Managing Director, The Charleston Place

The Managing Director of The Charleston Place is responsible for the overall leadership, strategic direction, financial performance, operational excellence, and cultural stewardship of The Charleston Place and The Riviera Theatre. This executive role oversees all aspects of the hotel, including Rooms, Food & Beverage, Sales & Marketing, Finance, People & Culture, Engineering, Spa, Retail, and guest experience, while also providing leadership oversight for The Riviera Theatre as a key BHC entertainment venue. The ideal candidate is a visionary, results-driven luxury hospitality leader with a proven ability to inspire high-performing teams, deliver exceptional financial outcomes, and consistently operate at a Forbes Five-Star level. The Managing Director will also directly facilitate and coordinate a full-scale hotel renovation, ensuring seamless alignment among ownership, design and construction partners, operational leaders, and colleagues while continuing to deliver an uncompromising five-star guest and colleague experience throughout the transformation.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership & Ownership Alignment

• Set and execute the strategic vision for The Charleston Place, ensuring alignment with ownership priorities, BHC’s values, long-term business objectives, and the hotel’s luxury positioning.

• Lead the Executive Committee and senior leadership team in developing and implementing short- and long-term strategies that drive service excellence, financial performance, colleague engagement, and operational discipline.

• Foster a high-performance culture rooted in excellence, accountability, collaboration, and grace, ensuring every department reflects the hotel’s standards and service philosophy.

• Maintain visible, hands-on leadership throughout the property, setting expectations for flawless daily execution, luxury service delivery, colleague professionalism, cleanliness, safety, and brand consistency.

• Conduct performance appraisals for Executive Committee members according to BHC standards and ensure leaders consistently develop, coach, and evaluate their teams.

Renovation Leadership & Five-Star Operational Continuity:

• Directly facilitate, coordinate, and support the execution of a full-scale hotel renovation, serving as the primary operational leader between ownership, project management, design, construction, consultants, and hotel leadership.

• Ensure renovation planning and execution are fully integrated with daily hotel operations, minimizing disruption to guests, colleagues, revenue generation, and service delivery.

• Lead cross-functional communication and decision-making related to phasing, guest impact, colleague readiness, operational contingencies, safety, signage, service recovery, and brand presentation throughout the renovation.

• Protect and elevate the guest experience during periods of construction by maintaining Forbes Five-Star service standards, proactive communication, luxury touchpoints, and thoughtful recovery strategies when needed.

• Partner with ownership and senior leaders to ensure renovation investments support the long-term vision, market positioning, financial performance, and operational functionality of the hotel.

BHC Brand Standards, Re-Introduction & Signature Food and Beverage:

• Lead the implementation and ongoing refinement of BHC brand standards across all hotel departments, ensuring The Charleston Place consistently reflects the values, service philosophy, design intent, and luxury positioning of the collection.

• Guide the future re-introduction of The Charleston Place to the market, ensuring the property’s renewed identity, guest experience, colleague culture, and operational execution are aligned with BHC’s long-term vision.

• Place a strong emphasis on Food and Beverage as a defining pillar of the brand, developing and supporting signature offerings, destination restaurant and bar experiences, culinary programming, and memorable touchpoints that distinguish The Charleston Place within the luxury market.

• Partner closely with Food and Beverage, Culinary, Marketing, Sales, and Operations leaders to ensure signature offerings are commercially successful, operationally executable, locally relevant, and reflective of the hotel’s elevated service standards.

• Ensure every brand expression—from arrival experience and guest communications to dining, amenities, events, and colleague interactions—supports the re-introduction of The Charleston Place as one of the South’s leading luxury hospitality destinations.

Charleston Community Partnerships & Brand Positioning:

• Create and cultivate strategic partnerships within the Charleston community that enhance The Charleston Place’s brand name, reputation, visibility, and positioning as a landmark luxury destination.

• Develop relationships with cultural institutions, civic organizations, culinary leaders, artisans, luxury retailers, nonprofit partners, business leaders, and local tastemakers to strengthen the hotel’s connection to Charleston.

• Identify partnership opportunities that drive meaningful guest experiences, distinctive programming, public relations value, community goodwill, and revenue growth.

• Represent the hotel and BHC with professionalism and grace at community, civic, charitable, cultural, and industry events, serving as a visible ambassador for the brand.

• Ensure partnerships are aligned with the hotel’s values, luxury positioning, commercial priorities, and long-term goal of deepening The Charleston Place’s role as an essential part of Charleston’s hospitality, culinary, and cultural landscape.

Guest Experience & Service Excellence:

• Regularly review guest satisfaction scores and feedback, implementing strategies to exceed expectations and resolve any issues promptly, with the goal of transforming challenges into opportunities for improvement.

• Uphold and champion the highest standards of guest service, ensuring every guest interaction reflects the highest level of personalization, care, and attention to detail.

• Serve as a visible leader, engaging with guests and maintaining a strong presence throughout the property.

• Lead efforts to anticipate and fulfill the unique needs of luxury clientele, providing personalized services that deliver memorable experiences.

• Interface with corporate officers in the execution of corporate goals.

Operational Detail, Luxury Standards & Service Precision:

• Champion a culture of precision and attentiveness across every aspect of the operation, recognizing that luxury service is defined by the consistency, care, and thoughtfulness of even the smallest details.

• Set clear expectations for flawless execution in guest touchpoints, colleague presentation, cleanliness, maintenance, amenities, food and beverage delivery, arrival and departure experiences, and all public and heart-of-house spaces.

• Conduct regular walk-throughs and operational reviews to identify opportunities for refinement, ensuring standards are not only met but continually elevated.

• Coach leaders and colleagues to anticipate guest needs, notice subtle service cues, and deliver thoughtful, personalized experiences that feel seamless, intuitive, and distinctly luxury.

• Ensure details are consistently reviewed through the lens of brand standards, Forbes Five-Star expectations, guest feedback, colleague readiness, and the overall emotional impact of the guest experience.

Financial Management, Budgeting & Business Performance:

• Develop, manage, and monitor the hotel’s annual operating budget, capital plans, and departmental financial performance, ensuring revenue, profit, cost control, and cash flow objectives are achieved.

• Analyze financial performance, identify trends, and implement corrective actions to optimize revenue, profitability, labor productivity, and expense management.

• Partner with ownership, BHC leadership, Finance, Sales & Marketing, and Revenue Management to ensure business strategies are aligned with market demand, guest expectations, and operational capacity.

• Identify revenue growth opportunities, operational efficiencies, and capital priorities that support long-term asset value and competitive market positioning.

Compliance & Risk Management:

• Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations, as well as hotel policies and brand standards, including health, safety, and Forbes Five-Star guidelines.

• Oversee risk management strategies and ensure that hotel operations are protected from potential risks, including financial, security, and safety concerns.

• Monitor industry trends and regulatory changes to proactively address potential challenges.

• Conduct regular property inspections to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, maintenance, and safety.

• Partner with external auditors, inspectors, and consultants to address recommendations and requirements.

Collaboration & Cross-Departmental Alignment:

• Work closely with Sales & Marketing, Revenue Management, and other departments to align operational activities with revenue and marketing strategies.

• Lead high-level collaboration among department heads to ensure smooth operations and flawless execution of special events, VIP guest services, and high-profile bookings.

• Partner and communicate regularly with other BHC hospitality entities to ensure thoughtful guest cross-utilization of brand offerings, experiences, amenities, dining, entertainment, and programming across the collection.

• Provide strategic oversight of The Riviera Theatre, ensuring its programming, guest experience, operational standards, and brand presence align with BHC’s hospitality, entertainment, and community positioning.

• Meet clients on the property, including meeting contacts and potential clients touring the property, to assist in the sales effort.

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of 15 years of progressive luxury hospitality leadership experience, with at least 7 years in a senior executive role such as Managing Director, General Manager, Hotel Manager, or equivalent at a luxury hotel or resort.

• Demonstrated success leading complex, high-end hotel operations with accountability for financial performance, guest experience, colleague engagement, brand positioning, and asset stewardship.

• Proven experience supporting, coordinating, or leading major hotel renovations, capital projects, repositioning efforts, or large-scale operational transformations while maintaining luxury service standards.

• Expertise in financial management, budgeting, forecasting, labor management, revenue optimization, and cost control in a luxury hospitality setting.

• Comprehensive knowledge of Forbes Five-Star standards and the ability to implement, sustain, and elevate them across all departments.

• Exceptional executive presence, leadership, communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills.

• Strong business acumen and the ability to balance guest satisfaction, colleague engagement, operational excellence, and profitability.

• Proficiency in property management systems, point-of-sale systems, financial reporting tools, guest feedback platforms, and other hotel technology.

• Flexibility to work varied hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, based on operational, guest, ownership, and project needs.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a colleague to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

• Ability to stand, walk, and move throughout the property for extended periods.

• Occasional lifting and carrying of objects up to 25 pounds.

• Flexibility to climb stairs, bend, and reach as needed during inspections and operational support.

• Adequate vision and hearing to monitor the environment and guest interactions effectively.

• Capability to work in varying conditions, including outdoor areas and climate-controlled spaces.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.