Front Office Manager in North Augusta, South Carolina at StepStone Hospitality Inc.

Crowne Plaza North Augusta is seeking an experienced, hands-on Front Office Manager to lead our Front Office team and help create an exceptional experience for both our guests and employees.

This role is ideal for a hospitality leader who enjoys being present in the operation, developing people, creating structure, and holding teams accountable to high standards. We are looking for someone who understands that a successful Front Office is about more than checking guests in and out—it requires strong leadership, consistent training, effective communication, attention to detail, and the ability to create a team that takes ownership of the guest experience.

The Front Office Manager will oversee the day-to-day operation of the Front Desk, including Front Desk Agents and Night Audit, while partnering closely with the Director of Rooms and other hotel leaders. A major focus of this position will be strengthening training, consistency, accountability, guest-service execution, and overall Front Office performance.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience with OPERA and OPERA Cloud, preferably within an IHG or full-service hotel environment, and will be comfortable coaching employees, resolving complex guest concerns, managing room.

• Manage daily Front Office operations, including Front Desk and Night Audit coverage.
• Provide visible, hands-on leadership and support the team during peak business periods.
• Ensure accurate check-in/check-out procedures, payment processing, room assignments, guest accounts, and room inventory.
• Monitor arrivals, departures, VIPs, groups, special requests, sellout/oversell situations, and shift communication.
• Maintain strong coordination with Housekeeping, Sales, Revenue Management, Engineering, and other hotel departments.
• Ensure Front Office employees consistently follow hotel procedures, IHG/Crowne Plaza brand standards, and guest-service expectations.
• Lead structured onboarding, training, coaching, and development for new and existing employees, including OPERA, OPERA Cloud, IHG systems, and departmental procedures.
• Identify performance or training gaps, provide timely feedback, and hold employees accountable for attendance, professionalism, productivity, and service standards.
• Conduct regular team meetings, shift huddles, and coaching conversations.
• Respond to escalated guest concerns and ensure appropriate service recovery, follow-up, and documentation.
• Support IHG One Rewards enrollment, recognition, and member-benefit expectations.
• Prepare schedules based on occupancy and operational needs while managing labor, overtime, and staffing levels.
• Review timecards, payroll-related issues, Front Office financial activity, and departmental records for accuracy.
• Support recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, retention, and employee development.
• Assist with budgeting, forecasting, labor planning, supplies, and departmental expense management.
• Participate in hotel leadership meetings and support property-wide operational initiatives.

• 3–5 years of progressive Front Office leadership experience in a hotel environment preferred.
• Previous Front Office Manager, Assistant Front Office Manager, Front Desk Manager, or comparable leadership experience strongly preferred.
• Full-service hotel experience preferred; IHG/Crowne Plaza experience highly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of OPERA required; OPERA Cloud experience strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of Front Office operations, room inventory, Night Audit, guest accounts, reservations, and service recovery.
• Demonstrated experience training, coaching, and developing employees.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, conflict-resolution, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with scheduling, labor management, and basic hotel financial controls.
• Ability to remain composed and make sound decisions in a fast-paced hospitality environment.

• Leads from the floor and remains actively involved in the operation.
• Sets clear expectations and follows through.
• Coaches employees before issues become patterns.
• Communicates professionally and handles conflict appropriately.
• Creates structure, accountability, and consistency.
• Takes ownership and makes sound decisions.
• Builds trust while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
• Recognizes strong performance and develops future leaders.
• Understands that strong guest service starts with a well-trained and supported team.