Front Desk Manager

Sage Hospitality • Portland, OR

6d • $75,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Front Desk Manager leads daily front desk operations and develops a team that provides accurate, efficient, and personalized service from guest arrival through departure. At The Bidwell Marriott Portland, the manager brings Portland’s independent spirit and Pacific Northwest warmth to the guest experience while protecting guest trust, supporting associates, and managing operational and financial performance. This visible, hands-on leadership role calls for emotional intelligence, self-awareness, humility, strategic thinking, decisiveness, strong communication, learning agility, collaboration, and compassion.

The manager directs front desk coverage, participates in front desk duties, coordinates with hotel departments and transportation providers, and oversees guest communications, service recovery, shift handovers, associate development, financial controls, commercial decisions, and operational readiness. In partnership with the Assistant General Manager, the manager sets department priorities and reviews results, using guest feedback, operational records, arrival patterns, and associate input to identify and evaluate improvements.

The role is primarily indoors in a hotel and climate-controlled workstation environment. It involves prolonged standing, movement throughout the hotel, repeated bending or kneeling, and occasional lifting or carrying of files and office items weighing up to 25 pounds. Availability may include mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and overnight coverage as operationally required.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• At least two years of front desk supervisory experience or at least four years of hotel front office experience.
• Working knowledge of guest services, hotel services, policies, and operations.
• Knowledge of standard cash handling procedures and computerized register or payment systems.
• High school graduate-level mathematical aptitude.
• Demonstrated ability to lead with emotional intelligence, self-awareness, humility, compassion, and sound judgment.
• Ability to collaborate across departments, learn from feedback, and make timely decisions under pressure.
• Strong comprehension and literacy to review correspondence, prepare reports, conduct training, and communicate clearly with guests, associates, and leaders.
• Ability to use hotel operating systems and common business software, and to learn new tools and processes.
• Ability to meet the role’s physical requirements, including prolonged standing, movement throughout the hotel, repeated bending or kneeling, and occasional lifting or carrying of items up to 25 pounds; reasonable accommodations may be made.
• Availability may include mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and overnight coverage as operationally required.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily front desk coverage, complete required associate duties and shift checklists, and work alongside the team during peak periods.
• Plan shifts around occupancy, room readiness, group movements, special requests, and staffing; set clear priorities and contingency plans.
• Ensure accurate and efficient arrivals and departures, including reservation verification, room assignments, key issuance, payment authorization, and explanations of rates, charges, amenities, and policies.
• Coordinate with Housekeeping, Engineering, Rooms Control, and other departments to verify room readiness, resolve room discrepancies, and communicate maintenance or service concerns.
• Coordinate group arrivals and departures using information from Sales and the servicing team, confirming logistics, billing instructions, and front desk readiness.
• Maintain productive relationships with valet and other transportation providers.
• Keep local recommendations and hotel amenity information current, and coach associates to recommend Portland attractions and activities suited to guest interests.
• Apply Marriott service and guest recognition standards, including Marriott Bonvoy recognition and benefits under current brand and property procedures.
• Remain visible and approachable, seek guest feedback, identify concerns early, and de-escalate difficult interactions with empathy, calm language, and respectful boundaries.
• Document guest complaints, recovery actions, commitments, and unresolved items; assign follow-up ownership and timing, confirm completion, and check that concerns are addressed.
• Review guest feedback and recurring complaints with the team, identify preventable breakdowns, agree on practical changes, and monitor results.
• Conduct purposeful shift briefings and maintain complete handovers covering guest commitments, service issues, room availability, incidents, and operational priorities.
• Keep leadership informed about material guest concerns, staffing risks, financial discrepancies, and operational disruptions, including actions taken and recommended next steps.
• Supervise associates with clear expectations, accountability, and respect, and create an environment where team members can ask questions, raise concerns, and learn from mistakes.
• Partner with leadership and People & Culture on hiring, onboarding, training, and development; provide coaching, recognition, and documented feedback; and recommend evaluations, discipline, and terminations to the Assistant General Manager under company procedures.
• Align schedules and coverage with forecast demand, service needs, and approved labor plans; manage workloads, support required breaks, and ensure accurate timekeeping.
• Ensure accurate guest billing, account records, cash handling, and reconciliations; train associates and monitor compliance with financial controls, payment security, guest privacy, identity verification, and key control procedures.
• Investigate financial discrepancies and promptly escalate unresolved issues or suspected fraud or information exposure.
• Support approved room-selling and upgrade strategies, inventory controls, and same-day availability decisions while honoring approved pricing and commitments and coordinating exceptions with the appropriate leader.
• Review labor usage, service recovery spending, billing accuracy, and other assigned operating measures, and recommend practical efficiency improvements that maintain guest service and responsible controls.
• Implement required emergency training and ensure associates understand notification, evacuation, incident reporting, and escalation procedures.
• Respond to emergencies within training and assigned authority to protect guests, associates, and hotel assets; maintain readiness for system outages and other disruptions using approved backup procedures.
• Keep emergency contacts and operational reference information current and communicate changes across shifts.
• Partner with the Assistant General Manager to set department priorities, review results, assign improvement actions and owners, establish completion dates, and evaluate outcomes before standardizing changes.
• Model kindness, inclusion, integrity, and professional conduct, and support Sage Hospitality’s purpose and vision.
• Connect guests with Portland’s urban experiences and surrounding outdoor opportunities through informed recommendations, while combining boutique character and local connections with the reliability expected from Marriott.
• Perform other duties assigned by management.

Benefits

• $50 discounted Tri-Met monthly pass
• Drastically reduced hotel rates for employees and their friends and family at Marriott and Sage Hotels
• Sage Restaurant Concepts discounts
• Unlimited paid time off
• Paid sick time
• Paid holidays
• Medical, vision, and dental insurance
• Complimentary parking at the hotel garage
• Referral bonus eligibility

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: High school or GED