Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Employment type: Permanent, full-time
Department: Rooms / Front Office
Salary: Market related
Career Growth Hospitality Recruitment is seeking an experienced, guest-focused Duty Manager on behalf of a luxury hotel in Cape Town.
This role is ideal for a confident hospitality professional who takes pride in delivering exceptional service, building strong guest relationships and leading by example. You will play a central role in the guest experience, working closely with Front Office and other departments to ensure that every stay is memorable.
About the role
The Duty Manager will oversee the guest experience throughout the hotel, from arrival to departure. You will anticipate guest needs, resolve concerns professionally and coordinate service recovery where required.
As a visible and approachable management presence, you will support colleagues across departments, maintain service standards and provide guidance when guest-related challenges, risks or emergencies arise.
Key responsibilities
Guest experience and service recovery
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Maintain a strong presence in guest-facing areas, particularly during breakfast and dinner service.
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Build relationships with guests, travel agents and returning visitors.
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Personally welcome and engage with VIPs, returning guests and guests identified for special attention by booking agents.
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Arrange thoughtful touches for special occasions and celebrations.
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Acknowledge guest complaints immediately and coordinate resolution within 24 hours.
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Implement appropriate service recovery plans, balancing guest satisfaction with responsible cost management.
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Coordinate the guest interchange programme and communicate relevant feedback to agents and colleagues.
Operational support and standards
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Maintain a thorough knowledge of the hotel’s rooms, outlets, facilities and services.
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Work closely with Front Office, Concierge, Housekeeping, Food and Beverage, Maintenance and Security to deliver a seamless guest experience.
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Support the Concierge team and assist with Front Office supervision when required.
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Conduct regular spot checks of guest-facing areas to uphold cleanliness, maintenance and presentation standards.
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Complete monthly quality assurance audits and recommend improvements to the Front Office management team.
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Support compliance with luxury hospitality service standards and the hotel’s loyalty programme requirements.
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Liaise with Security regarding lost property belonging to in-house guests.
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Assist with risk and crisis management, following hotel procedures.
Team development and commercial awareness
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Identify Front Office training needs and communicate these to the Front Office Manager and Assistant Front Office Manager.
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Encourage room upgrades and promote hotel outlets, facilities and chauffeur services.
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Support loyalty programme enrolments and targets.
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Work with Sales and Marketing to encourage guest reviews, questionnaires and feedback.
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Attend relevant training and workshops, and assist with additional operational projects.
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Demonstrate professionalism, integrity, respect and teamwork in all interactions.
Minimum requirements
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Grade 12 or equivalent.
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At least three years’ management experience, preferably within a five-star hotel environment.
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A diploma or degree in Hospitality Management would be advantageous.
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Proficiency in Opera Cloud and Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
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Excellent written and spoken English; an additional language would be advantageous.
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Proven experience in guest relations, guest satisfaction and service recovery.
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Strong decision-making, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.
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Excellent interpersonal communication, time management and workflow coordination.
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Commercial awareness and the ability to identify appropriate upselling opportunities.
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The ability to maintain high service standards in a busy, dynamic environment.
The ideal candidate
You are calm under pressure, attentive to detail and comfortable taking ownership of guest concerns. You combine a warm, professional approach with sound judgement and the ability to coordinate teams effectively. Above all, you understand how thoughtful, consistent service creates lasting guest relationships.
Apply online at www.careergrowth.co.za and submit your updated CV together with a professional photograph.