Director of Sales - Middle East

Company Description

Raffles London at The OWO on London’s Whitehall, unites the allure and heritage of Raffles with one of the world’s most historic addresses with a name is synonymous with luxury, glamour, and extraordinary adventure. 

 

This fine Grade II* listed Edwardian building has been transformed with 120 rooms and suites along with a collection of 85 exceptional branded residences. Within The OWO destination there are a total of nine restaurants and three bars, including one by our signature chef Mauro Colagreco. The Guerlain spa and Pillar Wellness offer the latest in wellbeing, and a 600 seated-capacity grand ballroom, The Whitehall, is perfect for all kinds of special occasions and events.

 

Within these much-storied walls, where legendary statesmen and women once shaped the modern world, guests are now invited to discover new and inspiring emotions and connections. 

 

At Raffles, you arrive as a guest, leave as a friend and return as family. ​

Job Description

An exceptional opportunity presents itself for a Director of Middle East to be part of an iconic London Opening. The landmark Old War Office located in historic Whitehall is being transformed into an iconic Raffles ultra-luxury hotel and deluxe residences.

 

Reporting into the Director of Sales, you will work to establish relationships with embassies, family offices, government offices, bookers, agents, agencies, DMCs and private clients in the UK and overseas. You will firmly position Raffles London at The OWO as one of the leading hotels in London for high-end Middle Eastern clientele.   

 

What are we looking for in a Director of Middle East?

 

• Someone who is organised and efficient
• Someone who possesses excellent interpersonal and communication skills

• Someone who has a minimum of 5 years’ experience in a similar role in a luxury environment 
• Someone who has an extensive network of contacts and relationships within the Middle East market

 

Key Responsibilities

 

• To fully penetrate the Middle East market for Raffles London and build its reputation as one of the top tier luxury hotels in London for official delegations, business, leisure, family and extended stays  
• To work with the Director of Sales & Marketing and the Director of Sales to create and implement a sales strategy in accordance with budget
• To attend sales missions, networking events, trade shows and exhibitions as required
• To prospect opportunities through telephone calls, virtual presentations and in-person visits in order to research, penetrate and develop new accounts
• To identify and lead the account management of key clients to ensure revenue is maximized
• To create a portfolio of top accounts and keep consistently updated
• To identify potential changes in the market in a timely manner and pivot to ensure that revised strategies are quickly in place in order to stimulate alternative demand channels
• To monitor competitor activity in the market and to be consistently up to date with school holiday schedules, state visits, cultural occasions and political and economic change
• To coordinate logistics & funding and accompany fam trips to Raffles London in order to increase awareness, knowledge and loyalty among key opinion leaders and top bookers from the Middle East   
• To work closely with the on-property Reservations Team to ensure all requests are dealt with in a timely manner and are presented with creativity and imagination
• To have a good understanding of revenue management and work collaboratively with the Director of Revenue Strategy to in order to achieve hotel goals
• To manage the sales system to ensure all information is correct and updated and that all bookings, enquiries and activities are logged to maintain a comprehensive account management system and clean database
• To work within the boundaries of the budgeted and forecasted sales expenses
• To ensure payment schedules are made clear to clients and are adhered to at all times 
• To submit reports to the Director of Sales when required  
• To ensure clear, positive and regular communication with the Accor National Account Managers, the Regional Sales Offices and the Luxury Sales Team and to work collaboratively to achieve all goals
• To work with the Director of Sales and the Director of Communications on trade marketing pieces and other ad hoc marketing and promotional activities that will support the sales strategy
• To be entrepreneurial, highly creative and think beyond the boundaries
• To have a very strong knowledge of hotel operations and be ‘hands on’ for VIP arrivals, delegations and throughout high-profile stays
• To take time to get to know customers, to build lasting relationships and be always committed to service excellence

Additional Information

Why join our Raffles team?

Not only will you be joining one of the world’s best hotels you will also receive great benefits including:

• 28 days holiday including bank holidays plus a day extra for every year of your service up to 5 years (35 Days).
• Staff meals whist on duty.
• Free dry cleaning for uniform.
• Employer pension contribution of 3%
• Enhanced sick pay.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• Life Assurance 1x salary
• Employee assistance program, including virtual GP and financial advice.
• Season ticket loans and cycle to work scheme.
• Colleague gifting to celebrate special occasions.
• Paid days off to move house or give back time to a charity of your choice.
• Internal learning and development programmes tailored to you.  
• Fun-filled events, whether that’s a pub quiz, team run or festive party.
• Employee benefit card offering discounted rates of up to 30% at Accor worldwide and Raffles London F&B outlets.
• Worldwide development opportunities across Accor’s extensive brand portfolio.

 

What are the Raffles Values?

Be You:  Be creative, innovative, and enthusiastic, showing your personality and flair.

Be Kind:  Demonstrates humility and generosity through emotional connection with colleagues and guests.

Be Happy:  Consistently uplifting colleagues and guests through a joyful connection and positive personality.

Be Confident:  Openly shares knowledge and skills with other colleagues to achieve excellence.

Have Your Purpose:  Demonstrating care and responsibility within your role, to make a tangible impact on the business.