Company Description

The Raffles London

Raffles London at The OWO and The OWO Residences by Raffles operates a 120 room and suites flagship hotel at the iconic Old War Office building along with a collection of 85 exceptional branded residences at this landmark destination on Whitehall, including 12 distinct restaurants and bars including our signature chef Mauro Colagreco. The Guerlain spa and Pillar Wellness, and a 600 seated-capacity grand ballroom.

Job Description

Scope Of Position

Your role will be responsible for leading, managing and developing the group business, selling rooms events, and banqueting within Raffles London. Ensuring all sales calls and leads are fully followed up and logged in line with the Raffles standards. Building relations and growing recognition of the hotel. Achieving time sensitive and budget targets

Managerial Responsibilities

• Manage a team of two direct reports.
• Provide leadership and performance review, coaching and professional development.
• Be on site to meet and greet clients, work with the events operations and concierge teams to ensure guests needs are met and ensuring smooth and efficient service and the ability to pre-empt and deliver a luxurious and high-quality level of service.

Responsibilities

Operation

• Responsible for incoming enquiries, from conversion through to a signed contract.
• Work with the Director of Sales & Marketing and the Director of Sales to create and implement a sales strategy in accordance with budget.
• Attend sales missions, networking events, trade shows and exhibitions as required.
• Prospect opportunities through telephone calls, virtual presentations and in-person visits to research, penetrate and develop new accounts.
• Deal with group enquiries and provide excellent customer service during every element of the group enquiry process, taking the initial enquiry, negotiating rates, contracting.
• To identify and lead the account management of key clients to ensure revenue is maximized.
• Recognize opportunities to maximize revenue through upselling, conversion, and drive repeat business.
• Identify potential changes in the market in a timely manner and pivot to ensure that revised strategies are quickly in place to stimulate alternative demand channels.
• Monitor competitor activity in the market and be consistently up to date with schedules, state visits, cultural occasions, and political and economic change.
• Coordinate logistics & funding and accompany fam trips to Raffles London to increase awareness, knowledge and loyalty among key opinion leaders and top bookers from the Groups market.
• Ensure strong internal communication together with the events team, through meetings, pre-cons, group resumes, banqueting event orders, post-group reviews and client feedback.
• A good understanding of revenue management and work collaboratively with the Director of Revenue Strategy to achieve the hotels goals.
• Manage the sales system to ensure all information is correct and updated and that all bookings, enquiries and activities are logged to maintain a comprehensive account management system and clean database.
• Work within the boundaries of the budgeted and forecasted sales expenses.
• Ensure payment schedules are made clear to clients and are always adhered to standards.
• Submit reports to the Director of Sales when required,
• Ensure clear, positive, and regular communication with the Accor National Account Managers, the Regional Sales Offices, and the Luxury Sales Team and to work collaboratively to achieve all goals,
• Work with the Director of Sales and the Director of Communications on trade marketing pieces and other ad hoc marketing and promotional activities that will support the sales strategy,
• Be entrepreneurial, highly creative and think beyond the boundaries,
• Have a very strong knowledge of hotel operations and be ‘hands on’
• Take time to get to know customers, build lasting relationships and always committed to service excellence,
• Performs other duties as required or assigned including working in a different department or restaurant, than usually assigned.