Guest Experience Manager, One and Only One Za'abeel 
(21538)

At One&Only, we exist to create joy for our guests through anticipation, creativity, precision, empathy and warmth. We tailor every aspect of our guests’ stay to bring their dreams and desires to life. With an atmosphere that’s chic but wonderfully unstuffy™, and a team who are meticulous but warm, we seek to exceed our guests’ expectations at every possible turn. 

Behold the dawn of a new, all-encompassing resort experience in Dubai – One&Only One Za’abeel. A vibrant hub for business, a magnetic stage for entertainment, and a haven for inner-city wellness, this new Dubai resort will be more than a trailblazing icon of the skyline, and it will be an utterly unrivalled urban oasis. With abundant knowledge and generosity, we anticipate our guest’s every need and surpass expectations. Whether we are designing the perfect family day out or arranging a romantic private dinner, we approach everything with imagination to spark a sense of playfulness, discovery and adventure. This is not simply our job, it’s our passion.

About The Role

The Guest Experience Manager  at One&Only One Za’abeel will be responsible for the daily operations and overall leadership of the Host Department (Guest Relations Department), including Guest Relations Managers, Host Team, Lobby Hosts, and the Connectivity Center. Working in close collaboration with the Front Office Manager, Guest Services Manager, and Chief Concierge, the GEM ensures a seamless, personalized, and elevated guest experience across all touchpoints. In their absence, the GEM will represent and support these departments as required to uphold service excellence and operational consistency.The Guest Experience Manager must lead by creating joy through empathy, creativity, anticipation, and precision—tailoring each guest’s journey to exceed expectations. Their role is to inspire and motivate the team to deliver meaningful, memorable experiences with warmth and authenticity. They are responsible for the development and execution of training programs, daily reporting, guest feedback management, and operational planning to ensure the team operates in alignment with One&Only’s brand standards.The Guest Experience Manager is a proactive and instinctive leader who orchestrates the guest experience with both efficiency and elegance, creating moments that guests will cherish long after their stay.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Operations

• Monitor Host assignments daily according to internal standards.
• Supervise One welcome experience.
• Ensure that all daily arrival V.I.P. rooms, special request rooms, and long-stay guest rooms are pre blocked in advance, that Housekeeping is notified and that each room is prepared with the appropriate welcome amenities.
• Check VIP rooms and Suites before arrival. Perform random checks in all occupied and arriving rooms to ensure that all standards are maintained.
• Create and control the correctness of VIP profiles which are sent to department heads.
• Supervise the welcome of the guests, showing a personal interest for each of our guests and an authentic goal of being there at any moment.
• Supervise personalized amenities & turn down gifting preparation.
• Deliver brand promise “We create Joy,” through guest preferences acknowledgement, personalization, and attention to details.
• Control guest preferences collection and communicate with relative departments making sure they are followed up on and inserted in the appropriate systems (ALICE, SAGA, Opera etc.)
• Directly involved in any projects assigned by the management ensuring completion in a timely manner within the assigned budget.
•  Maintain contact with regular guests after their stay should they require future bookings.
• In the event of any guest incidents / inconveniences, attempt to solve each issue and escalate to management when necessary.
• Follow up on all guest dissatisfaction from the previous day, make sure all the issues are resolved in an efficient way and the guest is satisfied with the solution offered.
• To arrange dinners, lunches, sport activities with the guests depending on the situations occurred. If necessary, take part in the events which are organized by the sales department.
• Make sure guests leave the Resort safely with a good impression and an appropriate gift.

Quality 

• Promote awareness of the quality and brand standards across the property.
• Ensure compliance with the LQA/Forbes Standards.
• Ensure that team members deliver the brand promise “We create Joy”.
• Assist in the implementation of the Brand Markers, Operational guidelines that define the hotel’s image and reputation.
• Analyze guest feedback through internal comments, online platforms, ReviewPro tool to improve guest satisfaction.
• Ensure full knowledge of guest information regarding the property, the location, local culture, arts, nature, people, what is happening in the area etc.

Financial

• Monitor gifts and food & beverage amenities costs, prepare monthly reports.
• Assist the Director of Rooms in budget and forecast preparation.
• Maximize rooms sales and revenues through upselling and inventory management initiatives.

People Management 

• Assist in the recruitment and selection of the Host Department.
• Oversee the punctuality and “Dress to Impress” attitude of the Front Office department employees, making sure that they wear the correct uniform and maintain a high standard of personal appearance and hygiene, according to the departmental standards.
• Monitor and test knowledge to identify training needs and organize training sessions.
• Manage the team to attract, retain and motivate, develop, empower, coach and council, conduct performance and salary reviews, resolve problems, and provide open communication discipline.
• Lead by example, inspire team to create amazing experiences and everlasting memories for the guests.
• Develop an effective and supportive team environment by listening to and acting on behalf of our guests and colleagues.

About You 

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Natural leadership and management abilities.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in guest relations management role in a luxury hotel.
• Detailed oriented with a strong eye for details.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Fluent in English, both written and oral.
• Knowledge of other languages is an advantage.
• Familiarity with hotel reservation systems, MS Office, ALICE, SAGA, Micros.

Our brand is expanding faster than ever before. We are investing in the growth of our company, and that means we are committed to investing in you. Join a team that is open-hearted, intuitive, generous, and spontaneous in spirit. We believe in making our guests happy beyond anything they have ever imagined. We wow them at every turn and create memories that will last a lifetime. You will be at the heart of this vision, to constantly innovate to deliver Amazing Experiences and Everlasting Memories.