Senior Guest Relations Officer | La Residence

The Royal Portfolio; Franschhoek; On-site; ZAR 420,000 - 560,000; Full time

Job summary

La Residence in Franschhoek seeks a Senior Guest Relations Officer to deliver the highest standard of service, welcome guests warmly, and anticipate needs to ensure a perfect stay. You will build strong guest relationships and coordinate with all departments to elevate the guest experience.

Requirements include at least 5 years at a front desk, 2 years in a 5-star hotel, a Hospitality degree, Opera PMS knowledge, and strong English communication.

Qualifications

• Must have at least 5 years of experience in a Front Desk role.
• Must have at least 2 years of experience in a 5* Hotel environment.
• Degree or Diploma in Hospitality Management.
• Knowledge of Opera at Operator Level and MS Office Suite.

Responsibilities

• Deal with Guest queries via phone, email and in person and arrange assistance as necessary.
• Provide Guests with information about attractions, facilities, services, and activities in and around Franschhoek & Stellenbosch.
• Prepare for Guests’ arrival a day before the time, making note of any special requests.
• Monitor our booking system, Opera and manage the Guest profiles and relay any information to other departments.
• Deliver day to day hotel services: wake-up calls, printing newspapers, day sheets, welcome letters, weather cards, bills etc.
• Managing reservations for restaurant, tours and transfers.
• Answer and screen all incoming switchboard calls and deal with individual requests, messages and queries from Guests.
• Liaise regularly with agents on Guest experience on property.
• Maintain communication with all other hotel departments.
• Assist with ad hoc duties as requested by colleagues and Management.
• Daily itinerary review to ensure bookings are confirmed, preferences shared with departments and service providers.
• Prepare Guests for departure, offering assistance with transport, flight confirmations, boarding passes, luggage packing and wrapping, storage, car cleaning where applicable, breakfast packs, etc.

Skills

Front desk operations

Customer service excellence

English communication

Leadership

Time management

Multitasking

Attention to detail

Initiative / problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

Degree or Diploma in Hospitality Management

Tools

Opera PMS

Microsoft Office

Job description

La Residence’s Senior Guest Relations Officer needs to demonstrate the highest level of courteous and efficient service, to ensure our Guests feel welcome and that their needs will be attended to at all times during their stay. The Senior GRO builds strong relationships with our Guests, constantly striving to live up to our purpose, which is "To give our Guests a complete experience and a perfect stay".

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Deal with Guest queries (via phone, email and in person) and arrange assistance as necessary

• Provide Guests with information about attractions, facilities, services, and activities in and around Franschhoek & Stellenbosch

• Prepare for Guests’ arrival a day before the time, making note of any special requests

• Monitoring our booking system, Opera and manage the Guest profiles and relay any information to other departments

• Deliver day to day hotel services: wake-up calls, printing newspapers, day sheets, welcome letters, weather cards, bills etc. (and ensuring they are handled timeously and accurately)

• Managing reservations for restaurant, tours and transfers

• Answer and screen all incoming switchboard calls and deal with individual requests, messages and queries from Guests

• Liaise regularly with agents on Guest experience on property

• Maintain communication with all other hotel departments

• Assist with ad hoc duties as requested by colleagues and Management

• Daily itinerary review to ensure bookings are confirmed, preferences shared with departments and service providers

• Prepare Guests for departure, offering assistance with transport, flight confirmations, boarding passes, luggage packing and wrapping, storage, car cleaning where applicable, breakfast packs, etc.

• Live and breathe the company's Vision, Purpose and Values statement.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Must have at least 5 years’ experience in a Front Desk role.

• Must have at least 2 years’ experience in a 5* Hotel environment.

• Degree or Diploma in Hospitality Management.

• Knowledge of Property Management system Opera at Operator Level.

• Computer literate with working knowledge of Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

• AI curious, with the ability to leverage tools to enhance the guest offering.

• Demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. An additional foreign language would be a distinct advantage, but is not essential.

• Proven job reliability, diligence, dedication and attention to detail.

• Ability to multitask with excellent time-management.

• Ability to work under pressure with strong admin skills.

• Ability to take initiative and make judgement calls.

• Ability to take the initiative and be a leader.

• Must be flexible and willing to work shifts.

It is important that the candidate is able to work as part of a team and is a good cultural fit for The Royal Portfolio.
South African citizenship is advantageous. A valid work permit is essential if you are not in possession of a South African ID document.
Please note it is a condition of employment, that all staff undergo a pre-employment polygraph test.