Reservations Manager in London

The Reservations Manager oversees all the operational activities of the Reservations department, working closely with Front Office and Groups/Events team. The role is responsible for executing the Revenue Management strategies directed by Althoff Head Office, collaborating with the Directors of Sales, Marketing, General Manager, and Althoff Revenue Team. The position requires balancing the needs of guests and booking partners with the hotel's requirements to maximise room revenue and control the hotel’s room inventory while ensuring guest satisfaction and repeat business.

Responsibilities:

• Handles day-to-day reservation enquiries according to LHW brand standards.
• Performs arrival checks.
• Ensures delivery of a 5-star experience to guests while optimising all guest revenue opportunities.
• Ensures complaints are handled efficiently according to 5-star standards.
• Ensures early, middle, or late shifts coverage Monday through Sunday.
• Works closely with LHW reservations and other third-party booking sources to ensure all guests receive their special treatment as per various special benefits/VIP/consortia programs.
• Ensures all systems including Opera (PMS), Happy, Synxis, and Onix are used appropriately and all data is entered correctly.
• Builds blocks/call-in allotments.
• Ensures all guest communication is neatly filed and safely stored at one central point.
• Extends or modifies rates on Opera Claud.
• Ensures all Credit Application and Billing instructions are neatly filed and clearly entered in the system.
• Inspires a high level of creativity, personal commitment to service excellence, and an emotional sense of gracious hospitality.
• Identifies and communicates leads to the Sales Team.
• Clearly communicates guest requirements to Front of House.
• Works with the Front Office Manager, Director of Sales, Marketing, and General Manager on the execution, implementation, and ongoing administration of policies communicated by Althoff Head Office.
• Prepares month-end reporting and analysis ready for submission to General Manager and ownership.
• Completes daily pickup reports communicated to the wider team and ownership.
• Supervises the hotel reservations system (Opera) and distribution of inventory through relevant channels.
• Supervises third-party OTA portals/channel management and review meetings with Market Account Managers.
• Identifies and monitors alternative third-party channels to reduce OTA reliance/cost and optimise smart distribution partnerships.
• Develops strategies to drive business direct to the hotel rather than via OTAs while nurturing relationships with Travel Agents in key source markets.
• Establishes effective working relationships with industry colleagues, overseeing PMS, Global Distribution system, E-Marketing initiatives, and other reservations tools and processes.
• Responsible for auditing monthly due commissions, approving for processing, and sharing this information with the Finance Department.
• Ensures all offers/packages are correctly routed and revenue breakdowns are split to hit the correct P&L (Rooms/F&B).
• Effectively coaches identified team members to perform reservations during any absence/holiday period.
• Maintains positive communication with other departments in the hotel, particularly collaborating with Sales, Rooms, and F&B Divisions.
• Stays well informed and plans ahead for city-wide events/localised compression.
• Establishes a 365-day ahead key opportunity dates calendar/offers calendar with tactics ready to deploy based on 90-60-30 day lead time and current demand and forecast.
• Oversees and audits the standards and operations of the reservations department.
• Ensures the website booking process is maintained up-to-date and functional.
• Ensures hotel personnel are fully competent in the use of all systems.
• Regularly checks the input and quality of data (segmentation, tracking).
• Evaluates performance of distribution partners and contracted rates (OTA, FIT, tour operator, corporate, consortia, groups, etc.).
• Conducts regular competitor checks and visits, maintaining good relationships with the Reservation Teams in the competitor set.
• Works closely with LHW to ensure all standards are met and new leads have been communicated.
• Ensures compliance with all hotel policies, procedures, and programmes.
• Ensures an upsell culture exists throughout the hotel, proposing higher categories to drive revenue.
• Undertakes other ad hoc related responsibilities as required/requested.