Hotel Operations Manager - Hotel Nell at Charlestowne Hotels – Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $50,000-$60,000

Hotel Operations Manager

We are looking for a hands-on Hotel Operations Manager to lead our day-to-day property functions, specifically overseeing the Front Desk and Housekeeping departments. In this role, you will be the primary bridge between front-of-house service and back-of-house cleanliness, ensuring seamless guest experiences and high operational standards.

Key Responsibilities

Front Desk

• Team Leadership: Manage staffing, scheduling, training, and performance for Guest Service/Front Desk teams; conduct shift briefings, coverage planning, and upsell/loyalty programs.
• Operations Management: Oversee check-in/out, room assignments, billing accuracy, and cash/credit procedures; maintain PMS accuracy (profiles, notes, rate codes, packages) and daily reports.
• Revenue Growth: Monitor booking trends and occupancy data to assist in maximizing room revenue and upselling programs.

Guest Service/Experience

• Service Excellence: Champion service standards from arrival to departure; greet VIPs and ensure timely fulfillment of special requests, amenities, and room moves.
• Guest Satisfaction: Act as the first point of contact for escalated guest issues, ensuring 100% satisfaction through effective service recovery; monitor guest feedback (reviews, surveys, guest logs) and implement improvements.

Housekeeping & Facilities

• Standards & Quality: Conduct regular inspections of guest rooms and public areas to ensure they meet the highest cleanliness and decor standards.
• Room Assignments: Coordinate daily boards, room priorities and turn times with the front desk, ensuring clean rooms are ready for incoming guests.
• Inventory Control: Oversee the ordering and management of par levels for linens, toiletries, and cleaning supplies to avoid shortages.

General Operations & HR

• Coordination and Communication: Lead daily stand-ups and cross-department communication (Engineering for work orders; Sales for groups/VIPs); align room readiness with arrival forecasts; manage out-of-order/out-of-service rooms.
• Staff Management: Manage employee lifecycle activities, including interviewing, hiring, onboarding, training, and performance-manage front desk and housekeeping departments; optimize labor to occupancy and productivity goals; review and approve timecards and PTO requests.
• Leadership and Development: Reduce turnover by building and fostering a positive, inclusive culture; recognizing achievements and addressing issues promptly.
• Financial Oversight: Monitor department budgets and operational expenses, such as cost control for labor, supplies, and linens/amenities to ensure profitability without sacrificing quality; maintain accurate inventories, purchase orders, and vendor invoices; review daily/weeklys KPIs (occupancy, ADR, guest satisfaction scores, turnover, cost per occupied room, room turnover rate) and act on variances.
• Safety Compliance: Uphold health, safety, security, fire procedures, key controls, and brand-specific operating guidelines; ensure incident reporting, lost & found, and privacy procedures are followed.
• Projects: Implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) for check-ins, check-outs, and guest issues resolution; Update and improve current SOPs; drive process improvements and provide training refreshers.
• MOD: Serve as Manager on Duty (MOD) as scheduled; support special events and peak periods.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality/Business or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 3+ years of hotel operations supervisory experience in front desk, housekeeping, or a related guest service area; experience in boutique/lifestyle properties preferred.
• Certifications are a plus, such as ServSafe, CPR/First Aid, etc.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of Rooms operations, service recovery, and housekeeping standards.
• Proficiency with Property Management Systems (PMS), revenue management software, and MS Office tools.
• Familiarity with STR basics and room inventory management.
• Understanding of safety, security, sanitation and compliance.
• Excellent leadership, time management, organization and problem-solving skills in a fast paced environment.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills with all team members and guests (in-person, radio, phone, email).
• Strong data entry accuracy, attention to detail, follow-through and accountability.
• Strong guest service and active listening skills with the ability to understand, clarify, and respond to guests and team needs effectively.
• Team-oriented with the ability to work cross functionally within other departments as needed.
• Ability to read, write, speak and understand English on a computer screen or paper; multilingual is a plus.
• Ability to prioritize, multitask, and make decisions under pressure.
• Professional demeanor and appearance; strong emphasis on customer service.
• Reliable attendance and punctuality in accordance with company standards.
• Must be available to work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays, and extended shifts as needed.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those that may be encountered by an employee and that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Fast-paced, guest facing setting with frequent interruptions and shifting priorities.
• High level of interpersonal interaction with guests and cross-department teams.
• Mix of front-of-house (lobby, front desk, restaurants) and back-of-house areas (offices, service corridors) areas.
• Moderate to loud noise level with typical environmental factors including lobby noise, background music, fluctuating temperatures near entrances/exits, cleaning agents/odors, talking.
• Regularly required to stand/walk for extended periods of time throughout the shift (front of house and back of house).
• Frequent movement between floors/areas; occasional use of stairs.
• Occasionally required to lift, carry, push and pull items between 25-50 lbs.
• Regularly required to communicate in person, by phone and email, and use hands to utilize the computer, type, answer phones, handle documents, and operate other office tools and hotel software (POS, PMS).
• Frequent bending, kneeling, reaching, and stretching.

This job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all job functions that an employee in this position may be asked to perform from time to time. Management reserves the right to change, modify, and/or alter any of these duties at any time to meet business changes and demands.