Front Office Manager

AURA SUITES HOTEL – DAR ES SALAAM

JOB DESCRIPTION – FRONT OFFICE MANAGER

Job Title	Front Office Manager
Department	Front Office / Rooms Division
Reports To	General Manager
Location	Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Employment Type	Full Time
Job Category	Manager

POSITION SUMMARY

The Front Office Manager is responsible for the overall operation, performance and service standards of the Front Office and guest-facing Rooms Division functions. The role leads the front office team to deliver professional, efficient and personalized guest service while ensuring accurate reservations, room allocation, check-in/check-out, billing, cash and credit controls, guest relations and effective coordination with Housekeeping, Sales, Accounts and other departments. The Front Office Manager will also have strong working knowledge of revenue management, room inventory, rate strategy, distribution channels and OTA platforms, using commercial data to support occupancy, ADR and RevPAR performance.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Front Office Operations & Leadership
   • Manage the day-to-day Front Office operation, including reception, guest services, cashiering and other assigned Rooms Division functions.
   • Lead, supervise, coach and develop Front Office colleagues to achieve consistently high standards of service, professionalism and productivity.
   • Prepare and maintain clear SOPs, checklists and operating procedures for Front Office activities and ensure that colleagues are trained and compliant.
   • Plan duty rosters, shifts, staffing levels, leave and operational coverage according to business requirements.
   • Conduct daily briefings and handovers, communicate operational priorities and follow up on outstanding guest and departmental issues.
   • Monitor departmental performance, identify operational gaps and implement corrective actions.
   • Maintain strong departmental discipline, grooming, punctuality and professional presentation standards.
2. Guest Experience & Customer Handling
   • Personally oversee the guest journey from pre-arrival through departure and ensure a warm, efficient and personalized experience.
   • Handle guest requests, complaints, service recovery and escalated issues professionally and promptly, protecting guest satisfaction and the hotel's reputation.
   • Monitor guest feedback, online reviews and recurring service issues and recommend practical improvements to management.
   • Ensure VIPs, repeat guests, corporate guests and other priority guests are identified, prepared for and personally attended to in line with hotel procedures.
   • Maintain strong knowledge of hotel facilities, services, room types, packages, policies and local information so the team can confidently assist guests.
   • Promote a guest-first culture and ensure all guest communication is professional, courteous and solution-oriented.
3. Reservations, Room Inventory & Distribution
   • Oversee reservations-related processes and ensure bookings are accurately entered, verified and maintained in the hotel's PMS/IDS and relevant systems.
   • Ensure room types, availability, rates, restrictions, packages and booking conditions are accurately reflected across approved distribution channels.
   • Monitor room inventory and coordinate closely with Reservations, Sales and Housekeeping to maximize room availability and minimize discrepancies.
   • Ensure all arrivals are checked against booking confirmations, special requests, payment conditions, source markets and rate details.
   • Control no-shows, cancellations, early departures, extensions, walk-ins, room moves, upgrades and overbooking situations according to approved procedures.
   • Maintain accurate guest profiles and reservation records while protecting guest information and confidentiality.
4. Revenue Management & Commercial Responsibilities
   • Actively support the hotel's revenue management strategy and work closely with the General Manager and Sales team on room pricing and inventory decisions.
   • Monitor occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, pickup, pace, room availability, booking patterns, lead times, cancellations and market demand.
   • Recommend rate changes, minimum-stay controls, restrictions, promotions and room allocation strategies based on demand and business performance.
   • Monitor competitor rates and market positioning and provide regular observations and recommendations to management.
   • Review daily and weekly revenue performance and highlight opportunities, risks and corrective actions.
   • Understand and effectively use the PMS, channel manager, booking engine, revenue/distribution tools and relevant reporting systems.
5. OTA & Online Distribution Management
   • Demonstrate practical experience with major OTA platforms and online hotel distribution channels.
   • Monitor OTA availability, rates, room descriptions, policies, promotions, content and booking conditions and ensure accuracy.
   • Manage and respond to OTA guest communications and coordinate resolution of booking-related issues.
   • Monitor OTA production, cancellation trends, ranking/visibility indicators, commissions and channel performance.
   • Work with management to optimize channel mix and reduce avoidable rate, inventory, content and parity discrepancies.
   • Coordinate with Sales/Marketing and management on promotions and online offers while protecting the hotel's pricing strategy.
6. Billing, Cash, Credit & Financial Controls
   • Ensure accurate posting of room charges, taxes, payments, deposits, adjustments and other guest transactions.
   • Verify that invoices and billing instructions match booking confirmations, negotiated rates and approved payment terms.
   • Ensure compliance with hotel credit policies and controls so that all expected revenue is properly secured and collected.
   • Supervise cashiering, shift closing, cash handling, deposits and reconciliation procedures as applicable.
   • Coordinate with Accounts on billing discrepancies, city ledgers, corporate accounts, credit limits and outstanding balances.
   • Review Front Office financial reports and ensure discrepancies are investigated and corrected promptly.
7. Housekeeping & Interdepartmental Coordination
   • Maintain close daily coordination with Housekeeping on room status, inspections, out-of-order rooms, discrepancies, early arrivals and priority rooms.
   • Coordinate with Sales on group arrivals, VIPs, corporate accounts, packages, special requests and forecasted business.
   • Work closely with Accounts, Security, Engineering, Food & Beverage and other departments to resolve guest and operational issues.
   • Conduct or participate in daily operational meetings and ensure agreed actions are followed through.
   • Support smooth communication between departments and maintain a professional, collaborative working environment.
8. Arrival, Departure & Lobby Management
   • Ensure efficient check-in and check-out procedures with accurate documentation and minimal waiting time.
   • Maintain appropriate lobby presence and personally supervise peak arrival and departure periods.
   • Ensure luggage, transportation, wake-up calls, messages, keys/access and other guest-service processes are properly controlled.
   • Monitor room readiness and coordinate early check-ins, late check-outs and room moves within approved policies.
   • Ensure all required registration, identification and statutory documentation is completed accurately and securely.
9. Safety, Security, Compliance & Risk
   • Ensure Front Office procedures comply with hotel policies, applicable Tanzanian legal requirements and approved security procedures.
   • Protect guest privacy, room keys/access credentials, payment information and confidential guest data.
   • Follow and train the team on emergency, fire, medical, security and incident-reporting procedures.
   • Maintain accurate logs and incident records and escalate significant matters to the General Manager or relevant department.
   • Ensure lost-and-found, key control and access procedures are followed.
10. Training, Performance & Team Development
    • Recruit, induct, train and coach Front Office colleagues in coordination with HR and management.
    • Conduct regular skills training covering guest handling, PMS procedures, reservations, billing, upselling, service recovery, telephone etiquette and professional communication.
    • Set clear performance expectations and provide regular feedback, coaching and performance follow-up.
    • Develop cross-training and succession capability within the Front Office team.
    • Lead by example in grooming, communication, attitude, professionalism and customer service.
11. Reporting & Administration
    • Prepare and review relevant daily, weekly and monthly Front Office and Rooms Division reports.
    • Track operational KPIs including occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, guest satisfaction, complaints, room discrepancies, upselling and other agreed measures.
    • Maintain accurate records, logs, handovers and departmental documentation.
    • Identify trends and provide management with concise operational and commercial recommendations.
    • Perform other reasonable duties and assignments as directed by the General Manager or management.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• Guest satisfaction and complaint/service-recovery performance
• Front Office service standards and operational efficiency
• Occupancy, ADR and RevPAR performance in coordination with management
• OTA and direct-channel production, rate accuracy and inventory accuracy
• Billing accuracy, cash/credit compliance and reduction of discrepancies
• Check-in/check-out efficiency and room-status accuracy
• Team productivity, training completion, grooming and staff performance
• Compliance with SOPs, security, safety and hotel policies

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Proven experience as a Front Office Manager, Assistant Front Office Manager or equivalent senior Front Office leadership role in a reputable hotel.
• Strong experience managing Front Office operations in a quality hotel environment, preferably an established or internationally recognized hotel brand/property.
• Demonstrated practical knowledge of revenue management, room pricing, inventory controls and hotel distribution.
• Hands-on experience with OTA platforms, channel management and online booking/distribution systems.
• Strong PMS/IDS knowledge and confidence using hotel technology and reporting systems.
• Excellent customer-handling and service-recovery skills, with a calm and professional approach to difficult situations.
• Strong written and spoken English, with clear, confident and professional communication.
• Presentable, well-groomed and professional in appearance and conduct, with the ability to represent the hotel confidently.
• Strong leadership, people-management, organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Commercial awareness with the ability to understand and act on hotel performance data.
• Ability to work flexible shifts, weekends and public holidays as required by hotel operations.

DESIRED PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Guest-focused and service-oriented
• Confident, articulate and approachable
• Professional, well presented and composed under pressure
• Commercially aware and data driven
• Hands-on manager who leads from the front
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through
• Collaborative and respectful team leader
• Proactive problem solver with sound judgement

AUTHORITY & ACCOUNTABILITY

The Front Office Manager is accountable for the performance and standards of the Front Office operation within the authority delegated by the General Manager. The position is expected to identify operational and commercial opportunities, recommend improvements and escalate matters requiring management approval.