Hotel & Villa Curator

Overview

Reporting to Senior Hotel & Villa Curator

Status 10-12 months contract, with a possibility to extend further based on business needs.

The Hotel & Villa Curator (HVC) will be primarily concerned with the curation and contracting of a portfolio of hotels and villas in APAC, the UK and other European countries, working as part of a team solely focused on the growth of our collection. We’re looking for an individual with a keen eye for style and design, contacts, robust contracting experience, and an open-minded approach to constantly review and adapt our process, alongside the commercial needs of the business.

Following strict curation standards, the HVC will be responsible for proactively sourcing multiple properties in different destinations at once, leading numerous commercial discussions and launching hotels and villas within the Mr & Mrs Smith collection. The HVC will work closely with our onboarding team to ensure that we meet deadlines, hit our targets and prioritise hotel and villa launches based on commercial importance.

Responsibilities

• Product acquisition, through commercial and data-driven decision making – a 360 review including demand analysis, seasonal relevance, price sensitivity, protecting the existing collection performance, enhancing market competitiveness, and more.
• Contracting hotels and villas to keep up with high demand, negotiating the strongest commercials and additional advantages, such as exclusivity, preferential inventory access and Smith Extras. Plus competitiveness for all launched products, including rates, offers and inventory availability.
• Researching and proactively reaching out to hotel and villa owners, selling our story, leading all commercial discussions and starting the onboarding process.
• Build business cases and execute trips to meet expectations of 1-2 trips per month as well as regular attendance at industry events.
• Prioritising your workload based on scrum priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Constantly analysing, questioning and suggesting improvements to the curation and contracting process.
• Handling multiple queries simultaneously via phone and email, with flair and personality.
• Working closely with the other disciplines within the team to ensure we are achieving our targets.

Requirements

• In-depth understanding and respect for the brand.
• A high level of commercial acumen, and an analytical and commercial mindset.
• At least 1-2 years of experience in negotiation and hotel-contracting, preferably within boutique or luxury travel.
• An established network of boutique or luxury hoteliers and industry contacts.
• An understanding of hotel distribution, rates and inventory management.
• The ability to travel regularly to meet monthly expectations and targets.
• The ability to work in a fast-paced team, prioritising a busy workload.
• The ability to balance a busy workload efficiently and professionally.
• A can-do attitude, team player, collaborative individual with an adaptive mindset.
• Attention to detail and exemplary follow-up.
• Strong communication skills. You’ll need to be able to adjust your communication style as needed and clearly communicate with all teams and wider business.
• Familiarity with Salesforce, Outlook, Microsoft Office (Excel proficiency is a must), Asana and quick adoption of new databases and systems.
• A driving license and the ability to drive cars domestically or internationally.
• Fluency in a second language is preferred.
• A passion for boutique hotels, embracing change and our pillars.