Hotel and Resort Executive Search

What does a hotel executive search firm do? A hotel executive search firm finds and recruits senior property and corporate leaders, from General Managers and Hotel Managers to Directors of Operations, Directors of Food & Beverage, Directors of Rooms, COOs and Managing Directors. The strongest candidates are usually already employed and performing well. So instead of posting a job, the firm maps competing properties, approaches proven leaders in confidence, and evaluates them on results such as RevPAR, GOP, guest scores and team retention. JWB Hospitality is a boutique hospitality executive search firm that recruits hotel and resort leaders nationwide.

At a glance: 300+ hospitality placements · 39-day average time to fill · 95% offer acceptance · 20% of first-year base salary on contingency, no upfront retainer · 90-day replacement guarantee

JWB's hotel clients include Aman, SoHo Grand, Wythe Hotel, Oram Hotels, Watergate Hotel, Park Terrace Hotel and Nine Orchard Hotel in New York.

• Boutique hotel, New York City: General Manager. A boutique hotel lost its GM unexpectedly. JWB placed a new GM in six weeks. 
• Luxury Hotel, New York City: Director of F&B Operations, Director of Service and Restaurant General Manager. Senior food, beverage and service leadership for a flagship luxury hotel.
• Independent Hotel, Greater New York City: JWB placed a new Hotel President for a 427-room property.
•  Luxury boutique lifestyle hotel, New York City: JWB placed a new Director of Food & Beverage and Executive Chef

See more success stories.

Property leadership
Hotel General Manager, Resort General Manager, Hotel Manager, Area and Regional General Manager

Operations leadership
Director of Operations, Regional Director of Operations, Vice President of Operations, Chief Operating Officer

Food and beverage leadership
Director of Food & Beverage, Executive Chef, Corporate Executive Chef, Restaurant General Manager, Director of Catering and Banquets

Rooms and guest experience
Director of Rooms, Front Office Director, Director of Guest Experience

Corporate and ownership-level leadership
CEO, President, Managing Director and senior executives for hotel management companies and ownership groups.

•  Luxury hotels and resorts where service standards, brand standards and guest expectations are exceptionally high
• Boutique and lifestyle hotels that depend on leaders who understand personal service, culture and brand identity
• Independent hotels that need versatile leaders who can run several departments
• Hotel owners, investors and asset managers hiring a GM or operator they can trust with the asset
• Hotel management companies recruiting leaders across multiple properties and markets
• Destination, golf, wellness and coastal resorts with complex, multi-outlet operations

A resort is not just a larger hotel. Many resort leaders run several businesses at once:

• Multiple restaurants, bars and banquet and event operations
• Spa and wellness programs
• Golf and recreation
• Seasonal demand and seasonal staffing
• Several revenue streams with separate P&Ls

We look for leaders who have already managed that complexity, not hotel leaders who would be learning it for the first time. See luxury hospitality executive search.

A strong résumé is not proof. We assess candidates on the results owners and management companies care about:

• Financial performance: RevPAR, GOP and flow-through, labor and cost control, budgeting and P&L ownership
• Guest experience: guest satisfaction and review scores, and consistency against brand or luxury standards
• Team leadership: department-head retention, development of future leaders and culture
• Ownership relationships: experience reporting to owners, asset managers and management companies
• Complexity: multi-outlet F&B, resort amenities, openings, renovations and repositioning

1.  Discovery. We learn the property's goals, ownership expectations, leadership structure and culture, and agree on the profile before outreach begins.
2. Market mapping. We identify leaders at competing and comparable properties, brands and management companies.
3. Confidential outreach. We approach only candidates who meet the agreed criteria, and we share details only with your approval.
4. Evaluation and shortlist. You receive a curated shortlist with assessments of each candidate's financial results, guest outcomes and fit.
5. Offer and transition. We support the offer, the resignation process and the first months in the role.

Most hotel and resort searches take 30 to 90 days, depending on the role, market and compensation. See our full process.

JWB Hospitality works on contingency: 20% of the placed leader's first-year base salary, invoiced only when you hire. There is no upfront retainer. Every placement carries a 90-day replacement guarantee. If the placed leader leaves or is let go within that period, we restart the search at no added fee.

Not sure which model fits your search? Read retained vs. contingency search.

We recruit hotel and resort leaders across the United States, including New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Austin, Nashville, Charleston and San Diego. See hospitality executive search in New York City.

Related reading: Best executive recruiters for luxury hotels and Executive recruiting for hotel management companies.

What is the difference between a hotel recruiter and hotel executive search?
A hotel recruiter usually fills the roles that run a property day to day, such as the General Manager, department heads and Executive Chef. Hotel executive search focuses on senior, corporate and multi-property roles, where searches are confidential and candidates are rarely on the market. JWB handles both.

How much does a hotel executive search firm cost?
Hospitality search fees commonly range from about 20% to 30% of first-year compensation. JWB charges 20% of first-year base salary on contingency, with no upfront retainer and a 90-day replacement guarantee.

How long does it take to hire a hotel General Manager?
Most General Manager searches take 30 to 90 days, depending on the property, market and compensation. Across all our searches, the average time to fill is 39 days.

How do I hire a high-performing hotel General Manager?
Define the property's financial goals and ownership expectations before you recruit. Then approach proven GMs at comparable properties, verify their RevPAR and GOP results, and use structured interviews to test leadership and culture fit.

Do you recruit for resorts as well as hotels?
Yes. We recruit for luxury, destination, golf, wellness and coastal resorts, and for the management companies that run them.

Do you work with hotel owners and management companies?
Yes. We recruit for owners, investors, asset managers and management companies, for single properties and multi-property portfolios.

Can the search stay confidential?
Yes. Many hotel searches replace a current leader or support a change the team does not yet know about. Candidate and client details are shared only with approval.

 Tell us about the role. We will respond within one business day to schedule a confidential consultation.