Splendido Hotel Manager

About Splendido

Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino, embodies the understated elegance of the Italian Riviera, welcoming guests to a historic former monastery overlooking the Ligurian coast. Part of Belmond’s distinguished hospitality portfolio, the hotel brings together Italian heritage, attentive service and a longstanding tradition of international hospitality. As an employer, Splendido offers a setting for careers across guest relations, culinary arts, housekeeping and hotel operations, where professional precision and personal warmth are central to the guest experience. Its distinctive character calls for individuals who value discretion, thoughtful collaboration and the craft of creating memorable stays in one of Italy’s most celebrated coastal destinations.

Role & Responsibilities

• Translate strategic direction into daily execution; lead an accountable management team; safeguard the hotel’s reputation and assets; and deliver personalised service and strong financial performance.
• Lead the integrated daily operation across Rooms, Guest Experience, Wellness and support functions through departmental leaders.
• Act as the principal operational counterpart to the Area Managing Director, make timely decisions within delegated authority and ensure strategic priorities are executed consistently.
• Set departmental objectives, operating rhythms, performance reviews and cross-functional accountability; ensure readiness for seasonal opening, peak periods and closing.
• Anticipate operational risks, maintain business continuity and resolve complex matters with sound judgement, discretion and urgency.
• Own the end-to-end guest journey and champion intuitive, anticipatory and personalised service.
• Maintain a visible presence and build relationships with repeat and high-profile guests while protecting privacy and confidentiality.
• Oversee quality standards, guest feedback, service recovery and continuous improvement; coordinate VIP visits, special occasions and complex stays.
• Preserve the hotel’s sense of place through authentic Italian warmth, understated elegance and attention to detail.
• Inspire, coach and hold the hotel leadership team accountable; foster a collaborative, inclusive culture of ownership and care.
• Partner with Human Resources on recruitment, workforce planning, retention, performance management, development and succession readiness.
• Identify and accelerate high-potential colleagues and ensure the management structure can sustain performance through seasonal intensity and leadership transitions.
• Model integrity, emotional intelligence, clear communication and a hands-on, empowering leadership style.
• Take operational accountability for the approved budget, departmental profitability, labour productivity, controllable costs and quality objectives.
• Review KPIs, forecasts and variances with Finance and translate insights into operational action while protecting service standards.
• Partner with Sales, Marketing and Revenue Management to support demand opportunities, ancillary spend and effective commercial-to-operational handovers.
• Contribute to annual business planning, budget preparation, resource allocation and capital priorities with the Area Managing Director.
• Oversee Front Office, Concierge, Guest Relations, Housekeeping, SPA and related Rooms operations, ensuring presentation, readiness and service standards.
• Coordinate arrival and departure planning, room readiness, guest recognition, service recovery and high-occupancy execution across departments.
• Balance quality, staffing, productivity and commercial priorities with a rigorous understanding of Rooms Division performance.
• Guide operational leaders in delivering outstanding wellness and leisure experiences within a coherent luxury guest journey.
• Safeguard the property’s heritage, condition and reputation in partnership with Engineering, Security and relevant specialists.
• Ensure compliance with applicable Italian legislation, health and safety requirements, emergency preparedness, data protection and Belmond standards.
• Advance responsible hospitality practices, colleague wellbeing and constructive local community relationships.

Qualifications

• Significant senior operational leadership experience in internationally recognised luxury or ultra-luxury hotels, ideally including iconic properties or destination resorts.
• A proven record as a Hotel Manager, Director of Operations, Executive Assistant Manager or comparable executive leader, with demonstrable responsibility across Rooms.
• Success leading multidisciplinary teams, delivering strong operational and financial results, and maintaining outstanding guest experiences.
• Credible executive presence, mature judgement, discretion, and exceptional interpersonal and guest relationship skills.
• Strong commercial acumen, financial literacy, and command of budgets, forecasts, departmental P&Ls, labour and productivity indicators.
• Ability to inspire, coach and develop leaders; practical succession-planning capability and resilience in a high-pressure seasonal environment.
• Deep understanding of personalised luxury service, international guest expectations, quality assurance and continuous improvement.
• Authenticity, humility, cultural sensitivity and an instinctive appreciation of Italian hospitality and Portofino’s character.
• Fluent English and Italian required; additional languages advantageous.
• Relevant hospitality or business education, or equivalent professional experience.
• International exposure desirable; legal eligibility to work in Italy required.

Skills

Experience

Significant senior operational leadership experience in internationally recognised luxury or ultra-luxury hotels; proven executive leadership as a Hotel Manager, Director of Operations, Executive Assistant Manager or comparable role, including responsibility across Rooms.

Education

Relevant hospitality or business education, or equivalent professional experience.

Benefits

Annual employment contract under the C.C.N.L. Settore Turismo – Hotel Manager; monthly gross salary under the CCNL plus an increase, with separate payslips for the 13th and 14th monthly payments and TFR; incentive plan; accommodation; staff canteen; Discovering Belmond programme offering complimentary accommodation at Belmond hotels, discounted rates for trains, cruises and safaris, and discounted food and beverages.

Culture

Splendido’s workplace culture centres on refined hospitality, discreet service and meticulous attention to detail. Its professional environment emphasises collaboration and thoughtful guest interactions, with every role contributing to an experience that balances understated elegance with genuine warmth.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.