Assistant Manager Hospitality

Soul Forest India; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 600,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Soul Forest India is building a nature-based hospitality destination in Telangana. We seek an Assistant Manager to shape every visitor’s experience, from pre-arrival to departure, while coordinating retreats, workshops, and events for diverse audiences.

The role requires 3+ years in hospitality operations, a passion for sustainability, and the ability to lead teams and manage multiple vendors from Veltoor, with Telugu fluency essential.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in hospitality operations, guest experience, events, experiential travel, or resort management.
• Experience in boutique resorts, eco-resorts, wellness retreats, farm stays, or nature-based destinations is preferred.
• Strong operational planning and cross-functional coordination skills.
• Experience building SOPs, managing vendors, and leading hospitality teams.
• A natural host with excellent communication and attention to detail.
• Fluency in Telugu is mandatory.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end guest journey, as the primary contact from pre-arrival to departure.
• Design and improve visitor experiences across retreats, workshops, events, and guided visits.
• Plan and oversee all stages of guest journey—from arrival to departure, including accommodation, food, wayfinding, safety.
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness, comfort, presentation, and hospitality across guest-facing spaces.
• Curate forest experiences balancing rural charm with city-sense service standards.
• Coordinate with internal teams, vendors, and service partners to deliver exceptional experiences.
• Develop SOPs, checklists, and processes to improve consistency and quality.
• Recruit, train, and guide hospitality staff, volunteers, and partners.
• Gather guest feedback and continuously improve the experience.
• Embed sustainability in everyday hospitality through sourcing, waste reduction, and responsible resource use.

Skills

Hospitality operations

Guest experience

Events management

Vendor coordination

Team leadership

Sustainability

Education

Hospitality qualification

Job description

Assistant Manager – Hospitality & Guest Experience

Employment Type: Full-Time

Experience: 3+ years

About Soul Forest

We are a business that transforms barren lands into biodiverse forests through an 80:20 model—80% nature reserve, 20% eco-sensitive living, wellness, and livelihoods. Our 250-acre pilot in Veltoor, Telangana is a living lab of restoration and regeneration. Founded by Earthshot Prize-winning climate entrepreneurs, Soul Forest aims to scale this model to 100,000 acres globally in the next decade.

At Soul Forest, hospitality is more than accommodation—it's about creating meaningful experiences that reconnect people with nature. Every guest who visits our forest should leave feeling welcomed, cared for, and inspired by the simplicity, beauty, and purpose of the place.

The Role

As Assistant Manager – Hospitality & Guest Experience, you'll help shape every visitor's experience at Soul Forest—from intimate leadership visits to events hosting 200+ guests.

You'll welcome a diverse range of visitors, including investors, partners, collaborators, employees, families, children, ecology experts, senior professionals, and older guests. Each experience should be thoughtful, seamless, and tailored to the needs of the audience while reflecting the Soul Forest story.

Where Hospitality Meets Restoration

Soul Forest is a living, evolving forest destination where restoration and hospitality come together. It isn't a resort, farm stay, or weekend getaway.

Visitors step into a landscape being restored into a thriving forest ecosystem. Every visit should reflect our purpose while delivering the comfort, warmth, and service standards today's urban guests expect.

Whether welcoming investors, partners, employees, families, children, or ecology enthusiasts, you'll create experiences that are thoughtful, seamless, and true to the Soul Forest story.

What You'll Do

• Own the end-to-end guest journey, serving as the primary point of contact from pre-arrival coordination to departure.
• Design and continuously improve visitor experiences across retreats, workshops, events, and guided visits.
• Plan and oversee every stage of the guest journey—from arrival and accommodation to food, wayfinding, safety, and departure.
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness, comfort, presentation, and hospitality across all guest-facing spaces.
• Curate authentic forest experiences that balance rural charm with the comfort and service standards urban guests expect.
• Coordinate seamlessly with internal teams, vendors, and service partners to deliver exceptional visitor experiences.
• Develop SOPs, checklists, and operating processes that improve consistency, efficiency, and service quality.
• Recruit, train, and guide hospitality staff, volunteers, and service partners.
• Gather guest feedback, resolve concerns proactively, and continuously improve the overall experience.
• Embed sustainability into everyday hospitality through thoughtful sourcing, waste reduction, and responsible resource use.

What Success Looks Like

Within your first year, you'll:

• Build the hospitality systems and standards needed to confidently host visits and events for 200-500 guests.
• Establish Soul Forest as a destination known for thoughtful, seamless, purpose-led hospitality.
• Become the trusted cross-functional lead who brings teams together to deliver exceptional visitor experiences.
• Create experiences that guests genuinely remember, recommend, and associate with the Soul Forest story.
• Raise the benchmark for hospitality by embedding quality, care, and sustainability into everyday operations.

Who We're Looking For

• 3+ years of experience in hospitality operations, guest experience, events, experiential travel, or resort management.
• Experience in boutique resorts, eco-resorts, wellness retreats, farm stays, or nature-based destinations is preferred.
• Strong operational planning and cross-functional coordination skills.
• Experience building SOPs, managing vendors, and leading hospitality teams.
• A natural host with excellent communication and attention to detail.
• Someone who instinctively notices what guests need before they're asked.
• Passion for sustainability and creating meaningful visitor experiences.
• Comfortable working primarily from Veltoor, including weekends when required.
• Fluency in Telugu is mandatory.
• A hospitality qualification is preferred but not essential.

This Role May Not Suit You If...

• You see hospitality only as managing rooms or guest services.
• You prefer established systems instead of building new ones.
• You enjoy interacting with guests but not the planning and coordination behind the scenes.
• You're uncomfortable managing multiple teams, vendors, and changing priorities simultaneously.
• You view sustainability as a branding exercise rather than an operational responsibility.
• You're not comfortable working primarily from Veltoor.

Why Join Soul Forest?

Build Something Unique – Help create one of India's most distinctive nature-based destinations.

Shape the Guest Experience – Design the standards, systems, and experiences visitors will remember.

Create Real Impact – Help thousands of people experience ecological restoration in a meaningful way.

Grow With Ownership – Build teams, improve systems, and take ownership of a function that will continue to scale with the organisation.