Reception & VIP Manager | AVA Coconut Grove

Riviera Dining Group•Miami, FL

19h

About The Position

The Reception & VIP Manager leads and standardizes reception, reservations, and guest arrival experiences across Riviera Dining Group venues. The role ensures consistent guest welcomes, 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 so RDG’s hospitality philosophy is consistently delivered across locations. The manager works cross-functionally with venue General Managers, Directors of Operations, and service leadership to optimize reservation books, coordinate guest flow, and elevate guests’ first and last impressions. The role also supports new venue openings by establishing reception procedures, reservation strategies, and host training programs.

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.
Proven 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.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting or overseeing multiple venues.

Responsibilities

Ensure all RDG venues provide a consistent, elevated guest arrival and departure experience aligned with brand standards.
Serve as a hospitality leader and escalation point for guest 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 feedback about reception and arrival experiences and identify opportunities for improvement.
Oversee reservation systems and booking strategies across venues to optimize 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 history to support personalized experiences.
Collaborate with marketing and membership teams on guest access, priority bookings, and strategic allocations.
Ensure reservation systems such as Resy, OpenTable, SevenRooms, or equivalent are used effectively and consistently.
Lead host-team training, development, and performance standards across venues.
Develop and implement host training programs, certification standards, and service guidelines.
Support venue management in coaching and developing reception teams.
Ensure host-team grooming, uniform, and presentation standards are maintained.
Foster hospitality, accountability, and teamwork within reception teams.
Coordinate with venue leadership to optimize seating flow between 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.
Ensure reception areas are 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 adhere to 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.