General Manager - Le Meridien Medina

About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic General Manager to lead a premium hotel located in the holy city of Medina. The successful candidate will be a seasoned hospitality executive with a proven background in luxury or premium hotel operations, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to drive operational excellence while maintaining the highest standards of guest satisfaction. The General Manager will be responsible for the overall leadership, profitability, guest experience, associate engagement, and strategic direction of the hotel. Given the hotel's unique market and guest profile, fluency in Arabic is mandatory, and a deep understanding of the Saudi hospitality landscape is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities

• Business Strategy Development

  • Stay current with industry trends and monitor strengths and weaknesses of competition.
  • Explore new business opportunities and develop business plans designed to maximize property customer satisfaction, profitability, and market share.
  • Ensure property business plans are aligned with the hotel’s business strategies and translate the company global strategic plan into one that can be executed on property.

• Business Strategy Execution

  • Execute business plans designed to maximize property customer satisfaction, profitability, and market share.
  • Ensure that property business plans and employees are aligned with business strategies and hold property leadership team accountable for successful delivery of business plans.
  • Evaluate the success of property business strategies to inform future business plan enhancements.

• Sales and Marketing

  • Work closely with the Sales and Marketing team to develop revenue-generating strategies for the property.
  • Identify new business leads, develop tailored sales approaches, and validate that sales and marketing strategy is aligned with brand strategy and effectively executed against established goals.

• Talent Management and Organizational Capability

  • Create a cohesive and high-performance Executive Committee that continuously strives for positive results and improvement.
  • Coach the Executive Committee and provide specific feedback while holding them accountable for performance.
  • Ensure all managers create learning and development opportunities for their direct reports based on individual strengths, development needs, and career aspirations.

• Business Information Analysis

  • Review business-related data such as market share, financial performance, inventory, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction.
  • Analyze business information to proactively address changing market conditions, ensure property operates within budgetary guidelines, and achieves profit margin goals.

• Employee and Labor Relations

  • Ensure that all employees are treated fairly and with respect, fostering an environment of open communication.
  • Collaborate with Human Resources to maximize employee engagement and address any local labor issues.

• Revenue Management

  • Collaborate with the Revenue Management team to develop effective pricing strategies.
  • Ensure demand forecasting and sound revenue practices are in place to maximize yield and identify ways to grow occupancy and market share.

• Owner Relations

  • Build strong rapport with property owners through proactive and ongoing communication.
  • Keep owners informed of brand initiatives and guest experiences while managing a balance between owner interests and brand interests.

• Customer and Public Relations Management

  • Interact with guests and other customers frequently to obtain feedback about their experiences.
  • Utilize guest feedback to recognize outstanding employee performance and improve service delivery.

• Company/Brand Policy, Procedures, and Standards Compliance

  • Verify compliance with legal, safety, operations, labor, and brand product and service standards.
  • Conduct routine quality assurance audits and hold employees accountable for performing audits regularly.

Requirements

• Fluency in Arabic and English (written and spoken) is mandatory.
• Advanced hospitality or leadership qualifications preferred.
• Minimum 8-10 years of progressive hotel leadership experience.
• Minimum 5 years' experience as a General Manager within an upscale, premium, luxury, or internationally branded hotel.
• Proven success leading hotels with significant room inventory, food and beverage operations, and meeting/event facilities.

Preferred Profile

• Saudi National preferred.
• Prior experience leading a hotel within Saudi Arabia or the GCC.
• Strong understanding of luxury guest expectations and service excellence.

Benefits and Additional Details

• Location: Near Al Masjid Al Nabawi, Medina.
• Market position: Strategic for corporate events, conferences, and pilgrimages.
• Focus on delivering exceptional guest experiences and refined service standards.