Director, Hotel Operations

Miami, FL, USA|Onsite

Job Overview

Employment Type

Full-time

Benefits

competitive salary

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Career development opportunities

Job Description

Royal Caribbean Group stands as a global leader within the vacation and hospitality industry, recognized for its exceptional fleet of cruise lines, including renowned brands such as Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. This prestigious group is dedicated to providing guests with unparalleled vacation experiences by blending innovative ship design, state-of-the-art entertainment, and world-class service. With a commitment to excellence, Royal Caribbean Group not only offers passengers memorable journeys but also provides its employees with competitive compensation packages, comprehensive benefits, and strong career development opportunities that encourage personal growth and the chance to explore the world.

The company’s extensive footprint in the cruise industry is marked by a dedication to service excellence and operational efficiency. Royal Caribbean Group’s unique culture embraces diversity and inclusion, fostering a supportive workplace for a varied workforce worldwide. The group's continual investment in new shipbuilding projects and private destinations distinguishes it as an innovator in the cruise sector. The Celebrity Hotel Operations team embodies this mission by upholding brand standards and enhancing the guest vacation experience.

The position of Director of Hotel Operations, located onsite in Miami, offers a dynamic leadership role within this exciting environment. Reporting directly to the Assistant Vice President of Hotel Operations, the Director is tasked with overseeing shipboard hotel operations to ensure that every guest receives the signature Celebrity Cruises experience. This leadership role demands strategic coordination across multiple departments, including Food & Beverage, Guest Services, Housekeeping, Entertainment, Onboard Revenue, and Cruise Programs, ensuring operational excellence on each vessel.

This full-time role is critical to the success of the cruise line’s operations, requiring close collaboration with shipboard leadership, shoreside teams, and various corporate functions such as Marine Operations, Human Resources, Finance, Marketing, Safety, and Legal. The Director Hotel Operations is responsible for implementing key performance indicators that drive business results while maintaining strict adherence to brand promises and company values.

The role requires a hands-on leader who not only manages operational performance but also drives continuous improvement through data analysis and guest feedback assessment. The Director leads initiatives to enhance the guest experience across global markets, including EMEA and APAC, accounting for cultural variations to deliver personalized vacation journeys. Strategic planning for new ship launches, dry dock maintenance, fleet scheduling, and operational deployments also forms a core part of the responsibilities.

In addition, the Director oversees recruitment and development of hotel leadership teams, fostering talent pipelines and succession planning to maintain the highest service standards. This role demands a proactive approach to problem-solving and crisis management, ensuring safety and compliance while promoting a positive workplace culture aligned with Royal Caribbean Group's ethics and brand values.

In summary, the Director Hotel Operations role is ideal for experienced hospitality leaders seeking a challenging and rewarding career within one of the world’s most respected vacation companies. By joining Royal Caribbean Group in this capacity, candidates will play a pivotal role in shaping exceptional guest experiences while enjoying robust career growth and meaningful benefits in a vibrant and multicultural workplace.

Job Requirements

Bachelor degree from a hospitality college or university
Ten years of experience in hospitality management preferable cruise lines hotels resorts
Five years of managerial experience as a Hotel Director or General Manager
Shipboard experience
Working knowledge of computers internet access and the ability to navigate within a variety business related software packages and reporting
Experience working with a diverse multicultural workforce
Demonstrated leadership skills including coaching and talent development
Strong analytical and problem solving skills
Ability to work in a fast paced environment with multiple priorities
Knowledge of USPH
Strong customer service orientation
Ability to act with integrity and ethical standards
Experience in crisis management and decision making
Excellent communication skills
Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams
Willingness to travel as needed

Job Qualifications

Ten years of experience in hospitality management preferable cruise lines hotels resorts
Five years of managerial experience as a Hotel Director or General Manager
Work experience with a diverse multicultural work force preferred
Previous exposure to worldwide operations a plus
Bachelor degree from a hospitality college or university
Shipboard experience
Working knowledge of computers internet access and the ability to navigate within a variety business related software packages and reporting
Cultivates customer first: demonstrates a passion for service requiring a strong commitment to the delivery of a superior customer experience
Possesses knowledge of the internal and external customers globally and understands the implications of cultural differences for service requirements
Creates and fosters an atmosphere that invites ownership of the customer experience at all levels ensuring that new ideas for the creation of customer value are cultivated and celebrated
Leads with passion drive energy: personally emulates the pride passion and commitment
Acts with integrity: is an admired business leader whose character is beyond approach, sets the standards for ethical behavior by promoting and modeling the principle and values that are central to RCL on a daily basis
Holds his team accountable for the same ethical standards
Thinks and acts globally: helps evaluate and ensure the execution of strategic initiatives in the global arena capitalizing on the potential of those opportunities while managing cost
Understands and respects cultural differences working effectively with a culturally diverse environment posses the necessary breath sensitivity and openness to attract retain and motivate a diverse workforce
Attracts and develops talent: motivates shipboard leaders to perform their best by communicating the company’s vision strategy and business plan, talking with shipboard leaders in an honest open and candid way, encouraging a two way dialog listening to and addressing shipboard leader issues and suggestions
Actively coaches shipboard leaders and provide them with challenging assignments feedback and insight to their behavior and performance
Proven track record of driving high performance and achieving results
Has a disciplined and focused approach to providing support and monitoring performance as to quickly identify unfavorable performance trends
Has the operational experience to assist the shipboard management team in identifying the root cause and developing the appropriate corrective action plan
This needs to be achieved with a decisive approach predicted on speed and simplicity
Applies critical thinking using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions conclusions or approaches to problems
Detailed understanding of shipboard Hotel Operations ability to work in a faced paced environment with multiple priorities
Demonstrates ability to handle fast paced decision making and crisis management skills
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and strong knowledge of USPH

Job Duties

Ensures optimal guest vacation experience in accordance with company’s brand promise and standards
Accountable for the overall performance of each vessel responsible for
Manages the travelling hotel directors assigned to the DHO / Ships
Ensures that each ship is operated safely effectively and efficiently following brand standards related to Service Excellence Workplace Safety Crew Satisfaction internal and external regulatory compliance guidelines
Liaise closely with all corporate and operational groups to ensure that each ship is fully supported at all times including F&B Operations Rooms Division (Housekeeping & Guest Relations) Onboard Revenue Entertainment & Cruise Programs Marine Operations Finance IT Human Resources Marketing Accounting Internal Audit Safety & Environment Corporate Communications Land Operations Revenue Management Deployment Legal and Customer Service
Owns the resolution in tandem with the different departmental leaders to address shortcomings and product delivery gaps
Acts as Brand ambassador ensuring company’s culture and ethics are understood adhered to and exhibited by all shipboard teams
Responsible for the planning and flawless launch of Newbuild entering service
Collaborates with all hotel functional areas and Revite/DryDock teams to ensure smooth and seamless ongoing shipboard maintenance and planning for Dry Docks
Ensures guest experiences on Celebrity ships transitioning to or operating in EMEA and APAC markets are properly planned and executed in a culturally equitable way
Plans the regional customization of the product along with the shoreside leadership in Food and Beverage Shore Excursions Entertainment Guest Services Onboard Revenue Housekeeping
Continuously tracks individual ship performance
reviews and analyzes Medallia and guest experience commentaries
Works closely with the shipboard leadership teams to review results and trends to make necessary operational adjustments
Generates routine updates and executive reports to shore-side leadership personnel
Partners with Human Resources to recruit the best hospitality leaders in the industry
Conducts periodic operational ship visits to assess guest experience and identifies areas of opportunities to improve produce offerings
Represents hotel operations in situation management meetings and is expected to make critical decision to ensure the best possible guest experience on ships impacted by unusual or unexpected situations
Participates in deployment planning and provides operational guidance to ensure optimal port destination guest experience
Ensure adherence of CDC / Public Health protocols to mitigate potential spread and impact to guest experience
Conducts annual assessments of the Hotel Director / AHD / Fleet HDs and provides coaching and guidance on leadership effectiveness
Oversees HD’s & AHD’s selection scheduling and ensures a proper familiarization & succession plans
Oversees the pipeline of future hotel directors
Manages other areas depending on assignment such as Galapagos Expense Management Deployment planning Charter execution etc
Oversees Hotel Director and key management selection and scheduling for each assigned ship and ensures a proper succession plan
Liaises with marine operations and human resources to create an effective Executive Committee
Conducts annual assessments of the Hotel Director / AHD and provides coaching and guidance on leadership effectiveness
Partners with human resources to recruit the best hospitality leaders in the industry and provides input on compensation issues to attract the best talent
Selects directs coaches and evaluates the performance of the Lead Hotel Operations responsible for providing additional hotel operational support to the fleet
Partners with the shipboard teams and functional support teams to recommend par level adjustments based on product customization and defines crew language requirements by division