General Manager - Year Round Hands On For Coastal Hotel
General Manager – Seaside Seasonal Boutique Hotel
Position Type: Full-Time, Year-Round Reports To: Ownership
Location: Rockport, MA Property Size: 35 , Rooms + Breakfast, Bar & Events
Position Summary
The General Manager is the on-site executive leader responsible for the overall success of the Emerson Inn By the Sea. This is a fully hands-on role ideal for someone who thrives in boutique hospitality, leads by example, and ensures exceptional guest experience through direct engagement with guests, staff, and daily operations. The GM oversees all hotel departments—including Rooms, Guest Services, Food & Beverage, Events, Housekeeping, HR/Scheduling/Payroll, and Maintenance—and serves as the primary driver of property culture, service standards, operational efficiency, and financial performance.Core Responsibilities
1. Leadership & Daily Operations
- Lead all hotel operations with a visible, hands-on approach across all shifts as needed.- Oversee and support Front Desk, Housekeeping, Maintenance, Events, and F&B teams.
- Ensure smooth operations during all service periods, including weekends.
- Maintain a high presence on the floor, particularly during peak check-in times and bar/restaurant operations.
2. Food & Beverage Program Management (Full Oversight)
- Direct responsibility for all F&B programming: menus, pricing, vendor selection, beverage lists, and seasonal changes.- Supervise Bar Manager and Executive Chef/Kitchen Lead.
- Ensure staff training aligns with service standards and beverage/food quality requirements.
- Oversee inventory management, ordering, COGS targets, recipe costing, and waste reduction.
- Ensure proper staffing for bar and food service hours.
3. Human Resources, Scheduling & Payroll
- Serve as on-site HR leader for interviewing, onboarding, training, performance evaluation, and documentation.- Collaborate with outsourced recruiting partner to fill key roles.
- Create and manage weekly schedules for all departments (or delegate to Operations Manager).
- Approve payroll, monitor timesheet accuracy, and ensure compliance with labor laws.
- Build a strong, positive culture that values hospitality, communication, teamwork, and accountability.
4. Guest Experience & Service Standards
- Ensure all staff deliver warm, attentive, personalized guest service.- Manage guest feedback, complaint resolution, and service recovery.- Maintain SOPs for every department to ensure consistent execution.
- Conduct property walk-throughs to monitor cleanliness, safety, and presentation.
5. Financial Management
- Track and report weekly KPIs including occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, labor percentage, and F&B profitability.- Manage budgets, purchasing, vendor relationships, and cost control initiatives.
- Ensure strong financial performance across Rooms, Bar, Events, and F&B.
- Maintain inventory systems and financial controls for all departments.
6. Event Oversight
- Work closely with Event Manager on weddings, retreats, and corporate events.- Ensure event staffing, food & beverage coordination, and guest experience align with brand standards.
- Attend key events as on-site leadership.
7. Housekeeping & Maintenance Coordination
- Ensure Housekeeping Manager and team execute high standards for cleanliness across 35 rooms and all public spaces.- Coordinate with Maintenance for routine tasks, work orders, preventive maintenance, and guest-impacting repairs.
- Confirm readiness for early arrivals, weddings, and group blocks.
Qualifications & Experience
- 3+ years of hotel management experience (boutique or independent property strongly preferred).- Strong hands-on leadership style; must be willing to work floor shifts as needed.
- Experience managing Food & Beverage operations.
- HR experience including interviewing, onboarding, scheduling, and basic payroll processes.
- Solid understanding of hotel financial reports, budgeting, and cost control.
- Excellent communication and guest service skills.
- Ability to manage multiple departments and prioritize effectively.
- Experience in coastal, seasonal, or boutique hospitality environments.
- Familiarity with events/weddings operations.
- Knowledge of POS/PMS systems.
- Ability to work weekends, early mornings, evenings, and peak season schedules.
Key Attributes
- Warm, polished, and service-driven with exceptional guest rapport.- Calm under pressure; skilled at crisis management.
- Strong coaching and training ability.
- Organized, detail-oriented, and operationally disciplined.
- Flexible and excited to pitch in wherever needed.
- Approaches challenges with creativity and problem-solving instinct.
Salary, Plus growth oriented bonus plan and health reimbursement.
Please share your interest to GM@theemersoninn.com.
