Front Desk Supervisor

Description

Who We AreFounded in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational, historic, and cultural institution that owns and operates one of the largest and best-known museum complexes in the world.

Our mission is “that the future may learn from the past” through preserving and restoring 18th-century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital. We engage, inform, and inspire people to learn about this historic capital, the events that occurred here, and the diverse people who helped shape a new nation.

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the U.S. The Historic Area is the 301-acre restored colonial capital with 88 original buildings and 525 buildings reconstructed to how they appeared in the 18th century through extensive archaeological, architectural, and documentary research.

The Historic Area is staffed by highly trained, historically dressed interpreters and expert tradespeople who bring the 18th century to life. The Foundation also owns and operates two world-class museums, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, and a renowned research library, the John D Rockefeller Jr Library.

Additionally, Colonial Williamsburg is home to five world class accommodations at the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge Autograph Collection, the Griffin Hotel, the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotels and Suites and the unique Colonial Houses in the Historical Area.

Visitors may also indulge in food and drink at our many on-site restaurants and taverns that blend a historically inspired dining experience with today’s evolved tastes. Each year over 5 million people visit Williamsburg and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

Short Description:

The Front Desk Supervisor for the Inn Complex is responsible for leading front office operations across the Williamsburg Inn, Griffin Hotel, and Colonial Houses. Ensures that the appropriate operating procedures are maintained by leading, coaching and training staff. Provides efficient, courteous and professional assistance for guests in all front office related functions including registration, cashiering, giving needed information and ensuring all check lists are being followed. This role ensures seamless execution of the guest experience across three distinct products, requiring strong operational awareness, inventory management discipline, and service recovery expertise.

Main Duties:

The Front Desk Supervisor for the Inn Complex performs the day-to-day oversight and execution of front office operations across the Williamsburg Inn, Griffin Hotel, and Colonial Houses, ensuring consistent service delivery, operational accuracy, and effective coordination between departments.

• Supervises and participates in daily front desk operations, including guest check-in/check-out, room assignments, billing, and guest inquiries across all properties within the Inn Complex
• Executes and monitors daily arrival strategy, including completion of arrival calls, prioritization of VIPs, and alignment of room readiness with Housekeeping
• Manages real-time room inventory in OPERA PMS, including room status accuracy, availability, and coding of relocations (RELO) and upgrades (UPGD)
• Coordinates and executes guest room relocations between properties, balancing inventory constraints with guest experience and ensuring proper documentation and communication
• Adjusts room assignments throughout the day to respond to operational changes, including early arrivals, out-of-order rooms, and extended stay impacts
• Supports inventory balancing across the Inn Complex during high occupancy and oversell conditions, working within established strategies to minimize service disruption
• Oversees group arrivals and departures, including pre-key preparation, packet assembly, and coordination with Bell Services and Conference Services
• Monitors guest feedback through Medallia, responding to surveys and alerts with appropriate service recovery actions and documented follow-up
• Coordinates with Housekeeping, Engineering, and other departments to resolve guest issues, ensuring requests are communicated, tracked, and completed
• Utilizes Akia to manage guest communications, ensuring clarity of requests, status updates, and closure of service interactions
• Maintains an active presence in the lobby during peak periods to support guest needs, manage flow, and address escalations in real time
• Reviews daily reports, including arrivals, departures, room status, and guest service logs, to ensure operational readiness and accuracy
• Handles guest billing discrepancies, folio adjustments, and payment issues, ensuring accuracy and proper documentation of all transactions
• Supports financial accountability by overseeing front desk transactions and postings impacting daily rooms revenue (supporting operations tied to approximately multi-million-dollar annual rooms revenue across the Inn Complex)
• Recruits, interviews, hires, trains new staff, and oversees the daily workflow of the front desk team
• Provides constructive and timely performance evaluations, coaching, and feedback to ensure adherence to service and operational standards

Representative examples of project-based work:

• Coordinates front desk execution for large group arrivals requiring multi-vehicle transportation and cross-property room allocations
• Supports operational rollout of room inventory changes due to renovation or out-of-order rooms, including reassignment strategies and guest communication plans

This is a non-exempt position, eligible for overtime in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. This position may require occasional evening and weekend hours, with prior supervisor approval.

This job description reflects the general responsibilities of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Duties and responsibilities may evolve over time based on operational needs.

Requirements:

• Minimum of 1-2 years of front office experience in a luxury, resort, or full-service hotel environment
• Prior supervisory or leadership experience in a front office or guest services role preferred
• Demonstrated success in a current or most recent role, with a track record of excelling in performance and exhibiting exemplary leadership skills
• Experience managing guest interactions, service recovery, and high-touch hospitality environments
• Working knowledge of hotel systems such as OPERA PMS or comparable property management systems
• Familiarity with guest feedback platforms such as Medallia preferred
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while maintaining attention to detail
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to represent the organization professionally
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with hospitality systems such as OPERA PMS, Medallia, and Akia
• Familiarity with additional operational or enterprise systems such as Tessitura or UKG
• Experience working in a multi-property or complex hospitality environment, supporting varied accommodation types and guest expectations
• Background in luxury hospitality, resort operations, historic properties, or mission-driven organizations (nonprofit or cultural institutions)
• Experience managing room inventory strategy, relocations, and oversell conditions in high-occupancy environments
• Exposure to group business, VIP programs, or special event operations, including coordination across departments
• Experience supporting or contributing to guest satisfaction initiatives, service recovery efforts, or process improvement projects
• Demonstrated involvement in training, mentoring, or onboarding team members

Key Skills/Competencies:

• Exceptional guest service and service recovery skills
• Strong verbal and written communication
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Sound judgment and problem-solving ability
• Strong attention to detail and operational accuracy
• Ability to lead, support, and motivate a team
• Effective conflict resolution and de-escalation skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments
• Proficiency with hotel and guest service systems, including property management and guest messaging platform

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Provides day-to-day oversight of Front Desk Agents and Bellman and related guest service team members within the Inn Complex, i.e. Concierge. Assigns and monitors daily work, supports shift coverage, and ensures adherence to service and operational standards. Participates in recruiting, interviewing, training, and onboarding new team members. Has authority to make work assignments, provide performance feedback, recommend or administer corrective action in accordance with company policy, and support hiring decisions.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

Stand: Frequently

Walk: Frequently

Sit: Frequently

Use hands/fingers: Frequently

Climb or balance: Rarely

Stoop/kneel/crouch/crawl: Rarely

Reach with hands/arms: Frequently

Talk or hear: Frequently Lifting up to 10 lbs: Occasionally

Lifting up to 25 lbs: Occasionally

Lifting up to 50 lbs (with assistance): Rarely

Lifting up to 100 lbs (with assistance): Rarely

More than 100 lbs (with assistance): Rarely Wet/humid conditions: Rarely

Work near moving mechanical parts: Rarely

Fumes/airborne particles: Rarely

Extreme cold: Rarely

Extreme heat: Rarely

Work Schedule:

​​Works a flexible schedule including morning, mid, and evening shifts based on business demands and occupancy levels.

Typical shifts include:

Morning Shift: Approximately 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Mid Shift: Approximately 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Evening Shift: Approximately 3:30 PM – 11:30 PM

Schedule varies weekly to ensure leadership coverage during peak arrival and departure periods

Required to work weekends and holidays as part of a rotating schedule.

Expected to be present during high-demand periods, including sell-outs, group arrivals, and special events.

May be required to adjust hours or extend shifts based on operational needs, guest service demands, or unexpected coverage gaps.​

Equal Opportunity Employer

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