Area Operations Manager

Job role: Area operations manager (Hospitality)
Department: Operation
Job experience: 7+ years
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
About The Hosteller
The Hosteller is a people-first backpacker hostel brand built around travel, community, and shared experiences. We create spaces where travellers from across the world connect, stories are exchanged, and memories are made. Powered by passionate teams on-ground and at the corporate level, The Hosteller values ownership, empathy, collaboration and a deep respect for both people and places.
At The Hosteller, you’ll be part of a fast-growing, entrepreneurial environment where ideas matter, ownership is encouraged and growth is real. We offer hands-on exposure, opportunities to learn across functions and the chance to build meaningful experiences for both travellers and teammates-every single day.
Role overview
The Area operations manager shall be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations, performance, and compliance of multiple properties/units within an assigned geographic area (1000-1500 beds in an area). This role ensures consistent service quality, operational efficiency, cost control, and team performance, while acting as the key link between on-ground teams and central leadership. His/her role shall involve overseeing multiple facets of hotel operations such as staffing, hiring, guest experience, day-to-day operations, repairs/maintenance, P&L, etc., centrally and as per the company's standard operating procedures
Responsibilities
Understanding of the hospitality/hotel industry, various functions in the sector including front office, housekeeping, F&B, concierge along with departmental knowledge across human resource (both white & blue collar) requirements, vendor management, guest relations, housekeeping, R&M, etc.
Oversee end-to-end operations across multiple properties / units in the assigned area including work areas as: licensing & compliances, owner-tenant relationship management, P&L management & optimisation, maintenance & upkeep, crisis management, etc.
Ensure brand standards, SOPs, safety norms and guest experience benchmarks are consistently met
Identify operational gaps and implement corrective actions proactively
Lead, mentor and manage a high performing, disciplined, trained and effective hotel/hostel level team with adherence to the company culture
Support hiring, onboarding, and retention of on-ground teams
Monitor property-level P&Ls, costs, and operational budgets along with controlling wastage, shrinkage and inefficiencies across properties
Ensure compliance with statutory norms, licenses, audits, and safety standards and liaise with various departments such as local police, health/fire/safety departments, local vendors, etc. and ensuring a cordial relationship
Oversee preventive maintenance, asset upkeep, and vendor performance
Ensure properties are audit-ready at all times
Act as the primary interface between central teams (operations, HR, finance, supply chain, marketing) and on-ground teams
Coordinate with vendors, local authorities, and partners when required
Support new property launches (pre-ops), stabilisation and scale-up efforts
Monitor guest feedback, reviews, and NPS across properties
Lead resolution of escalated guest issues and service failures
Drive continuous improvement in guest experience and community engagement
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Hotel management, Hospitality administration, Operations management, or Business administration
Postgraduate qualification (MBA/PGDM in Operations, Hospitality, or Tourism) preferred
7+ years of experience in multi-unit hospitality or service operations (hotels, hostels, resorts)
Minimum 2–3 years in a supervisory/area/cluster operations role managing multiple properties
Experience in new property launches, stabilisation, or turnaround will be an added advantage
Hands-on experience with Property Management Systems (PMS) such as eZee Absolute, Opera, IDS, RMS, Stayflexi, or similar platforms
Practical working knowledge of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) including Booking.com, MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Agoda, Expedia, Airbnb, etc.
Exposure to revenue management tools, dashboards, and MIS reporting systems
Solid understanding of hotel P&L structures, cost controls, budgeting, and variance analysis
Experience managing operational KPIs such as occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, GOP, guest satisfaction scores, and audit ratings
Knowledge of statutory compliance, safety standards, and operational audits
Strong analytical mindset with ability to interpret operational and revenue data
Proven people leadership and performance management capabilities
Willingness to travel extensively across assigned locations
Language knowledge - Hindi, English, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, etc.

Work arrangement
No