Hotel Openings Manager

Mitchells & Butlers PLC; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Massive staff discounts across all our

Company Car or Car Allowance

Private Medical Scheme

Pension

26 days holiday + shares program

Job summary

Innkeeper's Collection is seeking an experienced Hotel Openings Manager to lead new openings, conversions and refurbishments across the UK. You’ll own the operational mobilisation and opening journey, ensuring every project launches to plan and delivers exceptional guest experiences from day one.

This 12-month fixed-term role requires strong hotel operations expertise, superb planning, coaching and stakeholder management, plus the ability to travel and work across sites.

Qualifications

• Significant hotel operations experience.
• Strong planning, organisation and project management skills.
• Experience supporting hotel openings, conversions or mobilisation projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead hotel openings from concept to launch, owning the operational mobilisation and opening journey.
• Coordinate opening plans, milestones and critical paths across Property, Brand, Operations, Openings and central teams.
• Identify and manage risks that could affect opening dates, guest experience, people readiness or commercial performance.
• Provide clear updates and recommendations to stakeholders throughout each project.
• Support acquisitions, conversions, refurbishments and investment projects through to opening.
• Build high-performing opening teams with recruitment partners and training programmes.
• Oversee readiness reviews, opening assessments and handover to BAU operations.

Job description

Innkeeper's Collection

At Innkeeper's Collection, we’re growing our hotel estate and creating great stays for our guests across the UK. As our Hotel Openings Manager, you'll play a pivotal role in bringing new hotels to life, ensuring every opening is ready to deliver brilliant guest experiences and strong commercial performance from day one.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced hotel operator who loves variety, thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys making things happen. From acquisitions and conversions to remodels and brand-new openings, you'll be at the heart of every project, working alongside operational leaders and support teams to turn plans into successful, guest-ready hotels.

This opportunity is available on a 12 month fixed term basis.

What You'll Be Doing

Leading hotel openings from concept to launch

You’ll take ownership of the operational mobilisation and opening journey for allocated hotels, ensuring every project is fully prepared for a successful launch.

This Includes

• Managing the operational opening plan and critical path from mobilisation through to stabilisation
• Working closely with Property, Brand, Operations, Openings and central support teams to ensure key milestones are achieved
• Identifying and managing risks that could impact opening dates, guest experience, people readiness or commercial performance
• Providing clear updates and recommendations to stakeholders throughout each project
• Supporting acquisitions, conversions, refurbishments and investment projects through to opening

Building high-performing opening teams

People are at the heart of every successful hotel opening.

You’ll

• Partner with Regional Business Managers, General Managers and Recruitment teams to deliver effective hiring plans
• Ensure leadership teams are in place and set up for success
• Coordinate training programmes and support operational readiness
• Help General Managers prepare their teams, systems and processes ahead of launch
• Make sure hotels have the right equipment, stock and operational foundations in place before opening

Supporting opening, launch and stabilisation

You’ll be there when it matters most, helping hotels transition from project to operation.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Conducting operational readiness reviews and opening assessments
• Ensuring hotels are ready for team training and guest opening
• Working with project teams to resolve critical defects and snagging issues
• Supporting teams during mobilisation and opening periods
• Monitoring early guest feedback and operational performance
• Delivering coaching, training and interventions where required
• Leading the handover into business-as-usual operations once success criteria have been achieved

Supporting excellence across our existing estate

When not actively supporting a hotel opening, you'll work alongside our Brand Standards team to help maintain and improve standards across the Innkeeper's Collection estate.

This Will Involve

• Conducting operational and brand standards audits
• Coaching General Managers and hotel teams to improve performance
• Supporting action plans and performance interventions
• Identifying opportunities to enhance guest experience and operational effectiveness
• Helping implement new standards, initiatives and best practices across the business

What’s in it for me?

You’ll be well rewarded…

• Love eatingout?You'll love it even more with a massive 33% discount across all our brands, so whether its date night at Miller & Carter or family roast at Toby Carvery we’ve got you covered.What’s more, you can also chooseFIVEof your nearest and dearest and sign them up to 20% family and friend’s discount.
• Mobile working: the flexibility to work from home, the office or one of our sites
• Company Car or Car Allowance
• Private Medical Scheme

On top of all this, we offer a pension, 26 days paid holiday; friends & family discount, high-street shopping discounts; and we even give you free shares! There's also a free employee helpline- to support you with whatever life throws at you.

Why join Innkeeper's Collection?

This is an opportunity to make a visible impact on one of the UK's growing hotel brands. You'll help shape first impressions, build successful teams and ensure every new hotel opens with the standards, culture and guest focus that Innkeeper's Collection is known for.

If you're an experienced hotel operator who enjoys leading projects, developing people and delivering exceptional openings, we'd love to hear from you.

At M&B, we value the unique perspectives each person brings. Our culture of inclusion, respect and allyship helps people feel they belong and supports the teamwork behind great guest experiences.

Travel Requirements

• A full UK driving licence
• A willingness to travel extensively
• The flexibility to stay away from home when required during mobilisation and opening projects

What We’re Looking For

We're looking for someone who combines strong operational expertise with a passion for people, hospitality and continuous improvement.

You’ll Bring

• Significant hotel operations experience
• A strong understanding of guest experience and accommodation standards
• Previous experience supporting hotel openings, conversions, refurbishments or mobilisation projects (desirable)
• Excellent planning, organisation and project management skills
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Strong coaching and development capability
• Confidence to challenge constructively and influence stakeholders at all levels
• Commercial awareness and strong attention to detail
• A proactive, self-starting approach with the ability to work independently

Closing Date – Wednesday 28th October 2026, 11:59pm