Director of Banquets

Sonesta International Hotels Corporation; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Dental & Vision Insurance

401k Matching

Paid Vacation

Parental Leave

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Educational Assistance

Hotel Discounts

Job summary

Sonesta International Hotels Corporation, based in New Orleans, seeks a Director of Banquets to lead operations across meetings, conferences, weddings, galas, social events, and large-scale functions while ensuring flawless setup, service, and guest experiences in a fast-paced hotel environment.

You will recruit, train, coach, and develop Banquet Managers and setup teams, manage budgets and labor costs, coordinate with Culinary and Catering, ensure safety and service standards, and drive

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business, Event Management, or related field preferred.
• Progressive banquet or hospitality leadership experience required.

Responsibilities

• Lead banquet operations for meetings, conferences, weddings, and large events.
• Oversee banquet service, setup, event logistics, staffing, and guest experience standards.
• Recruit, train, coach, schedule, and develop Banquet Managers, Banquet Captains, and setup teams.
• Review BEOs, timelines, room setups, and staffing plans for flawless execution.
• Coordinate with Convention Services, Catering, Culinary, and hotel leadership.
• Monitor guest satisfaction and address service recovery during events.
• Manage labor costs, staffing productivity, inventory, and budgets.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, OSHA, and alcohol service rules.
• Support VIP events and high-profile conferences with strong execution.
• Maintain equipment and storage readiness across event spaces.
• Analyze KPIs and guest feedback for continuous improvement.

Skills

Banquet operations

Leadership

Event management

Staffing management

Budgeting

Guest experience

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality 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.

Anticipated Pay Range & Additional Job Information

How we reward you

At Sonesta, we know showing up for our guests starts with showing up for our people. That means supporting your health, your financial future, and everything in between.

• 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)

Our Commitment to You

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.

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.

If you are interested in a career in some of the most impressive and beautiful surroundings in the world with generous benefits and perks, we hope you’ll get in touch with us.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.