Hotel Front Office Manager - Elysee New York

Description

ABOUT ELYSÉE NEW YORK

Elysée New York is entering a new chapter as an intimate luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The hotel blends the elegance of a historic New York residence with the warmth and cultural spirit of a European luxury hotel, delivering a guest experience built on genuine hospitality, considered detail, and quiet discretion. Elysée New York by Wunderkind Hotels is managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, one of North America's leading hospitality management companies.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Elysée New York is seeking an experienced, highly visible Front Office Manager to shape and lead the guest journey from arrival through departure across Front Desk, Bell Services, PBX, and overnight operations, partnering closely with Guest Services to ensure a seamless experience. Reporting to the Director of Operations, this individual will serve as a cultural leader, gracious host, and ambassador of the Elysée New York experience, providing oversight and direction to other Front Office leaders, including Assistant Front Office Managers, and building a team and a service culture where every interaction is considered, personalized, and five-star. The Front Office operates to Leading Quality Assurance standards, and the Front Office Manager is responsible for translating those standards into daily service behavior, team training, and measurable performance. This position serves as the primary operational leader during afternoon and evening shifts, with schedules typically beginning at 2:00 PM.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

GUEST EXPERIENCE AND FRONT OFFICE LEADERSHIP

• Serve as a visible leader and gracious host across Front Desk, Bell Services, and PBX, with a strong presence in the lobby and guest-facing areas during peak arrival and departure periods.

• Ensure every guest interaction reflects Elysée New York's luxury standards and Leading Quality Assurance expectations, championing recognition, personalization, and anticipatory hospitality throughout the guest journey.

• Review arrivals, departures, VIP activity, and guest preferences daily to ensure seamless service execution.

• Anticipate guest needs, recognize returning guests, and take ownership of service recovery, resolving concerns with discretion, sound judgment, and genuine care.

• Maintain standards of cleanliness and presentation across the lobby and Front Office areas, and ensure adherence to brand and operational procedures.

• Develop a team of Front Desk Agents and Bell Attendants who introduce guests to the house through genuine hospitality and story, and collaborate across Guest Services, Housekeeping, Engineering, Food & Beverage, Reservations, Sales, and Security for a cohesive guest journey.

LEADERSHIP AND TEAM DEVELOPMENT

• Provide oversight and direction to other Front Office leaders, including Assistant Front Office Managers, ensuring consistent standards, accountability, and coverage across all shifts.

• Recruit, hire, train, coach, and develop a highly engaged Front Office team, and lead regular briefings on occupancy, VIP and returning guests, preferences, and service priorities.

• Set clear expectations for service standards, operating procedures, and Leading Quality Assurance criteria, translating them into observable, coachable behaviors, with ongoing feedback and professional development.

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, professionalism, and genuine hospitality.

• Ensure the team knows the history, character, and house vocabulary of Elysée New York, and understands when and how to share them with guests.

OPERATIONAL AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

• Assist the Director of Operations with budgeting, forecasting, scheduling, labor management, and departmental expense controls.

• Review daily arrivals, departures, occupancy, and guest satisfaction metrics, and identify responsible opportunities to elevate service without compromising the guest experience.

• Act as Manager on Duty when required, supporting hotel operations during high-demand periods.

• Support pre-opening, reopening, and repositioning initiatives as required, contributing to the successful repositioning and long-term growth of Elysée New York as a premier luxury boutique hotel.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND BRAND STEWARDSHIP

• Lead Front Office preparation for Leading Quality Assurance assessments, audits, and quality reviews, translating Leading Quality Assurance and Forbes criteria into practical service behaviors, training materials, and daily briefings.

• Conduct regular service observations, departmental inspections, and operational audits, and lead corrective action when standards are not met, building a level of consistency guests can trust.

• Maintain accurate training and quality-assurance documentation.

• Maintain flexibility to support the hotel's needs, including a primarily afternoon and evening schedule, weekends, and holidays.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Strong leadership presence and a genuine passion for luxury hospitality, with the ability to lead confidently from the lobby with strong emotional intelligence, discretion, and judgment.

• Thorough knowledge of front office operations, including reservations, guest services, and overnight procedures, with a strong understanding of luxury arrival and departure experiences.

• Demonstrated knowledge of Leading Quality Assurance and/or Forbes standards, with the ability to translate luxury criteria into daily service, training, and coaching.

• Financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, labor management, and cost control, paired with strong problem-solving and service-recovery abilities.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.

• Minimum five years of progressive Front Office experience within an ultra-luxury hotel environment.

• Minimum three years of management experience leading Front Office operations.

• Demonstrated experience operating within a Leading Quality Assurance, Forbes Travel Guide, or comparable luxury hospitality environment.

• Demonstrated success developing high-performing teams and improving guest satisfaction results.

• Experience managing VIP, celebrity, high-net-worth, and international traveler experiences with discretion.

• Ability and willingness to work a primarily afternoon and evening schedule, including weekends and holidays.

• Experience within the New York City luxury hospitality market.

• Previous experience with a luxury boutique or independent luxury property.

• Experience opening, reopening, or repositioning a luxury hotel.

• Experience preparing teams for Leading Quality Assurance or Forbes Travel Guide evaluations.

• Previous experience with a Leading Hotels of the World member property.

• Multilingual capabilities are a plus, though not required.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Competitive salary, benefits package, 401(k) eligibility, professional development opportunities, and hotel travel benefits available through eligible programs.

WHY JOIN ELYSÉE NEW YORK

Joining Elysée New York is an opportunity to help shape the re-emergence of a legendary New York hotel and to build a new standard of intimate, personalized luxury hospitality. The Front Office Manager will help define the guest journey's identity and service culture from its earliest days, work that is considered, genuine, and built to last, on a platform toward future senior Front Office, Director, or hotel leadership opportunities. We invite candidates who believe that luxury is defined not by formality alone, but by generosity, discretion, and the ability to make every guest feel genuinely seen, to join us and help build a place where every guest, and every team member, belongs.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Elysée New York Hotel and Crescent Hotels & Resorts are Equal Opportunity Employers, including Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the applicable Know Your Rights notice from the United States Department of Labor.

NOTE:

This description excludes non-essential and marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of the fundamental job duties. Furthermore, the specific examples in each section are not intended to be all-inclusive. Rather, they represent the typical elements and criteria considered necessary to perform the job successfully. Other job-related duties may be assigned by the associate's supervisor.

Furthermore, this description is subject to change, in the sole discretion of the Company, and in no way creates an employment contract, implied or otherwise; each associate remains, at all times, an “at will” associate.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.