Hotel Director / General Manager in Guildford

A rare opportunity for an exceptional hands-on hotel leader to take day-to-day operational command of a well-known independent hotel, spa and events business in Surrey, backed by ownership committed to investment and long-term improvement.

Guildford Manor Hotel & Spa is a well-known independent hotel, spa and events business set within the Surrey Hills. With 51 bedrooms, a strong spa and leisure offering, restaurant and food and beverage operations, weddings, private events and seasonal trading, the hotel has a broad and established revenue base together with clear scope for further growth, sharper execution and continued refinement. Under committed independent ownership, Guildford Manor is entering an exciting new phase. We are looking for an exceptional hotel leader to take genuine day-to-day command of the business, build on the property’s character and reputation, and help shape its next chapter.

This is a full-time, on-site leadership role for a Hotel Director / General Manager at Guildford Manor Hotel & Spa in Guildford, Surrey. This is a senior hands-on role for a high-calibre hotel operator who combines strong operational leadership with commercial instinct, visible presence, sound judgment and high standards. The successful candidate will be the principal person responsible for the day-to-day running, performance and coordination of the hotel across all core revenue lines and departments, including bedrooms, spa, restaurant, weddings, private events and wider hotel operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the day-to-day operation of the hotel across all departments.
• Take full operational responsibility for the hotel, spa, restaurant, weddings, private events and key seasonal trading periods.
• Drive exceptional guest experience across rooms, spa, food and beverage and events.
• Build, lead and develop a strong management team and culture across the business.
• Recruit, develop and retain key personnel and strengthen leadership capability across departments.
• Ensure peak days, major weekends, weddings, functions and seasonal periods are well planned, well staffed and well executed.
• Oversee weddings, private events and major functions with confidence, professionalism and attention to detail.
• Produce realistic, commercially sound budgets, forecasts and reforecasts across the business.
• Monitor and manage performance across occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, spa revenue, restaurant performance, events revenue, labour and departmental profitability.
• Produce accurate, timely and commercially useful reporting across all major operating systems and revenue lines.
• Take ownership of systems discipline, reporting accuracy and operating process consistency across the hotel.
• Work confidently with hotel systems and booking platforms, including PMS, CRS/channel management, spa booking software, restaurant reservation platforms and POS systems.
• Use business data and operational insight to identify opportunities to improve revenue, conversion, yield, efficiency and guest experience.
• Lead and improve sales activity across the property, including bedrooms, spa, restaurant, weddings, private events and local corporate opportunities.
• Add commercial value through strong understanding of website performance, booking conversion, digital visibility, marketing effectiveness and SEO fundamentals.
• Work with ownership and external partners where relevant to improve website performance, online positioning and direct revenue opportunities.
• Schedule, prioritise and oversee routine, preventative and reactive maintenance to ensure the property remains safe, functional and well presented.
• Identify opportunities for improvement and investment across the hotel, including refurbishments, room upgrades, guest journey improvements, maintenance priorities, operational systems, kitchen rationalisation and wider asset enhancement.
• Build credible business cases for investment, present recommendations clearly to ownership, and execute approved projects effectively and to a high standard.
• Ensure service standards, presentation, maintenance standards and operational consistency are maintained across the property.
• Ensure strong standards in health and safety, fire safety, compliance, risk management and statutory obligations across the property.
• Maintain clear operating procedures, accountability and follow-through across all departments.
• Maintain a highly visible presence across the business, especially during busy weekends, major event dates and peak trading periods.

Qualifications:

• Substantial senior hospitality leadership experience.
• A strong track record as a General Manager, Hotel Director or similar senior on-site leadership role.
• Experience in an independent hotel, country house hotel, spa hotel, boutique hotel or leisure-led events property.
• Confidence leading a business where rooms, spa, restaurant, weddings and events all matter.
• Strong commercial understanding across hotel operations, including revenue, labour, forecasting and departmental performance.
• Proven ability to produce realistic, detailed budgets, forecasts, reforecasts and commercial action plans.
• Strong track record in recruiting key managers and building effective teams.
• High level of competence across hotel and hospitality systems, including PMS, CRS/channel management, spa booking software, restaurant reservation platforms, POS systems and management reporting.
• Confidence using and reporting from systems such as Guestline, SynXis, Premier, ResDiary, TheFork and related hotel operational platforms.
• Strong understanding of channel mix, rate strategy, direct booking performance and commercial reporting.
• Good understanding of website optimisation, digital marketing effectiveness and SEO fundamentals.
• Ability to interpret business data and turn it into clear operational and commercial action.
• Strong understanding of health and safety, fire safety, compliance and statutory operating requirements within a hotel environment.
• Practical confidence around incident response, site safety, first aid awareness and fire marshal responsibilities.
• Strong operational grip across housekeeping, maintenance planning, service delivery, team structure and daily execution.
• Natural sense of standards, presentation and guest care.
• Calm authority, strong organisational ability and a hands-on approach.
• Confidence leading peak weekend trade and major seasonal periods.

Regular weekend presence is an essential part of the role, particularly on Saturdays, key Sundays, bank holidays and major event dates.

Package:

• Salary of £80,000–£95,000, depending on experience.
• Performance-related bonus.
• Genuine opportunity to shape the next phase of an independently owned hotel business.
• Supportive ownership prepared to invest in the property and in well-judged improvement initiatives.