Resort Director

Resort Director

Cambridge Full-Time 48000 - 72000 Β£ / year (est.) No home office possible
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St Michaels Resort

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead a vibrant resort, ensuring exceptional guest experiences and operational excellence.
  • Company: St Michaels Resort is an award-winning destination by Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth, Cornwall.
  • Benefits: Enjoy a dynamic work environment with opportunities for growth and development.
  • Why this job: Join a passionate team dedicated to creating memorable experiences in a stunning coastal setting.
  • Qualifications: Experience in hospitality leadership, strong commercial acumen, and a knack for inspiring teams.
  • Other info: Ideal for those who thrive in a fast-paced, guest-focused environment.

The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 Β£ per year.

This is a unique opportunity to lead one of the South West\’s most iconic resorts.
St Michaels is a multi-award-winning resort set beside Blue Flag Gyllyngvase Beach in Cornwall\’s most vibrant town, Falmouth. With a 96-bedroom hotel, sea-facing apartments, a nationally recognised spa, and an extensive health club, we\’re proud to deliver exceptional guest experiences year-round.
We\’re now looking for an outstanding Resort Director to lead our resort-wide team and drive the next stage of our growth.
Role Purpose
The Resort Director is responsible for the strategic leadership, commercial success, operational excellence, and cultural embodiment of St Michaels Resort. This role ensures the resort consistently delivers an exceptional guest experience while achieving financial goals and fostering a motivated, engaged workforce.
Your Background and Experience

  • Your career will have progressed rapidly in the hospitality sector and you will have stood out from your peer group
  • You will have progressed to a General Manager level position, and then repeated that in a more complex environment
  • Most of your experience will have been in the UK leisure hotel/resort environment
  • You will have had real responsibility across every element of your business, without relying on a head office. You will have strong commercial acumen with demonstrated P&L management
  • Expertise in operational leadership across multiple departments
  • Excellent leadership skills with the ability to inspire, engage, and develop teams
  • Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
  • Experience driving guest satisfaction and maintaining high service standards
  • Skilled in financial planning, budget management, and performance analysis
  • Delivering budgets and outstanding financial results through boosting sales and tightly controlling costs according to quite rigid KPIs
  • Demonstrating real entrepreneurial flair

Additional Desirable Skills & Experience

  • Experience in the wellness, spa, and leisure sector.
  • Previous experience in independently owned or boutique luxury resorts.
  • The development of a real hospitality brand with a distinctive style and tone of voice
  • Working in a business which delivered exceptional quality

Personal attributes

  • Passionate about ensuring guests are delighted and achieving high standards
  • Strong leadership skills which command real respect
  • Authentic, approachable, and visible leader with emotional intelligence
  • Highly personable
  • Good sense of humour
  • Totally committed and dedicated
  • Highly motivated, pro-active and hands-on
  • Visionary thinker with a pragmatic approach to problem-solving
  • Intelligent, stimulating and articulate
  • Financially very literate
  • A strong ambassador for St Michaels Resort\’s brand, culture, and values

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership

  • Lead the development and delivery of the resort\’s long-term vision, annual business plan, and key performance indicators (KPIs)
  • Shape and implement strategies to drive occupancy, revenue growth, guest satisfaction, and profitability
  • Work closely with the Owner/Board to ensure alignment with the resort\’s brand and long-term goals

Operational Excellence and Customer Delight

  • Oversee all operational departments including Rooms Division, Apartments, Events, Food & Beverage, Spa & Wellness, and Health Club
  • Ensure seamless daily operations with consistent attention to detail, quality standards, and efficiency
  • Development and delivery of customer journey / key touchpoints to constantly evolve and improve the customer experience across all of our businesses
  • Ensure the guest experience is personalised as much as possible
  • Lead a guest-first culture that exceeds expectations
  • Develop and deliver an exciting experience and creative product that is revered and \”talked about\”
  • Ensure compliance to all legislation, health and safety, fire regs, etc
  • Significantly improve our customer review scores on TripAdvisor, maintaining a 4.5-star rating for the Resort and achieving the same for our restaurants. Deliver a top 3 position versus our competitor set on ReviewPro. Achieve and maintain a score of 9.0 on Booking
  • Monitor and respond to guest feedback, ensuring service recovery where needed
  • Implement continuous improvement processes to elevate service standards

Financial & Commercial Management

  • Full P&L responsibility; develop, manage, and deliver budgets
  • Tight financial control and the achievement/delivery of financial plan, especially EBITDA
  • Implement corrective measures as necessary to ensure profit delivery
  • Review, develop and deliver against all KPIs in the business
  • Drive revenue generation through effective pricing strategies, revenue management, and marketing initiatives
  • Ensure we procure well and get best value across all of our purchases
  • Monitor pricing for all of our products against competitors, the market and our cost base to recommend changes as appropriate

People Leadership

  • Lead, inspire, and develop the senior leadership team and broader resort staff
  • Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture aligned with the resort\’s values
  • Oversee recruitment, talent development, retention, and succession planning
  • Measure and reduce staff turnover
  • Undertake six-monthly staff surveys and demonstrate ongoing improvement in scores relating to job satisfaction, enjoyment of working at St Michaels, and overall staff wellbeing

Marketing, Brand and Product Development

  • Collaborate closely with the marketing and sales teams to ensure the brand is consistently represented and marketed effectively
  • Work closely with the Marketing Director to develop our brand promise and ensure it is delivered authentically and creatively across the whole property
  • Evolve the creative delivery of the brand personality in a creative and engaging manner across the whole resort
  • Ensure the delivery of cost effective marketing campaigns to build our brand reputation and deliver our revenue targets
  • Ensure Revenue management and digital marketing are leading edge and demonstrating best practice

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Resort Director employer: St Michaels Resort

St Michaels Resort is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture in the stunning coastal town of Falmouth, Cornwall. With a focus on employee growth and development, we provide opportunities for our team to thrive in a supportive environment while delivering outstanding guest experiences. Our commitment to excellence is matched by our dedication to staff wellbeing, making St Michaels a truly rewarding place to work.
St Michaels Resort

Contact Detail:

St Michaels Resort Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🀫

We think this is how you could land Resort Director

✨Tip Number 1

Familiarise yourself with St Michaels Resort's brand and values. Understanding their unique culture and guest experience will help you align your leadership style with their expectations, making you a more attractive candidate.

✨Tip Number 2

Network within the hospitality industry, especially in the UK leisure hotel/resort sector. Attend relevant events or connect with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn to gain insights and potentially get referrals for the Resort Director position.

✨Tip Number 3

Showcase your entrepreneurial flair by preparing examples of how you've driven revenue growth and improved guest satisfaction in previous roles. This will demonstrate your capability to lead St Michaels into its next growth phase.

✨Tip Number 4

Research the latest trends in wellness and spa services, as well as customer experience innovations. Being knowledgeable about these areas will help you stand out as a candidate who can elevate the resort's offerings.

We think you need these skills to ace Resort Director

Strategic Leadership
Commercial Acumen
P&L Management
Operational Excellence
Guest Satisfaction Management
Financial Planning
Budget Management
Performance Analysis
Team Leadership
Interpersonal Skills
Problem-Solving Skills
Customer Experience Development
Compliance Knowledge
Marketing Strategy
Revenue Management
Staff Development
Talent Retention
Brand Development
Creativity in Product Development
Emotional Intelligence

Some tips for your application 🫑

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your experience in the hospitality sector, particularly in leadership roles. Emphasise your achievements in operational excellence and guest satisfaction, as these are key for the Resort Director position.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for delivering exceptional guest experiences. Discuss your strategic vision for the resort and how your background aligns with the company's goals. Be sure to mention any relevant experience in wellness or boutique luxury resorts.

Showcase Leadership Skills: Provide specific examples of how you've inspired and developed teams in previous roles. Highlight your ability to foster a collaborative culture and improve staff engagement, as this is crucial for the Resort Director role.

Demonstrate Financial Acumen: Include details about your experience with P&L management and budget delivery. Mention any successful strategies you've implemented to drive revenue growth and control costs, as financial management is a significant part of the role.

How to prepare for a job interview at St Michaels Resort

✨Showcase Your Leadership Experience

As a Resort Director, your leadership skills are paramount. Be prepared to discuss specific examples of how you've inspired and developed teams in previous roles. Highlight any initiatives you've led that improved team performance or guest satisfaction.

✨Demonstrate Financial Acumen

This role requires strong financial management skills. Be ready to talk about your experience with P&L responsibilities, budget management, and how you've driven revenue growth in past positions. Use concrete figures to illustrate your success.

✨Emphasise Guest Experience Strategies

The ability to enhance guest satisfaction is crucial. Prepare to share your strategies for improving customer experiences and how you've implemented feedback mechanisms to ensure continuous improvement in service standards.

✨Align with the Resort's Vision

Research St Michaels Resort thoroughly and understand its brand values and long-term goals. During the interview, express how your vision aligns with theirs and how you can contribute to achieving their objectives while maintaining the resort's unique identity.

Resort Director
St Michaels Resort
Location: Cambridge
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