Front Office Manager (Maternity Cover) in Cambridge

Join a hotel that is a member of the Accor network, whose group brings together more than 45 brands, 5,500 hotels, 10,000 restaurants and lifestyle destinations. Here, we believe in you and what you bring to the table. There are many opportunities for development and advancement. Every gesture, every smile, every action contributes to creating a positive and memorable impact for our customers, our colleagues and also for our planet. Together, we embody the vision of responsible hospitality.

Our mission at Novotel Cambridge North is to create memorable moments for our guests, giving the best hospitality experience starts with having great and happy people! Get ready to make an impact and be the future of hospitality with us. Our leaders and staff will provide you with the best tools, resources and experiences to support you to grow and learn every day building meaningful experiences.

As our next Front Office Manager, you will:

• Ensure a smooth operation of all services at the desk, contributing to achieving the department’s quantitative and qualitative targets and highest possible REVPAR figures.
• Motivate and train staff to the highest standards of guest care, welcome and quality service.

Main responsibilities:

• Customer Relations: Present a professional, friendly and efficient impression of the Hotel at all times. Ensure that all tasks relating to guest comfort, guest satisfaction or the impression the guest receives of the Hotel must be treated with utmost priority. Maintain a good working relationship with your colleagues creating a team that works well together and with other departments. Ensure that your team is developed to provide a hospitable service to the standard laid down by the Standards Training Manual. Develop your team to anticipate guest needs, act upon and follow up guest requests and deliver a level of service and responsiveness that generates compliments. Maintain vigilance regarding possible fraud, theft and potential security risks. Have a full understanding of all systems and programmes e.g. Tars, etc. Ensure communication procedures are effective and efficient on a day-to-day basis, so that service standards are not compromised. Support with initiative and commitment the overall objectives of the business in terms of revenues, costs and teamwork – whilst developing your personal competency levels. Be a good example of the company dress code and appearance standards – ensuring that your team fully comply with these. Deal with guest complaints.
• Team management and cross-departmental responsibilities: Ensure that your team are fully conversant with the facilities, services and special promotions offered by the hotel and to pass this information onto the guest whenever the possibility arises in order to maximize hotel sales. Display a pro-active and innovative approach to skills development and standards enhancement with your team. Co-ordinate constructively with both the finance and night teams so that policy, procedure and requirements are all adhered to. Establish and maintain strict security procedures within your department, reporting any potential risks to the Hotel Manager. Display a pro-active and consistent approach to stock control, cost control and cash control. Actively develop positive and effective communication between the reception team and the housekeeping team. Continuously analyze actual standards observed against department standards. Demonstrate a pro-active approach to delivering company and operational standards and actively challenge deviation. Build a consensus and negotiate mutually beneficial solutions to problems. Undertake special duties or work outside the normal daily/weekly routine but within the overall scope of the position at the request of the Hotel Manager. Assist the FOM with the design and implementation of new procedures, when necessary. Control reports from Night-Audit (guest’s credit limits, deductions, refunds, complimentary rooms…). Ensure a high quality on the daily basis work (City Ledger, Check-in, Check-out, and other daily operations). Supervise the daily billing, cashiering and business reports. Assist the FOM with Month end reports and Management letter. Take part in the annual budget preparation for the Front Desk. Carry out Duty Management functions as required.
• Commercial / Sales: Develop interactive customer relations and to be aware of any possible future requirements. Relay such information and ideas to the FOM for the enhancement of customer expectation. Continuously report pro-actively on risks and opportunities to the FOM so that insight is created for team decision-making. Regularly check the quality of the service provision available by means of customer comments, feedback during service meetings. Give daily recommendations according to groups, arrivals, departures and special issues. Organize for VIP welcome when necessary. Actively develop your team’s awareness of revenue capture and resolving posting errors and guest queries relating to charges – in order to protect revenues. Encourage staff to maximize revenue by upselling and following yield recommendations. Ensure that staff has good knowledge of rates, segments and hotel promotions.
• Communication: Hold daily shift briefings with team. Chair a monthly department meeting following the agreed format and reporting to T&C department as requested. Attend hotel communication meetings as required. Ensure that notice boards are up to date with agreed information.
• Talent and Culture Responsibilities: Assist the HOD to accurately assess the needs of the business in terms of staffing etc. providing solutions to identified risks in line with trading levels (weekly schedules, holidays). Ensure each new member of the team receives a departmental induction within their first week and attends a company induction within their first four weeks with the company. Carry out appraisals/job chats as per the company appraisals system. Be fully conversant with disciplinary procedures and all other relevant Talent & Culture practices e.g. sickness/absenteeism. Manage poor performance by seeking advice and support from FOM and T&C immediately. Participate in drawing up and implementation of the training plan for your department for new recruits and existing employees. Ensure that all staff within department attends training as requested by the management/T&C. Coach, counsel and develop staff.

Additional Information Benefits:

• You can work with multinational colleagues.
• Be part of a global community of hospitality industry.
• Opportunity to develop your career.
• A Bienvenue Card - offering a special staff rate at our hotels.
• Free Gym.
• Free night stays in our UK hotels and discounts in any Accor Restaurant (T&C Applies).
• Discounted hotel rates all over the world in Accor Hotels.
• Great work environment and colleagues.
• Personal development programs.
• Complimentary meals on duty and uniforms.
• Pension scheme.
• 28 days holidays including bank holidays (increasing yearly).
• Free parking.
• Apprenticeship scheme.
• Continuously learn and develop yourself with our Accor Academy.
• Support your wellbeing in your professional and personal lives.
• Grow your experience anywhere. Explore limitless opportunities across 5000 hotels in over 100 countries.
• Participate actively in initiatives to build a more inclusive and sustainable world.
• And many more benefits and perks.

Our objective is simple: make you grow and give you the spark to unleash your personality.