Head Of Hospitality

HotelJobs; Paternoster; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

HotelJobs is seeking a strategic Head of Hospitality to lead service standards, the guest experience strategy, and operational excellence across a portfolio of properties. The role sits above property-level management, setting the vision and standards that Hotel Managers live daily.

The ideal candidate combines strong commercial acumen with deep hospitality expertise and the ability to lead, coach, and align multiple properties around a shared guest experience philosophy.

Qualifications

• Senior hospitality leadership experience across multiple properties.
• Proven track record in improving service standards and guest experience.
• Strong analytical skills to translate data into decisions.
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication.
• Experience designing and delivering training or capability-building programs.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the guest experience strategy across all properties.
• Provide oversight to Hotel Managers and ensure consistent brand standards.
• Set and monitor portfolio KPIs for guest satisfaction, occupancy, revenue, and cost efficiency.
• Conduct property visits and service audits to identify gaps and drive improvement.
• Design and rollout training programs to build frontline and management capability.
• Lead change management initiatives with clear communication during growth or transition.
• Partner with leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning for hospitality.

Skills

Hospitality leadership

Multi-property oversight

Stakeholder management

Training design

Travel readiness

Education

Hospitality Management degree

Job description

Job Summary

We are looking for a strategic and experienced Head of Hospitality to lead service standards, guest experience strategy, and operational excellence across our portfolio of properties. This role sits above property-level management, setting the vision and standards that Hotel Managers and their teams execute daily. The ideal candidate combines strong commercial acumen with deep hospitality expertise and the ability to lead, coach, and align multiple properties around a shared guest experience philosophy.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and drive the overall guest experience strategy and service standards across all properties
• Provide direct oversight and support to Hotel Managers, ensuring consistent execution of brand and service standards
• Set and monitor portfolio-wide KPIs for guest satisfaction, occupancy, revenue, and cost efficiency
• Conduct regular property visits, service audits, and mystery-guest style reviews to identify gaps and drive improvement
• Design and roll out training and development programmes to build frontline and management capability across properties
• Lead change management initiatives, ensuring clear communication and buy-in during periods of growth or transition
• Partner with senior leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning for the hospitality division
• Identify and resolve systemic operational issues that individual properties cannot solve alone
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including ownership, brand partners, and regulatory bodies
• Recruit, mentor, and build succession pipelines for Hotel Manager and senior operational roles
• Report to executive leadership on portfolio performance, risks, and opportunities

Requirements

• Minimum 6-8 years' experience in senior hospitality leadership, including multi-property or regional oversight
• Demonstrated success leading hotel or lodge operations at scale, with strong commercial results
• Proven experience developing and mentoring Hotel Managers or equivalent senior operational leaders
• Relevant qualification in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or a related field
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to translate data into operational and strategic decisions
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, including with ownership/executive audiences
• Experience designing and delivering training or capability-building programmes
• Willingness to travel regularly between properties

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinker who can also operate hands-on when needed
• Strong coaching and people-development orientation
• Skilled at translating guest experience vision into practical, repeatable standards
• Confident managing change and resistance across teams
• Balances big-picture strategy with attention to operational detail