Kennebunkport Resort Collection (KRC) is seeking an experienced and dynamic Director of Rooms to oversee Rooms Division operations across The Boathouse Hotel & Restaurant, Kennebunkport Inn, Yachtsman Hotel & Marina Club, Grand Hotel, and The Lodge on the Cove.
The Director of Rooms will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight of Front Office and Housekeeping, ensuring an exceptional and consistent guest experience across all assigned properties. This role is responsible for maintaining elevated service and cleanliness standards, driving operational efficiency, developing and leading high-performing teams, and managing labor, departmental expenses, and room readiness to support overall business performance and guest satisfaction.
Job Summary:- Oversee the day-to-day performance, service delivery, and coordination of the Front Office and Housekeeping departments at assigned properties in accordance with KRC standards.
- Ensure guest satisfaction, product quality, operational efficiency, and achievement of established rooms-department financial and service objectives.
- Serve as the primary operational leader for the guest journey from pre-arrival coordination and check-in through the in-house experience, departure, and post-stay follow-up.
- Partner with the General Manager to establish rooms-department budgets, operating goals, departmental action plans, and continuous-improvement priorities.
- Review guest feedback, surveys, and online reviews related to accommodations, front desk service, and cleanliness; assign corrective actions and verify resolution.
- Lead timely, professional guest service recovery within established authority; promptly escalate serious or unresolved matters to the General Manager.
- Conduct routine inspections of guestrooms and designated guest-facing public areas to confirm readiness, presentation, cleanliness, safety, and adherence to standards.
- Coordinate with Engineering on out-of-order rooms, maintenance work orders, preventive-maintenance access, and room-condition concerns to ensure guestrooms return to inventory promptly.
- Partner with the General Manager on room-related capital needs, guestroom furnishings and equipment, staffing plans, retention, and service improvements.
- Ensure accurate departmental inventory controls, invoices, expense coding, reimbursements, and month-end reporting in collaboration with Accounting.
- Lead rooms-department briefings covering arrivals, departures, VIPs, guest requests, room readiness, service recovery, safety, and operating priorities.
- Monitor rooms-department service metrics, staffing levels, guest satisfaction, and labor productivity; establish and track corrective action when standards are not met.
- Attend required operational meetings and training sessions; provide clear and timely communication with the General Manager and other department leaders.
- Maintain compliance with company policies on time and attendance, appearance, information security, accident reporting, emergency procedures, and workplace conduct.
- Work weekends, holidays, and flexible shifts as necessary to support hotel occupancy patterns and operational needs.
Team Management:- Directly manage and support Front Office/Guest Services Managers, Housekeeping Supervisors, and their teams; establish clear ownership and accountability for departmental results.
- Lead hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, coaching, performance evaluations, progressive discipline, and staffing recommendations in partnership with the General Manager and People + Culture.
- Ensure all new associates complete required onboarding documentation, job-specific training, and acknowledgement of KRC operating policies and service standards.
- Develop consistent training and cross-training programs for front desk and housekeeping teams, with documented follow-up and accountability.
- Monitor staffing plans and schedules against occupancy forecasts, arrival/departure patterns, room-cleaning workloads, labor budgets, and productivity expectations.
- Review timecards and payroll corrections for assigned departments; submit required information accurately and on time.
- Delegate tasks, conduct follow-up, and ensure productive use of slower periods for training, preventive tasks, and operational improvements.
- Foster a professional, positive, collaborative environment; recognize performance and address associate concerns promptly through appropriate channels.
Front Office & Guest Services Operations:- Direct front desk service delivery, ensuring warm arrivals and departures, professional telephone etiquette, and a consistent high-end guest experience.
- Ensure proper handling of reservations, check-in and check-out, room assignments, upgrades, special requests, amenity arrangements, and guest communications.
- Maintain working knowledge of room types, rates, packages, booking restrictions, fees, and policies; ensure associates can communicate them accurately.
- Coordinate with the Central Reservations Office and Marketing to maintain accurate communication regarding lodging promotions, packages, and reservation procedures.
- Oversee proper use of the Property Management System (PMS), reservation notes, guest preferences, room-status updates, and documentation of service recovery.
- Review daily Front Office shift reports, pass-on logs, arrivals, departures, in-house VIPs, and outstanding follow-up items.
- Ensure accurate guest folios, payment processing, cash-handling controls, department banks, deposits, refunds, and adjustments in accordance with company policy.
- Work with Accounting to reconcile rooms-related ledgers, resolve billing discrepancies, and collect outstanding guest balances.
- Coordinate continuously with Housekeeping to manage early arrivals, late departures, priority rooms, special room requests, and timely release of inspected guestrooms.
- Coach team members to identify appropriate personalized touches, service opportunities, and guest recovery solutions within approved guidelines.
Housekeeping Operations:- Lead Housekeeping Supervisors and room attendants in maintaining KRC standards for guestroom and designated public-space cleanliness, appearance, and presentation.
- Oversee daily room assignments, cleaning boards, room attendant productivity, inspection practices, and accurate room-status communication with the front desk.
- Maintain a consistent room-inspection program for occupied, vacant, arrival, and VIP guestrooms; correct deficiencies before rooms are released for sale or arrival.
- Monitor linen, terry, guest supplies, cleaning products, and housekeeping equipment, including ordering, inventory controls, par levels, storage, and loss prevention.
- Ensure appropriate protocols for laundry/linen handling, lost and found, deep cleaning, room rotation, and periodic guestroom-detailing projects.
- Ensure appropriate safe use, labeling, storage, and handling of cleaning chemicals and equipment; address department-specific safety concerns promptly.
- Coordinate with Engineering on in-room deficiencies and repairs, with clear work orders and follow-up to confirm room readiness.
- Inspect cleanliness and condition of guestrooms, corridors, and assigned common spaces; establish clear follow-up and preventive improvement plans.
- Provide hands-on operational support to front desk and housekeeping teams when necessary to meet guest needs and occupancy demands.
