Guest Experience Manager

HotelJobs; Skukuza Rest Camp; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Live In

Job summary

HotelJobs is seeking a Guest Experience Manager for a luxury lodge in Skukuza, Mpumalanga. The role focuses on owning the complete guest journey from pre-arrival to departure and beyond, delivering seamless, personalised experiences across departments while guiding teams in intuitive hospitality.

We value emotional intelligence, senior leadership ability, and a passion for people-centric service. The position is Live In with market-related remuneration, and the start date is ASAP.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years' experience within luxury hospitality.
• Proven experience in guest relations or guest experience leadership/management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Strong situational awareness and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the end-to-end guest journey, ensuring every touchpoint is seamless, personal and memorable.
• Curate personalised experiences for VIPs, repeat guests, special occasions and long-stay visitors.
• Lead, coach and inspire guest-facing teams to deliver intuitive, personalised and emotionally intelligent service.
• Establish clear expectations around guest interaction, communication, presentation and service standards.
• Identify opportunities to enhance revenue through curated experiences while maintaining sustainability.

Skills

Guest experience leadership

Emotional intelligence

Team leadership

Job description

GUEST EXPERIENCE MANAGER

Skukuza; Mpumalanga | Luxury Lodge

An exciting opportunity for an exceptional hospitality professional to shape memorable guest experiences in a unique luxury lodge environment. We are looking for a naturally engaging and emotionally intelligent Guest Experience Manager to take ownership of the complete guest journey, from pre-arrival through to departure and beyond. This is a senior leadership role that works across departments to create seamless, personalised and memorable experiences, while inspiring teams to deliver exceptional levels of intuitive hospitality.

THE ROLE

Guest Experience & Journey Management

• Take ownership of the end-to-end guest journey, ensuring every touchpoint is seamless, personal and memorable.
• Curate personalised experiences for VIPs, repeat guests, special occasions and long-stay visitors.
• Ensure consistency in service delivery while maintaining the unique character of the property.
• Maintain a visible presence in guest areas, anticipating needs and identifying opportunities to elevate the guest experience.
• Act as the escalation point for sensitive or complex guest concerns.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead; coach and inspire guest-facing teams to deliver intuitive, personalised and emotionally intelligent service.
• Establish clear expectations around guest interaction, communication, presentation and service standards.
• Facilitate experience-focused training and coaching to embed a consistent guest-first culture.
• Build strong relationships across departments, ensuring teams work together to deliver a seamless guest experience.
• Identify and develop talent within guest-facing teams.

Brand & Experience Management

• Champion the property's guest experience standards, ensuring all guest touchpoints reflect the desired brand identity.
• Work closely with Front Office, Hosts, Food & Beverage, Housekeeping, Wellness, Guides and other operational departments.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Guest Experience leadership on guest experiences, storytelling and special occasions.
• Identify opportunities to enhance the guest journey while protecting the authenticity and character of the property.

Guest Feedback & Commercial Awareness

• Engage with guest feedback during and after their stay, ensuring concerns are addressed professionally.
• Monitor and respond to online guest reviews in keeping with brand standards.
• Identify recurring trends and service challenges, translating feedback into practical improvements.
• Support guest loyalty and repeat visitation through meaningful, personalised experiences.
• Identify opportunities to enhance revenue through curated experiences while maintaining operational and financial sustainability.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a passionate hospitality professional with a strong background in luxury guest relations or guest experience management. The ideal candidate will have exceptional interpersonal skills, natural hospitality instincts and the ability to influence, inspire and develop teams.

Essential Requirements:

• 5–8 years' experience within luxury hospitality, preferably in a lodge or hotel environment.
• Proven experience in guest relations or guest experience leadership/management.
• High emotional intelligence and exceptional interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Strong situational awareness and attention to detail.
• Ability to lead and influence teams across multiple departments.
• A calm, confident and professional approach to guest interactions and challenging situations.
• A genuine passion for hospitality, people and creating memorable guest experiences.

Advantageous:

• Exposure to guest experience design, service philosophy development or experience curation.
• Familiarity with guest feedback platforms and Property Management Systems (PMS).

Personal Attributes:

• Naturally hospitable, intuitive and people-oriented.
• Present; observant and emotionally perceptive.
• Confident and approachable, with a strong leadership presence.
• Passionate about service excellence and developing people.
• Able to remain composed, adaptable and solution-focused.

THE DETAILS

• Location: Skukuza, Mpumalanga
• Remuneration: Market Related DOE
• Live In
• Start Date: ASAP