Director of Front Office

Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. Highgate is the dominant player in major U.S. gateway cities including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, with a growing Caribbean and Latin America footprint. The hospitality forward company provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate has a proven record of developing its diverse portfolio of bespoke lifestyle hotel brands, legacy brands, and independent hotels and resorts with contemporary programming and digital acumen. The company utilizes industry-leading revenue management tools that efficiently identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive outperformance and maximize asset value. With an executive team consisting of some of the most experienced hotel management leaders, the company is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. Highgate maintains corporate offices in New York, Chicago, Dallas, London, Miami, and Seattle. www.highgate.com.

The Newbury Boston at One Newbury Street, located in the premier shopping and dining neighborhood of Boston's Back Bay is an iconic property originally opened in 1927 as one of the first Ritz-Carlton hotels in the U.S. and most recently was the Taj Boston. The building was recently transformed into a 286-room luxury hotel with 16,000-sq-ft of stunning event spaces, signature dining experiences and a reimagined front entrance on Newbury Street.

The Director of Front Office is responsible for ensuring the operation of the Front Desk, Uniformed Services and Telephone Communications in an attentive, friendly, efficient and courteous manner, providing all guests with quality service prior to and throughout their stay, while maximizing room revenue and occupancy.

Respond to all guests' requests, problems, complaints and/or accidents presented at the Front Desk or through reservations, comment cards, letters and/or phone calls, in an attentive, courteous and efficient manner. Follow up to ensure guest satisfaction.
• Motivate, coach, counsel and discipline all Front Office personnel according to Highgate Hotel S.O.P.'s.
• Conduct regular Front Office Manager meetings to ensure communication is transparent
• Actively participate in Room Division meetings
• Carry a cell phone at all times.
• Prepare and conduct all Front Office interviews and follow hiring procedures according to Highgate Hotel S.O.P.'s.
• Develop employee morale and ensure training of Front Office personnel and execution of Forbes standards.
• Maximize room revenue and occupancy by reviewing status daily. Analyze rate variance, monitor credit report and maintain close observation of daily house count. Monitor selling status of house daily, i.e. flash report, allowances, close the house as needed, etc.
• Attend daily and monthly Rooms Upselling/Merchandizing meetings.
• Support Highgate core values: passion, innovation, integrity, ownership and community.
• Facilitate, prepare and attend weekly WIG meetings and track results.
• Participate in required M.O.D. program as scheduled.
• Review Front Office staff's worked hours for payroll compilation and submit to Accounting on a timely basis.
• Prepare employee Schedule according to business forecast, payroll budget guidelines and productivity requirements.
• Ensure that no-show revenue is maximized through consistent and accurate billing.
• Maintain Highgate Hotel S.O.P.'s regarding Purchase Orders, vouchering of invoices and checkbook accounting.
• Ensure that Wage Progress, Productivity and the Ten Day Forecast are completed on a timely basis according to Highgate Hotel S.O.P.'s.
• Maintain a professional working relationship and promote open lines of communication with managers, employees and other departments.
• Work closely with Accounting on follow-up items, i.e., rejected credit cards, employee cashiering discrepancies, etc.
• Operate all aspects of the Front Office computer system, including software maintenance, report generation and analysis, and simple programming.
• Monitor proper operation of the P.B.X. console and ensure that employees maintain Highgate Hotel S.O.P.'s in its use.
• Ensure staff greet and welcome all guests approaching the Front Desk in accordance with Highgate Hotel S.O.P.'s.
• Ensure implementation of all Highgate Hotel policies and house rules. Understand hospitality terms.
• Create S.O.P.'s and revise existing ones as needed.
• Ensure sign off of all Service Standards by Position for Front Office staff.
• Assist in preparation of revenue and occupancy forecasting.
• Ensure logging and delivery of all messages, packages, and mail in a timely and professional manner.
• Must maintain constant communication with Housekeeping, Reservations and the Credit Manager.
• Operate radios efficiently and professionally in communicating with hotel staff. Ensure the proper use of radio etiquette within the department.
• Coordinate all aspects of the ongoing implementation of the Newbury Hotel philosophy of service.
• Ensure correct and accurate cash handling at the Front Desk.
• Follow and enforce all Highgate Hotel credit policies.
• Ensure that employees are, at all times, attentive, friendly, helpful and courteous to all guests, managers and other employees.
• Maintain and monitor "Lost and Found" procedures and policies according to Highgate Hotel standards.
• Establish and maintain key control system.
• Ensure participation within department for monthly Highgate Hotel team meeting.
• Focus the Front Office Department on their role in contributing to the guest satisfaction and audit scores.
• Monitor all V.I.P.'s and special guest requests.
• Maintain required pars of all front office and stationary supplies.
• Review daily Front Office work and activity reports generated by Night Audit.
• Review Front Office log book and Guest Request log on a daily basis.
• Ensure completion of daily MOD checklist.
• Be familiar with all corporate sponsored programs, luxury programs, and the standards and procedures for each.
• Maintain an organized and comprehensive filing system with documentation of purchases, vouchering, schedules, forecasts, reports and tracking logs.
• Conduct meetings according to Highgate Hotel standards as required by management.

• 2 years of Front Office Director/ experience in a luxury hotel required
• 5 years of Hotel Management experience in a luxury hotel required
• a 4-year college degree; or a 2-year college degree and 2 or more years of related experience.
• Must be proficient in Windows, Company approved spreadsheets and word processing.