Hotel Duty Manager – Front Office & Operations
Location: Apollo Hotel, Birmingham B16 9RA
Salary: Competitive salary – higher salary available for an exceptional candidate with strong hotel management experience
Job Type: Permanent | 40 hours per week) | Rotational shifts across 7 days
Are you an experienced hotel professional who can confidently take responsibility for an entire hotel while on duty?
Apollo Hotel Birmingham is a well-established, independently owned 126-bedroom hotel, minutes from Birmingham City Centre, welcoming both business and leisure guests and offering conference and banqueting facilities, a spacious restaurant, modern commercial kitchen and 24-hour licensed bar.
We are looking for an experienced Hotel Duty Manager who can take ownership of the hotel's day-to-day operation during their shift, and act as the senior point of responsibility for guests and operational issues.
This is not an entry-level management position. Previous hands-on hotel Front Office and supervisory/management experience is essential.
Because we are an independently owned, single-site hotel, this is a genuinely varied and responsible role. You will not simply supervise Reception – you will need to understand what is happening throughout the hotel, make sound decisions and ensure that guests, staff, safety and hotel operations are properly looked after.
What you'll be doing
Working closely with the General Manager and Heads of Department, you will:
- Take overall responsibility for the smooth and professional operation of the hotel during your duty shift and act as the senior manager on site when required.
- Lead, supervise and support the team, ensuring consistently high standards of guest service, presentation, professionalism and efficiency.
- Remain highly visible and approachable to guests and staff, particularly during busy periods, arrivals/departures, functions and operational incidents.
- Manage and oversee guest check-ins, check-outs, reservations, room allocations, billing and payments.
- Handle guest complaints, difficult situations and service-recovery issues confidently and professionally, using sound judgement to resolve matters before they escalate.
- Use the hotel's PMS effectively and ensure reservations, room status, rates, payments, refunds, cancellations, no-shows and guest accounts are handled accurately.
- Monitor OTA reservations and booking channels and identify reservation, payment or availability issues requiring action.
- Ensure accurate shift handovers, cash/card procedures, reports and appropriate revenue controls.
- Coordinate closely with Housekeeping to ensure room status, priority rooms, maintenance issues, early arrivals and special guest requirements are communicated and actioned.
- Liaise with Restaurant/Bar, Banqueting, Kitchen and Maintenance teams to resolve operational issues and ensure the hotel functions as one coordinated team.
- Support conference, banqueting and group operations where required, including ensuring function requirements and guest arrangements are properly communicated.
- Respond promptly to urgent maintenance, security or operational incidents and arrange escalation to management or specialist contractors where necessary.
- Take appropriate action in emergencies and understand hotel procedures relating to fire alarms, evacuation, first aid, security and Health & Safety.
- Carry out appropriate hotel/security checks and ensure incidents, accidents and unusual events are properly recorded and escalated.
- Support staff training, induction, coaching and performance standards and address immediate conduct or operational issues appropriately.
- Assist with rota coverage and respond practically to unexpected absence or operational pressures.
- Complete or supervise Night Audit procedures when working the Night shift and ensure accurate handover to the following shift.
- Protect guest confidentiality, hotel information, keys/access controls, cash and other hotel assets.
- Lead by example – being prepared to step in and assist wherever reasonably necessary to keep the hotel operating smoothly.
What we're looking for
We are looking for someone who combines strong hotel Front Office knowledge with genuine operational leadership.
You should have:
- At least 3 years' relevant hotel Front Office experience, including meaningful supervisory, Duty Manager or management responsibility.
- Previous experience working in a full-service hotel environment rather than solely in general office reception or non-hotel customer service.
- Strong practical knowledge of hotel reception operations, reservations, billing, payments, room allocation and guest complaint handling.
- Experience using a hotel PMS. Guestline experience is particularly advantageous; Opera or comparable hotel PMS experience is also welcomed.
- A good understanding of OTA bookings such as Booking.com and Expedia.
- Experience of supervising and supporting staff and the confidence to make sensible decisions without constant supervision.
- The ability to manage difficult guest situations calmly, fairly and professionally.
- Awareness of hotel Health & Safety, Fire Safety, security and emergency procedures.
- Good numerical and administrative accuracy, particularly when dealing with guest accounts, payments and shift reconciliations.
- Good IT skills, including email and Microsoft Office.
- Excellent spoken and written English, with the confidence to communicate professionally with guests, staff, suppliers and management.
- Excellent personal presentation and a professional manner.
- Reliability, integrity, discretion and strong attention to detail.
- The legal right to work in the UK.
Shift flexibility is essential
Apollo Hotel operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
You must therefore be willing and able to work all three shifts according to business requirements:
Early: 7:00am – 3:00pm
Late: 3:00pm – 11:00pm
Night: 11:00pm – 7:00am
The rota operates across all 7 days of the week, including weekends and Bank Holidays.
Please do not apply if you are only available for weekday/daytime shifts.
What we offer
- Competitive salary based on experience and capability – a higher salary can be offered to an exceptional candidate with substantial relevant hotel management experience.
- Full-time, permanent employment in a well-established independent hotel.
- Annual pay review.
- Company pension.
- Ample free on-site employee parking.
- Staff discounts on accommodation, Food & Beverage and banqueting.
- A varied role with genuine responsibility and direct involvement in hotel operations.
- A supportive, stable working environment where experienced and dependable employees are valued.
Many members of our team have been with Apollo Hotel for many years – some for more than 30 years – reflecting the stability and long-term working relationships within the hotel.
Important information before applying
This vacancy is specifically for an experienced hotel professional.
Applicants whose experience is solely in retail, general office reception, security, restaurants, pubs or other non-hotel Duty Manager roles, without substantial hotel Front Office experience, are unlikely to be shortlisted.
You must be able to prove your eligibility to live and work in the UK, and satisfactory professional references will be required.
All information provided will be treated with appropriate confidentiality.
If you have the hotel experience, judgement and leadership skills to take responsibility for a busy hotel operation and enjoy being genuinely involved rather than managing from behind a desk, we would like to hear from you.
Please apply through Indeed with your CV and complete all pre-screening questions.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: From £27,500.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Birmingham B16 9RA: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):
- Are you currently employed?
- Name all Hotel PMS Systems that you have worked with
Education:
- GCSE or equivalent (preferred)
Experience:
- Hotel Front Desk: 3 years (required)
- Hotel Reception Supervisor/Duty Manager: 2 years (preferred)
Language:
- Fluent English (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (preferred)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
