Managing Director

Aimbridge Hospitality; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 200,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Aimbridge Hospitality seeks an experienced Hotel Managing Director to lead the pre-opening and launch of the 700‑room Marriott Cincinnati Convention Center Hotel, opening January 2029, and to oversee The Westin Cincinnati renovation. This dual‑property role requires strategic operations leadership and a proven opener track record.

You will build the pre-opening organization, coordinate with owners, Marriott, and construction teams, and align brand standards to establish Cincinnati’s citywide

Qualifications

• Prior pre-opening leadership experience for a full-service or convention hotel, including budgeting, staffing, systems implementation, and brand certification.
• At least 10 years of progressive hotel leadership experience in large, complex full-service or convention hotels; Marriott experience preferred.
• Experience with convention-center-connected hotels, citywide convention networks, destination partners, and group sales strategy.
• Experience leading major capital renovations in operating hotels.
• Previous General Manager, Managing Director, or senior executive hotel leadership experience required.
• Proven success driving financial performance, market share, guest satisfaction, associate engagement, owner relations, and high-performing teams.
• Strong communication, business acumen, relationship-building, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Ability to lead two properties concurrently while balancing daily operations with disciplined pre-opening execution.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the pre-opening and opening Managing Director for the new 700-room Marriott hotel, owning the critical path through January 2029 opening and stabilization.
• Partner with ownership, Marriott, development, design, and construction teams on approvals, procurement, inspections, turnover, and readiness milestones.
• Build the pre-opening budget, operating pro forma, staffing model, executive committee, and full opening team.
• Implement operating systems, brand programs, SOPs, licensing, permits, and quality assurance requirements.
• Lead pre-opening sales, marketing, revenue strategy, food and beverage planning, and citywide convention positioning with Marriott, the convention center, and destination partners.
• Guide the transition from pre-opening to live operations, including first-90-days performance, guest satisfaction, and brand quality results.
• Lead The Westin Cincinnati’s $40 million renovation, managing phasing, capital spend, brand compliance, and communication with guests, groups, and associates.
• Oversee rooms, housekeeping, food and beverage, meetings and events, sales, revenue management, engineering, finance, and guest experience.
• Partner with property leadership on budgets, forecasts, business plans, market strategy, and performance action plans.
• Maintain high standards for service, cleanliness, presentation, preventative maintenance, and operational readiness throughout the renovation.

Skills

Pre-opening leadership

Budgeting

Staffing

Systems implementation

Brand certification

Owner relations

Financial performance

Executive leadership

Two-property leadership

Project management

Job description

Hotel Managing Director | Dual Property Leadership & Pre-Opening

The new Marriott Cincinnati Convention Center Hotel (opening January 2029) & The Westin Cincinnati — Cincinnati, Ohio

We are seeking an experienced, results-oriented Hotel Managing Director to lead the pre-opening and launch of the new 700-room Marriott Cincinnati Convention Center Hotel, scheduled to open in January 2029. This flagship convention headquarters hotel represents one of the most significant hospitality openings in the Midwest.

This dual-property role will also lead The Westin Cincinnati, a 456-room downtown hotel undergoing a $40 million renovation, while building the Marriott’s pre-opening organization and gradually shifting focus toward the new hotel opening.

The Marriott assignment includes oversight of the full pre-opening critical path, including construction coordination, budgeting, staffing, systems implementation, brand certification, licensing, and the sales strategy needed to establish the hotel as Cincinnati’s citywide convention anchor.

The ideal candidate will bring deep experience in full-service operations, new-hotel openings, major renovations, owner relations, financial performance, and Marriott brand standards, with the ability to build strong teams and stakeholder partnerships across both properties.

Role Highlights

Lead the pre-opening and launch of the new 700-room Marriott Cincinnati Convention Center Hotel while providing executive leadership for The Westin Cincinnati through a $40 million renovation. This role requires strategic oversight of operations, sales, owner relations, brand standards, financial performance, associate engagement, and long-term asset value across both hotels.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the pre-opening and opening Managing Director for the new 700-room Marriott hotel, owning the critical path through January 2029 opening and stabilization.


• Partner with ownership, Marriott, development, design, and construction teams on approvals, procurement, inspections, turnover, and readiness milestones.


• Build the pre-opening budget, operating pro forma, staffing model, executive committee, and full opening team.


• Implement operating systems, brand programs, SOPs, licensing, permits, and quality assurance requirements.


• Lead pre-opening sales, marketing, revenue strategy, food and beverage planning, and citywide convention positioning with Marriott, the convention center, and destination partners.


• Guide the transition from pre-opening to live operations, including first-90-days performance, guest satisfaction, and brand quality results.

The Westin Cincinnati — Operations & Renovation

• Lead The Westin Cincinnati’s $40 million renovation, managing phasing, capital spend, brand compliance, and communication with guests, groups, and associates.


• Oversee rooms, housekeeping, food and beverage, meetings and events, sales, revenue management, engineering, finance, and guest experience.


• Partner with property leadership on budgets, forecasts, business plans, market strategy, and performance action plans.


• Maintain high standards for service, cleanliness, presentation, preventative maintenance, and operational readiness throughout the renovation.


• Serve as the primary liaison among management, ownership, brand partners, and key community stakeholders.


• Drive revenue growth, profitability, market share, guest satisfaction, associate engagement, and disciplined expense management.


• Develop shared services, cross-property talent pipelines, and citywide group strategies that strengthen combined performance.


• Represent both hotels within Cincinnati’s convention, hospitality, and business community.


• Ensure compliance with company policies, brand standards, HR guidelines, employment laws, quality assurance requirements, and financial controls.


• Build a culture of accountability, service excellence, professionalism, collaboration, and consistent follow-through.

Required Experience

• Prior pre-opening leadership experience for a full-service or convention hotel, including budgeting, staffing, systems implementation, and brand certification.


• At least 10 years of progressive hotel leadership experience in large, complex full-service or convention hotels; Marriott experience preferred.


• Experience with convention-center-connected hotels, citywide convention networks, destination partners, and group sales strategy.


• Experience leading major capital renovations in operating hotels.


• Previous General Manager, Managing Director, or senior executive hotel leadership experience required.


• Proven success driving financial performance, market share, guest satisfaction, associate engagement, owner relations, and high-performing teams.


• Strong communication, business acumen, relationship-building, problem-solving, and project management skills.


• Ability to lead two properties concurrently while balancing daily operations with disciplined pre-opening execution.

Property Information

The new Marriott Cincinnati Convention Center Hotel will be a 700-room, full-service convention headquarters hotel connected to the new Cincinnati Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati. The project has broken ground and is scheduled to open in January 2029.

Purpose-built to anchor Cincinnati’s citywide meetings and convention business, the hotel will include large-format ballroom and breakout space, multiple food and beverage outlets, and direct convention center access. Pre-opening leadership of this asset is the central mandate of the role.

The Westin Cincinnati offers 456 rooms and suites overlooking Fountain Square, with convenient access to downtown businesses, restaurants, shops, museums, theaters, and sports venues.

The property includes dining outlets, fitness amenities, business services, and approximately 29,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. A $40 million renovation will be completed over the next 12 months.