Front Office Manager

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

Guest Experience & Hosting Leadership

• Lead the Front Office experience, creating a welcoming, confident and personalized environment from arrival to departure.
• Ensure the team recognizes returning guests, understands their preferences, and anticipates their needs without relying solely on scripted interactions.
• Champion the three-step hosting philosophy: Recognize the guest, Read their mood and preferences, and Route them towards the most relevant experience.
• Maintain a visible presence in the lobby and guest-facing areas, actively engaging with guests and supporting the team through real-time coaching.
• Create an environment where guests feel recognized rather than processed, ensuring interactions are natural, genuine and appropriately personalized.
• Oversee guest arrival, welcome amenities, luggage coordination, room orientation and departure arrangements.

Front Office & Daily Operational Management

• Oversee the daily operation of the welcome and hosting team, ensuring operational readiness across all shifts.
• Manage staffing levels, duty rosters, scheduling and deployment according to occupancy, arrival patterns, departure forecasts and anticipated business levels.
• Ensure smooth check-in and check-out processes while minimizing queues, waiting times and unnecessary administrative procedures.
• Monitor room readiness and coordinate closely with Housekeeping & other relevant departments to ensure timely room allocation and effective communication of room status.
• Ensure accurate guest registration, billing, cashiering, room allocation and adherence to hotel operating procedures.
• Maintain effective shift handovers, daily briefings, operational checklists and communication logs.
• Ensure the team is prepared to manage peak arrival periods, VIP movements, group arrivals and unexpected operational demands.
• Maintain effective coordination with Reservations / Stay Design to ensure pre-arrival preferences and the Guest Portrait are translated into actual guest experiences.

Team Leadership, Development & Service Culture

• Lead, develop and inspire a team of confident, engaging and service-oriented Hosts who embody the Pullman personality.
• Recruit and develop individuals with strong emotional intelligence, positive energy, communication skills, adaptability and a natural ability to connect with people.
• Conduct daily briefings, operational rehearsals, service coaching and performance reviews.
• Develop team members' confidence in reading guest behavior, anticipating needs and creating memorable interactions.
• Establish clear performance expectations, accountability and consistent service standards across all shifts.
• Foster a collaborative culture where the team works beyond traditional departmental boundaries to deliver one continuous guest experience.

Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure consistent compliance with Pullman brand standards, operational procedures, guest safety requirements and service expectations.
• Conduct regular operational inspections and service observations across the lobby, reception, concierge and arrival areas.
• Review operational performance, guest feedback and service recovery trends to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Drive initiatives to improve arrival efficiency, reduce waiting times, strengthen communication and enhance the overall hosting experience.
• Maintain the physical presentation, atmosphere and operational readiness of all front-of-house areas in coordination with the House Curator.
• Support the implementation of new systems, digital guest solutions and operational enhancements that simplify the guest journey.

Qualifications

• Previous experience as a Front Office Manager or in a comparable Front Office leadership role
• A proven track record of leading teams and delivering consistently high standards of service in a luxury hotel environment.
• Hands-on experience with Opera Cloud is required
• Strong expertise in VIP handling, guest recognition, complaint resolution and service recovery.
• Sound understanding of Front Office performance indicators, staffing productivity, cost control and upselling.
• Excellent leadership, communication and organizational skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across departments.
• A calm, solution-oriented approach and the ability to make sound decisions in a fast-paced operation.