Senior Sales Manager

WHO WE ARE

Hotels done differently. At Aparium, we believe in the power of People, Place and Character. We ensure our hotels are a place where individuals are valued and celebrated, elevating our associates’ pride in who they are, where they live and who we serve. Our hotel is a tribute to the neighborhoods and the people of the communities where we operate. 

Located in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, Hotel Heron offers guests the opportunity to see Old Town from a new vantage point. With Washington, DC just minutes away, Hotel Heron acts as beacon just across the river, inviting travelers to explore beyond the National Mall and Monuments to discover a city ripe for its new renaissance. Originally opened in 1926 as the George Mason Hotel, the property has been thoughtfully reimagined through an adaptive reuse that pairs the historic inn with an adjacent new building housing modern event spaces and elevated guest rooms. Today, Hotel Heron is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, a global portfolio of distinctive, independently spirited hotels. This chic 134-room hotel is home to a signature ground floor restaurant serving hearth inspired Mid-Atlantic cuisine, a cozy craft cocktail bar hidden in the heart of the hotel, and an open-air seasonal rooftop bar with unparalleled views of the Potomac. Elevated amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center and meeting spaces designed for socializing, co-working, creating, eating, drinking, and relaxing. The hotel brings together world travelers and neighbors alike while showcasing Alexandria’s rich legacy and knack for innovation through thoughtful touches from local businesses and artisans.

The hotel is managed by Aparium Hotel Group. Founded in 2011, Aparium is driven by the belief that all hospitality experiences should be fueled by the poetics of their surroundings and was born with an intense focus on unearthing the amazing moments unique to every city. Since its founding, Aparium has grown into a new kind of hotel brand, one that ventures off the beaten path, both geographically and philosophically. Recognized by Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards as a leading hotel brand, Aparium is known for its singular ability to combine the business acumen of large hospitality companies with the charm of boutique hotels, bringing the disparate forces together in bustling, smaller markets.

THE ROLE

The  Senior Sales Manager reports to and works directly with the Director of Sales. In this position you possess a background of advanced Sales skills with networking and proactive sales efforts at the forefront of all you do. In this role, you will be responsible for all tasks related to driving Market Share and Revenue Performance. This will be achieved through proactively connecting with arriving travelers, networking, and negotiating rates and contracts with pricing and terms that are in the best interest of X to exceed the hotel's revenue goals. At Aparium, our teams are encouraged to hold themselves, the guests, and each other in high regard. Respect for the team is imperative and we have a no-tolerance policy for the “old school way”. 

WHO YOU ARE

Your past experiences have led you to understand that there is an art + science to how and what a hospitality professional is responsible for. You have great pride in Hotel Haya and love to sell! You are a proactive self-starter who is highly motivated by achieving financial results, you get an adrenaline rush on Tuesdays when STR reports come out, you love to be #1! You have worked in hotel sales, and you are excited by the opportunity to learn more. The passion you have for delivering results has led you to be in this Sales role and challenging the status quo is part of your DNA. You continually find ways to partner with your clients and peers to identify areas of opportunity and have the grit and tenacity to see it through. The ability to work with controlled measure and respect for your leadership team and peers is imperative. You will also actively develop trusting and transparent relationships with your clients and associates at the hotels. As a team member within Aparium Hotel Group, you will work with a phenomenal group of peers who insist that you are collaborative, humble, experienced, and open-minded – no egos are allowed.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The Senior Sales Manager is combination salesperson that will focus on Smerf/Leisure Government and the Entertainment markets who has demonstrated through performance a thorough understanding and competence in sales, account management functions and the hotel/business travel industry.

• Fully develop the above-mentioned market segment to achieve monthly room night goals, develop and implement sales action plans, and achieve monthly activities targets, maintain positive interdepartmental communications and to complete special projects as assigned by the Director of Sales.
• Business development of potential new accounts through proactive sales calls, connecting with guests in the pre-arrival stage, in person and/or virtual presentations, monthly/quarterly account reviews, and continual interaction with travel agents & account managers, not solely with decision makers but with decision influencers as well.
• Existing account management & maintenance, including regular contact with existing accounts, optimizing opportunities and monitoring overall account production for all segments.
• Creatively engage the entertainment community, travel agent & travel manager community and government offices and divisions to ensure the property is front-of-mind, targeting optimal visibility placements, and active engagement.
• Identify new accounts for the hotel by navigating and analyzing the business intelligence available and action accordingly. This includes but is not limited to, Arrival Reports, Business Journal Reviews, Google Alerts and Knowland.
• Understand the Competitive set- competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply, and demand etc. and know how to sell against them and shift share.
• Coordinate ongoing research of the travel industry to detect market trends and related information for development of new marketing strategies to ensure hotel is optimally positioned to drive results.
• Invite clients to the hotel for entertainment, lunches, FAM Trips tours, site inspections or participation in Lifestyle events.
• Be familiar with all Aparium sales policies and selling techniques with an emphasis on maximizing occupancy and Average Daily Rate (ADR).
• Develop networking opportunities through active participation in community and professional associations, trade shows, activities, and events for sales opportunities.
• Provide excellent customer sales service to grow share of the account.
• Handle account details so that all pertinent aspects of solicitation and closing are complete and documented and coordinate various departments' participation in servicing accounts.
• Reinforce the company's Art + Science ideologies to ensure the experiences of trans local hospitality, intuitive service, and collaboration are implemented and modeled by yourself and every leader of the hotel.
• Uphold and role model the company’s principles of People, Place, and Character; and ensure you are modeling the way of our values that drive collaboration, intuition, and trans local hospitality.
• Leading the proactive sales efforts through mining and uncovering business travel sales leads, prospecting off competitor data and market insights.
• Entertaining and touring clients at Populus Hotel to develop and foster mutually beneficial relationships. 
• Responsible for the day-to-day sales efforts, including contracting new accounts, monitoring, and working existing accounts and validating the bookings and potential of each account.
• Responsible for accurate data entry of all accounts into Delphi FDC, logging activities, and responsible for tracking the production for all accounts.
• Responsible for completing an annual business case prior to pricing season to ensure your focus and determination will be thoughtfully executed.
• Work with your DOS and Director of Revenue to identify and understand seasonality, demand periods (high and low)
• Analysis and ongoing review of competitors accounts and pricing strategies and adjust accordingly to ensure RevPAR penetration and market leadership are met or exceeded.
• Responsible for ensuring that all rates once finalized are shared with appropriate parties to ensure timely availability.
• Demonstrates a high degree of drive and determination and the willingness to complete tasks and projects as assigned by the Director of Sales or Aparium team.

HOW YOU WILL LEAD

• Engage others in general conversation tactics to build rapport quickly; leading and adapting communication and presentation tactics to engage your audience; displaying adaptable interpersonal skills for a wide range of audiences and clients.
• Demonstrates business acumen and practices sound financial decisions by ensuring the actions and plans put into place support the achievement of Sales goals and budgets.
• Approach fact-finding and discovery missions in a collaborative effort; valuing input and experiences of others that creates additional insight to uncover deeper issues that may need to be addressed or removed as a barrier to implementation.
• Value the importance of making decisions with integrity, maintaining confidentiality across internal workgroups, and knowing how to use discretion when appropriate; knows how to keep a secret by understanding the difference between transparency and confidentiality.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Minimum of four (4) years’ experience in sales

Completion of four-year college degree preferred though not required if you have proven years of experience.

Must possess computer skills and detailed knowledge of various programs, including but not limited to a thorough knowledge of Sales systems, GDS and PMS systems.

Hilton Systems Preferred; also system knowledge of Delphi FDC/Salesforce, Knowland, CVENT and Group.

Adaptable interpersonal skills to communication and address all employee levels of the hotel.

Professional proficiency of the English language in reading, writing and verbal communication.