Hospitality Operations Leader — Guest Experience Focus

Sonesta Hotels; Fort Lauderdale (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

HSA with Company Match

401(k) with Company Match

Paid Vacation

Paid Sick Time

Parental Leave

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Hospital Indemnity

Educational Assistance

Hotel Discounts

Employee Discounts

Job summary

Sonesta International Hotels in Fort Lauderdale is seeking a Director of Operations to oversee daily hotel operations across Front Office, Housekeeping, F&B, Engineering, and guest services, driving guest satisfaction and operational performance.

The role requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, and hands-on management in a fast-paced hospitality environment. Collaboration with department leaders and focus on staffing, budgeting, and KPI tracking are essential to success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business, or related field.
• 3+ years of hotel operations or hospitality leadership experience.
• Previous Hotel Manager, Assistant General Manager, Operations Manager, Rooms Division, or hospitality leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of hotel operations, guest service standards, labor management, operational reporting, and hospitality systems.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast-paced hospitality environment.
• Flexible availability including mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call operational support as needed.
• Experience using PMS systems, hotel operational software, reporting tools, and hospitality technology preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily hotel operations across Front Office, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage, Engineering, guest services, and operational departments.
• Lead and support hotel teams to deliver exceptional guest service, operational consistency, and memorable hospitality experiences.
• Partner closely with department leaders to support staffing, scheduling, onboarding, training, employee engagement, and operational performance initiatives.
• Monitor guest satisfaction, online reputation, operational KPIs, service recovery opportunities, and hotel performance metrics to drive continuous improvement.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, labor management, inventory control, operational planning, and cost management initiatives.
• Partner with Sales, Revenue Management, and Operations teams to maximize occupancy, guest satisfaction, and commercial performance.
• Respond quickly and professionally to guest concerns, operational challenges, and escalated service situations.
• Ensure compliance with hotel operational standards, brand expectations, OSHA regulations, food safety requirements, safety procedures, and company policies.
• Support VIP arrivals, group business, conferences, weddings, events, and special operational projects to ensure seamless execution.
• Conduct operational walkthroughs, inspections, and quality assurance reviews across hotel departments and guest-facing spaces.
• Maintain strong knowledge of PMS systems, operational reporting tools, hospitality technology, and hotel operational procedures.
• Help foster a welcoming, collaborative, and guest-focused culture aligned with Sonesta’s People People philosophy.
• Any other duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem-solving

Multitasking

Guest experience focus

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business, or related field

Tools

PMS systems

Hotel operational software

Reporting tools

Hospitality technology

Job description

Sonesta International Hotels in Fort Lauderdale is seeking a Director of Operations to oversee daily hotel operations across Front Office, Housekeeping, F&B, Engineering, and guest services, driving guest satisfaction and operational performance.

The role requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, and hands-on management in a fast-paced hospitality environment. Collaboration with department leaders and focus on staffing, budgeting, and KPI tracking are essential to success.