Job Description
Short-Term Rental Operations Manager / Guest Experience & Portfolio Manager Five Star Vacay | Brainerd Lakes / Northwoods Area, MN Full-Time | Local travel required | Scheduled hotel coverage required Position Summary Five Star Vacay is seeking a hands-on, highly organized Operations Manager to serve as the main local contact in Minnesota for our short-term rental portfolio, Nisswa Hotel & Suites, and a small portfolio of long-term rental units. This role is focused on local operations, property readiness, team accountability, inspections, hotel coverage, guest experience, inventory, maintenance coordination, revenue opportunities, review management, and quality control. This is not a sit-behind-a-desk role. This person will be in the field, at the hotel, checking properties, supporting local guest needs, coordinating cleaners and vendors, overseeing local standards, and making sure every property reflects the Five Star Vacay standard. Five Star Vacay has remote guest support staff, including a full-time Florida guest support representative who handles most guest communication. This role is responsible for overseeing that communication, stepping in when needed, serving as the main local Minnesota contact, and helping support Hawaii guest communication and coordination as needed. This person is expected to think like an owner — proactively identifying problems, holding team members accountable, protecting the guest experience, finding revenue opportunities, and following through until issues are fully resolved. Core Responsibilities Main Minnesota Contact / Remote Portfolio Support Serve as the main local contact for Five Star Vacay's Minnesota properties Be the boots-on-the-ground manager for local guest, cleaner, vendor, maintenance, and property issues Provide oversight and support for Hawaii guest communication and operational coordination as needed Coordinate with the Florida guest support representative and other remote support staff to make sure Minnesota and Hawaii guest issues are handled properly Step in on Hawaii guest communication when needed for escalations, support gaps, owner direction, or issue resolution Help coordinate Hawaii property support with local vendors, cleaners, maintenance contacts, and ownership as needed Respond to local operational issues quickly and professionally Coordinate with ownership, remote guest support, cleaners, vendors, and maintenance teams Make sure Minnesota properties are guest-ready, clean, stocked, safe, and operating properly Ensure guest issues for both Minnesota and Hawaii properties are fully resolved, not just responded to Proactively identify issues before they become guest complaints Hold local team members and support staff accountable to Five Star Vacay standards Guest Communication Oversight Oversee guest communication handled by the full-time Florida guest support representative and other support staff Ensure guest messages, calls, and inquiries are being answered professionally and within company response-time standards Step in on guest communication when needed for escalations, local issues, hotel matters, Hawaii support, or coverage gaps Monitor Hostaway, Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia, Booking.com, text, email, and phone communication for quality control Confirm guest issues are being fully resolved, not just responded to Help ensure responses are accurate, professional, and aligned with company standards Escalate urgent or unresolved issues to ownership/management when needed Response-Time Standard Guest inquiries should be responded to within 2 hours during assigned/dedicated coverage hours This role is not expected to personally answer every guest message, but is responsible for making sure the guest support team is meeting response-time expectations Step in directly when local knowledge, onsite help, Hawaii support, or escalation is needed Full Short-Term Rental Portfolio Oversight Take ownership of local day-to-day operations for Five Star Vacay short-term rental properties Monitor upcoming arrivals, departures, same-day turns, and guest-readiness Confirm each property is clean, stocked, accessible, and ready before guest arrival Review calendars, bookings, special requests, blocked dates, and operational conflicts Help maintain listing accuracy across Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia, Booking.com, and direct booking platforms Watch for guest feedback, recurring issues, and review trends Identify problems before they become guest complaints Coordinate with ownership on pricing, availability, maintenance holds, blocked dates, and operational priorities Maintain high standards for cleanliness, communication, property presentation, and guest experience Hotel Onsite Coverage Required onsite schedule at Nisswa Hotel & Suites is approximately 20 hours per week. Hours may vary based on business needs.
Expected hotel coverage may include:
Wednesday:
10:00 AM-6:00 PM Friday:
12:00 PM-8:00 PM Saturday:
12:00 PM-8:00 PM During hotel shifts, responsibilities include: Monitor guest needs and front entry activity Check common areas, pool area, supplies, hallways, lobby, laundry, and overall presentation Assist with guest/resident issues in person Coordinate with housekeeping and maintenance as needed Help ensure the hotel is guest-ready and operating smoothly Confirm the head housekeeper is completing responsibilities and maintaining Five Star Vacay standards Verify housekeeping issues are addressed before they affect guests Team Oversight & Accountability Oversee local operations staff, cleaners, housekeepers, vendors, and support staff as assigned Make sure the head housekeeper at Nisswa Hotel & Suites is completing assigned duties properly Make sure Airbnb/STR cleaners are completing cleans properly and consistently Oversee customer service support staff for quality, response time, and follow-through Confirm the Florida guest support representative is completing assigned responsibilities and escalating issues when needed Provide support and direction to remote support staff as needed Follow up when tasks are missed, delayed, or not completed to standard Communicate recurring issues or performance concerns to ownership/management Housekeeping & Cleaning Oversight Communicate with cleaners and housekeeping teams Verify turnovers are completed correctly and on schedule Spot-check cleans and quality standards Make sure the Nisswa head housekeeper is maintaining hotel standards Make sure Airbnb/STR cleaners are completing cleans properly and consistently Confirm homes are guest-ready before arrival whenever needed Report cleaning issues with photos and notes Follow up until cleaning problems are corrected Help protect the company from negative reviews caused by missed cleaning details Property Oversight & Inspections Complete monthly property checks for Five Star Vacay short-term rental properties outside the hotel Check properties in Crosslake, Lake Shore, Nisswa, Brainerd, and the Brainerd Lakes area Confirm nothing is broken, missing, damaged, or guest-facing Inspect homes for cleanliness, supplies, maintenance issues, exterior condition, smart locks, amenities, and guest-readiness Report issues with photos and notes Identify problems before they become guest complaints Call maintenance vendors as needed and coordinate repairs Follow through until maintenance issues are completed Maintenance & Vendor Coordination Identify and coordinate maintenance needs Contact maintenance vendors, handymen, cleaners, and other service providers as needed Make sure urgent issues are addressed quickly Follow up on open maintenance items until completed Confirm repairs are completed correctly Keep ownership/management updated on larger issues, recurring problems, or costly repairs Inventory & Supplies Monitor inventory levels across all properties Make sure guest supplies, housekeeping supplies, linens, towels, toiletries, coffee, paper products, and operational essentials stay fully stocked Order supplies as needed before shortages occur Keep storage areas organized Prevent supply issues before they impact guests Confirm cleaners and housekeepers are properly restocking properties after each stay Maintain inventory systems/checklists so supplies are not missed Revenue Opportunities & Guest Charges Help close early check-in and late checkout upcharges when available Help collect pet fees for properties that allow pets Identify and report guest damages Document damages with photos, notes, and platform records Charge guests for damages when appropriate and properly documented Communicate damage claims professionally through the appropriate booking platform Help protect company revenue and reduce unnecessary losses Review Management & Guest Feedback Reply professionally to all guest reviews across booking platforms Write guest reviews after each stay when applicable Monitor review trends and recurring issues Help drive 5-star guest experiences through proactive communication, inspections, and follow-through Eligible for performance bonus based on 5-star review performance and guest satisfaction metrics Long-Term Rental Support In addition to short-term rental and hotel responsibilities, this role will also assist with a small portfolio of long-term rental units. Assist with management of approximately 20 long-term rental units, with potential growth to 30 units Advertise available units as needed Respond to rental inquiries professionally Schedule and show available units to prospective tenants Help coordinate move-ins, move-outs, inspections, and basic tenant communication Report maintenance, tenant, or property issues to ownership/management Support overall property presentation and occupancy goals Portfolio Growth Five Star Vacay is actively growing its management portfolio. This role may assist with onboarding new properties, including a 13-unit property currently under contract, expected to include a mix of short-term and long-term rental units. Assist with onboarding new short-term rental properties Help prepare new units for guest readiness Coordinate supplies, cleaners, maintenance, photos, access, and launch details Help support company goal of adding additional high-end management properties Eligible for growth bonus opportunities tied to qualifying new properties Schedule, Coverage & Time Off This is not a 24/7 position; remote guest communication support is available Employee must reliably cover assigned hotel shifts and local operational responsibilities Weekend availability is required Scheduled onsite hotel coverage is approximately 20 hours per week Time-off requests require at least 2 weeks' advance notice After 6 months of employment, employee may request up to 7 days off per year, subject to approval and business needs Ideal Candidate We're looking for someone who is: Highly organized Calm under pressure Excellent with guests Strong with follow-through Tech savvy Comfortable holding others accountable Comfortable managing cleaners, vendors, and support staff Comfortable using Hostaway, Airbnb, VRBO, Ring, smart locks, and messaging platforms Willing to work in the field, not just remotely Trustworthy with property access, guest information, and operational systems Able to manage multiple properties, people, and priorities at once Proactive and willing to solve problems without waiting to be asked Comfortable being the main local Minnesota contact for the company Comfortable helping oversee remote support for Hawaii when needed Preferred Experience Short-term rental management Hotel operations Airbnb / vacation rental oversight Hostaway experience preferred Housekeeping coordination Maintenance/vendor coordination Hospitality guest communication Inventory management Long-term rental or apartment management experience helpful Team leadership or customer service management experience helpful Compensation is DOE and may include performance incentives based on guest satisfaction, 5-star reviews, response times, inspections, upsells, operational standards, and portfolio growth. Potential bonus opportunities may include:
Performance bonus tied to 5-star reviews and guest satisfaction Bonus tied to response-time standards and operational follow-through Bonus tied to successful upsells such as early check-in, late checkout, and pet fees Growth bonus of $5,000 per qualifying new management property projected to generate over $70,000 per year in gross rental revenue, paid after the property has been active under management for 6 months and remains in good standing Pay:
$50,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year Benefits:
Employee discount Flexible schedule Location:
Nisswa, MN 56468 (Preferred) Shift availability: Day Shift (Preferred) Night Shift (Preferred) Ability to Commute:
Nisswa, MN 56468 (Required) Ability to Relocate:
Nisswa, MN 56468: Relocate before starting work (Required) Willingness to travel: 25% (Preferred) Work Location:
Hybrid remote in Nisswa, MN 56468
