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- Tasks: Lead the pre-opening process for new hotels, ensuring operational needs are met.
- Company: Join a dynamic hospitality company focused on creating exceptional hotel experiences.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, travel opportunities, and a vibrant work culture.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of hotel openings, making a real impact in the hospitality industry.
- Qualifications: 5-10 years in hotel operations with leadership experience in pre-opening roles required.
- Other info: This role involves collaboration with diverse teams and requires travel to project sites.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Job Description
We are seeking an experienced Hotel Opening Project Manager with deep operational expertise to lead and coordinate the successful opening of new hotels. This role is anchored in pre-opening operations and serves as the critical link between hotel operations, design, and construction teams to ensure the property is built, delivered, and launched to brand and operational standards.
This is not a construction PM role. It is a hospitality operations specialist position with a strong understanding of how hotels come to life and how operational requirements must inform and align with physical design and development processes.
Key Responsibilities:
- Own the full pre-opening process from an operations perspective, including staffing, training, systems, licensing, vendor coordination, and SOP development.
- Act as the operational lead in meetings with design, construction, and development teams, ensuring operational needs are integrated into construction and FF&E/OS&E decisions.
- Create and manage detailed project plans, critical paths, opening timelines and checklists in coordination with construction schedules, procurement plans, and hotel leadership
- Implement systems or tools to monitor progress, flag risks and record learnings
- Facilitate alignment among ownership, brand, technical services, procurement, IT, and operations to ensure smooth handover and readiness.
- Lead site readiness reviews, oversee pre-opening task force deployment, and support the hotel through soft and full opening.
- Provide regular progress reports to senior leadership and recommend process optimizations.
Qualifications:
- 5–10 years of hotel operations experience, with a minimum of 3 years in pre-opening leadership roles (as project manager, task force lead, or opening director).
- Strong knowledge of hotel operating models and how they intersect with physical design (front/back of house, guest experience, compliance, etc.).
- Experience interfacing with construction, design, FF&E/OS&E, and technical services teams.
- Outstanding organizational, communication, and leadership skills across diverse stakeholders.
- Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Asana, MS Project).
- PMP or similar certification is a plus.
- Ability to travel to project sites as needed.
Project Manager - Hotels Opening employer: Criterion Hospitality
Contact Detail:
Criterion Hospitality Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Project Manager - Hotels Opening
✨Tip Number 1
Network with professionals in the hospitality industry, especially those who have experience in hotel openings. Attend industry events or join relevant online forums to connect with potential colleagues and mentors who can provide insights and possibly refer you to opportunities.
✨Tip Number 2
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in hotel operations and design. Understanding how operational requirements influence physical design will give you an edge in discussions with construction and design teams, showcasing your expertise in aligning these critical areas.
✨Tip Number 3
Consider obtaining a project management certification if you haven't already. While it's not mandatory, having a PMP or similar certification can enhance your credibility and demonstrate your commitment to the field, making you a more attractive candidate.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss specific examples from your past experiences where you successfully led pre-opening processes. Highlight your ability to manage diverse stakeholders and coordinate complex projects, as this will resonate well with our expectations for the role.
We think you need these skills to ace Project Manager - Hotels Opening
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant hotel operations experience, especially in pre-opening roles. Use specific examples that demonstrate your leadership skills and operational expertise.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, explain why you are passionate about hotel openings and how your background aligns with the role. Mention any specific projects you've managed that relate to the responsibilities outlined in the job description.
Showcase Relevant Skills: Emphasise your familiarity with project management tools and your ability to coordinate between various teams. Highlight your organisational and communication skills, as these are crucial for the role.
Prepare for Interviews: If selected for an interview, be ready to discuss your previous experiences in detail. Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed pre-opening processes and resolved challenges in past projects.
How to prepare for a job interview at Criterion Hospitality
✨Showcase Your Operational Expertise
Make sure to highlight your experience in hotel operations, especially in pre-opening roles. Discuss specific examples where you successfully managed staffing, training, and vendor coordination to demonstrate your deep understanding of the operational side of hotel openings.
✨Demonstrate Project Management Skills
Be prepared to talk about your experience with project management tools like Smartsheet or Asana. Share how you've created detailed project plans and timelines in previous roles, and how you ensured alignment among various teams during the opening process.
✨Communicate Effectively
Since this role involves liaising with diverse stakeholders, practice articulating your thoughts clearly and confidently. Prepare to discuss how you've facilitated meetings between design, construction, and operations teams to ensure everyone's needs were met.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving abilities. Think of scenarios where you had to overcome challenges during a hotel opening, such as delays in construction or staffing issues, and be ready to explain how you handled them.
