Hotel Contracts Manager
About Us
Here at Travel Counsellors, our customers, communities and colleagues lie at the heart of everything that we do - and that’s what makes us special. For us, relationships come before transactions, and we are there for our customers, connecting with them on a deeply human level through the moments that matter.
We’ve been changing lives for the past 30 years as the leading travel marketplace for self-employed travel entrepreneurs, empowering over 2,000 global independent travel agents to run successful leisure and corporate travel businesses. We pride ourselves in remaining a company that truly cares and one that has never wavered from its purpose; to redefine what personal means for a travel business.
Our Travel Counsellors are supported by a team of over 400 super talented people in our Support Offices to help them create unique, inspiring and exciting experiences for their customers, whilst building lasting personal relationships that bring them back to us, time and time again.
Our unique approach within the workplace – as well as towards customers – has seen us receive numerous awards and accolades, including being named as The Best Place to Work in Travel at the 2022 TTG Travel Industry Awards, placing in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list 2023 and 2024 (Large Company) as well as being the first travel company to be awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category!
We are currently expanding at a phenomenal rate – on the back of what is our record year in terms of revenue (over £930m) - and so are looking for outstanding individuals to join our dedicated Head Office team, to help the company continue to flourish.
Role Overview
We are seeking to recruit a commercially aware Hotel Contracts Manager to join our commercial team to manage bed buying and hotelier / accommodation provider relationships for Travel Counsellors.
Key responsibilities include:
- Ownership of the onboarding journey for new hotel partners, from sourcing to activation on our platform Phenix.
- Negotiate with hotel partners and regularly monitor to ensure Travel Counsellors has the best rates
- Maintain and sustain long term mutually beneficial relationships
- Address and resolve any standard/service level issues with suppliers
- Identify suitable hotels to fall into our preferred “castle” collection based on production and opportunity to secure exclusive added value
- Closely monitor the room production and work with all the relevant parties to stimulate growth of bookings, room nights and revenue
- Identify new product in line with room nights and sales requirements
- Undertake ongoing analysis of product and quality to maintain consistent product offering for clients
- Comprehensive understanding of the technology available in market to support hotel contracting.
- An understanding of the internal systems and processes in order to contract more efficiently and effectively
Individual Skills Desired:
- IT literate, able to use Microsoft Office, Excel etc.
- Confident and professional manner
- A good understanding of the travel industry ideally with previous experience in hotel contracting.
- Team player and approachable
- Numerical skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Well organised and able to prioritise
Our Benefits
Working here at Travel Counsellors, we value the hard work and effort that our colleagues put in. Because of this, you can expect a wide range of employee benefits including:
- A competitive basic salary + annual company bonus
- Flexible hybrid working model (2 days home, 3 days office)
- Career development and promotional opportunities
- 25 days holidays (increasing to 28 after 5 years of service)
- A Moments That Matter day (annually)
- Enhanced Maternity / Paternity pay
- Holiday buy and sell (up to 5 days per year)
- 3 paid days charity leave
- Company events, socials, and incentives
- 3x annual salary death in service benefit
- Company Pension scheme
- Costco Membership
- Salary sacrifice, company car scheme
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Free breakfast, fruit, and hot/cold beverages
- Referral scheme
- Employee discount
- Private Medical Insurance (taxable benefit) or Healthcare Cash Plan (costs incurred by employees)