General Manager - Hilton Durban

Description

The Brand - Hilton Hotels & Resorts

For nearly a century, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has been proudly welcoming the world’s travelers. With more than 610 hotels across six continents, Hilton Hotels & Resorts provides the foundation for exceptional travel experiences and values every guest who walks through its doors. The most recognized name in the industry, Hilton remains synonymous with the word “hotel”. From inaugural balls and Hollywood award galas to business events and days to remember, Hilton is where the world makes history, closes the deal, toasts special occasions and gets away from it all. As the flagship brand of Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts continues to set the standard for hospitality, providing new product innovations and services to meet guests’ evolving needs. 

The Property

Located in Durban’s city center, the Hilton Durban offers 348 rooms just one kilometer from North Beach and adjacent to the International Convention Center. Within two kilometers of Dairy Beach’s New Pier and the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, the hotel features an outdoor pool, a spa, 13 meeting rooms for all events, and multiple dining options, including an all-day restaurant with an outdoor terrace, a relaxed lounge, and 24-hour room service.

The Role

This exciting General Manager position will be responsible for managing the re-opening phase and re-positioning of the hotel in the market, the hotel Management team, the hotel targets to deliver an excellent Guest and Team Member experience while managing profitability and meeting our Owners expectations.  

What will you be doing?

Specifically, you will be responsible for performing the following tasks to the highest standards:

• Manage and lead the re-opening and repositioning phase of the hotel and manage and lead the hotel operation.
• Manage ongoing profitability of the hotel, ensuring revenue, guest satisfaction and Team Member engagement goals are met and exceeded.
• Lead in all key property issues including capital projects, customer service, and refurbishment.
• Ensure all decisions are made in the best interest of the hotel and Hilton.
• Deliver achievable hotel budgets, and set other short- and long- term strategic goals for the property.
• Provide exceptional leadership to hotel Team Members focusing on Hilton culture and values.
• Lead in all aspects of business planning.
• Comply with and exceed Hilton Brand Service Standards..
• Ensure costs are controlled.
• Manage and develop the Hotel Executive team to ensure career progression and effective succession planning within Hilton.
• Hold regular briefings and communication meetings with the HOD team.
• Respond to audits to ensure continual improvement is achieved.

Requirements

What are we looking for?

The ideal candidate will possess excellent leadership skills with a strong focus on Owner relations, Commercial and Operations, guest experience and Team Member engagement. Enthusiastic and passionate, you will have current experience as a General Manager within a similar quality hotel and ideally with hotel conversion/repositioning experience.

A General Manager serving Hilton brands is always working on behalf of our Guests and working with other Team Members. To successfully fill this role, you should maintain the attitude, behaviors, skills, and values that follow:

• An Established GM in a similar sized hotel at an international brand, ideally with a strong commercial background, knowledge of the local market and opening/repositioning knowhow.
• Strong ability to collaborate and foster networks and relationships, with owners, contractors, and corporates – must be highly visible.
• With the ‘Rezone’ project underway you must demonstrate experience of immersing yourself in the community and identify commercial opportunities.
• Deliver innovative commercial opportunities with experience in increasing profitability especially in the MICE and Corporate business.
• Exceptional people leadership and retention of talent with the ability to bring a team together on a journey and instilling the Hilton culture and values.
• Exceptional stakeholder/owner relations experience.
• Ability to show resilience, judgement and leadership.
• Experience managing budgets, revenue proposals, and forecasting results in a similar sized property.
• In-depth knowledge of the hotel/leisure/service sector.
• Degree or diploma in Hotel Management or equivalent.
• English mandatory.
• Please note, local South African package offered.

What is it like working for Hilton?

The future of hospitality is bright at Hilton: a leading global hospitality company with a diverse portfolio of world-class brands. Dedicated to filling the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, we have welcomed more than 3 billion guests in our more than 100-year history. Hilton is proud to have an award-winning workplace culture, and we are consistently named among one of the World’s Best Workplaces.

We support the mental and physical well-being of all Team Members, so they can Thrive, thanks to innovative programs and benefits such as workplace flexibility, career growth and development, and our Go Hilton travel discount program. Hilton prioritizes understanding and integrating our Team Members’ unique perspectives and voices—along with those of our Guests, Owners, Suppliers, and Partners—to cultivate a diverse and inclusive environment for all. Check out the Hilton Careers blog and Instagram to learn more about what it’s like to be on Team Hilton!

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We will ensure that qualified individuals with protected disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions of his or her role, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

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