Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, The Drake is a growing Canadian hospitality brand focused on lifestyle hotels, food + drink and special events. We're more than a place to sleep, eat + drink; we believe culture and community matter and are committed to an exceptional hospitality experience delivered in our signature style; one that is genuine, personal, memorable and embraces the energy of discovery. We value honesty and spontaneity because that's the stuff of real connection and believe that hospitality is an act of care. The Drake Hotel (Toronto), Drake Devonshire Inn (Wellington, Prince Edward County), and Drake Motor Inn (Wellington, Prince Edward County) are each reflective of their respective neighbourhoods as inclusive hubs for unique and diverse experiences through art, culture and hospitality with great seasonal menus, a robust cocktail list, carefully curated curiosities, and genuine hospitality excellence for all.

We are currently seeking a Lead Reservationist to join our dynamic Hotel Team. Our ideal candidate will possess a combination of skills + experience that include a proven track record of providing a superior hospitality experience in similar high-volume environments. They will demonstrate a passion for hospitality + an eagerness to grow their experience in guest service, reservations + special events.

Requirements

• Ensure inbound calls are answered in a professional, courteous manner, in accordance with our service standards at The Drake, to ensure service excellence is delivered consistently.
• Adhere to room and dining reservation & event booking policies, capturing guest information thoroughly & accurately.
• Required to be logged into phone queues during high-volume call times.
• Minimize call abandonment and queue times.
• Ensure that all calls are ending up in the correct location, voicemail, and extension.
• Develop and demonstrate a high-level of brand knowledge and expertise by asking questions.
• Ensure all guest-facing information is up to date. (Website, Instagram, Google, etc.)
• Hold in-depth knowledge of DHP venues regarding layout, operational volume, menu offerings, rooms, and hotel specs/packages.
• Offer personalized recommendations and effectively using upselling techniques to enhance the guests' experience and drive restaurant + hotel room sales.
• Engage guests with upcoming events, including arts & cultural programming at The Drake, to enhance their experience.
• Ensure all paperwork, CR reports, reservation inquiries & emails are completed or responded to in a timely fashion.
• Embody the spirit of community-building by creating memorable moments for guests.
• Respond to guest inquiries via HiJiffy regarding rates and property-related questions.
• Answer Dining calls for Drake Hotel + Drake Devonshire, inputting and updating reservations, answering guest inquiries.
• Answer Room Reservation lines for Drake Hotel + Drake Devonshire, inputting new reservations and managing existing bookings, sending guest folios, quoting rates & availability, answering general questions and inquiries.
• Answer/Transfer Corporate Office line – (not taking specific messages, but providing specific e-mail address, if needed).
• Creating the Weekly Sweep – local and on-site events.
• Group Block Coordination – Inputting room blocks and group reservations, updating group reservations report sheet, acting as point of contact with the client, answering any questions and updating existing reservations, inputting rooming list into Opera system.
• Supervising Group Reservations which includes:
• Managing Group Reservations Coordinators and their processes
• Introduced to the clients following a signed contract. Point of contact with client for group sale until check-in.
• Coordinating all room details with client until check-in. Prepare Rooming List for client based on the information in the contract provided from the sale team. Collect all required data from the client and input into PMS.
• Responding to any questions/concerns about the contract, updating rates or number of rooms, hotel stay information with the client.
• Preparing the team on site with brief about the group, for arrival/check-in.
• Ensuring adherence to the Sales Contract terms, ensure the highest level of meeting planner and guest satisfaction while maximizing room inventory
• Ensures HiJiffy is up to date with correct information, hours, and language
• Ensure SevenRooms is up to date with marquee events, special menus, and activations e.g. Mother's Day, NYE, etc
• Prepare briefings for internal communication in partnership w/ Marketing for marquee events, special menus, and other activations.
• Ensure Aeroplan points system for travelers as a rewards incentives are reconciled.
• Ensure GMS guest confirmation, pre-arrival, and post-stay communications are up to date, accurate, and sending seamlessly.
• Maintain Opera, TravelClick, and OTA alignment. Ensure that pricing and packages align for all Rooms booking platforms (in conjunction with Rooms Managers).
• Assist with Junior Sales Coordinator duties as determined by the Director of Sales, including (but not exclusive to) creating Group Resumes, filling out RFP's, reconciliation between Opera + Tripleseat.
• Build Corporate Rate Plans in Opera

Benefits

We pride ourselves in providing strong leadership and development opportunities for passionate hospitality professionals who are looking to build rewarding, long-term careers. Drake offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, employee discounts, training + development support and many other unique perks as a part of joining the Drake team.

The Drake is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a positive, supportive, and creative environment at Drake Hotel Properties that promotes equity, inclusiveness and diversity. We welcome job applications from candidates of all backgrounds including, but not limited to, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour); refugees, newcomers and immigrant persons; two-spirit, LGBT2Q+ and gender non-binary persons, and persons with disabilities. Please advise us of any accommodations needed to ensure you can access and complete the submissions process.