Guest Experience Manager

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 400,000 - 600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounted accommodation rates

Volunteer days

Employee Assistance Programme

Medical benefits

Meal per shift

Uniform and dry-cleaning services

Staff transport

Job summary

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection is seeking a Guest Experiences Manager for The Twelve Apostles Hotel, Cape Town. You will lead personalised guest services, manage VIP expectations, and uphold luxury standards while collaborating with Rooms Division.

Ideal candidates bring luxury hotel experience, exceptional communication, and a passion for training the team to deliver outstanding guest experiences daily.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as Guest Experiences Manager or similar role in a 5-star luxury hotel.
• Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Strong attention to detail and high standard of guest service.
• Positive attitude towards training and development; leads by example.
• Experience managing VIP guests and high-profile clients.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.

Responsibilities

• Be an ambassador by living the company mission and Top 12 service standards.
• Maintain familiarity with hotel code of conduct and employee handbook.
• Surprise and delight guests by listening and building relationships.
• Support training and development opportunities for the team.
• Be aware of health, safety, and security procedures and report risks.
• Minimise carbon footprint while maintaining service standards.
• Cover Manager on Duty shifts as required.
• Take over duty manager role when operation requires.
• Ensure guest profiles are updated in Opera.
• Support front office and sales teams for consortia events.

Skills

Exceptional communication

Attention to detail

Training & development mindset

VIP guest management

Job description

Job Summary:

We are looking for an enthusiastic Guest Experiences Manager to join our family on a full time basis. We are looking for someone with previous hotel Guest Experiences Manager experience with excellent communication skills and strong attention to detail, has a positive attitude towards training and development and enjoys delivering personalised outstanding service to our guest.

Organisational Positioning:

· Department: Rooms Division

· Reporting to: Front of House Manager

· Location: The Twelve Apostles Hotel Premises

Key Responsibilities of a Guest Experiences Manager:

To be a Red Carnation Hotel Ambassador by:

• Actively living our company mission and values and striving to deliver on our promise of “No Request too Large; No Detail too Small” at all times
• Owning and practicing our “Top 12” Service Standards every day in every interpersonal encounter whether with guests, colleagues or suppliers
• Ensuring that you are familiar with, and adhere to, the Hotel’s code of conduct as set out in the Employee handbook
• Creatively seeking opportunities to surprise and delight our guests by actively listening to them and building positive relationships and emotional connections
• Working together with your manager and team to be as effective and productive as possible by accepting constructive feedback and embracing all training and development opportunities made available to you
• Being aware of the emergency evacuation, security and fire procedures of the Hotel and to be constantly vigilant of the health, safety and security aspects; and reporting any risks to the Health and Safety Chairperson and/or Security Manager
• To actively seize opportunities to minimise our carbon footprint by reducing wastage as much as possible without compromising on guest service standards
• To be happy in your work environment, to make constructive observations to improve working conditions and maintain a culture of teamwork and guest orientated service.

To Manage the Guest experience on a day-day bases forecasting and planning to ensure each Guest experience is Unique and personalized:

• To ensure a welcoming, approachable, professional and efficient first impression of the Hotel.
• Taking ownership, responsibility and control of all interactions and communications all Guest and consortia guests prior to, during and after stay, with the purpose of maximizing their guest experience and ensuring return business, be Trip Advisor driven.
• Constant communication regarding BDA’s, sending out curtesy emails to encourage Trip Advisor
• Ensuring that all Guest complaints are escalated to Head of department, with immediate action that was taken and followed through to ensure no issues arise.
• Ensuring that all Guest related information is communicated to all relevant parties within the Hotel in a timeous and accurate manner.
• Completing site inspections with prospective guests as needed as well as be flexible to support the sales and marketing functions particularly with regards to consortia; e.g. hosting dinners etc.
• Ensuring that the festive season kiddies program is planned, organised, implements, managed and controlled in accordance with Hotel standards
• Managing all gifting ensure that appropriate gifting is given to appropriate guests while being aware of budgetary constraints in line with Hotel standards, profiling all gifts to ensure we do not gift the same for returning guest
• Ensuring to take a proactive approach in making sure you are fully prepared for the day and its arrivals by being aware of the appropriate handovers and guests coming in for that day or the next
• To actively suggest guest improving ideas based on feedback, including gifting
• To ensure that the Guest profiles get updated on Opera at all times.
• To be constantly present in all outlets to lend support to the team as required and to be constantly of service to the guests.
• As required to cover Hotel “Manager on Duty” shifts. To ensure the special requests have been prepared appropriately for the day
• To take over the role of duty manager as and when the operation requires
• To take personal responsibility for any guest situations, seeing the situation through to the solution

To support the management of the Front Office Team in accordance with Red Carnation Hotel Management principles by:

• Ensuring constant floor presence during peak operational times; interacting with both staff and guests in a constructive manner, fostering positive relationships; and by taking personal responsibility for every guest and staff situation, seeing it through to its solution.
• Ensuring that all 1:1s and appraisals are completed timeously in accordance with the Hotel Communication Planner with the aim of nurturing a positive and honest relationship with employees with the goal of achieving the highest performance of excellence out of your team and high levels of staff retention.
• Being actively involved in the training and development of each team member by supporting their learning through on-the-job application and coaching, making them available for all appropriate training opportunities and holding the team member to account for the learning that they have successfully assimilated.
• Applying the performance management and corrective action tools in accordance with the Hotel’s Code of Conduct with the aim of exhausting all opportunities to correct and support staff before utilising avenues for employment termination.
• Support the Front of House Manager in reporting such as before during and after reports, stay incident reports, DM handovers and other reporting that might be required.

NB: PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO EMPLOYEES FROM THE DESIGNATED GROUPS WITH THE PROVISIONS OF EMPLOYMENT EQUITY ACT, NO. 55 OF 1998.

What are we looking for?

• Proven experience as a Guest Experiences Manager or in a similar role within a 5-star hotel or luxury environment.
• Exceptional communication skills both verbal and written.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to maintain high standards of guest service.
• Positive attitude towards training and development; someone who enjoys leading by example and inspiring the team.
• Experience managing VIP guests and high-profile clients.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.

What's in it for you?

• Professional, award winning learning and development opportunities from day one.
• Fantastic recommend a friend and family bonus scheme
• Eligible employees will receive one-third of their salary during parental leave. Employees qualify for this benefit after completing one year of service and may apply twice within a five-year period.
• Discounted accommodation rates at Red Carnation Hotels locally and worldwide
• Two paid volunteering days each year, because we care about our community.
• Access to immediate Employee Assistance Programme, because we care about our employees.
• Access to provident benefits for all permanent and hourly paid employees including funeral benefits, disability and death benefits, because we care about our employees.
• Access to company funded medical benefits for all permanent and hourly paid employees including extended family and accidental medical cover at discounted rates, because we care about our employees.
• Vibrant hotel recognition events every month and hotel-based incentives (Employee of the Month / Manager of the Quarter).
• Social and team building events per hotel.
• 1 Meal Per shift.
• Complimentary uniform and dry-cleaning services
• Complimentary daily staff transport