Director, Commercial Franchise Sales

Sonesta Hotels•Newton, MA

6d•$95,000 - $105,000

About The Position

The Franchise Sales Director (FSD) serves as the primary commercial liaison for an assigned portfolio of franchise hotels. This role is responsible for partnering with hotel ownership, management teams, and/or on-property GM and DOS to identify revenue opportunities, strengthen commercial execution, and increase engagement with brand programs, systems, and resources. The FSD works consultatively to drive topline performance by aligning sales strategies with each property’s business goals.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business, Hospitality, or related field preferred.
Minimum 5–7 years of experience in hotel sales, revenue management, or commercial strategy, ideally within a multi-unit or franchise environment.
Strong analytical, consultative selling, and presentation skills.
Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and build trusted relationships with diverse ownership groups.
Ability to travel up to 30% to support assigned hotels and attend corporate or brand events.
Ability to multi-task and manage a high volume of demand in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to pivot and focus on prioritization of tasks and initiatives.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary commercial point of contact for key ownership groups and assigned franchise hotels, providing consultative guidance across sales and revenue channels.
Analyze property-level and market performance (STR, Agency 360, RFP activity, lead conversion, GSO production, and channel mix) to identify opportunities and develop tailored action plans for hotels.
Act as the driver between Global Sales and other parts of the commercial engine in support of franchise hotels and brands.
Co-Facilitate quarterly or bi-annual performance reviews with large ownership groups, aligning revenue goals and success metrics.
Partner with Revenue Management, Distribution, Effectiveness, Marketing, Loyalty, and Brand teams to address performance gaps and implement revenue optimization strategies.
Increase hotel engagement with brand tools, programs, and initiatives (e.g., Customer Connection Week, TravelPass Planner Perks, Government Ready, Business Case initiatives, lead response).
Coach hotels on best practices for local market selling, lead response, and proactive business development.
Support hotels in leveraging available marketing and distribution platforms to improve visibility and conversion.
Assist hotels in closing business where applicable for both local and GSO sales accounts.
Act as a connector between franchise hotels and corporate functional teams, escalating needs and sharing insights from the field.
Contribute to the development of brand-level tools, templates, and playbooks that simplify commercial execution for owners and hotel teams.
Participate in cross-functional initiatives to pilot and scale commercial programs that drive incremental revenue.
Track and report on follow through portfolio performance metrics, engagement levels, and action plan outcomes.
Maintain accurate records of property interactions, opportunities, and initiatives through the CRM and internal tracking systems.
Support corporate reporting by providing data-driven insights and success stories from the field.
Document key takeaways and actionable items from property visits that will be communicated to franchise operations and other key stakeholders.