Assistant Manager – Reservations

Scope and General Purpose of the Job

Assistant Manager - Reservation is responsible for the overall operational ownership, quality, efficiency and performance of the Reservations Department.

Departmental Ownership

• Take ownership of the daily operation and smooth running of the Reservations Department.
• Ensure all reservation activities are accurate, efficient, timely and professionally managed.
• Establish and maintain effective reservation procedures, controls, workflows, checklists and service protocols.
• Ensure the Reservations Department is adequately prepared for high occupancy, peak periods, major events, group arrivals and system disruptions.
• Act as the operational escalation point for reservation discrepancies, guest concerns, booking issues and service failures.
• Drive continuous improvement in reservation processes, productivity, communication and service delivery.

Hyatt, Forbes and Quality Standards

• Ensure all reservation procedures comply with Hyatt brand standards, hotel policies and applicable Forbes Travel Guide standards.
• Ensure Reservations colleagues understand and consistently follow approved reservation protocols and quality expectations.
• Monitor the quality of telephone calls, emails, online enquiries, confirmations, guest profiles, reservation notes and guest correspondence.
• Ensure reservation interactions demonstrate professionalism, personalisation, accuracy, anticipation, ownership and attention to detail.
• Monitor guest feedback, quality assurance results, mystery shopper findings and internal audit results.
• Implement coaching and corrective action plans to address quality gaps and recurring errors.
• Ensure consistent standards are applied across all shifts, booking channels, reservation types and team members.

Inventory Management and Revenue Optimisation

• Own the effective operational management and control of room inventory.
• Ensure room availability, room types, rate plans, packages, restrictions, allocations, group blocks, waitlists and booking conditions are accurately maintained.
• Work closely with the Director of Revenue and Revenue Management team to support revenue optimisation and commercial objectives.
• Monitor occupancy, demand, booking pace, pickup, cancellations, no-shows, lead times, market segments and booking sources.
• Identify opportunities to maximise room revenue through effective inventory control, conversion, upselling, cross-selling and rate integrity.
• Ensure inventory is accurately maintained across the property management system, central reservation system, brand channels, online travel agencies, global distribution systems and other relevant platforms.
• Monitor and escalate overbooking risks, availability conflicts, system discrepancies, rate parity issues and revenue leakage.
• Support the accurate loading, testing, maintenance and removal of rates, promotions, packages, room types and restrictions.

Reservation Operations and Accuracy

• Oversee individual, group, corporate, wholesale, travel trade, online, owner and special segment reservations.
• Ensure all enquiries are recorded, followed up and converted or closed appropriately.
• Review reservations for correct dates, room types, rates, occupancy, market segments, source codes, guarantees, payment details and special requests.
• Ensure guest profiles and reservation records are accurate, complete and maintained according to clean data principles.
• Monitor tentative bookings, option dates, waitlists, deposits, guarantees, cancellations, amendments, no-shows and booking cut-off dates.
• Ensure group blocks, rooming lists, pickup, attrition dates and release of unused inventory are properly monitored.
• Ensure reservation notes clearly communicate guest preferences, VIP information, special occasions, accessibility requirements and operational details.
• Ensure all reservation errors are investigated, corrected, documented and communicated to the relevant departments.
• Manage overbooking situations, reservation conflicts, room-type shortages and relocation risks in accordance with approved procedures.

Guest Service and Forbes-Level Reservation Handling

• Ensure all telephone, email, online and other reservation enquiries are handled promptly, accurately and professionally.
• Deliver exceptional guest service in line with Hyatt brand expectations and applicable Forbes Travel Guide standards.
• Ensure colleagues demonstrate warmth, confidence, personalisation, ownership and effective follow-up.
• Provide accurate and detailed information about rooms, suites, facilities, dining, wellness, events, packages, transportation, local experiences and hotel policies.
• Recognise and appropriately manage repeat guests, loyalty members, VIPs, corporate guests and priority reservations.
• Ensure confirmations, amendments, pre-arrival communications and follow-up correspondence are clear, accurate, personalised and professional.
• Coordinate with operational departments to ensure that commitments made during the reservation process are delivered during the guest stay.
• Handle escalated guest concerns and service recovery matters promptly and professionally.

Upselling, Conversion and Cross-Selling

• Own the Reservations Department’s upselling, cross-selling and enquiry conversion performance.
• Lead the team in converting enquiries into confirmed bookings through effective questioning, product knowledge and personalised recommendations.
• Promote room upgrades, suites, preferred room locations, packages, dining, wellness, transportation, experiences and other relevant hotel services.
• Ensure upselling is conducted naturally, transparently and based on guest needs.
• Set and communicate clear departmental and individual upselling and conversion expectations.
• Monitor conversion rate, upselling revenue, cross-selling performance and lost business.
• Review missed opportunities and booking objections to identify training and commercial opportunities.
• Coach colleagues on selling techniques, room features, rate differences, packages, inclusions and value propositions.
• Work with Revenue Management and Sales & Marketing to ensure promotions and commercial initiatives are accurately communicated.

GCC Central Reservation Office Coordination

• Maintain close, proactive and continuous communication with the GCC Office in Bangkok, which functions as the Central Reservation Office.
• Actively share any reservation-related matter requiring the attention, action, or follow-up of the GCC Central Reservation Office.
• Clearly escalate issues and monitor them through to resolution.
• Communicate all property-specific updates relevant to the GCC Reservation team, including\:
  • Rates, packages, promotions and inclusions.
  • Booking policies, restrictions, and payment conditions.
  • Hotel procedures and operational changes.
  • Special events, renovations, temporary closures and service updates.
  • System changes, distribution updates and availability information.
• Ensure information provided to the GCC Central Reservation Office is accurate, timely, complete and easy to implement.
• Review and validate updates received from the GCC Office before communicating them to the property Reservations team and relevant hotel departments.
• Coordinate with the GCC Office on complex bookings, VIP reservations, guest requests, system issues, reservation discrepancies and service recovery matters.
• Maintain effective communication, escalation, and follow-up records between the property and the GCC Central Reservation Office.
• Ensure consistent procedures, information, guest communication and service standards are applied between the property and the GCC Central Reservation Office.

Interdepartmental Communication

• Work closely with Revenue Management to support inventory control, forecasting, booking pace analysis and revenue optimisation.
• Work closely with Sales & Marketing on promotions, packages, group business, corporate accounts, campaigns and commercial opportunities.
• Coordinate closely with Front Office to ensure accurate pre-arrival information, VIP arrangements, room preferences, special requests and seamless arrival experiences.
• Maintain close communication with the Room Controller regarding room availability, room status, room-type allocations, out-of-order rooms, room moves and operational room constraints.
• Liaise with Finance regarding deposits, refunds, commissions, billing instructions, payment issues and financial discrepancies.
• Ensure all relevant departments receive accurate and timely information regarding bookings, groups, VIPs, special requests, packages and guest commitments.

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, coach, motivate and develop the Reservations team.
• Allocate daily responsibilities and ensure appropriate staffing and channel coverage.
• Conduct regular briefings covering occupancy, arrivals, VIPs, events, promotions, selling priorities, service issues and operational updates.
• Monitor individual and departmental performance against service, quality, accuracy, productivity, conversion and upselling targets.
• Provide regular coaching, feedback, recognition and corrective guidance.
• Identify training needs and conduct training on systems, procedures, brand standards, quality, product knowledge, upselling, and guest communication.
• Address team member concerns and operational challenges.
• Act as a role model for Hyatt’s Purpose, Values, and Culture Characteristics.

Systems, Administration and Reporting

• Ensure all reservation systems, interfaces, extranets, communication tools, and supporting technology are operational and accurate.
• Conduct regular audits to identify incorrect rates, room types, packages, content, profiles, duplicate records and system errors.
• Coordinate with IT, Revenue Management, Distribution, and system providers to resolve technical issues.
• Ensure appropriate system access, data security, confidentiality, and payment card security procedures are maintained.
• Maintain accurate reservation records, correspondence, reports, logs, checklists and departmental documentation.

Compliance, Safety and Professional Standards

• Ensure compliance with Hyatt standards, hotel policies, applicable laws, data protection requirements and payment security procedures.
• Protect confidential guest, payment, rate and company information.
• Report incidents, security concerns, suspected fraud, data breaches and operational risks through the appropriate channels.
• Maintain high standards of professional grooming, conduct, communication and workplace discipline.
• Perform any other reasonable duties and responsibilities assigned by the Director of Revenue or senior hotel management.