Travel Specialist (Hotel Operations Background)

Pro5.ai; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Pro5.ai in Tampa, FL is seeking a Travel Specialist with a strong hotel operations background to manage hotel and travel logistics for fast-moving production teams.

You will source inventory, structure group blocks, align placements with production schedules, and coordinate with hotel leadership to navigate high-demand markets and last-minute changes.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience managing group reservations or room blocks.
• Experience handling guest escalations and service recovery.
• Experience coordinating with hotel leadership and/or sales teams.
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Source and secure hotel inventory for production teams.
• Structure and manage group room blocks.
• Monitor cut-off dates, rooming lists, and reservation changes.
• Align hotel placements with production schedules and shoot locations.
• Navigate high-demand markets and limited availability.
• Build relationships with hotel sales teams and front-office leadership.
• Negotiate competitive rates and concessions.
• Secure upgrades and special accommodations when possible.
• Maintain strong, long-term relationships with hotel partners.
• Coordinate ground transportation for crews and talent.
• Manage last-minute travel and accommodation changes.
• Resolve logistical issues quickly and professionally.
• Maintain accurate documentation and billing records.

Skills

Hotel operations

Group reservations

Vendor negotiations

Communication skills

Education

Hospitality management degree

Job description

Hospitality & Entertainment Travel | Tampa, FL

About the Company

We are a specialized travel management company supporting the entertainment and production industry.

Our team manages hotel, air, and ground travel for major music tours, film productions, television shows, and large commercial shoots across the U.S. and internationally.

We work closely with advertising agencies, production companies, entertainment organizations, production crews, talent, and creative teams to coordinate the complex travel logistics required to keep productions moving.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Travel Specialist with a strong hotel operations background to help manage hotel and travel logistics for fast-moving production teams.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who understands how hotels operate — from inventory and group room blocks to guest expectations and front-office operations — and wants to apply that experience in a broader travel and logistics environment.

Rather than managing a single property, you’ll work with multiple hotels across different cities, coordinating accommodations and logistics for production teams, crews, and talent.

What You’ll Do

• Source and secure hotel inventory for production teams.
• Structure and manage group room blocks.
• Monitor cut-off dates, rooming lists, and reservation changes.
• Align hotel placements with production schedules and shoot locations.
• Navigate high-demand markets and limited availability.
• Build relationships with hotel sales teams and front-office leadership.
• Negotiate competitive rates and concessions.
• Secure upgrades and special accommodations when possible.
• Maintain strong, long-term relationships with hotel partners.

Production Travel Logistics

• Coordinate ground transportation for crews and talent.
• Manage last-minute travel and accommodation changes.
• Resolve logistical issues quickly and professionally.
• Maintain accurate documentation and billing records.
• Coordinate across multiple moving parts to keep productions running smoothly.

What We’re Looking For

We’re particularly interested in candidates with hotel operations experience, including:

• Front Office / Front Desk
• Guest Services
• Hotel Reservations
• Front Office Supervision
• Hotel Sales
• Operations Management

Required:

• Hands-on experience managing group reservations or room blocks
• Experience handling guest escalations and service recovery
• Experience working in high-demand operational environments
• Experience coordinating with hotel leadership and/or sales teams
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills

Important:

Candidates whose experience is exclusively in food and beverage will not be the primary focus for this role.

What Will Make You Stand Out

• Hotel sales or events experience
• Experience supporting VIP clients
• Entertainment or production industry exposure
• Experience handling group contracts
• Hospitality management degree
• Experience managing complex or high-value customer requests
• A clear track record of career progression and increased responsibility

We’re especially interested in people who have grown within their careers — for example, progressing from Front Desk Agent to Supervisor or Manager, or moving from hotel operations into sales or broader management responsibilities.

Who Thrives in This Role?

You’ll do well in this role if you are:

• Calm under pressure
• Highly organized and detail-oriented
• Resourceful and proactive
• Comfortable making decisions and taking ownership
• Able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Committed to delivering a high level of service

We’re looking for someone with strong intelligence, integrity, initiative, and ownership — someone who doesn’t simply identify a problem but takes responsibility for finding a solution.

Why Join?

Get behind the scenes of major music tours, films, television productions, and commercial shoots while working in a fast-paced and growing travel environment.

This is also an opportunity for hospitality professionals who love the industry and customer service but are ready to move away from the demanding shift lifestyle of traditional hotel operations.

There are opportunities for career growth and increased responsibility for high-performing team members.

We prioritize candidates who are currently based in Tampa or willing to relocate. We are also open to considering strong candidates elsewhere in the U.S.; the working arrangement will be discussed based on location.

If you have a strong hotel operations background and are ready to take your hospitality experience into a fast-paced travel and production environment, we’d love to hear from you.