Director of Guest Experience (Full-time) | InterContinental Downtown Miami

About us:

As the world's largest family of luxury hotels, we all take great pride in being genuine ambassadors of the InterContinental® brand. Shaped by decades of international know-how and local insights, our passion for luxury travel spans cultures and customs. Inspiring us to create warm and sophisticated experiences for those seeking a richer perspective on the world. 

At InterContinental Hotels & Resorts® we want our guests to feel special, cosmopolitan and In the Know which means we need you to:

• Be charming by being approachable, having confidence and showing respect.
• Stay in the moment by understanding and anticipating guests’ needs, being attentive and taking ownership of getting things done.
• Make it memorable by being knowledgeable, sharing stories and showing your style to create moments that make people feel special.

A Shining Star Among Downtown Miami Hotels, the InterContinental Miami features the city's premier accommodations, convention, and meeting facilities. Overlooking sparkling Biscayne Bay, we provide a secure, inviting environment in a well-established area of the city. Priding ourselves on being ONE GREAT TEAM and honored as one of the TOP WORKPLACES of South Florida by the Sun Sentinel for the eight year.

Your day to day:

The Director of Guest Experience is a dynamic leader with proven excellence in service delivery and will effectively lead the Recreation and Leisure department including the development and execution of property events, daily and seasonal programming, hotel activations, pool deck experience and recreation activities. This role is responsible for delivering a seamless guest experience by maintaining our property’s luxury service standards and achieving the hotel goals. Adhere to federal, state and local regulations concerning hotel emergency procedures, safety, or other compliance requirements, as well as brand standards and local policies and procedures.   

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage day-to-day activities of Guest Relations initiatives/ programs.  Schedule employees and assign work to ensure proper coverage.  Develop and communicate departmental strategies and goals.  Communicate and enforce policies and procedures.  Conduct pre-shift meeting and review all information pertinent to the day’s activities.
• Oversee all property programming including daily and seasonal events and activations, pool experience, fitness and wellness activities along with culinary additions to the activities created by the hotel.
• Recommend and/or initiate salary, disciplinary, or other staffing/human resources-related actions in accordance with company rules and policies.  Alert General Manager of potentially serious issues.
• Ensure promotion of recreation activities throughout the hotel
• Responsible for maintaining the recreation budget including assisting with hotel activity revenues along with expenses, staffing levels and productivity
• Accountable for tracking recreation, and all activation statistics
• Promote teamwork and quality service through daily communication and coordination with other departments. 
• Collaborate with multiple inter-department coordination including Marketing, Operations, Food and Beverage, Banquets, Meetings and Events Service, Sales, concierge and Loss Prevention to ensure a smooth execution of special events
• Assist experience department with planning and facilitation of group related recreation duties
• Responsible to design group recreation programs upon request
• Own large projects by researching, costing, planning and preparing proposals for leadership team for special events to attract more guests to the hotel
• Research and communicate community and area resources for additional recreation activities not available on hotel property.
• Review industry trends for new and innovative product and service opportunities
• Responsible for hotel recreation communications collateral including brochures and banners
• Liaise with third party service providers to provide additional recreation facilities, services and experiences
• Create compelling special events throughout the year to attract leisure visitors to the hotel
• Serve as an individual contributor and department role model by performing technical or functional job duties including recreation activities
• Train, coach and develop a successful and enthusiastic team, engaging in performance management and positive coaching and counseling as needed
• Develop strong relationships with the sales, marketing and operational teams to ensure program success
• Promote rules and regulations of the department intended for the health and safety of guests
• Follow company policy and procedures for activities including use of waivers
• Provide ongoing feedback and ensure all staff is properly trained and have the tools and equipment needed to effectively carry out their job functions.
• Plan, track and control financial operating budgets and capital expenditures
• Develop and maintain departmental operational policies and work procedures
• Create departmental business plan on annual basis
• Participate in monthly layered progress audits on business performance to plan
• Review opportunities for improved productivity and greater efficiencies
• Address guest concerns, requests, or issues
• Collaborate with leader to develop and carry-out ideas and procedures to continuously improve department performance
• Establish and communicate clearly defined goals and objectives for department employees
• Direct and manage the recreation and leisure employees, ensuring the successful internal operations of the department including; professional and courteous customer service, complete utilization and accuracy of management software system, proper training and supervision of all employees to ensure respectful behavior toward the guests and their property
• Compliance with all safety regulations of assigned tasks, and ensure a clean and safe working environment with active participation in the health and safety program
• Adhere to all environmental policies and programs as required
• May serve as “manager on duty” as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies

• Business acumen and positive mindset
• Communication/logistics management
• Organizational effectiveness
• Results oriented relationship builder
• Independent but collaborative when necessary

Qualifications and Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in hospitality or travel & tourism or equivalent and two-four years plus experience in a similar role within the hospitality or resort industry with two years in a management capacity, or an equivalent combination of education and experience; Must speak fluent English. Other languages preferred.

This job requires ability to perform the following:

• Work in varying weather conditions
• Carrying, pushing, or lifting items weighing up to 25 pounds
• Stand, sit or walk for an extended period or for an entire shift
• Reach overhead and below the knees, including bending, twisting and pulling
• Use a keyboard to operate various property management systems, etc.
• Moving about the hotel and facilities to include moving sloping, uneven or various surfaces

Other:

• Communication skills are utilized a significant amount of time when interacting with others; demonstrated ability to interact with customers, employees and third parties that reflects highly on the hotel, the brand and the Company.
• Reading and writing abilities are utilized often when completing paperwork and management reports, interpreting results, giving and receiving instructions, and training. 
• Detail-oriented and works with a high degree of accuracy
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite; Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Outlook
• Must possess excellent customer service skills
• Strong verbal and written English communication skills
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment
• Must be extremely responsible with integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion
• Mathematical skills, including basic math, budgeting, profit/loss concepts, percentages, and variances are utilized frequently.
• Problem solving, reasoning, motivating, organizational and training abilities are used often. 
• Must be able to work flexible hours and required to work nights, weekends, and/or holidays.

What we offer:

The salary range for this role is $70,000 - $75,000 annually. 

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k), and many other benefits to eligible employees. Additionally, hotel discounts worldwide are available as well as access to a wide variety of discount programs and the chance to work with a great team of people. Most importantly, we'll give you the room to be yourself.

IHG is an equal opportunity employer: Minorities/ Females/ Veterans/ Disabled.