Director of Sales, EMEA (UK & Ireland)

The Position

Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) is seeking a highly-motivated individual as part of the global sales team with the development and implementation of global sales strategies focusing on both leisure and business travel in Europe, Middle East & Africa with a focus and specialty in the United Kingdom and Ireland and with the possibility of extending the territories.

Celebrating 35 years in the industry in 2025, SLH continues to thrive as a dynamic and growing brand, holding a strong and respected position within the global luxury travel market. This role requires a deep understanding of both the luxury leisure and corporate travel segments, particularly within the UK.

The Sales Department plays a pivotal role in driving revenue through key SLH distribution channels, including the SLH website, the reservations and customer service desk, the GDS, and our global network of sales offices. This role will also support the continued growth of our SLH Preferred Agency Programme, withIN, which engages a fantastic network of top travel advisors worldwide and contributes significantly to our reservations revenue.

The ideal candidate will bring a minimum of five years' experience in sales, either at the property or regional level and will demonstrate a solid background in sales and marketing, alongside with excellent communication and presentation skills.

The position is based in London, on a hybrid basis with a combination of office (Westminster) and home working.

Suitable Applicants

Send your CV and cover letter telling us why you’re the person for the job to: Vice President of Sales, EMEA, Carsten Christensen at: jobs@slh.com

Overview

Leisure Sales Responsibilities 

• Build and maintain a comprehensive database of key travel trade clients across United Kingdom and Ireland.
• Develop targeted databases of niche and emerging luxury travel agencies in primary and secondary cities across the UK and Ireland.
• Establish and manage strong relationships with key travel trade partners, nurturing existing partnerships and identifying new business opportunities.
• Develop strategic alliances with both leisure travel partners, in close collaboration with the SLH trade marketing department.
• Participate in workshops, networking sessions, and business-related events organized by trade partners and industry associations.
• Formulate and execute regional business plans and sales strategies aimed at increasing revenue for SLH member hotels and the SLH brand.
• Conduct regular business reviews with key clients and internal stakeholders to identify performance opportunities and strategic adjustments.
• Collaborate with the Events Manager Worldwide to organize and execute SLH roadshows, showcases, third-party client events, and trade shows across the UK and other countries, where and when needed.
• Further develop SLH’s preferred agency programme withIN in partnership with the Trade Marketing & Community Manager.
• Monitor competitive activity, gather market intelligence, and initiate proactive sales strategies to maintain a leading market position.
• Support the global sales and marketing team by contributing to multi-regional strategies that drive brand visibility and reservation growth.
• Create effective business partnerships with SLH hotels by working closely with General Managers, Directors of Sales and Marketing, and Revenue Managers.
• Drive revenue generation through SLH’s key distribution channels including the reservations and customer service desk, the Travel Trade Hub, the GDS, and sales offices.
• Champion the SLH brand culture and values in all external and internal interactions.
• Consistently work towards agreed-upon sales goals and KPIs to maximise regional profitability and brand success.

Corporate Sales Responsibilities 

• Grow corporate production across the UK and Ireland (and other territories in EMEA, when needed) by maintaining key relationships, conducting joint sales activities with SLH hotels, recommending relevant properties, and distributing targeted promotional materials.
• Develop new corporate accounts through brand awareness, relationship-building with key decision-makers, and proactive promotion of SLH member hotels.
• Drive qualified corporate revenue through SLH’s core distribution channels.
• Manage the centralized Corporate RFP programme in partnership with the VP of Corporate Sales Worldwide (New York), using Cvent and other tools.
• Ensure coordinated global account coverage by aligning with SLH Corporate Sales teams in Asia-Pacific and the Americas.
• Support rate loading in collaboration with the VP of Corporate Sales Worldwide and Distribution Managers.
• Represent SLH at industry events and trade shows across EMEA to elevate brand visibility and generate leads.
• Build relationships with Amex GBT and other preferred partners, and participate in relevant workshops across the region.
• Provide support and training to member hotels to strengthen their performance in the corporate segment.
• Maintain brand consistency across all corporate communications and events.
• Deliver outstanding service to both SLH hotels and corporate clients.
• Collaborate with global colleagues to support the corporate negotiated rate programme across regions.
• Oversee the SLH Groups & Meetings (MICE) Programme and manage the partnership with Avenue Sales & Marketing, our MICE sales representation in the UK.

Reporting Lines

• Vice President of Sales, EMEA (London) with a dotted line to the VP of Corporate Sales Worldwide (NYC) for corporate sales due to global nature of some accounts.
• Will work closely with all members of the Global Sales Team

Required Qualifications & Experiences 

• Minimum five years of hotel sales experience (on-property or regional), across all segments
• Excellent presentation, negotiation, and communication skills (verbal and written).
• Confident liaising with hotel owners, general managers, and high-end clients.
• Proficient in Cvent and Microsoft 360 and ideally experienced with Salesforce and Sabre/SynXis.
• Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and able to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Creative, enthusiastic, and open to sharing new ideas.
• Flexible with working hours to meet project deadlines.
• Based in or near London for easy reach to office in Westminster.
• Willing and able to travel internationally, including occasional weekends.
• Class B Driving License 

Effective Date

As soon as possible

Who We Are

Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) is the most desirable community of independently minded travellers and independently spirited hotels in the world. We turned the luxury boutique hotel into a phenomenon and selected the distinctive, the diverse and the downright delightful. People, places and experiences with individual character, intimate charm and inherent class. We've personally visited, vetted, and verified over 620 hotels in more than 90 countries. We are envisioning a future where people experience the world with intention, embrace its intimacy and protect its integrity.