Director of Reservations

Grow with us...

Life at Starwood Hotels is based on a simple idea: the world is beautiful and we want to keep it that way. But we can’t do it alone. That’s why hiring thoughtful and inspiring Team Members and Leaders who understand that our people, collaboration, stellar service, and respect for nature are so important to us.

Planning a trip should be fun and easy, right? Our Reservations Team is dedicated to making that a reality. They’re fast, friendly and easy to talk to about anything that sets our guests up for success with their trip. They can anticipate our guests’ needs and provide on-the-spot solutions. Of course, they’ll also help with arrival and departure, from airport transfers to luggage storage. Our team is currently seeking an articulate, experienced Director of Reservations to join the team. If you live for the details, and love seeing a great plan come to life, you might want to give us a call.

The Director of Reservations is responsible for maximizing rooms revenue through strategic management of inventory and rates, ensuring accuracy and service excellence in all reservation processes, and driving collaboration across Sales, Revenue Management, and Front Office teams. Oversees the Reservations department, including rooms control functions, with a focus on guest satisfaction, operational efficiency, and team development.

Responsibilities

• Maximize room revenue and occupancy by monitoring daily performance reports and market trends; review flash and arrivals report to ensure accuracy.
• Collaborate with the Revenue Management team to evaluate competitive data, recommend rate and inventory adjustments, and attend bi-weekly Revenue Strategy meetings.
• Understand and apply Revenue Strategy restrictions to optimize yield.
• Assist in preparing occupancy forecasts and communicating demand trends across departments.
• Support Revenue Management team by conducting consistent audits of rates, packages, and offers across channels to ensure accuracy and alignment, communicating updates of offerings promptly to relevant teams.
• Maintain accurate room type inventories, rate codes, and system configurations; ensure all systems (HMS, Voice Agent, SYNXIS, OTA channels) are up to date and functioning properly.
• Review group blocks and pickup daily, lead and manage group pickup meetings, and ensure groups meet contracted room and revenue minimums.
• Process group turnovers, add pre- and post-dates, create group booking links, and update group information and availability on a daily basis.
• Manage add-on group bookings promptly.
• Manage the internal communication, training and tracking for all add-ons and packages.
• Collaborate closely with Front Office and Housekeeping to manage room allocation and overbooking situations effectively.
• Ensure timely responses to all reservation inquiries, both internal and external, maintaining exceptional service standards.
• Monitor VIP and special guest reservations, ensuring details are communicated to the VIP and Front Office teams, as well as additional operational departments as needed.
• Ensure in-house and central reservations team members are fully trained and knowledgeable about hotel facilities, outlets, day life offerings, wellness programming, hours of operation, and rate-quoting standards.
• Comply with all hotel billing, routing, master account, and credit policies; follow established A/R and PM account procedures.
• Process and reconcile travel agent commissions accurately and on schedule. Address all third-party commission payment questions with a sense of urgency. 
• Maintain and audit all reservation documentation, including reports, restrictions, and guest correspondence, in an organized filing system.
• Work with Marketing to ensure all written and verbal communication is on brand.
• Lead, mentor, and motivate the reservations team, fostering a culture of service excellence, accuracy, and accountability.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations, coaching, and training to ensure consistent delivery of a high-touch, Forbes-standard guest experience.
• Manage and lead all Forbes, Chase, FHR and Mission training related to reservations service and standards.
• Develop and maintain upselling and incentive programs for the in-house and central reservations teams.  
• Prepare and manage weekly work schedules for reservation sales agents in line with business forecasts, payroll budgets, and productivity goals.
• Review and correct daily payroll sheets to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Make weekly test calls to evaluate service quality and adherence to hotel standards.
• Maintain required pars of reservations supplies and uniforms and ensure an orderly work environment.
• Maintain open communication with department leaders and peers to ensure smooth interdepartmental coordination and information flow.
• Attend Meetings as required: Resume, Credit, Pre-Con, All-Leaders, Awards and Recognition, etc.

Reporting Relationships

• Reports to: Director of Revenue
• Oversees: Reservations team

Qualifications & Skills

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or hospitality is not required but preferred. 
• Familiar with all departments of a hotel. 
• Ability to communicate customer needs and resolve complaints. 
• Excellent spoken and written communications skills. 
• Excellent computer skills including Excel, Word, Outlook, Adobe and PowerPoint. 
• Ability to establish and master goals for your team and self 
• Proficient in property management tools - Prefer prior experience with HMS, STR, Duetto, Snyxis, CeloPay, Tableau and Delphi 
• Minimum of 2 years' experience in reservations and/or revenue management as a manager or director 

About us...

As a mission-driven company, our purpose is our true north, and our compass guides the way. The purpose we live by impacts the lives of our team members, drives the experiences for our guests, builds community with like-minded travelers and takes care of the planet we live in. Founded in 2006 by Barry Sternlicht, Starwood Hotels is a luxury hotel brand management company and affiliate of global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group.

Starwood Hotels is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe in a diverse, sustainable workforce with an empowered, inclusive culture. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis covered under applicable law. If you require any special accommodations, please visit People Operations.