A Hotel Manager manages a hotel, ensures the comfort of guests and manages business practices for the establishment. Handles guest services or supervises front office, cleaning and maintenance staff. May set room rates. Tracks expenses and inspects facilities for cleanliness and quality.
Company Profile Founded in 1990, Sunstone Winery is Santa Barbara County's first organic vineyard, renowned for its award-winning wines and its commitment to Bordeaux and Rhône varietals. Sunstone operates the most visited tasting room in the region. The estate features the world-renowned Sunstone Villa and Guest Cottage — available for private stays, weddings and events, and film and photography projects. Job Summary Sunstone Winery seeks an experienced Estate Operations Manager, Sunstone Villa to run the day-to-day operation of the Sunstone Villa and Guest Cottage as a luxury overnight accommodation. The Manager owns reservations and channel management, guest communication, arrivals and departures, in-stay service, housekeeping and property readiness, and the accommodation segment's occupancy and revenue performance. The Manager directs the housekeeping, houseman, and groundskeeping teams serving the estate. This role is the equivalent of a hotel front desk, concierge, and butler function combined with rooms-division management. Sunstone hosts a discerning clientele — high-net-worth families, celebrity and public-figure guests, wedding parties, and film and production companies — and the role demands an exceptional standard of hospitality, responsiveness, and discretion at every touchpoint. The successful candidate is equally comfortable managing rates and calendars in a booking platform, pre-stocking a full villa to a guest's preference sheet, and resolving a guest issue at 10 p.m. The Manager works in close partnership with the Sales and Events Manager, Sunstone Villa, who owns weddings, private events, and winery hosted events, to coordinate event-weekend room blocks, wedding-party check-ins, and Sunday departures. Key Responsibilities Service Standard. Across every responsibility below, the Manager is accountable for delivering and enforcing an exceptional level of hospitality befitting a luxury estate. This includes personally setting the service tone for the department, anticipating the needs of high-profile and high-expectation guests, exercising absolute discretion and confidentiality regarding guest identity and activity, and holding every team member to the same standard. 1.
Own the property management and booking platform (Lodgify), including calendars, availability, rates, listing content, booking rules, and automated guest messaging. Maintain accuracy across all connected channels.
Channel & OTA Management:
Manage third-party listings and distribution, including Airbnb and other booking platforms. Monitor channel performance and resolve booking, payout, and listing issues.
Direct & Membership Bookings:
Manage direct booking links and rates, membership and club stay offers, and approved discounted and comped rates. Ensure rate integrity and correct application of member and promotional pricing.
Revenue Management:
Direct pricing, minimum-stay rules, seasonal rate strategy, and promotions to optimize occupancy and revenue per available night. Monitor the competitive set and report on performance.
Partnerships & Referral Networks:
Build and maintain relationships with local hotels, concierges, tourism boards, and travel partners — including proactive outreach via the estate's concierge platforms (Monscierge) — to expand reach and drive direct bookings.
Marketing Support:
Work with the Sunstone marketing team on accommodation promotion, photography, listing content, and campaigns to attract new guests and grow direct bookings. 2. Guest Communication & Front Desk /
Concierge Service Front Desk Standard:
Serve as the guest-facing point of contact for the Villa and Guest Cottage, responding to inquiries and in-stay requests with hotel front desk standards of speed, accuracy, and polish across all messaging channels, including after hours and on weekends per an established coverage plan.
Pre-Arrival Planning:
Reach out to guests in advance of arrival to confirm details, capture preferences, and plan the stay. Maintain and use guest preference sheets to personalize each arrival.
Concierge Services:
Serve as the point person for guest amenities and requests — recommending and booking vendors, restaurant reservations, tastings, transportation, spa and wellness services, and local experiences — and coordinate delivery onsite.
Butler & In-Stay Service:
Deliver butler-level in-stay service, including room service and in-villa food and beverage coordination, and resolve guest concerns promptly, effectively, and with discretion.
Guest Relations & Retention:
Cultivate relationships that drive repeat stays and referrals. Collaborate with the customer service team and direct its work as it relates to accommodation inquiries, ensuring inquiries are handled promptly and to standard.
Reputation Management:
Monitor and respond to guest reviews across booking and review platforms. Protect and strengthen the property's reputation. 3.
Manage all guest check-ins and check-outs, including in-person welcomes, property orientation, and departure follow-up.
Event-Weekend Turns:
Manage wedding-party check-ins and Sunday check-outs, coordinating with the Sales and Events Manager on room blocks, timing, and same-day turnovers so that event weekends run seamlessly.
Inspections:
Conduct regular inspections of guest rooms, the villa and cottage interiors, common areas, grounds, and back-of-house spaces before every arrival and after every departure. Drive corrective action where standards are not met.
Quality Control:
Maintain a luxury standard of cleanliness, maintenance, and presentation throughout the property.
Maintenance & Vendor Coordination:
Identify maintenance and repair needs, coordinate service vendors, and track work to completion with minimal guest impact. 4.
Amenities, Minibar & Pre-Stocking Minibar & Mini Room:
Own the minibar and mini room program — inventory, par levels, stocking, pricing, charge posting, and reconciliation — and keep offerings current and well presented.
Full-Villa Pre-Stocking:
Manage pre-arrival stocking for full-villa bookings, purchasing to the guest's preference sheet and within the agreed budget, and reconciling spend against the guest folio.
Amenities & Activations:
Plan and deliver in-stay amenities and activations — welcome amenities, special-occasion setups, tastings, and in-villa experiences — and serve as the point person for accommodation amenity requests.
Supplies & Inventory:
Manage ordering and inventory of linens, guest supplies, cleaning supplies, and food and beverage stock, controlling cost and avoiding stock-outs. 5. Team Leadership — Housekeeping, Housemen & Grounds Recruit, hire, train, and manage the housekeeping, houseman, and groundskeeping teams serving the estate. Train the team to a luxury standard of cleanliness, presentation, guest interaction, and discretion, and coach to that standard daily. Build and maintain schedules and staffing levels that meet operational demand across stays and event weekends, with attention to peak season and same-day turns. Set performance expectations, monitor performance, deliver coaching and reviews, and address performance issues in coordination with the CEO and HR. Foster a positive, professional, and safe work environment. Ensure team compliance with company policies, safety practices, and applicable wage and hour requirements. 6.
Administration, Reporting & Cost Control Accounting & Billing:
Collaborate with accounting department to track finances including guest charges and folios, incidental and minibar postings, vendor invoices, and expense coding. Reconcile platform payouts and ensure payments are collected on schedule.
Reporting:
Report on occupancy, rate, revenue, and guest satisfaction, and provide the CEO with regular performance and forecast updates.
Cost Control:
Control departmental labor and operating costs, managing spend within authorized limits.
Systems & Standards:
Maintain standard operating procedures, checklists, and coverage plans for reservations, guest communication, arrivals, and housekeeping so the operation runs consistently in the Manager's absence.
Growth Planning:
Collaborate with the CEO to plan for growth, including staffing levels, team structure, and the resources required to support expanding accommodation volume. Collaborate with and support other departments and company initiatives as needed. The Manager customarily and regularly directs the work of two or more employees, exercises discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance, and makes hiring and personnel recommendations that are given particular weight. Qualifications Required 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in hotel, resort, private estate, vacation rental, or comparable hospitality operations, including guest-facing front desk, rooms, or guest services responsibility. Demonstrated experience delivering a luxury standard of service to discerning, high-net-worth, or high-profile guests, with proven discretion in handling confidential guest information. Hands-on proficiency with property management, booking, and channel platforms (Lodgify, Airbnb, or comparable), including calendar, rate, and messaging management. Team leadership experience, including hiring, scheduling, coaching, and performance management, ideally of housekeeping or operations staff. Experience owning an operating budget or controlling departmental costs, and comfort working in accounting software such as QuickBooks. Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, with the ability to build a positive team culture. Exceptional attention to detail and follow-through, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities. Ability to work onsite in Santa Ynez, California. Availability to work weekends, evenings, and holidays as required by stay and event operations, particularly during peak season, and to respond to guest needs outside standard business hours. Valid driver's license and reliable transportation for local travel to partner and industry meetings. Preferred Experience in a wine country, luxury boutique, villa, or private estate setting. Revenue management experience, including rate strategy and channel management. Concierge experience and established relationships with local vendors and experience providers. Experience opening or launching a new accommodation offering. Conversational Spanish. Physical Requirements The role requires the ability to move about the estate and grounds throughout the day, including uneven terrain and stairs; to remain on foot for extended periods during arrivals, turnovers, and events; and to occasionally lift and carry up to 25 pounds. Work occurs both indoors and outdoors in varying weather. Reasonable accommodations will be made in accordance with applicable law. What We Offer Full-time exempt position with comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance. Paid time off, paid holidays, and employee wine and merchandise discounts. Meaningful ownership of a growing revenue segment, with room for career growth as the estate expands. Potential onsite lodging opportunity after minimum of 1 year term and proof of excellence in job performance. How to Apply If you have a passion for delivering exceptional hospitality and meet the qualifications above, we invite you to apply. Submit your resume and a cover letter describing your relevant experience, and reference "Estate Operations Manager, Sunstone Villa" in your application. Join Sunstone Winery and help create unforgettable moments in the heart of wine country. Sunstone Winery is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable law. This job description describes the general nature of the position and is not an exhaustive list of duties. Employment with Sunstone Winery is at-will. This description does not constitute a contract of employment.
Pay:
$75,000.00 - $86,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Dental insurance Employee discount Health insurance Paid time off Vision insurance
