Hospitality Operations Associate

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 Hospitality Operations Associate will be exposed to the various Rooms and Food & Beverage divisions operations.

He/She will be responsible for ensuring the operation 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.

• 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.
• Ensure staff compliance to Forbes standards.
• Ensure guest privacy and security through correctly following Highgate Hotel procedures.
• 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.
• Operate Relay and other devices efficiently and professionally in communicating with hotel staff. Ensure the proper use of radio etiquette within the department.
• 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”.

Rooms Division:

• Assist in maintaining and controlling all housekeeping equipment.
• Assist in ensuring compliance with all corporate Risk Management standards (MSDS, HazComm, etc.).
• Ensure that large guestroom turns are managed efficiently.
• Ensure consistency with departmental opening and closing procedures.
• Carry a Relay device at all times.
• Develop employee morale and ensure training of Housekeeping personnel.
• Inspect rooms daily, and ensure that follow up on defficencies is addressed in a timely basis.
• Assist the Housekeeping Department in inspecting guest rooms
• 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.
• Monitor work orders and submit to Engineering according to hotel procedures. Follow up on work orders to ensure completion.
• Respond to emergency situations using information contained in MSD sheets. Keep MSD sheets current and easily available.
• Balance and clear room status nightly; compare the p.m. housekeeping report with the PMS room status report and resolve any discrepancies.
• Monitor out-of-order, out-of-service, discrepant and show rooms.
• Must maintain constant communication with Front Office.
• Monitor and act on special requests as needed; VIPs, special needs rooms, connecting, etc.
• Review Housekeeping log book and Guest Request log on a daily basis.
• Assist in maintaining an organized and comprehensive filing system with documentation of purchases, vouchering, schedules, forecasts, reports and tracking logs.
• Use the telephone and computer system for reporting and verifying room status.
• Record all valet laundry for valet cleaners. Check and review incoming laundry at end of day to ensure all items have been returned.
• Properly store, secure and issue supplies as needed to meet business demands.
• Ensure maximum guest satisfaction through personal recognition and prompt attention from pre-arrival to departure.
• Have extensive knowledge of the product and services available.
• Eensure that all guests especially those of VIP status receive utmost attention and to maximize their satisfaction during their entire duration of stay.
• Ensure that all arriving and departing VIP’s and regular guests are greeted and that introductions are made.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Food & Beverage Division:

• Provide floor coverage in The Street Bar and support the back of house culinary, stewarding and personal dining team as needed.
• Manage the door at The Street Bar warmly engaging with our guests to enhance the arrival, dining and departure experience.
• Answer telephone and email inquiries, responding promptly and professionally
• Maintain up to date knowledge of hotel events, restaurant hours, and menu offerings
• Assist with guest arrival and seating, following established service protocols
• Manage reservations and waitlists, effectively communicating wait times to guests
• Ensure seamless communication of guest details and requests to service staff
• Organize and distribute menus while maintaining clean and presentable service areas
• Assist with light cleaning and setup tasks as needed to maintain an organized work environment
• Support the management team in strategizing service execution
• Assist with menu printing, assembly, and general office administrative work
• Handle department related correspondence and documentation
• Attend required meetings and training sessions
• Perform other duties as assigned by management

 Education & Experience: 

• Experience in a hotel or a related field; or a college degree and or related experience preferred.
• Computer knowledge/skills required.

Physical Requirements:

• Flexible and long hours sometimes required.
• 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:

• Maintain a warm and friendly demeanor at all times
• 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.
• 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 cross-train in other hotel related areas.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.
• Must be able to show initiative, including anticipating guest or operational needs.
• Perform other duties as requested by management