Director of Guest Experience

Compensation Type

Highgate Hotels

Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company with over $15 billion of assets under management and a global portfolio of more than 400 hotels spanning North America, Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America. With a 30-year track record as an innovator in the hospitality industry, this forward-thinking company provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate continues to demonstrate success in developing a diverse portfolio of bespoke lifestyle hotel brands, legacy brands, and independent hotels and resorts, featuring contemporary programming and digital acumen. The company utilizes industry-leading revenue management tools that efficiently identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive outperformance and maximize asset value. With an executive team of seasoned hospitality leaders and corporate offices worldwide, Highgate is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. www.highgate.com

Location

The Newbury Boston at One Newbury Street, located in the premier shopping and dining neighborhood of Boston’s Back Bay is an iconic property originally opened in 1927 as one of the first Ritz-Carlton hotels in the U.S. and most recently was the Taj Boston. The building was recently transformed into a 286-room luxury hotel with 16,000-sq-ft of stunning event spaces, signature dining experiences and a reimagined front entrance on Newbury Street.

Overview

The Director of Guest Experience is responsible for leading the Guest Experience department and delivering consistent Five-Star luxury service throughout the guest journey. The primary focus of this position is to create thoughtful and personalized experiences for VIPs, repeat guests, specialty-suite guests and those requiring special attention through a highly engaged and well-trained team.

This position oversees the Hotel’s VIP, guest recognition, amenity, loyalty, guest messaging and concierge programs. The Director partners closely with all Hotel departments, including Sales and Catering, to ensure guest preferences, riders, special requests and commitments are clearly communicated and executed.

The performance of this position directly affects guest satisfaction, loyalty, repeat business, revenue and the reputation of the Hotel. The Director is expected to maintain a visible presence, take ownership of guest concerns and empower associates to create memorable moments while maintaining the highest standards of luxury service.

Responsibilities

• Lead the daily operation of the Guest Experience department, including scheduling, labor management, training, coaching, performance management and leadership coverage across all shifts.
• Own and continuously improve the Hotel’s VIP, special-attention, specialty-suite, repeat-guest and loyalty recognition programs, ensuring personalized service from pre-arrival through departure.
• Review upcoming arrivals and prepare and communicate the daily VIP list, ensuring guest history, preferences,  special occasions, prior concerns and operational details are shared with the appropriate teams.
• Partner closely with Sales and Catering on VIP guests, group leaders, site visits, familiarization trips and special events, ensuring riders, amenities, arrival details and all guest commitments are clearly communicated and executed.
• Coordinate the complete preparation of VIP stays, including room allocation, room readiness, inspections, transportation, dining arrangements, special requests, arrivals, personal introductions, in-stay engagement and departure recognition.
• Inspect accommodations for the Hotel’s highest VIP tiers and partner with Housekeeping, Engineering and Front Office to resolve room discrepancies before arrival.
• Oversee and continuously improve the Hotel’s VIP, complimentary, paid and special-request amenity program, including offerings, pricing and procedures, and ensure amenities are accurately charged, prepared, delivered and followed up on across all shifts, including evenings and overnight.
• Maintain a visible presence during peak arrivals and departures, high occupancy, groups, events and significant VIP stays, ensuring guests receive appropriate personal recognition and attention.
• Oversee the Hotel’s guest messaging program, including response standards, request assignment, escalation, communication quality, productivity and follow-through.
• Manage the offsite concierge operation, including standard operating procedures, service quality, productivity, response times and escalation of sensitive guest requests.
• Deliver on the Hotel’s loyalty program and identify appropriate revenue opportunities through suite upgrades, paid amenities, transportation, dining and other personalized experiences.
• Take ownership of guest concerns from initial contact through resolution and follow-up, ensuring preferences, observations, recovery details and corrective actions are accurately documented in Opera, ALICE and other applicable systems.
• Identify recurring service concerns and partner with the appropriate departments to develop and execute corrective action plans.
• Prepare weekly and monthly VIP reports, including stay volume, repeat frequency, guest spend, upgrades, ancillary revenue, amenity costs, service trends and overall program performance.
• Develop relationships with trusted local partners and maintain an in-depth knowledge of the Hotel, its services and the experiences Greater Boston and New England offer luxury travelers.
• Develop and maintain departmental procedures and training consistent with Forbes, LQA, AAA and The Newbury’s luxury service standards.
• Make timely decisions that balance guest expectations with the Hotel’s financial, staffing, safety and operational needs.
• Keep the Director of Rooms and appropriate Hotel leaders informed of significant guest concerns, unusual matters and operational risks.
• Demonstrate personal ownership, attention to detail, effective communication, teamwork and consistent follow-through.
• Attend meetings, serve as Manager on Duty when assigned and respond appropriately during hotel emergencies or safety situations.
• Perform other reasonable duties and projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Three to five years of progressive leadership experience in Front Office or Guest Experience within a luxury hotel required.
• Demonstrated experience managing VIP guests, complex arrangements, personalized amenities and sensitive service recovery required.
• Knowledge of Forbes Travel Guide, LQA, AAA or comparable luxury service standards preferred.
• Proficiency with Opera Cloud or a comparable property-management system and guest request or messaging platforms required.
• College degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration or a related field preferred; equivalent luxury hotel experience will be considered.
• Knowledge of F&B preparation techniques, health department rules and regulations, liquor laws and regulations preferred.