Job Description

Job Title: Reservations Manager

Location: Cape Town, South Africa

About the Role

An exciting opportunity exists for an experienced and commercially minded Reservations Manager to lead the reservations function within a luxury travel portfolio. This role is responsible for overseeing reservations operations across 12 luxury properties, managing and developing a team of 6 Reservations Consultants, and acting as a strategic partner to both sales and operations.

The successful candidate will combine strong leadership, systems expertise, and sales-driven thinking with a collaborative, high-energy approach that motivates teams and builds long-term client relationships. This is a hands-on leadership role that balances operational excellence with strategic growth.

Key Responsibilities

Reservations Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, manage, and mentor a team of 6 Reservations Consultants
• Foster a positive, high-energy team culture that lifts morale, encourages collaboration, and drives performance
• Provide clear direction, coaching, and performance feedback to support individual and team growth
• Promote transparency, trust, and accountability across the reservations function

Portfolio & Operational Oversight

• Oversee reservations operations across a portfolio of 12 luxury properties
• Ensure consistent reservation standards, processes, and service levels across all properties
• Monitor workloads, allocation, and turnaround times to ensure operational efficiency
• Act as a key escalation point for complex bookings, client concerns, or operational challenges

Client Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients, partners, and internal stakeholders
• Ensure a high-touch, personalised booking experience aligned with luxury brand standards
• Partner closely with sales and operations teams to ensure seamless handovers and delivery

Systems & Distribution Management

• Manage and optimise reservations systems including NightsBridge, SiteMinder, Booking.com, and other channel managers or CRMs
• Ensure data accuracy, rate parity, availability, and inventory control across all platforms
• Identify opportunities to improve system usage, reporting, and automation

Commercial & Sales Strategy

• Act as a sales-focused leader, supporting conversion, upselling, and revenue optimisation
• Analyse booking trends, conversion ratios, and performance data to inform strategy
• Partner with leadership to support pricing, availability, and promotional strategies
• Identify opportunities to improve booking efficiency and revenue performance

Strategic Partnership & Leadership

• Act as a trusted business partner to senior management, sales, and operations
• Contribute to strategic planning, forecasting, and process improvement initiatives
• Support change management and continuous improvement within the reservations function

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in reservations, sales support, or revenue-related roles within luxury travel or hospitality
• Proven experience managing reservations teams and multi-property portfolios
• Strong client relationship management experience within a high-touch service environment
• Solid working knowledge of reservations and distribution systems including NightsBridge, SiteMinder, Booking.com, and similar platforms

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong commercial and sales acumen
• Confident leader with the ability to motivate, inspire, and develop teams
• High-energy leadership style that encourages positivity and engagement (without intensity)
• Transparent communicator with strong interpersonal skills
• Strong organisational and problem-solving abilities
• Data-driven with the ability to translate insights into action
• Adaptable, collaborative, and solutions-focused

Attributes

• Partner-minded with a collaborative leadership approach
• Calm, credible, and decisive under pressure
• Passionate about luxury travel and exceptional service delivery
• Values integrity, openness, and accountability
• Committed to continuous improvement and team success