Reservations Manager

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for ensuring the effective and efficient operation of the Reservations department, keeping accurate records of data in PMS and maximizing occupancy levels and rate by implementing the hotel revenue strategies and identifying trends.
• Actively contributes towards revenue generation through management of the reservations team and systems
• Responsible for maintaining and improving reservations operations to ensure a high degree of accuracy in guest reservations, maximising revenue opportunities and satisfaction of guests and team members
• In conjunction with Revenue Manager, controls rooms inventory including allocation and reservations to areas of maximum yield and blackout dates, develop and conduct rooms based marketing activities and track sales programs/promotions/advertising and provide feedback as necessary to relevant departments.
• Prepares three-month market segment outlook and maintains daily monitoring of actual versus forecast for plan achievement in the absence of the Revenue Manager
• Under the supervision of Revenue Manager, manages third party sites and agents to establish rates, negotiate prices, ensure proper implementation of reservations procedures, and maximise conversion ratios in order to achieve targets for the department.
• Works with Revenue manager to understands the overall market, including competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand and knows how to sell against them and constantly monitors competitors’ rates
• Closes the best opportunities for the property based on market conditions and property needs.
• Has full understanding of the property’s primary target customer and service expectations; serves the customer by understanding their business, business issues and concern to offer better business solution
• Oversees the room reservation staff to ensure maximum customer satisfaction.
• Ensures team members are developed effectively and generate a culture of high quality standards for relationship building, customer service, selling techniques, billing and processing contracts and motivating the team to increase productivity and monitoring their performance.
• Develops, implements and maintains a departmental orientation program for colleagues to receive the appropriate new hire training to successfully perform their job
• Conducts sites visits as required by hotel operation
• Participates in client entertainment with Sales Department as required
• Joint Sales calls with team as required

Skills and Qualifications:

• A minimum of 3 years experience in Reservations
• Previous experience working in a 5-star hotel environment.
• Previous experience working in the GCC preferred.
• Good knowledge on computer systems i.e MS Office applications.
• Prior experience with PMS system.
• Hotel pre-opening experience preferred.
• Degree or Higher National Diploma equivalent in Hospitality/Hotel/Business Management.
• Mature and outgoing personality with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to understand guest needs and expectations and to deliver superior customer service with minimum input from others.
• Performs job with attention to details and ability to organize and handle multiple tasks effectively.
• Clear communication; effective verbal and written communication skills in English and preferably in Arabic.
• Proven ability to successfully motivate and lead a team.
• Ability to plan and organize.
• Ability to mentor and develop team members.