Guest Services Associate, The Mara Hotel

Neara; Laguna Beach (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hourly rate ($25-26)

Paid Time Off

Insurance (medical, dental, vision, or

Complimentary stays

Fitness Reimbursement

Mileage Reimbursement

Job summary

AvantStay, a luxury hospitality brand delivering unique stays for group travelers, seeks a Guest Services Associate to join our Laguna Beach team. You’ll be the first point of contact for guests, handling check-in/out, concierge requests, and coordinating with housekeeping and maintenance to ensure a flawless stay.

The role requires flexibility, weekend/evening shifts, and a proactive, customer-centric attitude.

Qualifications

• Guest-first attitude toward hospitality and great first impression.
• Broad range of technology experience including property management systems.
• Excellent communication skills with a broad range of stakeholders.
• Comfort working in a startup environment with empowerment to improve guest experience.
• Positive attitude, self-starter mentality, team-orientated and independent.
• Desire to learn about short-term rentals and housekeeping.

Responsibilities

• Greet guests upon arrival and assist with check-in/check-out processes.
• Respond promptly and professionally to guest requests and concerns.
• Provide concierge services, including local recommendations and reservations.
• Manage and prioritize guest issues to ensure satisfaction.
• Assist with luggage storage and other guest services as needed.
• Coordinate with housekeeping to ensure room readiness for arrivals.
• Troubleshoot minor maintenance and technology issues (TV, Wi-Fi, locks).
• Act as a local expert sharing insights about the area to enhance the guest experience.
• Ensure seamless communication with management, housekeeping, and maintenance teams.

Skills

Guest-first attitude

Tech-savvy

Excellent communication

Startup environment

Independent and team player

Tools

Property management systems

Mobile check-in apps

Job description

Who we are...

AvantStay delivers exceptional, unique stays for group travelers. The company has built a tech-enabled millennial hospitality brand to be the new standard for group experience. We are venture funded and growing rapidly in the explosive $100+ billion dollar STR industry.

What we are looking for...

We are seeking a Guest Services Associate who can work our daytime and evening shifts (7am-3pm and 3-11pm). Weekend availability is required.

TheGuest Services Associate is the first point of contact for guests at AvantStay’s luxury hotels. This role is ideal for individuals who enjoy a dynamic work environment and are passionate about delivering exceptional guest service. The Guest Services Associate is responsible for ensuring guests have an outstanding experience from check-in to check-out, offering personalized assistance and resolving any issues or requests. This position supports the front desk and concierge services, working directly with guests and coordinating with other hotel teams to ensure smooth operations.

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, customer-focused, and proactive in addressing guest needs. This role requires flexibility, as the Guest Services Associate will often take the lead on weekends and after hours to manage guest needs, property requests, and minor maintenance tasks.

Must reside within a short drive of the Laguna Beach area.

What you’ll do...

You will be responsible for the following duties and responsibilities, which may not be an exhaustive list:

• Greet guests upon arrival and assist with check-in/check-out processes.

• Respond promptly and professionally to guest requests, inquiries, and concerns.

• Provide concierge services, including offering local recommendations, booking reservations, and assisting with special requests (transportation, activities, etc.).

• Manage and prioritize guest issues, including resolving complaints and ensuring guest satisfaction.

• Assist with luggage storage and other guest services as needed.

• Coordinate with housekeeping to ensure room readiness and availability for arriving guests.

• Troubleshoot and resolve minor maintenance and technology issues (e.g., TV functionality, Wi‑Fi, lock issues, etc.).

• Act as a local expert, sharing insights and recommendations about the area to enhance the guest experience.

• Ensure seamless communication with hotel management, housekeeping, and maintenance teams to provide optimal guest service.

• Assist in ensuring the property is well‑maintained and presents a welcoming environment for guests.

• Manage property cases ensuring all work orders are completed.

Requirements

• “Guest First” attitude towards hospitality including an insatiable need to create great experiences, an impactful first impression.

• Broad range of technology experience including different property management systems.

• Excellent communication skills - ability to communicate with a broad range of stakeholders.

• Comfort working in a startup environment with empowerment to make decisions that enhance the guest experience.

• A positive attitude, self‑starter mentality, and the ability to work effectively both in a team environment as well as independently.

• Desire to become deeply knowledgeable about a varied group of subjects pertaining to short term rentals and housekeeping.

• Strong analytical, strategic, and collaborative skills.

• Comfortable working in a very fast‑paced environment.

• A perfectionist, attentive to all the details.

• Focused, hard‑working and willing to do what it takes for us to reach the next stage.

• Experience in real estate, hospitality and/or tech is a plus.

• Ability to understand and convey both business issues and technical concepts.

• Capable of quickly learning new software systems.

• Strong communication skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks at once.

• A customer‑centric attitude with a passion for delivering exceptional service.

• Ability to work independently, problem‑solve, and handle guest issues effectively.

• Must be US based and willing to work some weekends and some evenings full time.

Benefits

• The role has an hourly rate of $25-26, dependent on your skills and experience

• Paid Time Off

• Company-sponsored insurance (medical, dental, vision, life, etc.)

• Complimentary and discount stays at AvantStay properties

• Fitness Reimbursement

• Mileage Reimbursement

When you join AvantStay

You’ll be doing work that matters alongside an experienced and dynamic team, transforming the way people travel and vacation. Your place within the colossal travel and real estate industries will leave you with a wealth of opportunities to feel both challenged to innovate and rewarded for your efforts. Of course, we will offer you pay and benefits, but we’re about more than that. AvantStay is a place where you can craft your own path to greatness. Whether you think in code, words, pictures or numbers, find your future at AvantStay.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer- and celebrate our employees' differences, including race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, and Veteran status. Different makes us better.

No soliciting from staffing agencies. Thank you!