Commercial Director

The Waldorf Astoria Admiralty Arch is looking for a Commercial Director to form part of the pre-opening team for this brand-new luxury hotel set to open early 2026. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Commercial Leader to support the opening of one of London’s most anticipated hotels.

This luxury hotel will be housed in the iconic Admiralty Arch, a Grade I listed building located at the end of The Mall, opposite Buckingham Palace. The project is a collaboration between Hilton and Reuben Brothers, who acquired the property in 2022. The hotel will feature 112 rooms and suites, including a two-bedroom VIP suite on the fourth-floor bridge with stunning views of Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. Guests can also enjoy a rooftop terrace on the sixth floor and a ground-floor terrace overlooking St James's Park.

The Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch will offer world-class dining options with restaurants and bars helmed by renowned chefs, as well as a Spa and a 320-cover ballroom. This development aims to preserve the historical significance of Admiralty Arch while providing a luxurious experience for guests.

The hotel will also include residential apartments and a private members' club, making it a versatile destination for both hotel guests and locals. With its prime location and commitment to luxury, the Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch is poised to become a landmark destination in the heart of London.

What will I be doing?

The Commercial Director is responsible for developing a commercial strategy covering all revenue streams and channels to maximize total revenue and profit performance as well as market share penetration of the hotel and food and drink performance. This role will drive the planning and execution of the commercial strategy and activity through supporting the Revenue management team, Sales, Catering and Events, Marketing, eCommerce and Public Relations teams, through working effectively with area support teams.

The Commercial Director is a role model for the commercial community within the owned and managed portfolio in EMEA, and develops teams and individuals in these functions whilst being a key business partner to the Hotel General Manager. They support hotels in deriving the most value from Hilton Sales teams. The Commercial Director's role is key to seize new opportunities through strong customer relations and works as an Ambassador for the company with our Owners and Key Stakeholders.

The role ensures that commercial management strategies are set for all revenue streams and that all systems are used to their full potential to yield the highest possible amount of revenue from all available space, whether in Rooms, Meeting Space, outlets or other revenue departments. Driving overall FMS results gaining an outsized market share through a disciplined execution of commercial activities.

A Commercial Director will lead, coach, develop, recruit and retain future talents. They will manage performance, develop and evaluate the commercial team members on the agreed KPI’s, whilst working effectively as part of a 4D structure on property.

Specifically, a Commercial Director will perform the following tasks to the highest standards:

1. Directly accountable for driving the Top line Budget and Forecast by implementing a commercial strategy and business plan through to execution using the Hilton Commercial Focus process and all available business tools and intelligence available. Deliver as a minimum the budgeted revenues across all revenue streams, to include but not limited; All Rooms, GC&E, F&B, Leisure and Spa with a control on cost of sale, route to market, channel shift and marketing / Ecommerce opportunities.
2. Work with the GM, Finance and Operations Director to ensure profits are maximized in line with TGOP and EBITDA targets set.
3. Ensure Business Review Guidelines (current to + 5 years) all Pricing & Rate Quotation Strategies are in place in order to maximize all pricing components of sales and catering opportunities and achieve positive group market share.
4. Support various On Property, RDOS’s, and Area Marketing teams in coordinating hotel level marketing, sales and public relations activities. Liaise with regional support and brand teams to provide maximum benefit to hotel performance.
5. Support the Cluster Revenue Managers/On Property Revenue Manager and RMCC to establish an optimal mix, review and validate forecasts, develop strategies for different demand periods, and review and approve retail and group pricing strategies.
6. Develop and maintain strong relationships with all stakeholders, owners, hotel teams, Hilton matrix support teams to ensure commercial benefits of the hotel.
7. Liaise with VP of Operations, presents commercial strategies to Regional Team and key stakeholders.
8. Consistently conforms to Hilton brand standards and corporate identity and utilizes all communication tools (under the guidance of regional marketing and BPS).
9. Keeps in touch with Market trends and review/amend strategies accordingly in line with the evolving market conditions.
10. Participate in the leadership activity of the Hotel and Region.

What are we looking for?

A Commercial Director serving Hilton brands is always working on behalf of our Guests and working with other Team Members. To successfully fill this role, you should maintain the attitude, behaviours, skills, and values that follow:

1. Must have London Experience at Senior Sales Manager or Director Level
2. Needs to have world-class Luxury expertise and experience
3. Needs to have strong connections with Luxury TAs and Consortia including Virtuoso, FH&R, Internova
4. Minimum of 3+ years’ hospitality/travel industry experience in a revenue generating or commercial services role
5. Minimum of 3+ years of experience presenting sales plans, presentations, etc. to senior level executives and constituent groups
6. 3+ years experience working in a collaborative/matrixed environment
7. 3+ years working with departmental financial data to make strategic/tactical decisions
8. 3+ years of experience evaluating and identifying business opportunities for a business
9. At least 3 years of experience managing a sales or commercial team
10. Fluent in English

It would be advantageous in this position for you to demonstrate the following capabilities and distinctions:

1. 3+ years working in a multi-complex hotel/travel industry environment
2. Experience in multiple disciplines with knowledge of Marketing, E-commerce, and Finance