Reservations Excellence Director

Mandarin Oriental; Camden Town; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading luxury hospitality group is seeking a Reservations Excellence Director to enhance the culture and capability of its reservations function. You'll drive strategic leadership initiatives, oversee operational performance, and spearhead cross-functional collaborations to ensure service excellence. The role requires a minimum of 10 years' experience in channel distribution or revenue management, aimed at delivering an outstanding guest experience. This position is based in Camden Town, London.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in channel distribution or revenue management in luxury hospitality.
• Ability to lead large-scale change across global teams.
• Strong understanding of luxury guest expectations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Reservations culture, capability, and consistency across the Group.
• Develop a strategy for the Property Direct channel.
• Monitor KPIs for channel performance and improvement.

Skills

Channel distribution experience

Revenue management expertise

Project management skills

Stakeholder engagement

Tools

Digital tools

AI-driven solutions

Job description

Mandarin Oriental is looking for a Reservations Excellence Director to join our Group Reservations team. Are you a master of craft? Do you thrive in a team that succeeds together, demonstrating integrity and respect while acting responsibly? Do you embrace a growth mindset? We invite you to become a fan of the exceptional. Mandarin Oriental is the award‑winning owner and operator of some of the most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences located in prime destinations around the world, with a strong development pipeline. Increasingly recognised for creating some of the world’s most sought‑after properties, the Group provides legendary service inspired by Asian heritage while representing the cutting‑edge of luxury experiences.

About the job: Based at the Mandarin Oriental Corporate Office within the Group Reservations Department in Holborn London, the Reservations Excellence Director will serve as the single point of accountability for shaping the culture, capability and consistency of the Reservations function across the Group. This includes leading the upskilling of teams, embedding standard structures, and setting clear expectations for service excellence and commercial discipline across both corporate and property levels.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Act as the central point of contact for Reservations globally, responsible for setting the tone and expectations for culture, behaviours and structures across corporate and property teams.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for the Property Direct channel, ensuring alignment with the company’s global distribution and commercial goals.
• Define, standardise and embed best practices, ensuring consistent delivery of legendary service and commercial rigour.
• Oversee the design and rollout of training, onboarding and continuous learning programmes, ensuring teams are consistently upskilled and equipped to succeed.
• Champion a culture of accountability, collaboration and excellence in both guest engagement and commercial outcomes.
• Define and monitor KPIs to measure the channel’s performance, identifying opportunities for improvement and innovation.
• Define and implement governance mechanisms to ensure consistent adherence to guidance, best practices and performance standards across the portfolio.

Operational Oversight

• Oversee the development of foundational technological systems and dashboards to track key property direct and reservations performance metrics (e.g., contact volumes, response times, conversion rates, upselling rates).
• Set clear performance targets and monitor progress, leveraging feedback from properties and guests to continuously improve upon existing tools and processes.

Cross‑functional Collaboration

• Work closely with corporate teams (e.g., Digital, Sales, IT, Revenue Management) to ensure the Property Direct channel is fully integrated into the company’s broader commercial strategy.
• Partner with property teams to ensure the effective deployment of tools and strategies, providing training and support as needed.

Governance and Best Practices

• Establish and maintain governance mechanisms to ensure the consistent execution of Property Direct strategies across the portfolio.
• Identify and scale best practices across properties, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in channel distribution, revenue management or commercial strategy within the luxury hospitality sector.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large‑scale change initiatives across global teams, with a passion for innovation and guest‑centric excellence.
• Proven track record of driving channel performance and implementing continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong project‑management and stakeholder‑engagement skills, with experience working in a matrixed organisation.
• Deep understanding of luxury guest expectations and the ability to align channel strategies with brand standards.
• Experience with digital tools, AI‑driven solutions and platforms relevant to the Property Direct channel.