Assistant Head of Reservations

Dakota Hotels; Manchester; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Special discounts on stays and dining

Referral bonuses

Extra holiday day on anniversary

Meals on duty

Dakota uniforming

Employee assistance programme

Mental Health Champions

Flexible working options

Job summary

Dakota Hotels in Manchester City Centre seeks an experienced reservations professional to join as Assistant Head of Reservations. You will lead a multi-site team, maximise revenue opportunities, and ensure exceptional guest service.

Reporting to the Head of Reservations, you will oversee enquiries, train staff in Shiji PMS, manage third-party relationships, and resolve complex booking issues to protect the Dakota brand.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years in hotel reservations supervisory/leadership role, multi-site or centralised environment preferred.
• Strong problem-solving to handle complex guest issues.
• Genuine passion for guest experiences and Dakota standards.
• Proactive, detail-oriented, and accuracy-focused.
• Excellent communication to lead and motivate a team.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all reservation activity from direct enquiries to third-party platforms with accuracy and personalised guest options.
• Lead and coach Reservations team to exceed targets and service standards.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of packages and promotions to upsell guest experiences.
• Collaborate with on-property teams to recognise repeat guests and ensure seamless service.
• Oversee training (Shiji PMS) and processes to maintain confidence and accuracy.

Skills

Reservations leadership

Guest service orientation

Team coaching

Communication

Tools

Shiji PMS

Job description

Dakota Hotel based inManchester City Centreare seeking an experienced reservations professional to join our team as Assistant Head of Reservations. This is an opportunity for someone with a strong eye for detail, a passion for delivering exceptional service, and a drive to maximise every guest booking opportunity.

PRIMARY ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

We are looking for a highly organised and detail-driven individual to lead our multi site reservations team, ensuring every booking is handled with accuracy, every opportunity to maximise revenue is realised, and every guest receives exceptional service. Reporting to the Head of Reservations, you will:

• Oversee all reservation activity from direct enquiries to third-party platforms, ensuring accuracy, seamless coordination, and the fulfilment of each guest’s individual preferences.
• Support the Head of Reservations in leading and coaching the Reservations team to exceed performance targets and service standards.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of all packages and promotions, tailoring guest experiences and driving upsell opportunities.
• Build strong working relationships with on-property teams to ensure seamless service and recognition of repeat guests.
• Oversee system training (Shiji PMS) and operational processes to maintain team confidence and accuracy.
• Manage third-party supplier relationships, including commission reconciliations and timely payments.
• Resolve complex booking issues with professionalism and urgency, protecting brand reputation.

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

The successful applicant will have/be:

• A minimum of two years’ experience in a hotel reservations supervisory or leadership role, ideally within a multi-site or centralised reservations environment.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage complex guest issues and elevate appropriately.
• A genuine passion for delivering exceptional guest experiences and upholding the high standards of the Dakota brand.
• A proactive and solution-focused approach, with a keen eye for detail and accuracy.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to lead, coach, and motivate a team.
• Strong administrative and organisational skills, capable of working at pace while prioritising effectively.
• Fully computer literate and a fast learner of systems. Previous PMS experience is required, with Shiji experience favoured.
• A proactive and solution-focused approach, with a keen eye for detail and accuracy.
• An enthusiastic individual who will promote our culture of positivity.
• Be task oriented with a great pride for the work they do and attention to detail.
• Flexible with shift patterns and available around the needs of our business.
• Successful candidates must demonstrate having researched our brand and a genuine desire to be part of our team.

WHAT WE OFFER

In addition to being part of a culture infused with positivity and opportunity for ongoing development, tangible benefits you could enjoy when you join our team include:

FINANCIAL

• Special discounts on stays and dining at any Dakota
• Bonuses to recommend a friend to join our team and every time you are mentioned on Trip Advisor
• Additional holiday day on the first anniversary of your employment
• Meals on duty and uniforming

WELLBEING

• Access to our Employee Assistance Program which includes free private mental health support and counselling sessions, video GP consultations and private prescription services, as well as access to daily rewards to be cashed out for shopping vouchers
• Support from our inhouse Mental Health Champions
• Family-friendly flexible working options
• Participation in meaningful initiatives such as Macmillan Cancer Support Coffee Morning and the Walk for Wellbeing, Supporting causes that matter while connecting with colleagues

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

• Accredited, certified compliance training given on employment
• Access to a suite of external, certified resources via our Learning Management System
• Supportive continuous professional development culture with an annual appraisal and objectives, or a Personal Development Plan
• Opportunities to undertake both internal and external training courses, including potential for in-house Apprenticeships

Full terms on our benefits can be found in our Handbook.

ABOUT DAKOTA HOTELS

Dakota is a growing UK-based lifestyle brand, known for our stylish hotels, bustling brasserieGrillsand upscale cocktail Bars. Dakota’s story started with two boutique hotels on the outskirts of Edinburgh, in South Queensferry, and Glasgow, in Eurocentral. We have now expanded into prime city centre locations in Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, andNewcastlewith morein our pipeline.

Dakota is synonymous for delivering attentive and genuine guest service. We attract hard-working individuals who are passionate about working to the highest standards and have been voted within The Caterer’s Top 15 Best Employers in Hospitality for the last five years in a row. We were also featured within the Top 10 employers in the 2024 Sunday Times Best Places to Work in the UK, as well as being awarded the Spotlight Award for Best Places to Work for LGBTQIA+ employees.

As recent winners of The Cateys ‘People Team of the Year’,we have award-winning internal training programmes within Dakota Academy fostering continuous development and ongoing training. As a result, over 75% of our leaders have been promoted internally and, for four consecutive years, a member of our team has won a prestigious Acorn Award awarded by The Caterer to the ‘Top 30 under 30’ in the industry,demonstratingour success in developing talent.