Summary:

The Reception & VIP Manager is responsible for leading and standardizing reception, reservations, and guest arrival experiences across Riviera Dining Group venues. This role ensures consistency in guest welcome, reservation strategy, and host team leadership while supporting operational flow and guest satisfaction across multiple concepts.

As a key operational partner to venue leadership, this role oversees reservation management, guest seating strategy, host team training, and reception standards to ensure RDG’s hospitality philosophy is consistently executed across all locations.

The Reception Manager works cross-functionally with venue General Managers, Directors of Operations, and service leadership to ensure optimized reservation books, seamless guest flow, and elevated first and last impressions for all guests.

This position requires regular travel between RDG venues and active involvement in overseeing reservation systems and reception standards across the portfolio.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Guest Experience & Hospitality Leadership

• Ensure that all RDG venues maintain a consistent and elevated guest arrival and departure experience aligned with brand standards.
• Serve as a hospitality leader and escalation point for guest reception challenges or complex reservation issues.
• Partner with venue leadership to ensure VIP recognition, guest preferences, and special accommodations are properly captured and executed.
• Maintain service excellence standards for guest welcome, check-in, and waitlist management.
• Monitor guest feedback related to reception and arrival experience and identify improvement opportunities.

Reservation Strategy & Book Management

• Oversee reservation systems and booking strategies across RDG venues to ensure optimal table allocation and guest flow.
• Review reservation books regularly with venue leadership to maximize revenue opportunities while protecting service standards.
• Ensure proper management of VIP reservations, large parties, and special events within the reservation system.
• Maintain accurate guest profiles, preferences, and visit history to support personalized guest experiences.
• Collaborate with marketing and membership teams regarding guest access, priority bookings, and strategic allocations.
• Ensure reservation systems (Resy, OpenTable, SevenRooms, or equivalent) are used effectively and consistently across all locations.

Host Team Leadership & Development

• Lead the training, development, and performance standards of host teams across RDG venues.
• Develop and implement host training programs, certification standards, and service guidelines.
• Support venue management in coaching and developing reception teams to ensure professionalism, efficiency, and hospitality excellence.
• Ensure grooming, uniform, and presentation standards are consistently maintained across host teams.
• Foster a culture of hospitality, accountability, and teamwork within reception teams.

Operational Coordination & Service Flow

• Collaborate with venue leadership to optimize seating flow and coordination between reception, service teams, and kitchen operations.
• Participate in operational meetings and provide insights related to reservations, guest flow, and arrival experience.
• Monitor wait times, seating efficiency, and guest throughput to support smooth service execution.
• Ensure reception areas remain organized, welcoming, and aligned with brand presentation standards.
• Track and maintain records related to seating delays and guest recoveries.

Multi-Venue Oversight & Standards

• Travel between RDG locations to evaluate reception operations, reservation management, and guest arrival experiences.
• Ensure all venues adhere to RDG reception standards, procedures, and hospitality expectations.
• Identify operational gaps and work with venue leadership to implement improvements.
• Support the opening of new venues by establishing reception procedures, reservation strategies, and host training programs.

REQUIREMENTS / QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience: Minimum 5 years of experience in luxury hospitality, fine dining, or hotel environments, with leadership experience required.
• Multi-Unit Exposure: Experience supporting or overseeing multiple venues preferred.
• Reservation Systems: Strong proficiency with reservation platforms such as Resy, SevenRooms, or OpenTable.
• Leadership: Proven ability to train, mentor, and lead hospitality teams.
• Operational Awareness: Strong understanding of restaurant flow, guest experience management, and seating strategies.
• Communication: Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Professional Presence: Polished demeanor with a strong guest-focused mindset.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Ability to stand, walk, and move throughout restaurant environments for extended periods.
• Ability to work in fast-paced hospitality environments.
• Occasional office-based work including scheduling, reporting, and reservation management.