Reservations Manager

Role overview

Pre-opening setup and client database

• Establish procedures, booking standards, policies, booking categories, system configuration, guest communications, and reservation reporting and forecasting.
• Coordinate CRM, booking, and payment systems with IT and management.
• Build and segment a client database, capture preferences and booking history, and develop targeted communication and rebooking strategies.

Sales and revenue

• Proactively acquire clients and build partnerships with luxury hotels, concierge teams, DMCs, travel advisors, event agencies, private members' clubs, yacht companies, lifestyle businesses, and corporate partners.
• Convert enquiries into confirmed and paid bookings, including group, VIP, and private event bookings.
• Manage capacity, demand, booking strategies, minimum spends, cancellations, deposits, waiting lists, and premium seating to maximise revenue.
• Work with F&B and Pool & Beach Management to increase total guest spend; prepare daily, weekly, and monthly forecasts.

VIP guest relations and team leadership

• Personally manage high-value guests, profiles, preferences, celebrations, VIP arrivals, bespoke requests, and selected post-visit follow-up.
• Recruit, train, and manage the team; establish standards and targets and train staff in sales, upselling, communication, and VIP handling.
• Monitor response times and conversions, review open enquiries and confirmations, and ensure bookings are accurately recorded and communicated.

Requirements

• Minimum 4–5 years' experience in luxury hotel, beach club, restaurant, lifestyle venue, or reservations work; prior reservations-team or senior-function management experience.
• Strong commercial sales background and experience with luxury and VIP clientele.
• Strong knowledge of CRM and reservations systems; proven ability to build client databases and convert enquiries into revenue.
• Strong networking and relationship-building skills and knowledge of Dubai's luxury hospitality and lifestyle market.
• English communication skills are required; additional languages are advantageous.
• Premium minimum-spend, table, beach-bed, cabana, or similar reservations experience is highly desirable.
• Ability to work weekends, evenings, and public holidays; strong organisational and analytical skills.

Performance measures and launch target

• Performance measures include reservations revenue, confirmed bookings, conversion rate, average booking value and spend, bed occupancy, VIP and repeat bookings, database growth, and partner-generated revenue.
• Other measures include corporate and group revenue, cancellations and no-shows, response time, upselling, guest satisfaction, and revenue per available bed or cabana.
• Before opening, establish a qualified launch database and prospective-guest pipeline across local residents, VIPs, hotel guests, corporate clients, concierge companies, travel advisors, yacht and private aviation clients, event agencies, lifestyle communities, and referral opportunities.