Hotel Purchasing Specialist

Hotel Purchasing Specialist Required!!

My client, a large travel company with a strong presence in the B2B travel industry, has a proven record of growth in sales and buying power. They collaborate with local suppliers to ensure competitive pricing while delivering high-quality services that offer great value. The Hotel Purchasing Specialist role is an excellent opportunity for anyone who is proactive, a resilient team player who enjoys working with tight deadlines and gives their best under pressure in a very dynamic environment. Communication skills within a multi-cultural environment and negotiation skills are essential, as well as a tourism qualification which is preferred but not essential.

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinating hotel requests from the international Sales departments.
• Contacting suitable suppliers according to sales requirements either by email or telephone to discuss the best offer to finalize the reservation.
• Ensuring the booking criteria given by Sales are met, including budget, category, location, and matching any given deadline.
• Sourcing alternative solutions when the requested location or hotels are not available.
• Handling additional requests/project work on an ad-hoc basis.
• Negotiating the best possible rates, terms, and conditions while establishing excellent relationships with hotels.
• Dealing with amendments and negotiating/waiving cancellation charges where necessary.
• Dealing with inbound telephone, fax, and email enquiries and liaising with the Sales, Operations, and Accounts departments both in Europe and internationally.
• Maintaining good relationships with existing suppliers.
• Researching new suppliers to widen the network in all the destinations of responsibility.
• Maintaining updated hotel data on the virtual database and booking system.
• Handling complaints where requested.
• Identifying a calendar of events within the area of responsibility to anticipate challenging requests and plan accordingly.
• Attending trade fairs, workshops, or local networking events when requested.
• Contributing to a positive and professional working environment.

Minimum Requirements:

• Fluency in English is essential, both written and spoken, with proficiency in at least one additional European language.
• Customer-focused, with a proactive and solutions-oriented approach to addressing customer needs and concerns, in addition to maintaining strong negotiation skills.
• Effective communication skills to have open and honest discussions with all departments, suppliers, and clients to find common ground and solutions.
• Collaborative and able to work in a team-based environment as well as on their own initiative, willing to be 'hands-on' with other colleagues' support needs.
• Close attention to detail with the ability to identify issues, solve problems, and escalate when needed.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, able to effectively handle multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Initiative to be fully trained and knowledgeable on all company systems and procedures.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently, prioritize workloads, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to take initiative, go the extra mile when needed, and adapt to changing requirements.

Package:

• Hybrid/London
• Salary £25,000-£30,000
• Opportunity for growth
• Luxury office environment

Interested? Please email kelly@traveltraderecruitment.co.uk or apply here.