Villa Operations Manager

Job Description

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of everything that needs to be done. Team Members at Minor Hotels continually find new ways to create exceptional experiences for guests, support colleagues, and drive business success. Within this, the key responsibilities for this position at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort include:

Planning and Organising

• Participate in the preparation and execution of the resort's strategic, operational, and guest experience plans aligned with the luxury positioning of Anantara Layan Phuket Resort.
• Prepare and manage the Villa Operationsdepartmental budget, ensuring effective cost control while maintaining exceptional guest service standards.
• Develop and implement training and development plans for all Villa Operations Team Members, focusing on luxury hospitality standards, personalized guest engagement, and operational excellence.
• Conduct regular departmental training, coaching, and performance follow-up to ensure continuous improvement and service consistency.
• Maintain full knowledge of the Property Management System (PMS), guest engagement platforms, and communication systems to support seamless operations.
• Collaborate closely with Rooms Division, Housekeeping, Guest Relations, Villa Host, Spa, F&B, and Engineering teams to deliver an integrated luxury guest journey.

Operations

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of Villa Operations, Guest Relations, Concierge, Villa Host, and related services to ensure smooth and efficient resort operations.
• Take personal responsibility for delivering exceptional guest experiences and achieving high levels of guest satisfaction, LQA, Forbes, GRI, and Brand Experience targets.
• Ensure all resort standards, policies, and Luxury Standard Operating Procedures (LSOPs) are consistently implemented and maintained.
• Lead the team in creating personalized and memorable experiences for VIPs, repeat guests, long-stay guests, and special occasions.
• Monitor daily arrivals, departures, in-house guests, and special requests to ensure all arrangements are prepared in advance and executed flawlessly.
• Drive upselling and cross-selling initiatives across rooms, villas, dining experiences, wellness, and resort activities to maximize resort revenue opportunities.
• Maintain strong communication and coordination with Housekeeping, Engineering, Reservations, Sales, and Revenue teams to optimize room inventory and guest satisfaction.
• Conduct regular inspections of guest rooms, villas, public areas, and operational readiness to ensure luxury presentation standards are maintained.
• Ensure all Villa Operations Team Members maintain strong product knowledge of accommodation categories, resort facilities, dining outlets, wellness offerings, recreational activities, and local destination experiences.
• Foster a positive, motivating, and collaborative work environment that supports team engagement, service excellence, and talent development.
• Provide leadership, coaching, mentoring, and performance guidance to all Team Members to support career growth and succession planning.

Administration

• Maintain effective employee relations and support a culture aligned with Minor Hotels and Anantara brand values.
• Partner closely with People & Culture on recruitment, onboarding, performance management, training, employee engagement, disciplinary matters, and talent development initiatives.
• Monitor departmental payroll, productivity, scheduling, and operational expenses in line with business levels and budget expectations.
• Coordinate with Finance and Revenue teams regarding operational audits, cashiering procedures, commission payments, and financial controls.
• Support accurate reporting, forecasting, and operational analysis to drive continuous improvement and operational efficiency.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with travel partners, luxury travel advisors, tour operators, and destination management companies to support guest satisfaction and business opportunities.
• Ensure all guest feedback, service recovery actions, and operational follow-ups are handled professionally and in a timely manner to maintain the resort's luxury reputation.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years of progressive Front Office experience within luxury hotels or resorts in Thailand, with at least 2-3 years in a leadership or department head role.
• Proven experience leading Thai operational teams in a luxury resort environment, preferably within Phuket or other luxury leisure destinations.
• Strong understanding of Thai hospitality culture, guest expectations, and service excellence standards in the luxury market.
• Strong people leadership skills with hands-on operational management capability and visible floor presence.
• Strong communication skills in both Thai and English with the ability to effectively communicate across all levels of the organization.
• Strong knowledge of Front Office operations, guest relations, room management, and luxury service delivery.
• Experience with Forbes, LQA, GRI, or international luxury brand standards is highly preferred.
• Strong decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills with the ability to remain calm under pressure.