Director of Front Office

SkyBridge Luxury; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

SkyBridge Luxury is seeking a polished Director of Front Office to lead the guest arrival experience and drive exceptional service in a luxury boutique hotel. This hands-on, senior leadership role oversees a 35-person Front Office and Guest Services team, and partners across Housekeeping, Engineering, Reservations, Concierge, and other departments.

The ideal candidate brings fluency in English and Spanish, a track record in luxury hotel operations, and a deep understanding of Forbes Travel Guide

Qualifications

• Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish is required.
• Minimum 3–5 years of progressive hotel management experience.
• Experience leading a Front Office or Rooms operation in a luxury or upper-upscale hotel.
• Strong working knowledge of Forbes Travel Guide standards and luxury QA programs.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in hospitality leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, develop, and inspire approximately 35 Front Office and Guest Services team members.
• Maintain a highly visible presence during peak arrival and departure periods.
• Champion a luxury service culture focused on anticipation and personalization.
• Drive Forbes Travel Guide service standards through leadership, coaching, and training.
• Develop departmental training programs and pre-shift meetings reinforcing standards and priorities.
• Oversee arrival and departure experiences, ensuring polished, warm, and personalized interactions.
• Collaborate with Housekeeping and Engineering on the Perfect Room Program and room readiness.
• Identify recurring room-condition issues and establish follow-up actions.
• Maintain cross-department communication to ensure guest satisfaction.
• Lead service recovery efforts and engage with guests on higher-level issues.
• Monitor guest feedback, service scores, and operational trends for improvement.
• Manage scheduling, payroll, labor productivity, and departmental expenses.

Skills

Bilingual English-Spanish

Front Office leadership

Guest services excellence

Forbes Travel Guide standards

P&L budgeting

Staff development and coaching

Opera, HotSOS, PMS

Communication & problem-solving

Team collaboration

Emergency leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality or related field

Tools

Opera

HotSOS

Microsoft Office

BirchStreet

Job description

SkyBridge Luxury is conducting a confidential search for an accomplished Director of Front Office for a luxury boutique hotel.

This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership position overseeing approximately 35 team members across the Front Office and Guest Services operation. The ideal candidate is a confident luxury hotel leader who is equally comfortable setting expectations, developing leaders, managing financial performance, and stepping directly into the operation during peak arrival and departure periods.

The property operates in a non-union environment and places significant emphasis on personalized service, operational consistency, attention to detail, and luxury service standards.

Fluency in both English and Spanish is required.

Position Overview

The Director of Front Office will lead the day-to-day Front Office and guest arrival experience while developing a highly engaged, service-driven team.

This individual will oversee the complete guest journey from pre-arrival through departure, ensuring that Front Office operations consistently reflect the standards expected within a luxury hotel environment.

The Director will also work closely with Housekeeping, Engineering, Reservations, Concierge, and other operational departments to strengthen room readiness, service recovery, communication, and overall guest satisfaction.

A strong understanding of Forbes Travel Guide standards and experience supporting a structured Perfect Room Program are important components of the position.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, develop, and inspire approximately 35 Front Office and Guest Services team members, including department leadership and line-level associates.
• Maintain a highly visible presence throughout the operation, particularly during peak arrival, departure, and high-occupancy periods.
• Champion a luxury service culture focused on anticipation, personalization, recognition, and thoughtful guest engagement.
• Drive consistent execution of Forbes Travel Guide service standards through daily leadership, observation, coaching, pre-shifts, training, and accountability.
• Create engaging departmental training programs and pre-shift meetings that reinforce service standards, hotel priorities, guest intelligence, and operational expectations.
• Oversee the complete arrival and departure experience, ensuring every interaction is polished, efficient, warm, and personalized.
• Partner closely with Housekeeping and Engineering on the hotel's Perfect Room Program, ensuring guest rooms are thoroughly inspected, deficiencies are identified and resolved, and rooms consistently meet luxury presentation and maintenance standards.
• Work collaboratively with Engineering and operational leadership to identify recurring room-condition issues and establish appropriate follow-up and accountability.
• Maintain strong communication between the Front Office, Housekeeping, Engineering, Reservations, Concierge, and other guest-facing departments.
• Lead service recovery efforts and personally engage with guests when situations require senior leadership involvement.
• Monitor guest feedback, service scores, operational trends, and quality-assurance results to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Manage scheduling, payroll, labor productivity, departmental expenses, and staffing levels in accordance with business demand.
• Review daily operational, financial, and labor reports and adjust the operation as necessary to achieve established goals.
• Participate in monthly financial reviews and understand departmental P&L performance, forecasting, budgeting, and flow-through.
• Recruit, onboard, train, coach, counsel, and develop Front Office team members while building a strong internal leadership pipeline.
• Ensure compliance with hotel policies, Human Resources procedures, life-safety standards, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Serve as a confident operational leader during emergency situations and other circumstances requiring senior management presence.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be a polished but highly approachable leader who understands that luxury hospitality leadership happens on the floor, with the team and in front of the guest.

Candidates should bring:

• Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish – required
• Minimum 3–5 years of progressive hotel management experience
• Previous leadership experience within a luxury or upper-upscale hotel environment
• Experience leading a sizeable Front Office or Rooms operation
• Strong working knowledge of Forbes Travel Guide standards
• Experience with luxury quality-assurance programs, room inspections, or a formal Perfect Room Program
• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with Engineering and Housekeeping on room condition, preventative maintenance, and room-readiness initiatives
• A confident, hands-on leadership style with the ability to hold teams accountable while maintaining strong engagement
• Strong understanding of Front Office financial performance, labor management, budgeting, forecasting, and departmental P&L
• Proven ability to coach and develop both managers and line-level team members
• Exceptional communication, organization, problem-solving, and guest-recovery skills
• Strong working knowledge of hotel technology and property-management systems; experience with Opera, HotSOS, Microsoft Office, and related hotel systems preferred
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant hospitality leadership experience
• Experience with BirchStreet is a plus.

Leadership Style

This opportunity is best suited for a leader who is:

Visible. Confident. Detail-oriented. Accountable. Guest-focused.

The Director of Front Office should be comfortable setting a high standard while remaining actively engaged in the daily operation. The hotel is seeking someone who can develop the team, elevate service execution, identify operational gaps, and work collaboratively across departments to create a consistently exceptional guest experience.

Compensation

Final compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and overall alignment with the position.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

The employer is an Equal Opportunity Employer and maintains a drug-free workplace.