Sr. Director, Hotels & Resorts

Virtuoso, Ltd.•New York, NY

About The Position

Virtuoso® is the leading global travel agency network specializing in luxury and experiential travel, comprising over 1,200 travel agency locations with more than 20,000 travel advisors in 58 countries. The network leverages preferred relationships with 2,500 of the world’s best hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies, and premier destinations to provide upscale clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences, and privileged access. With annual sales of (U.S.) $35 billion, Virtuoso is a powerhouse in the luxury travel industry. The Sr. Director, Hotels & Resorts is responsible for defining the long-term vision, strategy, and evolution of Virtuoso’s global hotel portfolio. This role ensures the development of a high-quality, differentiated network of partners that delivers meaningful value to advisors and their clients worldwide. This position requires a strategic, data-driven leader with deep industry expertise, strong cross-functional influence, and the ability to translate insight into scalable, enterprise-level action. Operating as the global Hotel & Resorts Subject Matter Expert (SME) within Virtuoso, this position functions as a strategic advisor and internal architect rather than a traditional partner owner. The role informs account strategy, shapes product and program design, and aligns hotel-related initiatives across Membership, Product, Marketing, and Account Management to drive cohesive, ecosystem-wide impact. The Senior Director plays a critical role in ensuring Virtuoso’s Hotels & Resorts portfolio remains differentiated, high-quality, and aligned with the evolving needs of advisors, travelers, and partners—ultimately maximizing value and return on investment across the network.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field required
10+ years of experience in travel, hospitality, or adjacent industries, with demonstrated success in strategy, portfolio management, or senior‑level partner leadership
Proven ability to develop and execute long‑term strategies in complex, matrixed, global organizations
Strong commercial acumen paired with the ability to think beyond revenue to ecosystem value
Exceptional communication, synthesis, and executive‑level presentation skills
Deep understanding of partner evaluation, RFP/RFI processes, and governance frameworks
Strong analytical capability with experience translating data into executive-level decisions
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills
Proficiency in MS Office, SharePoint, and CRM/application systems

Nice To Haves

people leadership experience preferred

Responsibilities

Define and evolve a multi‑year global strategy for Virtuoso’s Hotels & Resorts portfolio, aligned with company priorities, regional market dynamics, and evolving traveler and advisor expectations.
Establish a clear strategic framework governing hotel programs, partner engagement models, and contractual structures across global regions.
Own the long‑term direction of the Hotels & Resorts portfolio, identifying growth opportunities, portfolio gaps, and strategic risks to maintain relevance and competitive advantage.
Ensure consistent quality, governance, and standards across the global hotel network while allowing for regional flexibility where appropriate.
Partner with Business Intelligence and senior vertical leaders to anticipate market opportunities and build a high‑quality, strategically aligned hotel partner pipeline.
Lead and guide advisor‑led Hotel Committee forums, translating stakeholder input into clear, strategic portfolio decisions.
Ensure consistent quality standards and governance across the global hotel partner network, with appropriate regional flexibility.
Define and steward a clear, differentiated partner value proposition that delivers measurable return on investment and supports long‑term partnership sustainability.
Oversee the development of partner strategies and account plans that connect partner investment to meaningful business outcomes.
Guide the evolution of partner benefits, programs, and engagement models to remain relevant as advisor behavior, traveler preferences, and market conditions change.
Lead strategic partner procurement, including identification, evaluation, and selection of hotel partners.
Shape the overall composition of the hotel portfolio to optimize network value and differentiation.
Leverage performance data, market insights, and trend analysis to inform strategic direction and portfolio decisions.
Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights and recommendations for senior leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders.
Establish success metrics and strategic KPIs that measure progress against long‑term objectives, not solely short‑term revenue.
Act as a strategic connector across Partnerships, Regions, Product, Marketing, Events, Finance, and Operations to ensure strategy is clearly understood and consistently executed.
Collaborate closely with regional leadership to ensure global strategy reflects local market realities while maintaining a unified vision and standards.
Provide strategic input and forward‑looking perspective to enterprise planning cycles, leadership forums, and advisory committees.
Serve as a Subject Matter Expert to Account Directors and Account Managers, supporting complex partner scenarios and negotiations, account planning and investment strategies, portfolio positioning and opportunity development.
Serve as a Subject Matter Expert to Membership to inform advisor engagement strategies, support development of category-specific training and selling tools.
Collaborate with Product to define requirements for hotel-related platforms, programs, and services to develop strategies tailored to geographic markets, advisor segments and agency models, traveler psychographics and preferences.
Work with Marketing and Events to ensure accurate, differentiated category positioning and align messaging and programming with strategic priorities.
Monitor industry trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging partnership models to proactively shape the company’s strategic roadmap.
Identify opportunities for new partnership structures and engagement models that drive incremental value, differentiation, and growth.
Champion continuous improvement and strategic evolution across partner programs and portfolio design.
Provide strategic leadership and mentorship to senior leaders responsible for partner execution, without direct ownership of day‑to‑day operations.
Influence outcomes through clarity of vision, executive communication, and cross‑functional collaboration.
Represent Virtuoso’s strategic direction internally and, when appropriate, with senior partner stakeholders externally.