Director of Lodging & Guest Experience

ExplorUS Corporate•Overland Park, KS

2d•Onsite

About The Position

ExplorUS is seeking an experienced Director of Lodging & Guest Experience to support operational excellence, consistency, and guest satisfaction across our lodging portfolio. This role partners closely with General Managers and property leadership to turn company strategy into consistent execution. The Director will provide operational support, establish standards and SOPs, conduct property visits, deliver training, support new property openings and transitions, and drive improvements in guest experience and property performance. The role will also identify opportunities to develop guest experiences and ancillary revenue that enhance the guest experience and strengthen overall property performance. This position is located on-site, in-person at our corporate office in Overland Park, KS.

Requirements

7+ years of progressive hotel, resort, or lodging operations experience preferred.
Multi-property, regional, corporate, or senior property leadership experience strongly preferred.
Strong knowledge of front office, housekeeping, guest services, and overall lodging operations.
Experience developing and implementing SOPs and operational standards.
Experience with training, hotel openings, transitions, acquisitions, or operational turnarounds preferred.
Strong understanding of guest satisfaction and reputation management.
Experience developing guest experiences or ancillary revenue programs is a plus.
Strong communication, leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability and willingness to travel extensively throughout the portfolio.
Experience with destination resorts, seasonal operations, outdoor hospitality, or geographically diverse properties is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Partner with General Managers and property teams to improve lodging operations, efficiency, quality, and profitability.
Support front office, housekeeping, reservations, guest services, and other lodging functions.
Identify operational challenges, develop action plans, and ensure timely follow-through.
Share best practices and drive consistent implementation of portfolio initiatives.
Conduct regular property visits and operational audits.
Evaluate cleanliness, room readiness, maintenance, service, presentation, and overall guest experience.
Develop and maintain practical lodging and guest experience standards and SOPs.
Create post-visit action plans and follow up on completion.
Identify recurring issues and develop scalable portfolio-wide solutions.
Develop and deliver lodging and guest experience training.
Support the onboarding and development of General Managers and lodging leaders.
Monitor guest satisfaction, online reviews, and other guest experience metrics.
Identify recurring guest concerns and implement service improvement and recovery strategies.
Evaluate the guest journey from booking through post-stay and identify opportunities to improve the experience.
Support new property transitions, acquisitions, and openings.
Assist with operational readiness, staffing, training, SOPs, room readiness, and guest experience.
Identify operational risks and support solutions before and during opening.
Provide onsite leadership and support during critical transition periods.
Identify and develop new guest experiences and ancillary revenue opportunities.
Support packages, premium experiences, recreation, weddings, upselling, seasonal activations, and shoulder-season programming.
Develop authentic, destination-specific experiences with potential for broader portfolio application.
Monitor performance and recommend improvements.
Monitor key operational and guest experience metrics.
Provide leadership with clear reporting on property performance, risks, opportunities, and action plans.
Track progress and ensure initiatives are implemented and sustained.
Provide operational input on renovations, property improvements, guest rooms, amenities, and public spaces.
Other duties as assigned.