Front Office Manager| Planters Inn | Charleston, South Carolina

Planters Inn•Charleston, SC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Front Office Manager leads all aspects of Front Desk operations at Planters Inn, ensuring an exceptional guest experience from reservation through departure. The role sets the tone for personalized service and genuine Southern hospitality while guiding a high-performing team and maintaining operational excellence and financial performance. Responsibilities include managing guest arrivals, departures, room assignments, upgrades, billing, and follow-up; resolving concerns and improving guest satisfaction; recruiting, training, coaching, and developing team members; managing schedules, staffing, inventory, and departmental performance; supporting budgets, forecasts, labor management, expense control, upselling, and revenue optimization; and overseeing operations, merchandising, inventory, and pricing for the Lobby Market retail shop. The manager also helps guests discover Charleston by ensuring the team can provide authentic local recommendations.

Requirements

At least three years of Front Office experience in a hotel environment.
Previous supervisory or management experience.
Strong leadership and team-development skills.
Exceptional verbal and written communication abilities.
Proven success in guest relations and service recovery.
Knowledge of Front Office operations, hotel systems, and hospitality best practices.
Experience working with Property Management Systems (PMS).
Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, as business needs require.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a luxury hotel, boutique hotel, Forbes, Four Diamond, Marriott Luxury, Hilton Curio, Autograph Collection, or independent luxury hotel.
Experience leading high-performing guest service teams.
Bilingual English/Spanish.
Familiarity with Charleston's hospitality, tourism, dining, and cultural landscape.

Responsibilities

Champion a culture of exceptional guest service and genuine hospitality.
Oversee arrivals, departures, room assignments, upgrades, billing, and guest follow-up.
Engage with guests to create personalized experiences and resolve concerns through effective service recovery.
Monitor guest feedback and implement improvements to guest satisfaction.
Recruit, hire, train, coach, develop, and evaluate Front Office professionals.
Foster a positive, collaborative, high-accountability work environment; provide feedback and career development support; and recognize team achievements.
Lead by example through visible, active engagement with guests and team members.
Oversee Front Desk operations and adherence to luxury service standards, hotel policies, procedures, and service expectations.
Manage room inventory and occupancy opportunities; monitor guest accounts and billing accuracy.
Develop weekly schedules and adjust staffing based on business demands.
Support departmental budgeting, forecasting, labor management, expense control, planning, and financial initiatives.
Collaborate with Housekeeping, Engineering, Food & Beverage, and Sales to support a seamless guest experience.
Support upselling and revenue optimization efforts.
Manage operations, merchandising, inventory, and pricing for the Lobby Market retail shop.
Use reporting and analytics to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
Serve as a knowledgeable resource on Charleston attractions and ensure Front Office team members can provide local recommendations.