Reception & VIP Manager | AVA Coconut Grove
About The Position
The Reception & VIP Manager leads and standardizes reception, reservations, and guest arrival experiences across Riviera Dining Group venues. The role ensures consistency in guest welcome, reservation strategy, and host team leadership while supporting operational flow and guest satisfaction across multiple concepts. As an operational partner to venue leadership, the manager oversees reservation management, guest seating strategy, host team training, and reception standards to ensure the company’s hospitality philosophy is consistently executed. The role works cross-functionally with venue General Managers, Directors of Operations, and service leadership to optimize reservation books, maintain seamless guest flow, and elevate guests’ first and last impressions. Regular travel between venues and active oversight of reservation systems and reception standards across the portfolio are required.
Requirements
- At least 5 years of experience in luxury hospitality, fine dining, or hotel environments.
- Leadership experience.
- Strong proficiency with reservation platforms such as Resy, SevenRooms, or OpenTable.
- Ability to train, mentor, and lead hospitality teams.
- Strong understanding of restaurant flow, guest experience management, and seating strategies.
- Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
- Polished demeanor and a strong guest-focused mindset.
- Ability to stand, walk, and move throughout restaurant environments for extended periods.
- Ability to work in fast-paced hospitality environments.
Nice To Haves
- Experience supporting or overseeing multiple venues.
Responsibilities
- Ensure RDG venues provide a consistent, elevated guest arrival and departure experience aligned with brand standards.
- Serve as a hospitality leader and escalation point for reception challenges and complex reservation issues.
- Partner with venue leadership to capture and execute VIP recognition, guest preferences, and special accommodations.
- Maintain service standards for guest welcome, check-in, and waitlist management.
- Monitor guest feedback about reception and arrival experiences and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Oversee reservation systems and booking strategies across venues to support effective table allocation and guest flow.
- Review reservation books with venue leadership to maximize revenue opportunities while protecting service standards.
- Manage VIP reservations, large parties, and special events in reservation systems.
- Maintain accurate guest profiles, preferences, and visit histories.
- Collaborate with marketing and membership teams on guest access, priority bookings, and strategic allocations.
- Ensure reservation platforms are used effectively and consistently across locations.
- Lead the training, development, and performance standards of host teams across venues.
- Develop and implement host training programs, certification standards, and service guidelines.
- Support venue management in coaching and developing reception teams.
- Maintain host team grooming, uniform, and presentation standards.
- Foster hospitality, accountability, and teamwork within reception teams.
- Collaborate with venue leadership to optimize seating flow and coordination among reception, service teams, and kitchen operations.
- Participate in operational meetings and provide insights on reservations, guest flow, and arrival experience.
- Monitor wait times, seating efficiency, and guest throughput.
- Keep reception areas organized, welcoming, and aligned with brand presentation standards.
- Track and maintain records related to seating delays and guest recoveries.
- Travel between RDG locations to evaluate reception operations, reservation management, and guest arrival experiences.
- Ensure venues follow RDG reception standards, procedures, and hospitality expectations.
- Identify operational gaps and work with venue leadership to implement improvements.
- Support new venue openings by establishing reception procedures, reservation strategies, and host training programs.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
No Education Listed
