Director of Banquets

Sonesta Hotels International Corporation; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan with Company M

Paid Vacation & Sick Time

Paid Parental Leave

Company-Paid Life Insurance

Company-Paid Short-Term & Long-Term{D

Disability Insurance

Hotel Discounts

Educational Assistance

Job summary

Sonesta International Hotels in New Orleans seeks a Director of Banquets to lead banquet operations across meetings, conferences, weddings, and large events. You will ensure flawless setup, service, and guest experiences from start to finish, while partnering with Convention Services, Culinary, Catering, and hotel leadership to deliver exceptional results.

The role emphasizes operational leadership, staff development, and financial performance in a fast-paced hospitality environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred in hospitality or related field.
• Progressive banquet/event leadership experience is advantageous.
• Strong knowledge of banquet operations, staffing, and service standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead banquet operations for meetings, conferences, weddings, and large events.
• Oversee banquet service, setup, staffing, and guest experience standards.
• Recruit, train, and develop Banquet Managers and setup teams.
• Review BEOs, timelines, room setups, and staffing plans for flawless execution.
• Collaborate with Convention Services, Catering, Culinary, and hotel leadership.
• Monitor guest satisfaction and manage service recovery during events.
• Control labor costs, budgets, and inventory for banquet operations.
• Ensure food safety, sanitation, and responsible alcohol service compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Guest experience

Budget management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business, Event Management, or related field

Job description

We're People People. Are you?

We're Sonesta International Hotels-the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S. (and growing fast ).

With a dynamic mix of full-service and focused hotels across major cities, our diverse portfolio of owned, managed, and franchised properties means we're everywhere our guests need us to be.

But here's the thing-we're not just in the business of hotels, we're in the business of people. We bring service with passion, loyalty with purpose, and create experiences that genuinely connect-delivering quality, value, and memorable stays across 1,000+ properties in eight countries (and counting).

What this role is all about

At Sonesta, unforgettable events are powered by exceptional service, seamless execution, and teams that know how to bring hospitality to life at every level. As the Director of Banquets, you'll lead banquet operations across meetings, conferences, weddings, galas, social events, and large-scale functions while ensuring every experience is delivered flawlessly from setup to final service.

This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced hospitality environment and enjoys balancing operational leadership, event execution, guest experience, team development, and financial performance. You'll oversee banquet service, setup operations, staffing, event logistics, and operational strategy while partnering closely with Convention Services, Culinary, Catering, Food & Beverage, and hotel leadership teams to deliver memorable guest experiences and strong business results.

If you're organized, service-driven, and passionate about hospitality leadership and events - we'd love to meet you.

What you'll be doing

• Lead all banquet operations for meetings, conferences, weddings, corporate events, social functions, and catered events across the hotel.
• Oversee banquet service, banquet setup, event logistics, staffing, operational execution, and guest experience standards throughout all functions.
• Recruit, train, coach, schedule, and develop Banquet Managers, Banquet Captains, Banquet Servers, and setup teams to support operational excellence and employee engagement.
• Review banquet event orders (BEOs), event timelines, room setups, staffing plans, and operational details to ensure flawless event execution.
• Partner closely with Convention Services, Catering, Culinary, Stewarding, Food & Beverage, and hotel leadership teams to coordinate seamless event operations.
• Monitor guest satisfaction and respond quickly and professionally to operational challenges, service recovery situations, and client requests during events.
• Manage banquet labor costs, staffing productivity, inventory levels, operational supplies, departmental budgets, and banquet financial performance.
• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, sanitation standards, responsible alcohol service guidelines, OSHA requirements, and hotel operational procedures.
• Support VIP events, high-profile functions, large-scale conferences, weddings, and complex banquet operations with a strong focus on execution and guest experience.
• Maintain banquet equipment, storage organization, operational readiness, and presentation standards across all event spaces and back-of-house banquet operations.
• Analyze banquet operations, guest feedback, operational KPIs, and service trends to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Help foster a collaborative, energetic, and guest-focused culture aligned with Sonesta's People People philosophy.
• Any other duties as assigned.

What great looks like

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business, Event Management, or related field preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive banquet, catering, Food & Beverage, hotel, or hospitality leadership experience preferred.
• Previous Director of Banquets, Banquet Manager, Assistant Director of Banquets, or large-scale event operations leadership experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of banquet operations, event execution, staffing management, banquet setup, food & beverage service, and hospitality guest experience standards.
• Experience managing banquet labor costs, operational budgets, staffing plans, inventory control, and event logistics.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to multitask and thrive in a high-volume hospitality and events environment.
• Knowledge of food safety regulations, sanitation standards, OSHA requirements, and responsible alcohol service practices preferred.
• Ability to lead operational teams effectively during high-volume events, operational changes, and service recovery situations.
• Flexible availability including mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and late-night event support as needed.
• A passion for hospitality, leadership, teamwork, operational excellence, and creating unforgettable event experiences.

How we reward you

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with Company Match
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match
• Paid Vacation & Sick Time
• Paid Parental Leave
• Company-Paid Life Insurance
• Company-Paid Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness & Accident Insurance
• Educational Assistance
• Sonesta Hotel Discounts (yes, you'll want to use these)
• Additional Perks & Employee Discounts

Sonesta is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.