Senior Group Sales Manager

Appellation Healdsburg•Healdsburg, CA

4d•$98,000 - $108,000•Onsite

About The Position

About Appellation Born from the elegant merger of the culinary and hospitality worlds, Appellation is much more than a typical hotel company. Inspired by its name, this new hotel brand brings together the best of local elements in a new way: a hotel collection powered by people, connected by food, and defined by place—all designed to celebrate its destinations’ culture, community, and craftsmanship. Developed by visionary co-founders Charlie Palmer, one of America’s best-known, award-winning chefs and pioneer in the American hotel-restaurant model, and Christopher Hunsberger, a 30-year veteran of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and its former president of North Americas. Join Appellation as its first hotels and resorts take root in 2025. Position Overview The Senior Group Sales Manager is responsible for driving group room nights, meetings, and events revenue through proactive sales efforts, strategic account management, and relationship building. This role focuses on securing high-value group business that aligns with the property’s positioning, revenue goals, and operational capabilities. The ideal candidate is a seasoned seller with strong market knowledge, excellent negotiation skills, and a consultative approach to selling complex group programs.

Requirements

Minimum of 5–7 years of hotel or resort group sales experience, preferably in an upscale or luxury environment.
Proven track record of achieving or exceeding group sales goals.
Strong negotiation and closing skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple accounts and priorities simultaneously.
Strategic thinker with a proactive, self-motivated sales approach.
Comfortable working cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment.
Proficiency with CRM and sales systems (e.g., Delphi, Salesforce, Cvent, or similar).
Strong command of Microsoft Office and Google Workspace tools.
Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends.
Willingness to travel for sales calls, trade shows, and client events as needed.
Ability to stand, walk, and conduct property tours for extended periods.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods
Ability to lift up to 25 pounds
Ability to be on-site during event execution

Nice To Haves

Experience selling meetings, retreats, and social events preferred.

Responsibilities

Proactively solicit, negotiate, and contract group business across defined markets and segments.
Consistently meet or exceed assigned room night, revenue, and booking pace goals.
Develop and execute a strategic sales plan focused on short-, mid-, and long-term demand.
Identify opportunities to maximize total revenue contribution including guestrooms, F&B, and ancillary spend.
Build and maintain strong relationships with meeting planners, corporate clients, third-party planners, and key intermediaries.
Manage a portfolio of existing accounts while actively developing new business.
Conduct site inspections, client presentations, and familiarization visits.
Represent the property at industry events, trade shows, and sales missions as required.
Partner closely with Events, Catering, Revenue Management, and Operations to ensure seamless program execution.
Effectively transition definite business to the events and operations teams with clear communication and documentation.
Participate in weekly sales, revenue, and resume meetings.
Provide market intelligence and feedback to leadership on trends, pricing, and competitive activity.
Maintain accurate and timely data in the CRM and sales systems.
Produce regular sales reports, forecasts, and pipeline updates.
Ensure all contracts, proposals, and client communications align with brand standards and legal requirements.