Guest Experience Manager

This is an exempt position and will be paid on a salaried basis in accordance with state and federal law.

Driving is required for this position; screening will be required.

The Guest Experience Manager is responsible for leading the resort's overall guest experience strategy, service recovery efforts, Activities team and Manager on Duty (MOD) operations. This position serves as a visible leader throughout the property, ensuring exceptional guest satisfaction through proactive engagement, rapid issue resolution, cross-departmental collaboration, and consistent execution of brand service standards.

The Guest Experience Manager will hold the Manager on Duty (MOD) role a minimum of five (5) days per week , maintaining a strong presence in guest-facing areas, leading operational response efforts, and serving as the primary escalation point for guest concerns. This role is also responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring service recovery strategies that protect guest satisfaction, loyalty, and brand reputation.

The position partners closely with Front Office, Housekeeping, Engineering, Activities, and all operational departments to identify guest experience gaps, implement corrective actions, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Managing Guest Services, Front Desk Operations, and MOD Responsibilities

• Serves as Manager on Duty (MOD) a minimum of five (5) days per week, providing operational leadership and support across the property.
• Maintains a highly visible presence throughout the resort, especially during peak operating periods.
• Utilizes interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others.
• Advocates sound financial and business decision-making while demonstrating honesty, integrity, and professionalism.
• Leads by example and serves as a role model for service excellence and professional conduct.
• Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Supervises and manages employees, maintaining sufficient operational knowledge to perform departmental duties when necessary.
• Supports Front Desk operations during periods of high demand.
• Serves as the primary escalation point for guest concerns, service failures, emergencies, and operational challenges during assigned shifts.
• Coordinates departmental responses to ensure prompt resolution of guest requests and concerns.
• Ensures seamless communication among all operating departments during MOD shifts.

Leading Guest Experience and Service Recovery Strategy

• Develops, implements, and continuously improves the property's guest experience and service recovery strategy.
• Owns the service recovery process from identification through resolution and follow-up.
• Reviews guest feedback, surveys, social media comments, online reviews, and guest service trends to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Establishes recovery standards, response protocols, and accountability measures for guest issue resolution.
• Ensures all guest concerns are appropriately documented, tracked, communicated, and resolved.
• Monitors service recovery effectiveness and identifies trends requiring operational improvements.
• Leads property-wide efforts to reduce recurring guest issues and improve overall guest satisfaction scores.
• Partners with Department Heads to create action plans addressing guest experience deficiencies.
• Conducts root-cause analysis of escalated guest concerns and develops long-term solutions.
• Ensures service recovery gestures are applied consistently, appropriately, and within company guidelines.
• Provides regular reporting and recommendations to resort leadership regarding guest satisfaction trends, recovery outcomes, and operational opportunities.

Training and Development of Guest Experience Standards

• Serves as the property's subject matter expert on guest experience excellence and service recovery practices.
• Develops and facilitates training programs focused on guest service standards, hospitality excellence, and recovery techniques.
• Conducts regular training sessions with Front Office, Housekeeping, Engineering, Activities, Food & Beverage, and other departments.
• Coaches leaders and frontline associates on effective guest interaction, problem resolution, and conflict management.
• Identifies developmental opportunities and provides ongoing mentoring and performance feedback.
• Reinforces customer service expectations through observation, coaching, role-playing, and follow-up training.
• Supports onboarding and orientation initiatives to ensure new associates understand guest experience expectations.
• Measures training effectiveness and recommends enhancements to improve service delivery and guest satisfaction outcomes.

Cross-Department Collaboration and Guest Experience Improvement

• Partners with Department Heads and leaders across Front Office, Housekeeping, Engineering, Activities, Food & Beverage, and other departments to resolve guest experience gaps.
• Facilitates communication and collaboration between departments to ensure consistent guest experiences.
• Identifies operational barriers impacting guest satisfaction and drives corrective action plans.
• Conducts property walkthroughs and inspections to identify potential service, maintenance, cleanliness, or safety concerns before they affect guests.
• Participates in operational meetings and contributes guest-focused perspectives to business decisions.
• Supports departmental initiatives designed to improve service delivery, efficiency, and guest loyalty.
• Holds departments accountable for timely resolution of guest-related issues and follow-up actions.

Maintaining Guest Services and Front Desk Goals

• Manages day-to-day operations, ensuring quality standards and guest expectations are consistently met.
• Develops goals and action plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish work effectively.
• Supports the resolution of complaints, disputes, grievances, and guest concerns.
• Monitors service delivery standards and guest satisfaction metrics.
• Assists with energy conservation efforts by monitoring compliance during property tours.
• Ensures departmental execution aligns with resort objectives and brand standards.

Supporting Guest Experience, Safety, and Operational Compliance

• Supports implementation and execution of customer recognition and guest service programs.
• Conducts routine inspections of the property to evaluate appearance, cleanliness, staffing, safety, security, and maintenance standards.
• Distributes daily MOD reports and ensures timely communication of operational concerns to all departments.
• Ensures compliance with company policies, standards, procedures, and brand requirements.
• Understands and can implement all emergency response plans, including accidents, medical emergencies, fire, theft, severe weather, security incidents, elevator emergencies, and other critical events.
• Supports loss prevention efforts and ensures compliance with safety and security policies.
• Participates in investigations involving guest incidents, service failures, or employee accidents.

Ensuring and Providing Exceptional Customer Service

• Provides service that exceeds guest expectations and fosters loyalty and retention.
• Acts immediately to address guest concerns and recover service opportunities.
• Improves service quality by helping associates understand guest needs and expectations.
• Intervenes in guest or employee situations as necessary to protect the integrity of the resort and maintain a positive environment.
• Demonstrates outstanding hospitality skills and serves as a role model for exceptional service.
• Sets a positive example for guest relations and resort professionalism.
• Empowers associates to resolve guest concerns whenever appropriate.
• Observes employee service behaviors and provides coaching and feedback.
• Maintains high visibility in public areas and actively engages guests.
• Interacts with guests throughout the property to gather feedback and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Records guest concerns and service recovery actions in the guest response tracking system.
• Reviews guest satisfaction scores, comment cards, and feedback trends with associates and leaders.
• Promotes a culture of continuous improvement and guest-centric decision-making.

Managing and Conducting Human Resource Activities

• Identifies developmental opportunities and provides coaching, mentoring, and professional growth support.
• Establishes performance expectations and monitors results.
• Provides guidance and direction to associates and supervisors.
• Assists with interviewing, hiring, and selection processes when needed.
• Supports associate engagement initiatives designed to improve service culture and retention.
• Recognizes and celebrates team member contributions to guest satisfaction.

Additional Responsibilities

• Provides timely and accurate information to supervisors, peers, and team members through verbal and written communication.
• Analyzes information and operational data to identify trends and implement solutions.
• Keeps leadership informed of guest satisfaction concerns, operational challenges, and service recovery outcomes.
• Maintains strong working relationships with all departments to support resort operations and business goals.
• Communicates operational variances and service concerns to the appropriate leaders in a timely manner.
• Participates in special projects, committees, and guest experience initiatives as assigned.
• Performs other duties as required to support operational excellence and guest satisfaction.

Key Success Metrics

• Guest Satisfaction (GSS, NPS, Medallia, or applicable survey scores)
• Service Recovery Resolution Rate
• Guest Issue Response Time
• Repeat Guest and Loyalty Scores
• Online Review Ratings and Trends
• Department Training Completion Rates
• MOD Leadership Effectiveness
• Cross-Department Action Plan Completion
• Associate Engagement with Guest Experience Standards
• Reduction of Recurring Guest Complaints

This position is a highly visible leadership role responsible for driving a culture of hospitality excellence, ensuring proactive service recovery, and creating memorable guest experiences throughout every stage of the guest journey.

Hyatt Vacation Ownership is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture.