Rooms Controller

Overview

f you think selling rooms is just putting heads in beds, think again.

The Rooms Controller is the behind-the-scenes strategist making sure the right guest is in the right room at the right time—while protecting inventory, maximizing revenue, keeping Operations happy, and preventing the dreaded “How did we run out of rooms?” conversation.

This role is part detective, part strategist, part air-traffic controller, and part hospitality magician. You will own the daily puzzle of room inventory, assignments, availability, VIPs, premium rooms, group blocks, out-of-order rooms, upgrades, and all the little details that can make or break a guest experience.

You will work closely with Housekeeping, Engineering, Convention Services, Sales, Reservations, the Front Office, and anyone else who has something to do with where people sleep. Your mission: keep everyone informed, keep the inventory accurate, find the opportunities, solve the problems before they become problems, and make the hotel look like everything was perfectly planned.

And yes, you will be reviewing arrivals one week out. Because surprises are great for birthdays—not room inventory. Salary $24.00  #towncountrySD

Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to:

• Own the room inventory. Manage daily inventory like it is your personal chessboard. Keep us balanced, maximize occupancy and revenue, and find those sneaky one-night gaps before they go to waste.
• Know our rooms. Understand every room type, location, feature, quirk, and premium opportunity. If someone asks, “What’s the difference between these two rooms?” you should know.
• Keep Out of Order rooms truly out of order. Stay connected with Housekeeping and Engineering on room status and return dates, and make sure Opera reflects reality so rooms do not magically appear for sale before they are actually ready.
• Own the VIP experience. Ensure VIP reservations are completely set up, requests are communicated, and Housekeeping and Engineering know exactly what is expected before the guest arrives.
• Make upgrades happen. Coordinate premium room assignments, upgrades, and special accommodations while keeping an eye on both guest satisfaction and revenue.
• Be a service-recovery radar. Partner with the Lobby Ambassador, Housekeeping, and MRKT to spot opportunities to turn a potential “meh” experience into a memorable one.
• Recognize our regulars. Identify repeat guests and loyalty members and make sure they receive the recognition they have earned whenever possible.
• Chase the upsell. Review Canary upsell requests daily, maximize approved opportunities, and make sure we actually capture the revenue when a guest says, “Yes, please.”
• Coordinate with Housekeeping. Stay on top of room availability, early arrivals, late departures, and everything in between. Timing is everything.
• Solve discrepancies. Monitor room discrepancies and work with the appropriate departments to figure out what is really happening—not what Opera thinks is happening.
• Keep watching the board. Room inventory changes throughout the day, so make strategic adjustments as occupancy, arrivals, departures, groups, and guest needs evolve.
• Plan the building. Proactively coordinate room orders and inventory strategy so we avoid overselling while still giving our teams the opportunity to deep clean rooms and complete preventative maintenance.
• Keep the paperwork honest. Make sure group, catering, and room block resumes match what is actually in Opera. If the documents disagree, somebody is eventually going to have a bad day.
• Be the group-arrival quarterback. Coordinate with Conference Services and the Group Rooms Coordinator to make large group arrivals and departures feel seamless—even when there are hundreds of moving pieces.
• Own the oversell plan. Notify Reservations of major oversells and develop a resolution plan. Always consult the FOMs and make sure the plan is executed accurately. Hope is not an inventory strategy.
• Handle financial transactions. Process payments and deposits and reconcile daily cash and credit transactions accurately.
• Keep the records clean. Maintain accurate guest account records, reports, and documentation.
• Follow the rules. Adhere to hotel policies, procedures, security protocols, and all applicable standards.

Qualifications

What You Bring to the Party

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Previous hospitality or customer service experience preferred.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills—you will talk to a lot of people.
• The ability to anticipate problems before they become emergencies.
• A talent for juggling multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume hotel environment.
• Excellent organization and follow-through. “I forgot” is not a room assignment strategy.
• The ability to remain calm when the inventory, the groups, the guests, and the calendar all decide to have opinions at the same time.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding guest, group, and hotel information.
• Basic computer skills and comfort learning hotel technology. Opera experience is a definite plus.
• Strong multitasking and prioritization skills.
• A professional appearance and demeanor.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and the occasional day when the hotel decides to get particularly creative.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

This position requires the ability to stand for extended periods, including up to 8 hours or more; perform repetitive motions such as typing and reaching; frequently use computers and telephones; and occasionally lift or handle luggage, supplies, or other items weighing up to 25 pounds.

The work takes place primarily in a busy hotel lobby environment with frequent guest interaction, competing priorities, occasional high noise levels, and very little chance that everyone will need something from you at the same time.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

The Fine Print

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as required to meet the ongoing needs of the organization. The employer reserves the right to modify or change the duties or essential functions of the job at any time.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourage applications from all qualified individuals.

Bottom line?

If you love solving puzzles, protecting revenue, obsessing over details, making guests feel special, and knowing what is happening with every room before anyone else does, this might be your kind of job.

If you are looking for a quiet desk job where nothing ever changes, this is probably not it.