Rooms Operations Assistant Manager

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

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.

The Rooms Operations Assistant Manager will be responsible for ensuring the operations of the Rooms Divisions in an attentive, friendly, efficient and courteous manner, providing all guests with quality service and a clean and safe environment throughout their stay, while efficiently managing expenses and maximizing service levels.

Employees must, at all times, be attentive, friendly, helpful, and courteous to all guests, managers, and fellow employees.
• Respond to all guest requests, problems, complaints and/or accidents presented through reservations, comment cards, letters and/or phone calls, in an attentive, courteous and efficient manner. Follow up to ensure guest satisfaction.
• Motivate, coach, counsel and discipline all Rooms department personnel according to Highgate Hotel SOP's.
• Ensure compliance to Standard of the Week training, using the steps to effective training according to Highgate Hotel
• Ensure staff compliance to Forbes standards.
• Maintain a detailed checklist for each position.
• Assist in ensuring compliance with all corporate Risk Management standards (MSDS, HazComm, etc.).
• Ensure consistency with departmental opening and closing procedures.
• Carry a Relay device at all times.
• Prepare and conduct departmental interviews as required and follow hiring procedures according to Highgate Hotel SOP's.
• Develop employee morale and ensure training of Rooms department personnel.
• Ensure guest privacy and security through correctly following Highgate Hotel procedures.
• Monitor work orders and submit to Engineering according to hotel procedures. Follow up on work orders to ensure completion.
• Conduct pre-shift meetings.
• Respond to emergency situations using information contained in MSD sheets. Keep MSD sheets current and easily available.
• Assist in reviewing Rooms department staff's worked hours for payroll compilation and submit to Accounting on a timely basis.
• Assist in preparing employee schedule according to business forecast, payroll budget guidelines and productivity requirements.
• Maintain Highgate Hotel SOP's regarding Purchase Orders, vouchering of invoices and checkbook accounting.
• Maintain a professional working relationship and promote open lines of communication with managers, employees and other departments.
• Ensure implementation of all Highgate Hotel policies and house rules. Understand hospitality terms.
• Ensure sign off of all Service Standards by Position competencies for Rooms department staff.
• Operate radios and other devices efficiently and professionally in communicating with hotel staff. Ensure the proper use of radio etiquette within the department.
• Attend weekly staff meeting and provide training on a rotational basis using steps to effective training according to Highgate Hotel standards.
• Maintain key control system for house keys.
• Ensure participation within department for monthly Highgate Hotel team meeting.
• Focus the Rooms Department on their role in contributing to the Guest Service and audit Scores.
• Assist in maintaining an organized and comprehensive filing system with documentation of purchases, vouchering, schedules, forecasts, reports and tracking logs.
• Properly store, secure and issue supplies as needed to meet business demands.
• Ensure completion of regular maintenance and cleaning projects on a biannual basis.
• Ensure maximum guest satisfaction through personal recognition and prompt attention from pre-arrival to departure.
• Have extensive knowledge of the product and services available.
• Ensure that all guests, especially those of VIP status, receive utmost attention and maximize their satisfaction during their entire duration of stay.
• Give information and promote all in house facilities and promotions
• Liaise, cooperate, and coordinate with all departments to achieve high standards of service and guest satisfaction.
• Assist in maintaining and controlling all Housekeeping equipment.
• Ensure that large guestroom turns are managed efficiently.
• Inspect rooms daily, and ensure that follow up on defficencies is addressed in a timely basis.
• Ensure that public areas, guest rooms and back-of-house areas are cleaned to Highgate Hotel standards.
• Assist in maintaining required pars of all Housekeeping and Laundry supplies by ordering all needed supplies and amenities on a monthly or quarterly basis.
• Assist in conducting monthly and quarterly Housekeeping inventories on a timely basis.
• Balance and clear room status nightly; compare the p.m. housekeeping report with the PMS room status report and resolve any discrepancies.
• Manage and organize large turn days (including group check-ins or check-outs).
• Monitor out-of-order, out-of-service, discrepant and show rooms.
• Maintain and monitor "Lost and Found" procedures and policies according to Highgate Hotel standards.
• Record all valet laundry for valet cleaners. Check and review incoming laundry at end of day to ensure all items have been returned.
• Inspect the rooms for our highest tiers of VIPs.
• Use the telephone and computer system for reporting and verifying room status.
• Review Housekeeping log book and Guest Request log on a daily basis.
• Maintain constant communication with Front Office.
• Monitor and act on special requests as needed; VIPs, special needs rooms, connecting, etc.
• Monitor all V.I.P.'s, special guests and requests.
• Ensure that all arriving and departing VIP's and regular guests are greeted and that introductions are made.
• Review arrivals for the next ten days on a daily basis
• Prepare and distribute daily the Daily VIP list to the necessary teams.
• Coordinate the complete preparation of all associated services for arriving VIP's, including, but not limited to, ensuring room is ready; amenities are in the room, etc.
• Arrange as many introductions with our VIPs as possible via phone calls, emails, text messages, or in person.
• Deliver on the hotel's loyalty program.
• Update Guest profiles in Opera (PMS) with any preferences and observations.
• Deal with guest issues in an appropriate and a thorough manner from the initial complaint to the resolution.
• Log guest issues in Alice and Opera and communicate issues as appropriate.
• Develop relationships with a variety of local vendors, which include, and are not limited to, restaurants, night clubs, museums, theaters, sports venues, ticket agencies, etc.
• Be familiar with all the courier companies and their charges.
• Aid in the smooth operation of the car service, and to ensure that information is passed to airport representatives for all arriving and departing VIP's.
• Have an in depth knowledge of what Greater Boston (and New England) has to offer in regards to a variety of experiences our guests may be interested in.
• Focus on the Customer. . . Seek to understand the guest and internal customer and meet the needs of both the customer and the Company.
• Attention to Details . . . Ensure that work is accurate, thorough and to the highest standards.
• Take Responsibility . . . Demonstrate personal ownership to tasks and follow through to get the required results.
• Apply Professional, Product or Technical Expertise . . . Demonstrate the ability to apply technical, professional or product expertise to everyday hotel situations.
• Foster Teamwork . . . Work well in a team environment and motivate teams to sustain exceptional levels of performance.
• Communicate effectively . . . Clarify and provide information so that coworkers, customers, and suppliers understand and can take action.
• Ability to consistently "go the extra mile".

Education & Experience:

• A 4-year college degree and 1 or more years of related experience or at least 4 years of progressive experience in hotels.
• 1 year of Housekeeping experience in a luxury setting preferred.
• Must be proficient in Windows, Company approved spreadsheets and word processing.

Physical Requirements:

• Medium work - Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.

General Requirements:

• Must be able to effectively communicate both verbally and written, with all level of employees and guests in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service oriented manner.
• Must be effective at listening to, understanding, and clarifying concerns raised by employees and guests.
• Must be able to multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
• Approach all encounters with guests and employees in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service-oriented manner.
• Attend all hotel required meetings and trainings.
• Support Highgate core values: passion, innovation, integrity, ownership and community.
• Facilitate, prepare and attend weekly WIG meetings and track results.
• Participate in M.O.D. coverage as required.
• Maintain regular attendance in compliance with Highgate Hotel Standards, as required by scheduling, which will vary according to the needs of the hotel.
• Maintain high standards of personal appearance and grooming.
• Comply with Highgate Hotel Standards and regulations to encourage safe and efficient hotel operations.
• Maximize efforts towards productivity, identify problem areas and assist in implementing solutions.
• Must be effective in handling problems, including anticipating, preventing, identifying and solving problems as necessary.
• Must be able to understand and evaluate complex information, data, etc. from various sources to meet appropriate objectives.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.
• Maintain a warm and friendly demeanor at all times.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.