Rooms Management Trainee

About the Role

Sofitel New York is seeking a motivated and hospitality-focused Rooms Manager-In-Training (MIT) to join our Rooms Division. This is a hands-on developmental position designed for an early-career hospitality professional eager to learn luxury hotel operations from the guestroom to the front desk.

Key Responsibilities

• Structured cross-functional development across Front Office, Housekeeping, and Guest Services.
• Hands-on exposure to luxury hotel operations.
• Opportunity to work closely with experienced Rooms leaders and Heartists.
• Participation in meaningful operational and process-improvement projects.
• Career development and growth opportunities within Sofitel Hotels & Resorts and Accor.

Cross-Functional Rooms Experience

• Rotate through Front Office, Housekeeping, and Guest Services to develop a comprehensive understanding of Rooms operations.
• Learn how each department contributes to the guest journey.
• Gain knowledge of departmental policies, procedures, standards, and operating practices.
• Participate in daily briefings, departmental meetings, inspections, and operational activities.
• Learn how Rooms departments communicate and collaborate to ensure a seamless guest experience.
• Support special projects and initiatives across the Rooms Division.
• Document processes and assist with creating or updating standard operating procedures and training materials.
• Observe operational challenges and assist in developing practical solutions.

Front Office & Guest Services Rotation

• Learn the fundamentals of Front Office operations, including arrivals, departures, room assignments, guest requests, VIPs, special occasions, and guest communication.
• Gain hands-on experience with Opera Cloud or other hotel operating systems.
• Learn how to review arrival and departure information and identify special requirements.
• Assist with coordinating guest requests between Front Office, Housekeeping, Guest Services, and other departments.
• Learn the processes supporting VIP and loyalty-program recognition.
• Support Guest Services operations, including Concierge, Bell, Door, PBX, and Guest Relations functions.
• Observe and participate in service recovery processes and learn how guest concerns are documented, communicated, and resolved.
• Assist with maintaining accurate operational logs, reports, and communications.

Housekeeping Rotation

• Learn the daily processes involved in preparing and maintaining guestrooms and public areas to Sofitel standards.
• Participate in guestroom and public-area inspections to understand quality standards and attention to detail.
• Learn how room status, cleaning assignments, special requests, and priorities are communicated and tracked.
• Gain an understanding of housekeeping productivity, scheduling, supplies, inventory, and expense-control processes.
• Assist with monitoring room readiness and communication between Housekeeping and Front Office.
• Learn the hotel's Lost & Found procedures and documentation requirements.
• Gain exposure to deep-cleaning programs, preventive maintenance communication, and quality-assurance processes.
• Support operational projects designed to improve efficiency and consistency.

Process & Project Development

• Participate in Rooms Division projects focused on service, efficiency, quality, and process improvement.
• Assist with collecting and organizing operational information and identifying trends or opportunities.
• Help develop checklists, guides, process maps, training materials, and other operational tools.
• Follow up on assigned projects and communicate progress to Rooms leadership.
• Work collaboratively with different departments to understand how operational decisions impact the overall guest experience.
• Present project findings and recommendations to department leaders as appropriate.
• Develop strong organizational, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Opera Cloud, Opera, Alice, or another hotel system is a plus.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel.

Qualifications

• Recent graduate or early-career professional with a degree or coursework in Hospitality Management, Hotel Administration, Business, or a related field preferred.
• Previous hotel, hospitality, customer service, internship, or operational experience is a plus.
• Genuine interest in building a career in luxury hospitality and Rooms Division operations.
• Curious, proactive, and eager to learn how things work.
• Strong attention to detail and an interest in processes and continuous improvement.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Comfortable working with different teams, personalities, and departments.
• Ability to learn new technology and systems quickly.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced hotel environment.
• Hospitality-oriented with a genuine interest in creating meaningful experiences for guests and Heartists.
• Flexible schedule with the ability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required by the business.
• Ability to move throughout the hotel and assist with operational tasks as needed.
• Languages in addition to English are highly desirable.
• Must be legally eligible to work in the United States.