Account Director - Leisure

The Athenaeum Hotel; Slough; On-site; GBP 55,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a passionate Account Director for the Leisure segment. This role involves driving new business opportunities, managing client relationships, and contributing to the success of multiple hotels. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in hotel sales, exceptional communication skills, and a commitment to customer service. Join a vibrant team that values creativity, ambition, and respect while making a significant impact in the hospitality sector. If you're ready for a rewarding challenge in a supportive environment, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Experience in hotel sales, particularly in the Leisure segment.
• Strong organizational and communication skills with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Proactively pursue new business opportunities in the Leisure segment.
• Develop and implement comprehensive account management plans.

Skills

Hotel Sales Experience

Organizational Skills

Customer Service

Communication Skills

Time Management

Attention to Detail

Job description

Salary £55,000 per year + discretionary bonus scheme

Location The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences

This is a Permanent, Full Time vacancy that will close in 10 days at 23:59 BST.

The Vacancy

The Hotels

Sir Richard Sutton Limited owns The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences on Piccadilly in Mayfair, London. The Francis Hotel on Queen’s Square in Bath, The Castle Hotel on High Street in Windsor and The Queen’s Hotel on The Promenade in Cheltenham.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Based in London, with travel to client premises across the UK and occasional travel beyond as well as to our hotels in Windsor, Bath and Cheltenham. The Account Director, Leisure is predominantly accountable for achieving the budget in the B2B segments, working collaboratively with the Director of Sales, Property General Managers, Marketing, Revenue, Reactive Sales and the Hotel Operational Teams.

The Account Director, Leisure proactively sources incremental new business while increasing the share of existing accounts by developing strong relationships and strategic partnerships. A key component being the servicing of those clients.

Main responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to:

• Proactively pursue new business opportunities in the Leisure and sometimes related segments.
• Qualify existing and prospective accounts to ascertain a deep understanding of the room nights and revenue potential for the 4 hotels.
• Target the most appropriate accounts for each of the 4 hotels as primary and secondary accounts, including Luxury Travel Agencies, DMC’s, Tour Operators, Host Agency Programmes, Consortia, and smaller as well as larger agencies.
• Develop and implement comprehensive account management, based on a formal plan as well as changes and new actions to adapt to the ever-changing marketplace and/or hotel circumstances.
• Host familiarisation trips, on-property show arounds, and entertainment with key bookers.
• Monitor market trends, obtain and maintain full competitor knowledge and activity, and actively seek and sustain close observation of decision-making criteria from bookers to meaningfully contribute to decisions that best position the hotels to secure revenues.
• Ensure all Sales procedures are honoured, and intellectual property is treated with value and utilised to maximise opportunities. Setup, secure and maintain systems to provide data contributing to the evaluation and decisions on programmes – ROI – Best use of resources and funds.
• Compile a monthly report on sales actions - past/current/future along with account performance, opportunities and learning alongside additional appropriate commentary.
• Enrich the overall success within the responsibilities of the Sales Team and the wider Hotel Team.

This is a real opportunity for a committed, organised, business-focused individual who is looking for a new challenge and wishes to be part of a team determined to significantly contribute to the success of hotels with tremendous opportunities.

You will demonstrate a positive can-do attitude, genuine knowledge and passion for the hospitality industry – all with a lovely, warm manner.

Minimum Requirements

Successful candidates for our Account Director, Leisure opportunity will:

• Possess previous experience within a hotel sales environment, preferably within the Leisure segment.
• Be well articulated with an excellent telephone manner, verbal and written English.
• Utilise strong organisational and time management skills, whilst being detail-oriented.
• Show a passion for customer service and ability to work under pressure, with excellent attention to detail.
• Show a high standard of personal presentation with a confident, professional, and welcoming personality.
• Be a team player who is an avid learner, adaptable and has considerable interpersonal and communication skills.
• Show sincere dedication and commitment to achievement of the company goals and be an expert in our hotels' product and services.

The Company

The Athenaeum has been family-run since the 1990s and could not be more committed to its famous five-star service. An independent spirit remains at the heart of the hotel, where it continues to welcome everyone as VIPs and to make their stay individual.

At The Athenaeum Hotel, it is our purpose to (re)create a magical haven in a frenetic world. Our values are Creative, Ambitious, Respectful, and Ethical. Every employee across the business helped to create our values, and they are at the heart of everything we do.

At The Athenaeum Hotel, we believe that work should be a place where everyone feels valued, supported, and truly belongs. We recognise the responsibility we have in shaping our employees' experience. Our vision is to create an environment where every team member feels cared for, trusted, and empowered to be themselves.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive, contribute, and feel a true sense of belonging. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and strive to make our recruitment process as accessible as possible, including making adjustments for those who need additional support. If you would like us to make any reasonable adjustments during the application process, please let us know by contacting Tom Proctor-Hudson on [e-mail] or by calling on 020 7640 3331. Join us in building a more inclusive future together.

At The Athenaeum Hotel, we recognise our responsibility to the planet and have committed to reducing our impact on it. Our dedicated team are actively working towards ESG initiatives and we hope that you can be part of our long-term sustainability journey.