Front Office Manager

Description

Position Summary

Lead Exceptional Guest Experiences at Sonoma’s Premier Luxury Resort

At MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa, hospitality is personal. Located in the heart of Sonoma wine country, our luxury boutique resort is known for thoughtful service, refined accommodations, and memorable guest experiences. Exceptional service is at the heart of everything we do, and we take pride in creating genuine connections that make every guest feel welcome and cared for.

We are seeking an experienced, service-driven Front Office Manager to lead our Front Desk, Concierge, Bell Services, Valet, Night Audit, and Lobby Ambassador teams. This hands-on leader sets the standard for warm, personalized hospitality that anticipates guest needs and elevates the guest journey from arrival through departure.

By inspiring a high-performing team and collaborating across departments, the Front Office Manager drives service excellence, operational effectiveness, and contributes to the hotel’s overall success.

Essential Responsibilities

Lead the Guest Experience

• Oversee daily Front Office operations, including arrivals, departures, guest registration, room assignments, and room inventory management.
• Deliver thoughtful, personalized service for all guests, including VIP, repeat, long-stay, and loyalty guests.
• Address guest concerns, support service recovery efforts, and monitor guest feedback and online reviews.
• Partner with Housekeeping to manage room readiness, special requests, room changes, overbookings, walk situations, key control, and related guest needs.
• Support adherence to guest identification, payment, confidentiality, and hotel policies.

Lead & Develop the Team

• Recruit, hire, onboard, train, coach, and develop Front Office team members.
• Provide leadership and direction to Front Desk, Concierge, Bell, Valet, Night Audit, and Lobby Ambassador teams.
• Foster accountability, teamwork, and a culture of service excellence.
• Conduct daily lineups, team communications, performance discussions, coaching, and development conversations.
• Manage effective scheduling, cross-training, and staffing needs based on business demands.
• Facilitate ongoing safety, guest service, and staff development training to support team performance and operational excellence.

Drive Financial & Operational Performance

• In partnership with leadership, support revenue strategies, occupancy optimization, forecasting, and daily departmental business decisions.
• Support reservations through direct bookings, online travel agencies (OTAs), third-party partners, phone inquiries, and walk-in guests.
• Coordinate group room blocks, arrivals, VIP experiences, and reservation changes with Sales & Events.
• Support revenue goals by enhancing the guest experience through personalized recommendations, upgrades, and thoughtful service offerings.
• Partner with leadership to support budget management, billing review, cashier audits, cash handling procedures, and expense awareness.

Support Operational Excellence

• Collaborate with Housekeeping, Engineering, and other departments to support room readiness, timely maintenance resolution, and smooth daily operations.
• Manage departmental procedures, staff schedules, reports, and operational documentation.
• Participate in management meetings and cross-functional initiatives, and support operational alignment and hotel success.
• Ensure accurate departmental payroll submission, including tips, gratuities, and porterage reporting.
• Maintain departmental compliance with hotel service standards, safety practices, quality initiatives, and company policies related to time and attendance, scheduling, meal and rest breaks, grooming and uniform standards, and professional conduct.

Technology & Systems

• Utilize Property Management Systems (Maestro, Opera, or similar), reservation platforms, POS systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Maintain accurate records and safeguard guest information, financial records, and operational documentation.
• Generate reports, troubleshoot basic system issues, and coordinate support as needed.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive Front Office experience, including 3+ years in a supervisory or management capacity.
• Luxury, boutique, or full-service hotel experience preferred.
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and guest service skills.
• Experience with Property Management Systems (Maestro, Opera, or similar), reservation systems, and Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge of hotel operations, revenue practices, budgeting, forecasting, billing, cashiering, and expense management.
• Strong decision-making, problem-solving, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to obtain or maintain required certifications, including Food Safety and Responsible Beverage Service (RBS), if applicable.

Physical & Work Environment

The essential functions of this position require the ability to perform the duties and responsibilities described below, with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Stand and walk for extended periods while performing Front Office responsibilities, including bending, reaching, and using stairs as needed.
• Lift, push, pull, and carry up to 40 pounds as needed to support guest service and operational requirements.
• Work indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions, noise levels, and guest-facing environments.
• Work safely in and around valet parking areas, guest event environments, and other operational areas while supporting guest needs, service requests, and occasional delivery of items to guest rooms, including rooms located on upper floors as needed.
• Work a flexible schedule that may include evenings, weekends, holidays, extended shifts and peak business periods.

This position operates in a dynamic luxury hospitality environment requiring professionalism, adaptability, sound decision-making, and a commitment to exceptional guest service.

Other Duties

This job description is intended to provide an overview of the position and is not an exhaustive list of duties or responsibilities. The Front Office Manager may be required to support various Front Office operations, schedules, and business needs as needed. Additional responsibilities may be assigned to support hotel operations, affiliated properties, wineries, and special events.

About MacArthur Place

Originally a historic estate, MacArthur Place has evolved into Sonoma’s premier luxury resort, featuring 69 elegantly designed rooms, farm-to-table dining, curated wine tastings, a tranquil spa, an outdoor heated pool, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Our dedicated team is passionate about delivering unforgettable guest experiences while fostering a culture of excellence, diversity, and inclusivity.

Equal Employment Opportunity

MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities and reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws and strive to foster an environment where every team member feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.