Front Office Manager

Full-Time

Lead The Welcome To Carmel’s Most Effortless Escape

Imagine starting each day where white-sand beaches meet storybook cottages, ocean air sharpens the senses, and every guest arrival is an opportunity to create a lasting impression. At La Playa Hotel, hospitality is not simply a service—it is a beautifully choreographed experience.

We’re looking for a poised, perceptive hospitality leader to shape the arrival, stay, and departure of every guest at our iconic Carmel-by-the-Sea retreat. This is a highly visible opportunity for someone who knows that the front desk is more than an operation: it is the hotel’s stage, command center, and first promise delivered.

Set in one of California’s most enchanting coastal villages, La Playa Hotel pairs historic character with a distinctly modern point of view. Carmel’s celebrated galleries, world-class dining, dramatic shoreline, and famously walkable village streets provide the backdrop. Your team will provide the warmth, precision, and local intelligence that turn a beautiful destination into an unforgettable stay.

What You’ll Shape

• Create a polished, intuitive, and deeply personal guest journey from pre-arrival through departure.
• Lead, coach, and inspire the front desk and guest services teams to deliver service with confidence, grace, and genuine care.
• Set the pace for daily front-office operations, including arrivals, departures, room assignments, VIP recognition, guest recovery, and concierge-style problem solving.
• Partner closely with Housekeeping, Reservations, Sales, Food & Beverage, and Engineering to ensure every detail feels seamless behind the scenes and effortless to the guest.
• Manage scheduling, payroll, labor performance, cash handling, audit readiness, and departmental standards with disciplined attention to detail.
• Use guest feedback, operational data, and sharp observation to continually elevate service and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Become an ambassador for Carmel-by-the-Sea—offering thoughtful recommendations that connect guests with the coastline, culture, cuisine, and charm of the village.

The Presence You Bring

You are equal parts host, strategist, coach, and calm-in-the-storm operator. You understand that luxury is often quiet: anticipating a need before it is voiced, remembering a preference, resolving an issue with discretion, and making every guest feel as though the hotel was expecting only them.

• Progressive leadership experience in hotel front-office, rooms, or guest-services operations, preferably in an upscale or luxury environment.
• A talent for developing teams, establishing accountability, and creating a culture where people feel empowered to delight guests.
• Strong command of hotel systems, reservations platforms, reporting, cash controls, and front-office procedures.
• Exceptional communication skills, sound judgment, and a naturally gracious presence.
• The ability to navigate a dynamic operation with composure, urgency, and an eye for the details that matter.
• Flexibility to support a hospitality schedule that includes evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Why La Playa Hotel

This is a chance to lead at a hotel with a sense of place—where the Pacific is moments away, where each guest arrives looking for something extraordinary, and where service can be both refined and refreshingly human.

You’ll join a team dedicated to honoring La Playa Hotel’s distinctive spirit while creating a new standard for coastal hospitality. If you have the operational rigor to run a flawless floor, the emotional intelligence to lead with heart, and the instinct to make every interaction feel beautifully considered, we’d love to meet you.

Bring Your Leadership To The Coast

Come create the kind of welcome guests remember long after Carmel’s coastline has disappeared in the rearview mirror.

La Playa Hotel's and Hotel Carmel’s leaders and team members believe each guest should be treated with respect and professionalism. We create a heartfelt experience of genuine hospitality, enticing our guests to return again and again. In order to be successful at La Playa Hotel and Hotel Carmel, associates must share both our Purpose (Making Space for Genuine Hospitality) and Pillars (Hands On & Heartfelt, Sincere & Focused, Collaborative & Curious, & Conscientious). This includes possessing and demonstrating a high level of courtesy and respect for both internal and external guests. Our forward-thinking, fun, friendly, engaging and enthusiastic associates treat every guest as if they were our only guest. A true customer focus is essential to success with our property.