Director of Rooms In charge of Operations
Radisson Blu Tala Bay Resort Aqaba
Total years of experience :23 years, 8 Months
Highlights :
• Effectively reinforced front office, housekeeping, recreation and SPA policies, procedures and standards leading to enhancement of guest satisfaction by emphasizing on Yes I Can Service Philosophy.
• Played a key role in implementing corporate standards and chain service concepts.
• Successfully achieved goals for REVPAR and "willingness to return" by planning and executing strategies to enhance sales and average rate.
Key Responsibilities :
• Spearheading a team of 250 members comprising of front office, housekeeping, recreation and spa, F&B, kitchen, maintenance and security team, thus conducting all aspects of training and performance reviews periodically to maintain a motivated team.
• Planning and controlling all aspects of the hotel operations including guest relations, front desk, housekeeping, finances, team building and staff development, to achieve optimum levels of customer satisfaction and quality service, whilst meeting and exceeding financial goals.
• Ensuring high corporate standards are achieved and guest expectations are exceeded, monitoring guest satisfaction and responding to concerns and inquiries.
• Communicating room features to guests, providing information regarding amenities, services, hours of operation and local areas of interest. Proffering cashier and currency exchange service to the guests.
• Conducting regular inspections of hotel property and FF&E to maintain it in optimum conditions, thereby recommending preventive maintenance to the General Manager for effective decision making.
• Actively participating in expansion of gratitude programmes for the staff, accordingly organizing promotional program campaigns and broadcasting the same to boost market alertness and penetration.
• Examining all housekeeping's, recreation and Spa areas on a on a daily basis, ensuring compliance with company’s health/ safety policies and housekeeping standards.
• Managing overall front office activities pertaining to discounts, billing instructions and acquiescence with hotel credit policies to ensure outstanding customer service and guest satisfaction while meeting defined objectives of the organization.
• Designing package plans by close coordination with Director of Sales, Director of F&B and Financial Controller, consequently developing strategies to provide excellent customer service thus developing a large customer base.
• Supervising hotel's overall service and team work periodically and providing regular updates to the department heads. Developing/implementing hotel’s annual marketing plans to amplify sales in the department.
• Arranging potential Department heads and supervisor’s interviews and pre-employment screening to ensure right fit and providing feedback to the General Manager on changing market conditions, including trends in the competition.
• Provided excellent customer service to enhance business expansion and sustained professional, healthy relationship with guests/ customers.
• Attended to needs of guests/ customers to ensure efficient service. Coordinated/ supervised housekeeping and front office operations aligned with company objectives/ goals.
• Instrumental in challenging the employees within department to attain optimal yield management and prepared/ submitted timely reports as directed by the General Manager relating to guest information, room occupancy/ availability, advance bookings status and average room rate to enhance profits.
Highlights :
• Efficiently maintained excellent relations with the repeated guests, ensuring high maintenance of revenue and ARR.
• Nominated as the Company Champion for the gold points guest loyalty program in the years 2007 and 2008.
•Played a catalyst in scoring high points in the Quality Performance Review by Swiss Gastro Consulting for evaluating Front Office Quality Performance.
• Achieved top score in the hotel in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 in Annual Staff Satisfaction Survey conducted by corporate office.
• Steered a team of 35 members encompassing front office and security departments.
Key Responsibilities :
• Designed, analyzed and implemented hotel’s marketing plan, business plans, hotel budget and objectives program, ensuring follow up/feedback and excellent relationship with key clients, resulting in augmented sales and customer satisfaction.
• Researched and analyzed present/ future market trends, practices and systems in the hotel industry to decide and make certain that rooms division is viable in the market place, thus formulated suitable strategies/ tactics, to exploit these opportunities for sound and profitable growth.
• Provided guidance to Front Office supervisory staff in execution of their responsibilities, aided them to achieve goals/ objectives. Oversaw service standards conform to requisite standards and meet/ exceed customer expectations and initiated actions to improve guest service.
• Ensured hotel’s quality standards are met in all areas relating to appearance, levels of maintenance/ cleanliness. Assisted in preparation of hotel’s annual budget, strived to maximize yield and control departmental expenses.
• Ensured hotel’s quality standards are met in all areas relating to appearance, levels of maintenance/ cleanliness. Assisted in preparation of hotel’s annual budget, strived to maximize yield and control departmental expenses.
• Handled various operations consisting of Reservations, Reception, Concierge, Executive Club, Guest Relations, Telephone Operator and Business Center and maintained strong relations to achieve hotel goals.
• Aided in revenue management by supervising hotel and market conditions to enhance occupancy by maximizing average daily rate of hotel and attaining budgeted revenues and expenses to optimize profitability in relation to rooms department.
• Resolved and referred all guest requests, complaints and suggestions to concerned person. Accommodated special requests whenever possible within the realm of specified authority.
Highlights :
• Acted as a member of the pre opening team and instituted front office policies, procedures and standards.
• Pioneered in augmenting the ARR by setting a target for front office staff which on the attainment resulting into earning of incentives.
• Attained the highest REVPAR in Kempinski Hotels and Resorts globally for the financial year 2003 and 2004.
• Successfully managed a team of 20 members.
Key Responsibilities :
• Directed/ controlled front office subordinates to ensure routine operational matters are handled on time and guest expectations are met. Addressed/ resolved customer service issues in a positive/ timely manner.
• Planned, developed and coordinated the provision of services, policies and programs while ensuring adherence to hotel rules and regulations.
• Supervised guest arrivals, including - pre-assigning rooms, checking VIP arrivals, ensuring availability of amenities and executing special requests.
• Trained direct and indirect subordinates in all aspects of their job performance, motivated them to meet/surpass established targets for proficient management of front office operations.
• Responsible for optimizing the hotel revenues by means of organizing room inventory, group blocking, packages, selling to the executive rooms and suites raising the late charge policy and double hotel occupancy to capitalize REVPAR.
• Monitored front office duties by close coordination with various departments including executive office, housekeeping, sales and marketing, engineering and security to make sure that all guests are given outstanding services from their arrival until their departure in accordance with hotel standards.
• Provided exceptional guest service for all guests and handled registration, room assignments, check out and cashiering activities in a friendly, professional manner to encourage repeat business.
Key Responsibilities :
• Directed overall night shift operations and provided training of new night auditors to achieve hotel goals and objectives.
• Executed general office and telephonic duties. Greeted and directed incoming guests in a professional, friendly and hospitable manner.
• Courteously answered inquiries and accepted reservations, by accurately communicating hotel rates/ information and applied suggestive selling techniques to increase occupancy and revenue.
• Delivered exceptional customer service and proactively developed customer relations by soliciting feedback and addressing/ resolving customer complaints.
• Prepared and maintained guest history files for future reference and provided regular updates to the senior management.
• Conducted regular inspection of hotel facilities to ensure all safety and security measures are adhered to, ascertained that high standards of guest satisfaction are achieved, in line with hotel standards.
Previous Professional Experiences :
• Sept 1997 - Oct 2000: Assistant Front Office Manager with Armed Forces Officers Club & Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE
• May 1996 - Sept 1997: Assistant Manager Front Office with Mafraq Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Aug 1994 - May 1996: Receptionist and Cashier with Forte Grand Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Training Courses and Certifications : • Complaint Handling • Telephone Handling • Guest Care Skills • Civil Defence Fire Training • Supervisory Development Pack • Leadership Skills • The Art of Delegation • Effective Team Building and Team Skills • Appraisal Skills • Effective Training Functions • Train the Trainer • Revenue Management • Group Training Techniques (GTT) • First Aid • Yes I Can Delivering the Promise • Leading Yes I Can • Yes I Can Hotel Trainer Certification • Logical Thinking system (LOTS) • Supervisory Training and Resource Programme (STAR Trainer) • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People