Area Director of Business Transient Sales

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Sales and Account Development

Actively prospect, solicit and convert new business transient, consortia and agency-driven accounts for all three hotels through calls, appointments, presentations, site tours, networking events and targeted outreach.
Develop a strategic account plan and maintain a consistent pipeline of local, national and global corporate opportunities, including project, entertainment, relocation and extended-stay business where appropriate.
Identify share-shift opportunities by reviewing market intelligence, production data, competitor activity and account travel patterns.
Qualify each opportunity based on annual room night potential, rate expectations, booking behavior, seasonality, location preference and total value to the portfolio.
Cross-sell the three hotels, matching each account with the best location, product and rate structure.
Conduct regular sales calls and business reviews with travel managers, procurement teams, executive assistants, office managers, travel management companies and key agency partners.
Business Transient Strategy and RFP Management
Lead the annual corporate RFP process for assigned accounts and hotels, including opportunity review, pricing strategy, submissions, negotiations and follow-up.
Partner with Revenue Management to establish account-specific pricing within approved parameters and make recommendations based on demand, displacement, production and market conditions.
Manage negotiated, dynamic and preferred rate programs, including local negotiated rates, Arlo Means Business and other approved business transient offers.
Ensure agreements, concessions, blackout dates, rate plans and account requirements are accurate, approved and communicated before activation.
Coordinate with distribution and reservations partners to confirm rates are loaded, bookable and displaying correctly across direct channels, GDS and approved travel platforms.
Maintain current account profiles, contact information, negotiated terms and RFP records in the appropriate sales systems and trackers.

Account Management and Production
Own assigned accounts from initial solicitation through activation, retention and renewal, serving as the primary sales contact for the portfolio.
Monitor room nights, revenue, average daily rate, booking pace and market share; address under performance through targeted account action plans in order to maximize RevPAR.
Conduct quarterly and annual account reviews to evaluate production, traveler feedback, rate competitiveness and continued program qualification.
Build relationships with bookers and travelers to increase awareness, capture repeat stays and uncover additional offices, departments and travel needs.
Respond quickly to client needs and coordinate internally to resolve rate, availability, reservation and service issues that may affect account retention.

Portfolio Collaboration
Collaborate with Revenue Management on need dates, compression periods, pricing opportunities and account performance.
Represent Arlo Hotels at client events, industry functions, trade shows and travel partner meetings, with local travel among the three hotels as needed.
Share relevant account intelligence and ensure seamless handoff of group, meeting or event opportunities to the appropriate sales team.
Support portfolio-wide sales initiatives and contribute to process improvements that strengthen productivity, reporting and the client experience.
Perform other tasks or projects as assigned by the VP of Sales & Marketing.

Reporting and Commercial Accountability
Maintain an accurate sales pipeline, activity records, account notes and production forecasts in the designated systems.
Prepare weekly and monthly updates on prospecting activity, RFP status, account production, wins, risks and next steps.
Assist sales and revenue teams with budgeting and forecasting for the business transient segment.
Meet or exceed assigned room night, revenue and account acquisition goals for the portfolio.
Participate in revenue, sales and budget meetings and provide clear business transient insights and recommendations.
Manage client entertainment and sales expenses responsibly and in accordance with company policy.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
Proven ability to actively prospect, negotiate and close business transient accounts.
Strong understanding of corporate travel programs, RFP platforms, GDS distribution, travel management companies, and negotiated rate structures.
Commercial mindset with the ability to interpret production, rate and market data and translate findings into sales action.
Excellent relationship-building, presentation, negotiation and written communication skills.
Strong organization and time management, with the ability to manage a high-volume pipeline and competing deadlines across multiple hotels.
Self-motivated, accountable and comfortable working independently while collaborating across departments.
Professional judgment, attention to detail and consistent follow-through.

REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in hospitality, business, marketing or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
Seven or more years of hotel sales experience, with at least four years of experience in business transient or corporate negotiated sales.
Multi-property or area sales experience required
Established knowledge of the New York City corporate travel market and relevant buyer relationships preferred.
Experience with Opera Cloud PMS, Cvent Lanyon, ReadyBid, Vindow, Lighthouse BI, Agency 360 and other various sales platforms preferred.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.