Director of Banquets - Condado Vanderbilt Hotel

The Condado Collection

About The Position

The Director of Banquets leads and oversees all banquet operations at Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, ensuring high standards of service, presentation, cleanliness, organization, and operational efficiency at every event. The role is responsible for accurately implementing banquet event orders, including event specifications, guest preferences, schedules, room setups, menus, service sequences, and special requests. It promotes personalized, anticipatory, detail-focused service consistent with the hotel’s luxury standards and applicable Forbes Travel Guide expectations. The director collaborates with departments including Culinary, Sales and Catering, Stewarding, Engineering, and Housekeeping to coordinate event execution. The role recruits, trains, coaches, and develops banquet managers, supervisors, captains, and service associates; sets performance expectations; conducts reviews; manages schedules and staffing; and addresses employee performance in accordance with hotel policies and procedures. The position oversees event-planning meetings, pre-event briefings, and daily pre-shift meetings; builds client and guest relationships; responds to requests and resolves service issues; and inspects banquet spaces, setups, service stations, equipment, and event presentation. It also oversees labor planning, payroll, inventory, equipment utilization, and departmental expenses; ensures compliance with hotel policies, food-safety, sanitation, responsible alcohol-service, health, and safety requirements; and identifies opportunities to improve operations and the guest experience. The director is accountable for departmental results, maintains an active and visible leadership presence during events, and performs other duties assigned by the hotel’s executive team.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Hotel Management, Hospitality Management, or a related field.
At least four years of banquet operations experience, including supervisory or management responsibilities; luxury hotels or high-end hospitality establishments are preferred.
Broad knowledge of Food and Beverage operations, banquet service standards, and event execution.
Excellent organizational and time-management skills, including the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and responsibilities simultaneously.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively and professionally with guests, clients, and team members at all organizational levels.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Professional conduct, strong leadership skills, commitment to guest-service excellence, and meticulous attention to detail.
Ability to adapt to changing priorities and perform effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
Fully bilingual in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

Direct and oversee all banquet operations, maintaining high standards of service, presentation, cleanliness, organization, and efficiency at each event.
Review, interpret, and supervise execution of banquet event orders, including event specifications, guest preferences, schedules, room setups, menus, service sequences, and special requests.
Promote personalized, anticipatory, detail-focused service consistent with the hotel’s luxury standards and applicable Forbes Travel Guide expectations.
Coordinate with Culinary, Sales and Catering, Stewarding, Engineering, Housekeeping, and other relevant departments to ensure smooth event execution.
Recruit, train, coach, and develop banquet managers, supervisors, captains, and service associates.
Set performance expectations, conduct periodic evaluations, manage schedules and staffing levels, and address employee performance according to hotel policies and procedures.
Lead or oversee event-planning meetings, pre-event briefings, and daily pre-shift meetings to communicate operational priorities, guest expectations, event details, and service standards.
Build strong relationships with clients and guests, anticipate their needs, respond to requests promptly, and resolve service issues professionally and discreetly.
Inspect banquet spaces, table setups, service stations, equipment, and overall event presentation to ensure quality and compliance with standards.
Oversee labor planning, payroll, inventory, equipment utilization, and departmental expenses to improve productivity and control costs while maintaining service quality.
Ensure compliance with hotel policies, food-safety requirements, hygiene and sanitation procedures, responsible alcohol-service regulations, and applicable health and safety standards.
Identify opportunities to improve service delivery, operational processes, team performance, and the overall banquet experience through innovation and industry best practices.
Take accountability for departmental results and maintain an active, visible leadership presence during events.
Perform other duties assigned by the hotel’s executive team.