Front of House Manager

Front of House Manager

Location: Rockliffe, Darlington

Salary: £60,000-£65,000 per annum

Hours: Fulltime – 40 hours per week, including weekends

Reporting to: Operations Manager

Responsible for: Reception Manager, Hotel Receptionists, Head Concierge, Concierge, Night Manager, Nights Team, Guest Relations Team

Job Purpose:

The Front of House Manager is a senior operational leader responsible for delivering an exceptional, personalised, and seamless guest journey from pre-arrival through departure. Operating within a luxury 5-star environment, this role ensures that every guest interaction reflects the highest standards of service excellence, emotional intelligence, and attention to detail.

The role combines strategic oversight, commercial performance, and hands-on operational leadership, ensuring alignment between guest satisfaction, team engagement, and revenue optimisation. The Front of House Manager acts as a key ambassador of the hotel brand, creating memorable experiences that drive loyalty, reputation, and financial performance.

Key responsibilities of the Front of House Manager:

• Lead daily Front of House operations with a visible, hands-on presence, ensuring seamless delivery across Reception, Concierge, and Nights
• Set, maintain and continuously elevate 5-star Luxury service standards, ensuring consistency across all guest touchpoints
• Champion a guest-centric culture, anticipating guest needs and resolving issues before they arise
• Personally handle VIP arrivals, high-profile guests, and complex service recovery situations
• Ensure every guest experience is personalised, intuitive, and memorable, leveraging guest history and preferences
• Act as Duty Manager as required, providing leadership across the entire hotel operation
• Drive continuous improvement by analysing guest feedback (Guest Revu) and implementing actionable strategies
• Collaborate with Revenue Management to maximise ADR, occupancy, and total guest spend
• Take ownership of Front Office contribution to upselling, cross-selling, and conversion rates
• Drive proactive selling culture within the team, embedding luxury sales techniques
• Monitor business trends including occupancy forecasts, pick-up, and demand patterns to align staffing and strategy
• Ensure effective inventory management, room allocation strategies, and upsell optimisation
• Identify and escalate potential commercial opportunities to Sales and Commercial teams
• Contribute to budget planning, cost control, and payroll optimisation while maintaining service excellence
• Inspire, lead and develop a high-performing, emotionally intelligent Front of House team
• Recruit individuals aligned with luxury service values, attitude, and cultural fit
• Implement structured onboarding and continuous training programmes aligned with Forbes/LQA standards
• Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching sessions, and career development planning
• Foster a culture of accountability, empowerment, and recognition
• Lead daily briefings, ensuring alignment, communication, and awareness across departments
• Ensure optimal rota planning that balances service quality, team wellbeing, and business needs
• Ensure adherence to all luxury brand standards, audit requirements, and guest service benchmarks
• Conduct regular quality inspections of Front of House areas, ensuring immaculate presentation and functionality
• Maintain exceptional standards in:
• Guest communication (verbal and written)
• Grooming and presentation
• Environmental aesthetics (lobby, reception, guest areas)
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives based on audit outcomes (e.g., Forbes, AA, internal QA).
• Ensure all reservations, guest profiles, and correspondence meet 5-star accuracy and professionalism.
• Work closely with Housekeeping, F&B, Spa, Sales, and Maintenance to ensure a fully integrated guest experience.
• Ensure room readiness, guest requests, and special arrangements are flawlessly executed.
• Lead communication flow between departments to ensure operational clarity and efficiency.
• Act as a central coordination point for guest journeys and service recovery.
• Proactively engage with guests throughout their stay, building rapport and loyalty.
• Address and resolve all guest complaints swiftly, professionally, and empathetically.
• Drive online reputation by encouraging guest feedback and managing responses where appropriate.
• Ensure all complaints are logged, analysed, and used as learning opportunities.

About us:

Set within a 375-acre estate on the banks of the River Tees, Rockliffe is a five-star resort that blends heritage, luxury and natural beauty. Located in the quiet village of Hurworth, in the heart of the Tees Valley and close to the borders of County Durham and North Yorkshire, it offers a peaceful countryside setting with exceptional facilities.

Surrounded by sweeping views and beautifully kept gardens, the resort features elegant bedrooms and a sense of quiet luxury, shaped by a warm northern spirit. Guests can enjoy an award-winning spa, play on the longest golf course in the UK and experience both elevated and relaxed dining offerings, all within a restored eighteenth century estate designed for both relaxation and indulgence.

Why join?

To be part of an exceptional Front of House Team within a premium hospitality environment during an exciting period of transformation and growth.

Benefits:

• A Day in the Life of a Guest Stay (Overnight Stay within the First 6 Months)
• Pension Scheme (Aegon)
• Hospitality Rewards Scheme
• Life Assurance (Legal & General)
• Selected Discounts Across the Resort
• Enhanced Annual Leave for Long Service
• Annual Leave – 20 Days plus Bank Holidays
• Employee Assistance Programme (Hospitality Action)
• Staff Meals
• Uniform Laundry Service

“Our success is dependent on every single individual in our team”