Assistant Front Office Manager

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.

Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay

The Assistant Front Office Manager is responsible for ensuring the operation of Guest Services, Concierge and Uniformed Services in an attentive, friendly, efficient and courteous manner, providing all guests with quality service while maximizing room revenue and productivity, and developing managers and employees with the Director of Rooms.

Fundamental Requirements:

• Employees must, always, 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.
• Assist in motivating, coaching, counseling, and disciplining all Front Office personnel according to hotel standards.
• Assist in conducting all Front Office interviews and follow hiring procedures according to SOP's. Actively support Human Resources with recruiting efforts. Ensure that all front office managers are in compliance with the standards in their interviewing and hiring procedures.
• Develop employee morale and ensure training of Front Office personnel.
• Determine the focus of the week for the daily briefings by Monday and ensure that they are done every day by the front office managers to the entire department to include guest service agents, bell, valet, door, and PBX.
• 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 all service standards are taught to the staff with appropriate sign off to ensure accountability. Monitor all service from all positions to ensure compliance and also assign roleplaying of service standards to Front office managers to complete monthly with the team and follow up to ensure completion and sign off.
• Tour Front Office operating departments daily, greeting employees and soliciting feedback.
• Ensure compliance to Standard of the Week training, using the steps to effective training according to Highgate Hotel standards.
• Review rate variance, credit report, daily house counts, and allowance reports to ensure compliance of all Highgate financial SOPs for accounting/front office.
• Monitor and support the corporate Guest Recognition Program.
• Do the weekly inventory of items used for the front office operations such as luggage tags, keys, paper and key packets to ensure that we do not run low or out. Work with the Director of Front office in ordering supplies to ensure budget control. Train in utilization of the checkbook accounting for Highgate and complete in the absence of the Director of Front office.
• Conduct walk-throughs of public areas and guestrooms to ensure that cleanliness and maintenance standards are met.
• Assist in conducting weekly Front Office meetings with managers, including a monthly financial review.
• Assist in Front Office performance reviews according to SOP and ensure that managers are in compliance with the standards in their administration of performance reviews to their employees.
• Complete weekly schedules and monitor labor expenses through schedule approval process and ensure budgeted productivity by reviewing 14 day forecast and daily labor report.
• Assist Director of Rooms with payroll processing and ADP management.
• Participate in required M.O.D. program as scheduled.
• Assist in writing and implementing SOPs for all duties of the front office operation such as check in and check out. These will develop a manual for training all new employees. The assistant director will be responsible for meeting with new trainees once a week and do a progress report on their training to the Director and Human Resources.
• Operate all aspects of the Front Office computer system, including software maintenance, report generation and analysis, and simple programming.
• Maintain guest experience, assisting front desk when extra coverage is needed for check ins and check outs.
• Monitor proper operation of the P.B.X. console and ensure that employees maintain S.O.P.'s in its use.
• Carry a hotel radio at all times. Operate radios efficiently and professionally in communicating with hotel staff.
• Coordinate and execute all aspects of the ongoing implementation of the Highgate Hotel philosophy of service.
• Be knowledgeable of the current corporate marketing programs and the standards and procedures for each. Ensure that staff is knowledgeable in understanding and implementing corporate programs.
• Oversee Guest Facilitation Manager to monitor all V.I.P.'s, special guests, and requests.
• Ensure overall guest satisfaction.
• Involvement in the Lobby Ambassador coverage.
• Ensure that Daily MOD checklist is completed thoroughly and accurately.
• Monitor and follow up on all Medallia and online review comments related to front office.
• Actively share reviews and Medallia scores with the Front Office team to create a culture of excellent service.
• Ensure overall associate satisfaction which will include weekly review of the AOS plan and progress with the Director of Rooms. The Assistant Director will also be responsible for updating the AOS board weekly and conducting monthly AOS committee meetings.

General Requirements:

• 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 assist in prioritizing 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 as directed by the Director of Front Office Operations.
• 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, including 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.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.
• Always maintain a warm and friendly demeanor.
• Must have valid TB Clearance from State of Hawaii.

Physical requirements:

• Long hours sometimes required.
• Medium work - Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.

Education & Experience:

• At least 4 years of progressive experience in a hotel or a related field; or a 4-year college degree and at least 2 years of related experience; or a 2-year college degree and 2 or more years of related experience.
• Previous management experience required.
• Must be proficient in Windows, Company approved spreadsheets and word processing.

Salary Range ($60,000/year - $62,000/year)