Guest Relations Manager

A Guest Relations Manager oversees the guest journey to ensure exceptional service, manages a team to achieve high standards, resolves guest concerns, and analyses guest feedback and operational data. This role requires leadership, strong communication, and a deep passion for guest satisfaction, often requiring experience in front office or operations and proficiency with property management systems like Opera. The manager is responsible for implementing guest service standards, developing staff, managing reputation, and contributing to the hotel's profitability while maintaining service quality.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develops high quality of positive relationships with all guests, peers, team members, business partners and potential clients.
• Champion for hotel online and offline reputation.
• Take ownership of guest voice though TrustYou platform. Reply to guest feedback across all platforms and channels appropriately and in timely manner. Investigate guest comments when necessary.
• Ensure the integrity of online ratings such as TripAdvisor.
• Analyze guest feedback and identify areas of improvement. Communicate with concerned department heads and drive action plans.
• Utilize all guest feedback platforms to analyze trends, eliminate issues and prevent problems.
• Review industry trends for new and innovative product and service opportunities.
• Lead the quality meeting.
• Champion for the hotel brand standards. Work with all department heads to ensure that all areas are compliant and yearly audits are passed successfully.
• Internally audit the hotel periodically.
• Champion for employee recognition program to drive further guest engagement.
• Champion for ‘Sparkle’ program. Encourages other departments to participate in delivering elevated guest experiences.
• Conduct regular meetings with associate to check on their service sequences, product knowledge and other relevant information.
• Obtain feedback from guest and employees then propose on strategies to improve the guest experience.
• Monitor the entire VIP experience.
• Ensures that the team is perfectly aware of all the offers available in the hotel and promotes them to the guests.
• Familiar with the hotel's environment and competing hotel.
• Ensures that the loyalty program is promoted and endorsed positively to drive enrolment.
• Enforces hotel policies when required.
• Spot checks on team members’ product knowledge and document any areas of improvement.
• To spot check the executive lounge periodically and engage with the guest during peak periods.
• Drives upsell and cross sell initiatives.
• Ensure that loyalty program retro claim is followed up promptly and do not exceed 1%.
• Ensures that hotel premises and equipment are always well presented and that they remain in good condition.
• Maximize revenues and effectively control cost.
• Ensure the lobby area is always compliant to the brand standards.
• Adhere to all operating standard procedures, hotel policies and brand standards.
• Supervises and manages employees. Manages all day-to-day operations. Understands employee positions well enough to perform duties in employees' absence.
• Responsible to oversee pre arrival and post departure queries.
• Ensures employees are representative of the brand. Grooming is in accordance to standard.
• Spot check on guest room randomly and make a report to ensure rooms are free of defect and fully functional.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Minimum 3 years of experience in a similar role at a 5-star hotel; local knowledge will be an advantage.
• A strong academic background with a degree in Hospitality Management or a related field.
• A good Russian speaking, and proficiency in additional languages is a plus.
• Proficiency in front office-related software, including Opera PMS, Microsoft Office applications, CRM systems, and MC software.
• Strong managerial and leadership abilities, with the capability to lead, mentor, and develop a diverse, multicultural team.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, coupled with a warm and professional demeanour to deliver outstanding guest service.

Competencies

• • Good communication and customer contact skills
• • Service oriented with an eye for details
• • Ability to work effectively and contribute in a team
• • Self-motivated and energetic
• • Must be well-presented and professionally groomed at all times
• • Understanding and ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
• • Embodies competitive spirit and skills based on Accor’s capability framework:
• o Open minded, Guest centric
• o Self-Confident, Good communication, Team player
• o Proactive and Initiative and Business Awareness and Improvement