Group and Transient Sales Specialist

Compensation Type: Yearly Highgate Hotels:

Highgate is a premier real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. Highgate is the dominant player in U.S. gateway markets including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, with a rapidly expanding presence in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Highgate’s portfolio of global properties represents an aggregate asset value exceeding $20B and generates over $5B in cumulative revenues. The company provides expert guidance through all stages of the hospitality property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate also has the creativity and bandwidth to develop bespoke hotel brands and utilizes industry-leading proprietary revenue management tools that identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive out performance and maximize asset value. With an executive team consisting of some of the industry’s most experienced hotel management leaders, the company is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. Highgate maintains corporate offices in London, New York, Dallas, and Seattle.

Location:

Park Lane New York, situated on Billionaires’ Row – home to the world’s most coveted addresses on
Central Park South – has been completely reimagined as a departure from its neighbors and serves as a
unique and inclusive retreat within walking distance of the city’s cultural hubs including Lincoln Center,
Carnegie Hall, 5th Avenue shopping, and the Museum of Modern Art. The 47-story property features 610
rooms – nearly half of which provide sweeping park-facing views – and 11,000 square feet of reimagined
indoor and outdoor event space. A fitness center perched on the fifth floor offers state-of-the-art
equipment and its own separate outdoor terrace. The reimagined hotel features three new food & beverage venues throughout the hotel including an 80-seat lobby bar with an outdoor promenade, an intimate restaurant on the hotel’s second floor, and CentralPark South’s only rooftop lounge atop the hotel. Perched on the 47th floor, the cocktail bar will treat guests to a one-of-a-kind experience against the backdrop of Manhattan's sprawling skyline and park.

Overview:

The Sales Specialist is responsible for plays a critical role in providing proactive sales engagement and reactive/inquiry response with the luxury retail travel agency and preferred corporate markets in support of the Director of Sales. He/she is also responsible for providing attentive, courteous and efficient service to all guests.

Responsibilities:

• Responsibilities:

  • The position of Sales Specialist plays a critical role in providing proactive sales engagement and reactive/inquiry response with the luxury retail travel agency and preferred corporate markets in support of the Director of Sales.
  • The goal is to maximize total room nights and revenue potential for Park Lane New York across the Corporate- Consortia and Transient Luxury Leisure market segments with a focus on both retention and acquisition.
  • Working in a team, the position will report to the Director of Sales & Marketing with a dotted line to the Director of Luxury and Corporate Sales, segment owner, as support to achieve targets/budget
  • Responsibilities include relationship building with B2B travel partners, selling guest rooms and suites, conducting site inspections, travel for the position as needed, strong ethic for setting business strategies and forward-thinking tactics
  • Duties also include preparing and presenting effective proposals for luxury travel agency inquiries, and if needed entering reservations in support of the Reservations Manager and reservations team
  • Maintaining well-organized documentation and reports
  • Participation sales meetings, events and other staff meetings
  • Works as a team member with the sales and catering team
  • Experience and ability to sell a luxury hotel experience
  • Developing, implementing and monitoring the hotels sales strategy to achieve and exceed forecasted revenue targets in Rooms, Food and Beverage and all other revenue-generating departments
  • Manage the hotel sales contacts and achievement of the hotel revenue plan
  • Attend major travel, trade and corporate functions and conduct sales trips based on business priorities which may include travel on weekends and evening events
  • Retention and acquisition of corporate business
  • Building and maintaining strong client relations and developing accounts to increase market share
  • Maximizing yield potential for corporate business for the hotel
  • Working closely with the Director of Sales & Marketing and Director of Luxury and Corporate Sales to develop and implement strategies to maximize business levels
  • Interacts with B2B customer guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels
  Interacts with the operation team to ensure understanding of guest needs and in creating a working relationship within all areas of the operation

Annual Salary $65,000 - $70,000

Qualifications:

• University qualifications in Business, Hospitality or Sales and Marketing

• Minimum 2 years sales experience in a four or five-star hotel or, a similar fast-paced environment

• An engaged and results-driven achiever with strong influencing skills

• Excellent interpersonal, communication and time management skills

• Proven sales experience with the ability to lead, guide and achieve personal rev goals

• Highly motivated, solutions-orientated self-starter with adaptable teamwork styles

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into profitable action

• Strategic orientation with the know-how to problem solve under pressure

• Ability to create a positive first impression with an understanding of the importance of five-star grooming standards

• Refined verbal and written communication skills

Prefer selling, negotiating, business writing and presentation skills training