Guest Relations Executive

Located within York’s city walls and with views of York Minster, the hotel holds an enviable and proud position in the city and local community. Once the famed Headquarters of the North-eastern Railway Company, our magnificent building is bursting with original features and all the grandeur of its former life as the “Palace of Business” - making it a truly beautiful and inspiring place to work and grow.

Job Description

As a Guest Relations Executive, you will be a proactive primary point of contact for our guests, from the moment they make a reservation with the hotel to the time they check out. Your role is to respond to and follow up on guest queries in a polite, friendly, and efficient manner, ensuring adherence to AA standards. You will work together with every other department of the hotel to ensure that our guests enjoy a seamless five-star experience.

You will be responsible for fostering guest loyalty and encouraging repeat business by forging meaningful relationships with guests through exceptional service.
In addition to handling administrative tasks, you will manage phone calls and email correspondence from both in-house and prospective guests. This includes taking and delivering messages and providing general reservation services, such as room and restaurant bookings when required.

Your responsibilities extend to welcoming and ensuring the well-being of VIP and celebratory guests and organising special amenities for them. You will also oversee the management of guest feedback on various platforms and address any concerns to ensure guest satisfaction and safeguard revenue.

Furthermore, your familiarity with hotel Health and Safety, Fire Safety, Departmental Fire Safety, and Security procedures is essential. This knowledge will not only ensure the safety of your team but also contribute to a secure and comfortable environment for our guests.

What We Offer

The Grand, York is proud to provide our team with a variety of benefits to enhance and drive engagement. We believe in consistent and tangible reward and recognition initiatives, and we put health and wellbeing firmly at the heart of our employer brand. Joining The Grand, York is not just a career, but a deeply rewarding journey with limitless opportunities to develop and grow.

• Fully funded and supported Apprenticeship programmes up to level 7
• Supervisory and Management development training programmes, Ignite and Inspire.
• Splendid Family discounts across our group - on accommodation, food and drink.
• Enjoy being creative with friends and family with a 50% discount on cookery classes in our Grand Cookery School
• We operate a monthly Grand Family shop, where you can buy bulk items to help with the cost of living.
• Discounted local NCP car parking and discount off local First bus travel.
• Experience our hotel as a guest with a complimentary guest experience for you and a guest within your 90-day probation period
• Monthly pay day treats and an annual ‘Thank You’ week – full of treats and activities.
• We celebrate our diverse workforce with awareness days and diversity lunches.
• Visit York discounts to visit local attractions and experience what our wonderful city has to offer.
• We love to recognise our Grand Family through Grand Star of The Month, Grand Celebrity of The Week, Probation Pass lunch and Long Service recognition dinner. Enjoy our annual Grand Family party, with many other social events throughout the year.
• Company Pension salary sacrifice scheme.
• Access to our Cycle to Work scheme through Green Commute Initiative to support health and wellbeing and our environment.
• Make a difference and join our Grand Goes Green Team, our Grand Plans Team to help organise our social events and raise funds for our nominated charities. There is also opportunity to represent your department in our Grand Family Forum.
• Fully funded and supported ESOL classes (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
• 12 Mental Health First Aiders onsite to provide signposting and initial support.
• Retail Trust Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to give free, confidential 24-hour support and advice whenever you may need it.
• Employee referral scheme - refer a friend or family member and receive a £350 incentive payment.
• No split shifts, 2 days off together.
• Complimentary light breakfast, lunch, and dinner whilst on shift as well as complimentary tea, coffee and fruit.

About Us

The Grand is York’s only five-star hotel, situated in the very heart of the historic city. The property offers a splendid blend of Victorian elegance and modern sophistication and is known worldwide as a beacon of hospitality excellence. We are honoured to have been awarded the ‘Hotel of the Year’ Catey and we are also absolutely delighted to be named in The Sunday Times top 100 ‘Best Places to Work 2023’.

Along with our 207 guest bedrooms, we boast an award-winning rosette restaurant, The Rise, which holds the Conde Naste 2022 award for Best Afternoon Tea. In addition to this, our new fine dining restaurant, Legacy, provides the opportunity to elevate our dining offering and become leaders in the York food scene. We have a state-of-the-art Cookery School, are home to an atmospheric Spa, stunning Meeting and Event spaces and an In-Room Dining offering. Each day is unique and memorable at The Grand and we live to create special memories for our guests and our team.

Our vision is to be the UK’s most loved hotel. We pride ourselves on our values. We place emphasis on driving for results in all areas of the business, excellence in everything we do and genuine care for our Grand family, guests, and the environment.

Role in our Family

Our team are the heart and soul of The Grand, without them The Grand is just a beautiful building. We pride ourselves on the warmth of our Yorkshire welcome that each one of our guests receive. As a Guest Relations Executive, key to your role will be:

• Problem-solving abilities
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent customer service skills
• Flexibility and the ability to respond appropriately to changing situations
• Discretion and sensitivity
• The ability to maintain professional standards under pressure
• Strong IT skills and knowledge of booking systems and software
• Excellent administration and organisational skills
• Ability to resolve guest complaints and appropriately manage solutions
• Proficient in assuming the role of primary authority during duty management shifts in situations of emergencies and guest-related matters when no other responsible person is available

What Happens Next

Does the Guest Relations Executive role suit your skillset? Apply now, this takes seconds, you’ll just need to provide some contact details along with a CV. Next, we’ll review your details, and if successful we’ll invite you to meet one of the team to learn more about you, your experience and let us tell you more about the Splendid Hospitality Group.
The Splendid Hospitality Group is an equal opportunities employer and a disability confident committed employer, committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture.