Hotel Operations Manager – Santo Domingo

About Aria Hotels Aria Hotels is a growing international hospitality company within Libra Group, operating a collection of boutique hotels, villas, and resorts across Greece and expanding into Latin America. Our philosophy is rooted in authentic hospitality, thoughtful design, and personalized guest experiences. Aria Santa Maria is our first hotel in Dominican Republic, an 11-room boutique lifestyle hotel located in the heart of the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo. The hotel will feature our signature 1890 Restaurant and Bar, wellness facilities, and curated guest experiences designed for leisure travelers. Position Summary We are seeking an experienced Operations Hotel Manager with a solid background in Food and Beverage operations to lead the pre-opening and successful operation of Aria Santa Maria. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives in luxury boutique hospitality, combines operational excellence with strong commercial acumen, and is passionate about creating exceptional guest experiences. The Operations Hotel Manager will build the hotel culture from the ground up, recruit and develop a high-performing team, oversee all operational and financial performance,, implement procedures, solve operational issues, and maintain high service standards in a boutique hotel environment. This is a highly operational position. The successful candidate should be comfortable being present on the floor, supporting the team, interacting with guests, and taking ownership of operational issues from start to finish. The position will work closely with Front Office, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage, Maintenance, and Reservations, and will act as the operational leader in the absence of the General Manager. The role reports directly to Regional Manager and work closely with the corporate leadership team in LATAM and in Greece.

Key Responsibilities
Pre-Opening Leadership
• Lead the hotel opening timeline and ensure readiness across all departments.
• Recruit, train, and develop the opening leadership team and hotel staff.
• Establish operational procedures, service standards, and brand culture.
• Coordinate with corporate teams on systems implementation, procurement, OS&E, and compliance.
• Oversee testing, commissioning, and opening activities. Hotel Operations
• Direct all day-to-day hotel operations, ensuring seamless guest experiences.
• Take full day-to-day operational ownership of the hotel, ensuring all departments are properly coordinated.
• Supervise restaurant service, reservations, table flow and guest experience.
• Work closely with the Chef on daily service needs, menu execution, staffing and operational requirements.
• Monitor stock levels, inventory, purchasing, waste and food and beverage cost controls.
• Maintain hygiene, food safety and consistent service standards.
• Support restaurant revenue initiatives, events and operational improvements.
• Supervise and support Front Office operations, including arrivals, departures, reservations, room allocation, guest requests, and complaint resolution.
• Work closely with Housekeeping to ensure rooms and public areas are maintained to the required standards.
• Coordinate with maintenance team to ensure smooth daily operations.
• Lead daily operational briefings and ensure effective communication between departments.
• Uphold hygiene, food safety and consistent service standards across all outlets.
• Identify operational challenges and implement practical solutions.
• Ensure compliance with Aria Hotels' operating standards and procedures. Leadership & Culture
• Inspire, coach, and develop a high-performing team.
• Build an engaging workplace culture aligned with Aria's values.
• Lead by example with a visible and approachable management style.
• Drive employee engagement, retention, and professional development.
• Coordinate schedules based on occupancy, restaurant demand and staffing needs.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, training, scheduling, and performance management of operational staff.
• Promote effective communication and teamwork across departments. Commercial & Financial Performance
• Deliver revenue, profitability, and GOP targets.
• Work closely with Sales & Revenue teams to maximize occupancy and ADR.
• Analyze KPIs, budgets, forecasts, and financial performance.
• Identify new commercial opportunities, partnerships, and local business development initiatives.
• Manage costs while maintaining exceptional guest satisfaction. Guest Experience
• Champion personalized, memorable guest experiences.
• Actively manage guest feedback and online reputation.
• Build relationships with VIP guests, local partners, and the community. Ensure every guest interaction reflects Aria's boutique hospitality philosophy. Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum 5– 8 years of progressive hotel leadership experience.
• At least 3–5 years as General Manager or Hotel Manager within boutique, upscale, or luxury hotels.
• Previous pre-opening experience is highly preferred.
• Strong financial management and budgeting experience.
• Proven commercial mindset with a track record of driving revenue and profitability.
• Experience working with international hotel brands or independent luxury properties.
• Strong understanding of hotel technology, PMS, RMS, POS, and distribution systems.
• Excellent knowledge of Rooms Division and Food & Beverage operations.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams. Languages
• Fluent English (required)
• Fluent Spanish (required) Why Join Aria Hotels?
• Lead the opening of one of Santo Domingo's most exciting new boutique hotels.
• Shape the culture and guest experience from day one.
• Join an international hospitality company with ambitious growth plans across Latin America.
• Collaborate with a dynamic, entrepreneurial leadership team.
• Opportunity for regional career development as Aria Hotels expands internationally.