Hotel General Manager

The Lightwell Hotel and Spa, Hood River, OR, is preparing to open its doors for the first time. This historic property in the heart of downtown Hood River boasts a modern design and community-driven food and beverage outlets. With 70 keys, there will be a restaurant, year-round rooftop bar, bodega, and full-service spa with sitting pools.

As a General Manager, you will be entrusted with overseeing the day-to-day operations of The Lightwell. Your role extends beyond managing departments, staff, and budgets. You will be the key driver in executing guest service, meeting strategic goals, and driving overall profitability. Your decisions related to operations, sales, and guest service will significantly impact our property’s brand and market position.

Responsibilities
As a General Manager, your primary responsibility will be to ensure that the company's values, operational standards, and goals are understood and consistently practiced in everyday operations. A key part of this is building a diverse team that not only represents the hotel brand but also the community effectively, fostering an inclusive environment for both staff and guests.

Operational Management

• Create an environment with the staff that focuses on delivering exceptional hospitality, enhancing guest service, and positively impacting people’s lives. This will be achieved by aligning the team with the hotel brand, utilizing the company's core values of vision, integrity, passion, and humility, and fostering the right behaviors within the team.
• As a General Manager, you will be the strategic leader for all hotel operations departments. Your role is not only to maintain the highest guest service standards but also to provide the vision and direction that will guide the entire team toward our shared goals.
• A manager must anticipate the needs of their team and be willing to exceed expectations for a seamless guest experience.
• Supervising and coordinating the activities of various teams within the hotel, including the front desk, housekeeping, food and beverage (restaurants and cafés), other outlets, and maintenance.
• Establishing department leads, meeting regularly to determine the day's priorities and goals.
• Delegated tasks to ensure efficient and effective daily operations, maintaining high-quality standards and implementing operational procedures.
• Review operational procedures to ensure they align with your team's needs and make necessary adjustments to support the most efficient use of their time and provide the highest level of service and cleanliness possible.
• Handling complaints and resolving issues promptly and professionally to maintain guest satisfaction and loyalty. Respond to guest feedback from internal and external sources, including OTAs and directory listings, and make operational adjustments as necessary.
• Regularly inspect the hotel for compliance with operational procedures, cleanliness, safety, and maintenance needs. Follow preventative maintenance measures as outlined by the Maintenance team.
• Project manages renovations under the Capex Plan, which is determined by the company, and resolves large-scale maintenance repairs and other projects as determined by the VP of Operations or VIPH Group.
• Collaborates with internal IT support to maintain software and hardware necessary for daily operations, including, but not limited to, workstations, key card machines, credit card processors, printers, management systems (PMS or POS), time clocks, and other technology-related equipment.

Other Services & Outlet Management

• Developing and implementing strategies to maximize revenue and guest satisfaction for hotel and community guests at all outlets.
• Overseeing the day-to-day operations of all outlets, including the restaurant and bar, events and catering, spa, and lobby café.
• Monitoring quality, presentation, and consistency, including hotel operations, safety and compliance, and overall brand.
• Collaborate with VIPH Group and the VP of Operations to create and manage menus, pricing, and seasonal promotions.
• Understand all safety requirements and regulations for each outlet, ensure all staff is appropriately certified or licensed, and follow all compliance requirements.
• Manage inventory for each outlet separately and control food costs.

Staff Management and Training

• Hire and onboard the right candidates by collaborating with Human Resources and the VP of Operations to identify candidates who align with our company culture and turnover goals.
• Develop work schedules, assign tasks, and monitor performance to maintain a high level of service.
• Lead and mentor a diverse team of hospitality professionals.
• Conduct regular staff meetings, provide constructive feedback, and foster a positive work environment grounded in the core values of vision, integrity, passion, and humility.
• Implementing training programs to enhance employee skills and knowledge.
• Staffing, developing, and evaluating employees, and conducting ongoing performance reviews and discussions.
• Establish monthly and quarterly goals for the property with the VP of Operations, work with each individual to help meet these goals, and provide constructive feedback.
• With the support of human resources, handling employee relations issues appropriately, including coaching, mentoring, and engagement in the disciplinary action process as necessary.

Financial Management and Sales

• Handles basic accounting and data entry for vendor payments, inventory, and petty cash. Provides information for the accounting team to accurately prepare the property PNL and monitor your success in meeting financial targets. (Daily Reports, Check Log, Charge Backs, Petty Cash, Credit Card Log, POS Inventory, Direct Billing, PNL Review).
• Analyze financial reports with your VP of Operations to identify areas for improvement and implement targeted strategies and changes to hotel-level programs, aiming to increase profitability.
• Reconcile financial accounts and analyze the decisions made, assessing their impact on the flow through to GOP to ensure meeting or exceeding the budget.
• Collect payments on guest balances and direct receivables, as well as commission payments from vendors, and issue refund checks.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets while ensuring optimal staffing and cost controls in a seasonal market.
• Revenue management controls and practices, including selling strategies, price recommendations, and monitoring third-party affiliate sites (OTAs).
• Manage labor costs, schedules, and expenses in accordance with company-established guidelines, optimizing overall profitability (E.g., POR).
• Effective revenue management practices include instructing staff on selling strategies, offering add-on packages, communicating upgrades, and providing pricing recommendations to improve or meet revenue targets.
• Manage monthly inventory and par levels for guest room items, lobby, and equipment. Source better pricing when possible or work with approved vendors.
• Collaborate with your VP of Operations to leverage advertising opportunities within your community and at the property, and utilize internal marketing support to develop content.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Sales to drive hotel occupancy and revenue through innovative marketing and sales strategies.
• Maintaining relationships with key clients and stakeholders and working closely with account managers to retain recurring accounts.
• Create and implement revenue-generating initiatives that enhance the guest experience.
• Participate in community and public events to draw the travel community to your hotel.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of financial management, revenue generation, and cost control. Analyzing and reviewing financial reports, identifying trends in the community or industry, and making data-driven decisions are essential to the long-term success of our operations.

Qualifications and Experience
Hotel managers must possess strong leadership qualities to motivate and inspire their teams. Practical communication skills are essential for coordinating staff, collaborating with different departments, and interacting with guests.

• A high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate is required. A degree or credential within the hospitality environment is preferred but not required.
• Five to eight years’ experience with a hotel operations team, with increasing responsibility or in a General Management capacity.
• A genuine passion for hospitality and a heart to encourage the next generation to pursue careers in hospitality.
• The ability to delegate tasks, provide constructive feedback, and resolve conflict is crucial for maintaining a harmonious work environment.
• Adept in problem-solving with critical thinking skills to identify issues, analyze options, and make informed decisions
• Must remain calm under pressure and devise creative, strategic solutions, which are crucial for effectively addressing unexpected situations.
• Basic knowledge of computers and software, including the ability to use e-mail, word processing, and spreadsheet software.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rates, ratios, and percentages and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
• Ability to read, speak, and comprehend English, including simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group settings to customers, clients, and other organizational employees. Ability to effectively communicate professionally with guests, associates, supervisors, and others as required for optimum property operation.
• Spanish speaking preferred.

Physical Requirements

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls, and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, taste, or smell.
• The employee must occasionally lift and move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person