Reservations Experience Manager

Company Description

Who We Are:

Join the team at Fairmont Banff Springs. Set in one of Western Canada’s most spectacular alpine destinations, Banff offers a unique community of hospitality enthusiasts, outdoor adventure seekers, artists, entertainers, and families alike. It's the perfect work/life combination.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated, organized and guest-focused hospitality leader to lead our Room Reservations team at the Castle in the Rockies.

Reporting to the Director of Rooms, the Reservations Experience Manager is responsible for leading the guest pre-arrival experience and delivering an accurate, seamless and personalized guest experience from initial inquiry through arrival.

As a Department Head within the Rooms Division, this role oversees reservation accuracy, guest communication standards, contractual agreements, operational turnovers, inventory coordination and departmental performance. Working closely with Revenue Management, Sales, Conference Services and hotel operations, the Reservations Experience Manager ensures guest expectations are understood, accurately communicated and effectively delivered while driving colleague development and commercial performance.

Competitive Salary: $78,000 gross annually, based on previous experience & education

Job Duties Include:

Pre-Arrival Experience & Guest Communication

• Lead the delivery of a personalized reservation and pre-arrival experience, proactively addressing guest preferences, special requests and expectations.
• Establish standards for professional, accurate and personalized guest correspondence that reflect Fairmont's luxury service standards.
• Ensure all guest and partner inquiries receive a meaningful response within 24 hours through effective inbox management, performance monitoring and escalation procedures.
• Ensure guest preferences, special occasions, loyalty recognition and individual requirements are accurately documented and communicated to relevant operational teams.
• Collaborate with Front Office, Fairmont Gold, VIP Services, Concierge and Royal Service to ensure arrival readiness and seamless guest handovers.
• Resolve escalated reservation-related guest concerns, ensuring appropriate service recovery and timely follow-up.

Reservation Accuracy & Quality Assurance

• Oversee reservation setup across Group, FIT, Leisure and other market segments, ensuring accuracy of rates, room types, packages, inclusions, billing instructions and reservation conditions.
• Establish reservation standards, verification procedures and regular quality audits, addressing recurring errors through corrective actions, coaching and process improvements.
• Serve as the departmental subject-matter expert for reservation systems, market segments, room products, rates and policies, including Opera Cloud, ALL RESA and Passkey/GroupMAX.

Agreements, Group Reservations & Operational Turnovers

• Oversee the accurate and timely setup of group agreements, negotiated rates, packages and wholesale arrangements, ensuring contractual terms are correctly reflected in reservation systems.
• Establish verification controls for agreement setup, amendments and group reservation details to prevent discrepancies and operational challenges.
• Ensure group turnovers and operational handovers are complete, accurate and delivered within established deadlines.
• Partner with Sales, Conference Services, Revenue Management and Front Office to resolve outstanding requirements and ensure operational readiness before guest arrival.

Inventory Management & Commercial Performance

• Oversee guestroom inventory coordination and room allocation, proactively identifying inventory challenges, room-type discrepancies and oversold dates.
• Partner with Revenue Management and Front Office to implement inventory solutions, reversals and guest relocations while balancing commercial objectives and guest experience.
• Collaborate with Sales, Revenue Management, Marketing and Operations to support the accurate execution of rates, packages, promotions and commercial initiatives.
• Drive reservation conversion, upselling opportunities and revenue performance while maintaining strong relationships with group organizers, tour operators, wholesale partners and key stakeholders.

Department Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Lead departmental operations, including staffing, scheduling, payroll and labour forecasting, ensuring resources align with business volumes and operational needs.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, training, performance management and colleague development, fostering accountability and succession opportunities.
• Establish and monitor departmental performance indicators, including reservation accuracy, response times, communication quality, agreement execution and turnover compliance.
• Develop and maintain departmental SOPs, training resources and operational controls to improve efficiency, consistency and service delivery.
• Champion colleague engagement, recognition programs and departmental action planning to build an inclusive, high-performing team culture.
• Maintain effective departmental communication through daily briefings, leadership meetings and consistent sharing of operational priorities.
• Provide operational and leadership support during periods of high demand and support broader Rooms Division operations as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Minimum three years of experience in hotel Reservations, Front Office, Sales or Rooms Operations, preferably within a luxury or high-volume hotel environment.
• Minimum two years of leadership experience, with previous Reservations management experience strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of hotel inventory management, market segments, rate structures, group reservations and contractual agreements.
• Experience with Opera Cloud Property Management System; knowledge of ALL RESA, Passkey/GroupMAX or similar systems is an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to develop operational standards, quality assurance processes and performance controls.
• Exceptional organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a commitment to personalized guest service and effective service recovery.
• Proven ability to lead, coach and develop colleagues while driving engagement, accountability and operational improvement.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to collaborate effectively across Revenue Management, Sales and hotel operations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel.
• Professional presentation, adaptability and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced luxury hotel environment.
• Flexibility to work varied shifts, weekends and holidays based on operational needs.

Additional Information

Job Perks & Benefits:

• One complimentary meal per shift in our staff cafeteria (additional meals can be purchased for $8/meal)
• Accommodations will be discussed during the interivew and the duration.
• Employee travel program with discounts on room rates as well as on food & beverage at Fairmont & Accor properties world-wide
• Access to the Mountain Explorer Travel Program – exclusive room rates for colleagues, which includes 50% off all food & beverage when staying at Fairmont Resorts in Lake Louise, Jasper & Whistler
• Discounts while using our resort’s Food & Beverage Outlets, Fitness Centre, Spa and Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Courses

Visa Requirements: Must be legally eligible to work in Canada. The hotel is unable to assist candidates in obtaining Canadian work authorization.

APPLY TODAY: Whether you're just launching your career or looking for a new adventure, we invite you to visit www.banffspringsjobs.com to learn more about Fairmont Banff Springs and the extraordinary opportunities that exist within our resort!

We encourage you to let us know if you require any accommodations through the application/recruitment process, and we will work with you to meet your needs. Persons who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application or interview process may contact, in confidence: [email protected]