resolution.
• Collaborate with management to maintain service standards aligned with Forbes Five-Star Standards.

What We need from you:

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in a guest services leadership role, preferably in a luxury hotel environment.
• Bachelor's degree in hospitality management or a related field is preferred.
• Proven track record of delivering exceptional guest experiences and achieving high guest satisfaction scores.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate a diverse team.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively with guests, staff, and senior management.
• Detail-oriented with exceptional problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Proficient in guest service software and familiarity with guest satisfaction measurement systems.
• Flexibility to work irregular hours, weekends, and holidays as required.

What you can expect from us:

The hourly pay range for this role is $34.00 to $36.40 . This range is only applicable for jobs to be performed at Regent Santa Monica Beach . This is the lowest to highest pay scale we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. A colleague’s pay position within the pay range will be based on several factors including, but limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, and business or organizational needs.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or any other form of compensation that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

Join us and you’ll become part of the global IHG family – and like all families, all our individual colleagues share some winning characteristics. As a team, we work better together – we trust and support each other, we do the right thing and we welcome different perspectives. You need to show us you care, that you notice the little things that make a difference to guests as well as always looking for ways to improve.

In return, we'll give you a competitive financial and benefits package which may include healthcare support, dental, vision, disability and life insurance support, and a matching 401k plan. Hotel discounts worldwide are available as well as access to a wide variety of discount programs and the chance to work with a great team of people. Most importantly, we'll give you the room to be yourself.

IHG is an equal opportunity employer: Minorities / Females / Veterans / Disabled.

Important information:

• The salary range listed is the lowest to highest pay scale we, in good faith, believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee’s pay position within the pay range will be based on several factors, including relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, and business or organizational needs.
• No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until it is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or other form of compensation allocable to a particular employee remain in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.
• If you require reasonable accommodation during the application process, please click here.
• IHG does not accept applications, inquiries, or unsolicited CVs/resumes from staffing or recruiting agencies. Please click here for our agency policy.