Director of Rooms

Company Description

Raffles Hotels & Resorts

The Birthplace of stories and legends since 1887, Raffles is a legendary brand, steeped in history and loved by generations past, present and future. Raffles, at distinguished landmark addresses around the world, is the vibrant heart of its destination, curating experiences that are culturally enriching, intellectually stimulating and always respectful of local communities, heritage and the environment.

About Raffles The Palm

Opened in 2021 on the western crescent of Palm Jumeirah, the world’s largest man-made island and archipelago, this palatial beach resort, featuring 340 spacious rooms, suites and villas, is inspired by the stunning elegance of European palaces and embellished with handcrafted Italian furniture. Guests can enjoy panoramic views, a private beach, state-of-the-art entertainment and recreational facilities, including specialist boutiques, a VIP movie theatre, and signature and private restaurants complemented by exquisite banqueting and conference spaces.

More than a destination, Raffles the Palm Dubai embodies the spirit of a legendary brand, celebrated for its storied heritage since 1887 and its hallmark of intuitive, gracious service. At the palace, excellence is a craft, and every team member is a master in their field. Here, talent is not only recognized, it plays a vital role in shaping the next chapter of this extraordinary resort and its legacy within the brand.

Job Description

The Director of Rooms and Residences leads the Rooms Division and the hotel's residences services, with overall accountability for service delivery, profitability, cost control, asset care and colleague engagement. The role ensures a consistent Raffles experience for hotel guests, individual residence owners and residents, while delivering residential services within the hotel's approved management and service agreements.

The scope includes Front Office, Concierge, Raffles Club Lounge, Royal Service, Housekeeping, Laundry, Transportation and residences services. The role is accountable for Rooms Division and residences service profitability, budget delivery and cost control, alongside guest and resident satisfaction, brand standards and operational efficiency.

Housekeeping reporting line: The Director of Housekeeping reports directly to the Director of Rooms and Residences, who has full operational and financial oversight of Housekeeping and Laundry, while the Director of Housekeeping is responsible for the day-to-day delivery through the departmental teams.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Rooms Division operations

• Lead the departments within the division, conduct daily briefings and weekly management meetings, and maintain clear ownership of operational priorities and follow-up actions.
• Maintain complete knowledge of hotel and residence services, room types and layouts, rates, packages, promotions, occupancy, arrivals and departures, pickup, availability and scheduled group activities.
• Oversee departmental rosters and Manager on Duty schedules in line with staffing guidelines and labour forecasts, adjusting coverage to business demand.
• Coordinate Front Office, Housekeeping, Royal Service and related teams to deliver timely room readiness, accurate room status, smooth arrivals and departures, and effective handling of guest requests.
• Anticipate sell-out and overbooking situations, coordinate alternative accommodation when required, and ensure affected guests receive appropriate communication and follow-up under hotel policy.
• Review out-of-order and out-of-service rooms daily with Engineering and Housekeeping, track defects and work orders, and confirm completion dates and readiness before returning rooms to inventory.

Housekeeping & Laundry

• Set and enforce cleaning, presentation and inspection standards for guestrooms, suites, villas, hotel-managed residences and all assigned public and back-of-house areas, including washrooms and leisure areas.
• Conduct regular inspections with the Director of Housekeeping, review room and public-area audit results, and ensure corrective actions are completed and checked.
• Oversee daily cleaning, turndown, deep cleaning and periodic maintenance programmes, coordinating access and timing with Front Office, residences services and Engineering.
• Approve departmental staffing plans and monitor productivity, attendance, overtime and casual or outsourced labour against approved budgets and required service standards.
• Control linen, uniforms, guest supplies, cleaning chemicals and amenities through agreed stock levels, secure stores, accurate inventories, controlled issuance and regular consumption reviews.
• Oversee Laundry quality, turnaround times, equipment care and outsourced service performance; investigate losses, damage, excessive consumption and recurring service failures.
• Ensure safe cleaning practices, appropriate chemical handling, pest-control coordination, lost-property procedures and respect for guest and resident privacy and property.

Service quality and guest experience

• Work closely with Guest Experience and Butler leadership to anticipate preferences, coordinate personalised service and resolve complaints promptly, with clear follow-up and corrective action.
• Develop and enforce SOPs, review guest feedback and TrustYou results, and lead action plans for LQA, Forbes service standards and other applicable quality audits.
• Tour the property regularly, act as a Raffles brand ambassador and introduce relevant best practices that improve service consistency and operational efficiency.

Residences operations and resident relations

• Lead the delivery of hotel-managed residences services within the agreed operating scope, ensuring that service commitments, responsibilities and escalation routes are documented and understood.
• Serve as the senior operational contact for individual residence owners and residents, maintain regular communication and manage expectations with discretion and professionalism.
• Coordinate resident onboarding, arrivals, planned absences, departures and move-in or move-out arrangements with relevant hotel teams and appointed property representatives.
• Maintain accurate records of authorised occupants, contact details, preferences, contracted services and access permissions, with appropriate confidentiality and controlled access to information.
• Oversee residence cleaning arrangements, service schedules, inspections and optional services; clearly communicate agreed inclusions, additional charges and access requirements.
• Ensure resident requests and complaints are logged, assigned and tracked through to closure, with response and resolution targets, updates and escalation for overdue or recurring issues.
• Coordinate maintenance and preventive works with Engineering, monitor progress and communicate disruption and completion arrangements to residents; escalate unresolved defects to the Hotel Manager.
• Work with Security and relevant teams on authorised access, contractor visits, key control, emergency arrangements and protection of resident privacy and belongings.
• Monitor residential service providers within the role's remit, review service quality and coordinate matters affecting agreed common areas with the appointed property-management representatives.
• Review residence service arrangements and propose operational improvements that protect service quality and profitability; ensure approved changes are communicated clearly and applied in line with the relevant service agreements.

Financial management and asset care

• Prepare annual operating expense budgets and monthly, quarterly and yearly expense forecasts for the Rooms Division and residences services, using approved business forecasts; monitor profitability, explain cost variances and implement corrective actions.
• Review departmental profitability, occupancy, payroll, cost per occupied room, residence service costs, accruals and operating expenses, including uniforms, linen, supplies and amenities.
• Align staffing, supplies and service delivery with approved occupancy and business forecasts, working with Finance and relevant departments to protect profitability and maintain service standards.
• Define and monitor the allocation of shared staff, supplies and service costs between hotel and residences activities with Finance, and ensure residence service charges are supported and recorded accurately.
• Coordinate billing and payment follow-up for approved residential services with Finance; investigate discrepancies and ensure concessions or changes to charges follow delegated approval limits.
• Prepare annual capital expenditure proposals, prioritise replacement and refurbishment needs, and coordinate preventive care and defect reporting to protect rooms, residences and divisional assets.
• Review outsourced service requirements, supplier performance and costs with Procurement and Finance, ensuring commitments remain within approved budgets and authority.
• Provide the Hotel Manager with a monthly report on Rooms Division and residences profitability, Housekeeping quality, operating expenditure, guest and resident feedback, outstanding issues and corrective actions.

People leadership

• Lead and develop departmental managers, including the Director of Housekeeping, through coaching, training, clear objectives and regular performance feedback.
• Oversee recruitment, induction and succession planning with People and Culture, ensuring sufficient management capability across hotel and residences operations.
• Conduct annual and semi-annual management performance reviews, address performance and disciplinary matters under hotel policy, and recognise strong service delivery.
• Build an engaged, accountable and collaborative multicultural team; provide development opportunities and prepare suitable colleagues for progression.
• Ensure teams understand the different needs of hotel guests and long-term residents, including discretion, continuity of service, cultural sensitivities and ownership of requests.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of luxury hotel experience in Rooms Division leadership, ideally within a resort or ultra-luxury brand, with a strong Front Office background.
• Proven experience overseeing housekeeping and laundry operations, including cleaning standards, staffing, productivity, inventories and cost control.
• Experience in branded residences, serviced residences or comparable owner and resident relations is strongly preferred.
• Ability to interpret operational service agreements, define service responsibilities and coordinate residential services with Finance, Engineering, Security and property representatives.
• Proven ability to lead large multicultural teams in a high-volume environment with empathy, presence and emotional intelligence.
• Strong understanding of luxury guest and resident expectations, personalised service, cultural sensitivities, confidentiality and service recovery.
• Strong financial and operational judgement, including expense budgeting, forecasting, cost allocation, expense control and analysis of departmental profitability.
• Experience using property-management systems, preferably Opera Cloud or similar, and operational reporting tools.
• Excellent communication, relationship management, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills, with the ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Commitment to Raffles service values, anticipatory care and thoughtful personal touches that create lasting guest and resident relationships.

Additional Information

Employee Benefits:

Join our team and enjoy a range of exclusive colleague perks, including complimentary upgrades, extended stays, discounted stays across Fairmont & Raffles properties , special dining and wellness discounts, and added luxuries to enhance your experience. We believe in taking care of our team, ensuring that your hard work is rewarded with exceptional benefits.

Our Values

Respect:

We value the needs, ideas and individuality of others. We treat everyone with fairness and dignity.

Excellence:

We make genuine connections, and we cherish every opportunity to make the people around us feel special.

Belonging:

We celebrate our differences. We support each other and we always stand together.

Empowerment:

We have authority to take initiative and anticipate moments that create unforgettable experiences.

Integrity:

We build trust through mutual respect and being authentic.

Diversity & Inclusion

Raffles is committed to creating an inclusive environment where diverse talent thrives. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds to join our team.

About the Application Process:

At Raffles, we want to bring out your highest potential. Shortly after applying, you will receive an email from our partner AssessFirst prompting you to create a profile and complete a questionnaire. This is a mandatory step for your candidacy to be considered as it enables us to explore your compatibility with this role and our culture of luxury excellence.