Area Director of Guest Experience

Property Description

Discover a unique opportunity to be part of the rich history of Key West at the Key West Historic Inns Collection. Formerly known as Kimpton Key West, our historic collection boasts 219 guestrooms across Winslow’s Bungalows, Lighthouse Hotel, Ridley House, Ella’s Cottages, and Fitch Lodge. These buildings, originally homes for army officers, industrialists, and steamboat captains, reflect architectural styles from Conch to Queen Anne. Built when Key West was Florida's largest city in 1900, each structure holds captivating stories of gold discoveries and vaudeville performances. Join us and become a part of a team that embraces the vibrant past while offering unparalleled hospitality. Explore our property history at www.keywesthistoricinns.com for more information.

Overview

At Key West Historic Inns, we believe exceptional hospitality is about more than providing a place to stay. It's about creating unforgettable moments that guests remember long after they've returned home.

We're looking for an innovative, guest-centric leader to join our team as our Area Director of Guest Experience. This is a unique opportunity to shape the guest journey across the Key West Historic Inns collection by creating personalized experiences, inspiring our teams, strengthening our reputation, and bringing the unique character of our boutique hotels to life.

 

If you're passionate about luxury hospitality, boutique hotels, service culture, and creating memorable guest experiences, we'd love to meet you. This role is responsible for elevating the guest journey through personalized service, lifestyle programming, online reputation management, team development, and brand standards across the collection.

Responsibilities

• Lead the guest experience strategy across the Key West Historic Inns collection, ensuring every guest interaction reflects our commitment to exceptional hospitality.• Create memorable guest experiences that celebrate the history, charm, and character of our boutique hotels.• Develop signature guest moments that inspire positive reviews, repeat visits, and lasting memories.• Foster a service culture rooted in personalization, warmth, anticipation, and authentic hospitality.• Coach and inspire team members to deliver emotionally connected guest interactions and exceptional service recovery.• Develop and lead training programs focused on personalized service, guest recognition, local knowledge, review generation, and boutique hospitality standards.• Partner with Operations, Marketing, Revenue, and property leadership to continuously enhance the guest journey from pre-arrival through post-stay follow-up.• Monitor online reputation across major review platforms, identify trends, and implement strategies that improve guest satisfaction and brand reputation.• Lead ethical review generation initiatives that encourage genuine guest feedback and strengthen the collection's online presence.• Create engaging lifestyle programming, seasonal events, and guest activities that elevate every stay while showcasing the spirit of Key West.• Build relationships with local businesses and community partners to create authentic destination experiences for our guests.• Ensure compliance with Small Luxury Hotels and Hilton brand standards while preserving the individuality and charm of each boutique hotel.• Conduct guest experience audits and collaborate with leaders to continuously improve operational touchpoints that directly impact guest satisfaction.• Maintain a visible, hands-on presence throughout the collection, building relationships with guests while coaching and supporting teams in real time.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or a related field preferred, or a minimum of four (4) years of progressive hotel leadership experience in a full-service hospitality environment.• Proven leadership experience in boutique, luxury, lifestyle, resort, branded, independent, or multi-property hotel environments.• Demonstrated success leading guest experience initiatives, service recovery, team development, and online reputation management.• Strong ability to inspire, coach, and develop teams while fostering a culture of personalized hospitality and service excellence.• Excellent organizational, time management, problem-solving, and negotiation skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.• Strong understanding of guest satisfaction strategies, online review platforms, social media engagement, and reputation management.• Ability to collaborate effectively across departments and influence operational improvements that enhance the overall guest experience.• Knowledge of hospitality employment laws, Innkeeper laws, and industry regulations applicable to hotel operations.• Prior cash handling and financial accountability experience preferred.• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate professionally and effectively with guests, team members, and all levels of leadership.• College-level reasoning, analytical, mathematical, and language skills.• Ability to read, write, and speak English fluently.• Knowledge of boutique hospitality, Small Luxury Hotels, Hilton brand standards, or luxury service standards is highly preferred.• Experience developing guest programming, local partnerships, or unique guest experiences is a plus.

 

Benefits

Davidson Hospitality Group is an award-winning, full-service hospitality management company overseeing hotels, restaurants, dining and entertainment venues across the US.   A trusted partner and preferred operator for Hilton, Hyatt, Kimpton, Marriott, and Margaritaville, Davidson offers a unique entrepreneurial management style and owners’ mentality that provides the individualized personal service of a small company, enhanced by the breadth and depth of skill and experience of a larger company. In keeping with the company’s heritage of delivering value, Davidson is comprised of four highly specialized operating verticals: Davidson Hotels, Pivot, Davidson Resorts and Davidson Restaurant Group.

In keeping with the company’s heritage of delivering value to its owners and team members, Davidson offers a rich benefit program with a variety of benefits designed to enrich the lives and well-being of our team members and their families.

• Multiple Tiers of Medical Coverage
• Dental & Vision Coverage
• 24/7 Teledoc service
• Free Maintenance Medications
• Pet Insurance
• Hotel Discounts
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Time Off (vacation, sick, bereavement, and Holidays). 
• 401K Match

Working at Davidson is like nowhere else. It’s less of a job, more of a calling. It’s part career, part revolution. Because whatever you do here, you play a part in helping redefine the way quality hospitality is delivered to our guests, our clients, our partners, and each other.EOE AA- Minorities/Females/Vet/Disability/Gender Identity/Sexual OrientationDavidson Hospitality is a drug free workplace.  Pre-employment drug test and background check required.  We participate in E-Verify.