At a Glance
- Tasks: Maximise revenue and profitability across a global hotel portfolio using AI and strategic partnerships.
- Company: Starwood Capital Group, a leader in hotel asset management and commercial strategy.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, travel opportunities, and a dynamic work environment.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for growth and impact across global operations.
- Why this job: Join a fast-paced team driving innovation in the hospitality industry with AI technology.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in hotel revenue management and experience with AI/ML tools.
The predicted salary is between 81000 - 99000 £ per year.
Starwood Capital Group is seeking a Vice President, Commercial to maximize revenue and profitability across its global hotel portfolio. This role partners closely with the Hotel Asset Management teams in the US and Europe, as well as property-level and operator teams, to shape commercial strategy across revenue management, distribution, digital and ecommerce, and guest relationship management.
This is an owner-side role, the VP builds strong relationships within Starwood Capital Group and with operators and works alongside them to set priorities, support and advise their teams, and ensure the commercial strategy is executed effectively across the portfolio. Deploying AI to drive measurable revenue and margin performance is central to this role. The VP will identify, pilot, and scale AI-enabled tools and workflows across the portfolio, from pricing and forecasting to guest acquisition and personalization. They will build the data foundation and governance needed to make those tools work and prove their value.
The ideal candidate combines high-level strategic thinking with hands-on tactical knowledge across hotel operations, including rooms management, sales, marketing, ecommerce, distribution, web development, systems architecture, and data science. They are comfortable in a fast-paced private equity environment, including complex turnarounds of hotel assets and portfolios.
Key Responsibilities
- Operator Relationships and Commercial Execution
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with senior leadership and commercial teams (revenue management, sales, marketing, ecommerce, and distribution) at each third-party hotel management company and portfolio company.
- Work with operators and the Asset Management team to set commercial priorities and annual plans for each hotel, and agree targets, KPIs.
- Partner with operators to execute commercial strategy day to day: supporting their teams, removing blockers, and escalating where performance falls short.
- Align operator commercial activity with Starwood Capital's asset-level business plans and value-creation priorities.
- Bring portfolio-wide data, insight, and best practice to operators, and facilitate knowledge sharing across management companies.
- AI Strategy and Deployment
- Define and own the commercial AI roadmap for the hotel portfolio, prioritizing use cases by revenue impact, cost savings, and speed to deploy.
- Evaluate, select, and implement AI and machine learning solutions for revenue management, forecasting, marketing, distribution, and guest engagement, using sound build-versus-buy judgment.
- Run structured pilots with clear baselines and success metrics, then scale proven tools across assets and operators.
- Establish ROI tracking for every AI deployment, reporting incremental RevPAR, direct booking share, conversion, and cost savings to Asset Management.
- Apply generative AI and LLM-based tools to guest communications, review and sentiment analysis, content creation, and commercial reporting.
- Adapt the digital strategy to AI-driven discovery, including AI-powered search, assistants, and answer engines, so the hotels stay visible and bookable.
- Set data governance, model oversight, and vendor risk standards in line with GDPR/UK GDPR, CCPA, PCI-DSS, and emerging AI regulation (e.g., the EU AI Act).
- Build AI literacy among asset managers, operators, and property teams, and drive adoption through training and change management.
- Revenue Management
- Review and advise operator rate strategies based on trends by market segment, distribution channel, and market supply and demand.
- Review, advise, and agree operator-prepared budgets and forecasts for each hotel against targeted revenue growth and market share index.
- Establish pricing and rate fencing structures by segment, analyzing price and demand elasticity to optimize segment mix and profitability.
- Measure price sensitivity by channel and segment to inform pricing recommendations.
- Design dynamic upsell strategies by room type and demand level.
- Guide selection, implementation, and optimization of AI-enabled RMS platforms for real-time pricing, forecasting, and automated decision-making, and assess operator-provided RMS performance.
- Distribution
- Work with operators to develop strategies to increase conversion by channel, based on booking behavior and patterns across GDS and OTAs.
- Build and maintain corporate-level relationships with key OTA, GDS, and wholesale partners.
- Guide support system architecture that optimizes rate, inventory, restriction, and booking data flow between PMS and CRS and the GDS, OTAs, website, and call centers.
- Work with operators to drive direct bookings through metasearch and Google Hotel Ads, using bidding strategies that minimize CPA and maximize ROAS while protecting brand integrity.
- Ecommerce and Digital
- Work with operators to drive direct guest acquisition across paid search, LLMs, SEO, social, display, affiliate, and email, aligned to demand levels and business on the books.
- Oversee website development from initial scope through ongoing product management.
- Review multi-channel conversion data to build custom attribution models reflecting each hotel’s channel behavior.
- Define and oversee a cybersecurity strategy for digital channels, covering breach detection and threat remediation, PCI-DSS compliance, configuration hardening, and server monitoring.
- Customer Relationship Management
- Work with operators to design tactical delivery at every stage of the guest lifecycle: research, book, pre-stay, in-stay, post-stay, and retention.
- Plan in-house execution of acquisition and retention strategies across PMS, CRS, and CRM at key moments such as check-in and check-out.
- Identify and integrate new data sources to improve the single customer view (SCV), and create SOPs that turn data into better in-stay experiences and smarter remarketing.
- Monitor online reviews at each hotel and use AI-assisted sentiment analysis to recommend KPI improvements.
- Review operating statements and P&Ls to find efficiencies that maximize GOP and NOI.
- Asset Management Partnership
- Act as the commercial subject matter expert to Hotel Asset Management teams in the US and Europe, supporting underwriting, business planning, budget reviews, and asset-level performance reviews.
- Support commercial diligence on acquisitions and value-creation planning for turnaround assets.
- Hold operators and third-party managers accountable for commercial performance, and share best practices across the portfolio.
- Present insights and recommendations clearly to senior leadership, investment professionals, and operators.
Qualifications
- At least 7 years of experience in hotel revenue management or hotel commercial leadership, including multi-property or portfolio responsibility.
- Demonstrated experience deploying AI/ML tools that produced measurable commercial results.
- Exposure to a fast-paced private equity or real estate investment environment, including complex turnarounds of hotel assets and portfolios.
- Expert knowledge of revenue management, digital marketing, and predictive analytics.
- Proficiency with key hospitality systems and interfaces.
- Experience with data modeling and data analysis tools.
- Working knowledge of data privacy and governance requirements across the US, UK, and EU.
- Strong ability to manage and present complex information to senior stakeholders.
- Highly organized, with exceptional attention to detail.
- Willingness to travel between the US and Europe and to hotel assets as required.
Location: London or Greenwich, CT, with regular collaboration across both offices. Compensation: Competitive, commensurate with experience.
Vice President, Commercial/Hotel Asset Management employer: Starwood Capital
Starwood Capital Group is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in London where innovation and sustainability are at the forefront of its mission. Employees benefit from a lean team structure that fosters ownership and visibility of impactful projects, alongside opportunities for professional growth through direct exposure to global investment processes. With a commitment to responsible investment and the integration of cutting-edge technology, Starwood empowers its associates to drive meaningful change within a diverse real estate portfolio.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Vice President, Commercial/Hotel Asset Management
✨Get a Taste of the Scene
Try visiting local eateries and asking if they have any full-time positions available. Many hospitality jobs aren’t advertised online, so popping in for a chat can give you an edge and show your enthusiasm!
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We think you need these skills to ace Vice President, Commercial/Hotel Asset Management
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Service Experience:In the hospitality-food-service world, your experience is key! Make sure to highlight any previous roles you've had in restaurants, cafes, or catering. We want to see your customer service skills shine, so include specific examples where you went above and beyond for clients.
Certificates Matter:If you’ve got any relevant certifications, like food safety or bartender training, flaunt them! They can really set you apart from the crowd and show us your dedication to the industry. Just make sure to mention them clearly in your CV or cover letter!
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Take the time to write a personal cover letter that reflects your passion for hospitality. Share why you’re excited about Starwood Capital and how your skills can contribute to our team's success. We're after that genuine connection!
Highlight Your Team Spirit:In full-time roles, teamwork is everything! Emphasise your ability to work collaboratively in busy environments. Mention any experiences where you’ve effectively collaborated with colleagues or managed conflicts — it's just as important as your technical skills!
How to prepare for a job interview at Starwood Capital
✨Show Your People Skills
In hospitality, customer service is everything! Be ready to showcase examples of how you've engaged with customers positively. Maybe you turned a tough situation around or went that extra mile for a guest—let’s hear those stories!
✨Know Your Menu Inside Out
Expect some technical questions about food and drink, especially if you're applying for a kitchen or service role. Brush up on the menu items, including ingredients and any potential allergens. If you’ve got any favourite dishes or cocktails, have a little something prepared to discuss, too!
✨Demonstrate Your Team Spirit
Hospitality thrives on teamwork, so think of examples where you've worked well with others in a fast-paced environment. Be prepared to discuss what makes a great team member and how you contribute to a positive working vibe. They’re looking for that 'good fit!'
✨Get Ready for a Practical Test
In full-time food service roles, don’t be surprised if they want to see your skills in action. Whether it's serving a table or prepping a dish, be mentally prepared for a practical test during the interview. Practice makes perfect—a little dry run with friends could give you the edge!
