Associate Director of Business Travel & Leisure Sales – Hotel ZaZa Museum District
Location: Houston
Reports To: Director of Sales/Vice President of Business Development
Experience Required: Minimum 5+ years of progressive hotel sales experience preferred. Demonstrated experience in Business Travel, Corporate Transient, Consortia, Travel Agency, Leisure, and/or strategic account development is strongly preferred.
Travel Required: Periodic local and national travel to represent Hotel ZaZa at trade shows, sales missions, client events, and industry networking functions. Occasional travel to Austin and Dallas, typically 1–2 times per year, may also be required to support portfolio-wide strategy, collaboration, and sales initiatives.
Markets: Houston Museum District and Houston Memorial City, with brand-wide Business Travel & Leisure strategic responsibilities.
About Hotel ZaZa
Hotel ZaZa is a collection of luxury boutique hotels recognized for delivering exceptional guest experiences through distinctive accommodations, personalized service, and attention to detail. At Hotel ZaZa Museum District, our associates are passionate about creating memorable moments and exceeding guest expectations in every interaction.
We are seeking a highly motivated, strategic, and relationship-driven Associate Director of Business Travel & Leisure Sales to lead Business Travel and Leisure sales efforts for Hotel ZaZa Museum District and Hotel ZaZa Memorial City while helping shape and guide the broader Business Travel and Leisure strategy across the Hotel ZaZa portfolio.
This position is an opportunity for an experienced hotel sales professional to take on increased strategic responsibility while continuing to maintain direct account ownership and revenue-producing sales responsibilities.
Position Overview
This strategic sales leadership role is responsible for leading the Business Travel, Corporate Transient, Consortia, Travel Agency, and Leisure sales efforts for the Houston Museum District and Memorial City properties.
The Associate Director will be responsible for identifying, developing, negotiating, and growing key accounts that generate profitable weekday and weekend transient room revenue outside of traditional group business. The position will focus on expanding market share, securing new business opportunities, increasing account production, and maximizing transient and leisure revenue for the Houston properties.
In addition to direct market responsibility, this position will play a key role in developing and managing the annual Hotel ZaZa Business Travel & Leisure Sales Plan. The Associate Director will work collaboratively with Business Travel sellers in Austin and Dallas to help guide strategic priorities, share best practices, identify cross-market opportunities, and support a coordinated approach to Business Travel and Leisure sales across the portfolio.
While the Business Travel sellers in other markets will not report directly to this position, the Associate Director will serve as a strategic resource and collaborative leader for the discipline, helping create alignment and consistency across markets.
The ideal candidate combines a strong hotel sales background with strategic thinking, exceptional relationship-building skills, leadership presence, and a proven track record of driving measurable revenue growth.
Key Responsibilities
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Identify, solicit, negotiate, and develop new Business Travel, Corporate Transient, Consortia, Travel Agency, and Leisure accounts for Hotel ZaZa Museum District and Hotel ZaZa Memorial City.
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Develop and execute targeted sales strategies designed to grow transient room revenue, market share, and profitable business across both Houston properties.
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Generate incremental revenue through proactive prospecting, relationship development, account retention, and strategic account growth initiatives.
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Develop and manage a portfolio of key corporate, negotiated, leisure, consortia, and travel trade accounts.
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Conduct regular account reviews to evaluate production, identify growth opportunities, and improve account performance.
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Negotiate annual preferred agreements and corporate rate programs that align with property and revenue objectives.
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Maintain strong relationships with corporate travel managers, travel management companies, procurement professionals, executive assistants, travel advisors, consortia partners, and other key travel industry contacts.
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Maintain an active pipeline of prospective accounts and consistently pursue new revenue opportunities.
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Analyze market trends, competitive activity, travel patterns, and customer needs to identify growth opportunities and emerging business segments.
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Ensure exceptional account service and responsiveness to maximize client retention, account growth, and long-term loyalty.
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Lead the development and execution of the annual Hotel ZaZa Business Travel & Leisure Sales Plan.
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Partner with sales and property leadership to establish annual strategic priorities, target account segments, sales initiatives, and revenue goals for the Business Travel and Leisure discipline.
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Help create consistency and alignment in how Hotel ZaZa approaches Business Travel, Corporate Transient, Consortia, Travel Agency, and Leisure sales across all markets.
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Collaborate with Business Travel sellers in Austin and Dallas to share market intelligence, best practices, sales strategies, and account opportunities.
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Provide strategic guidance and support to market-based Business Travel sellers without direct supervisory responsibility.
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Help identify opportunities to leverage key accounts, relationships, and partnerships across multiple Hotel ZaZa properties and markets.
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Facilitate collaboration among Business Travel sellers to ensure cross-market opportunities are identified and maximized.
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Help establish common sales priorities, performance measures, account management practices, and strategic initiatives for the Business Travel and Leisure discipline.
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Serve as a strategic resource for leadership and market-based sales teams regarding Business Travel and Leisure opportunities.
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Identify opportunities to strengthen Hotel ZaZa's presence within the corporate travel, consortia, travel agency, and leisure travel communities.
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Partner closely with Revenue Management to evaluate account production, negotiated rate strategy, business mix, and market demand.
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Review transient production reports and make recommendations regarding account qualification, pricing strategy, account growth, and market positioning.
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Support revenue optimization initiatives designed to maximize ADR, occupancy, RevPAR, and overall transient revenue performance.
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Evaluate account profitability and production to identify opportunities for account expansion, renegotiation, or strategic repositioning.
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Collaborate on strategic account decisions to ensure the properties attract and retain high-value business.
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Monitor account production, market trends, competitive activity, and business travel patterns to identify opportunities and potential risks.
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Track performance against established revenue and production goals and proactively adjust strategies as needed.
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Represent Hotel ZaZa locally and nationally at trade shows, sales missions, client events, and industry networking functions to build brand presence and generate business opportunities.
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Maintain active membership and participation in the local Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) chapter and other relevant professional organizations to strengthen relationships, stay informed on industry trends, and identify new business opportunities.
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Attend and actively participate in local GBTA meetings, educational programs, networking events, and applicable industry functions.
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Serve as a brand ambassador, effectively communicating Hotel ZaZa's unique value proposition and luxury lifestyle experience.
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Strengthen Hotel ZaZa's visibility and relationships within the corporate travel, leisure travel, consortia, and hospitality communities.
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Build strategic partnerships that enhance brand awareness and generate new sales opportunities.
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Travel occasionally to Austin and Dallas, typically 1–2 times per year, to support portfolio-wide strategy meetings, collaboration, sales initiatives, and other Business Travel and Leisure priorities.
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Partner with property sales teams, group sales managers, catering teams, marketing, operations, and revenue management to drive overall revenue performance.
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Collaborate with Marketing to ensure proposals, presentations, promotional materials, and client communications accurately reflect the Hotel ZaZa brand.
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Work closely with leadership across the portfolio to identify opportunities for cross-selling and multi-property account development.
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Share market intelligence, customer feedback, and competitive insights with leadership to support ongoing business strategy and decision-making.
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Prepare and present sales activity reports, account production reports, forecasts, and market performance updates.
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Maintain accurate account records, sales activities, opportunities, and pipeline information within designated CRM systems.
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Develop and maintain strategic account plans for key Business Travel and Leisure accounts.
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Track progress against established annual goals and key performance indicators.
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Communicate significant account opportunities, market trends, and potential risks to appropriate leadership.
Qualifications
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Minimum 5 years of hotel sales experience with demonstrated success in corporate, transient, travel trade, leisure, or strategic account sales.
- Demonstrated success in Business Travel, Corporate Transient, Consortia, Travel Agency, Leisure, and/or strategic account sales.
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Proven ability to generate new business, grow existing accounts, and achieve measurable revenue goals.
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Strong understanding of negotiated corporate rates, transient sales strategy, account production, and hotel revenue management.
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Experience developing and executing strategic sales plans and account strategies.
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Strong negotiation, presentation, networking, and relationship management skills.
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Demonstrated ability to build relationships with corporate travel managers, travel management companies, travel agencies, consortia partners, travel advisors, and other key decision-makers.
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Strong leadership and influencing skills with the ability to provide guidance and build alignment without direct supervisory responsibility.
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Excellent verbal and written communication abilities.
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Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate market trends, production data, account performance, and revenue opportunities.
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Ability to think strategically while maintaining a highly proactive, revenue-focused sales approach.
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Ability and willingness to maintain active membership and participation in the local Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) chapter and other relevant industry organizations.
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Ability and willingness to travel periodically for local and national trade shows, sales missions, client events, and industry networking functions, as well as occasionally to Austin and Dallas, typically 1–2 times annually.
Preferred Qualifications
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Experience within luxury, lifestyle, or boutique hospitality brands.
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Experience managing Business Travel or Corporate Transient sales for multiple properties or markets.
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Experience developing broader market or portfolio-level sales strategies.
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Established relationships within the Houston corporate travel and leisure travel communities.
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Experience working with:
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Corporate Travel Managers
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Travel Management Companies (TMCs)
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Consortia Programs
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Travel Agencies
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Luxury Travel Advisors
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Corporate Procurement Professionals
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Executive Assistants and Travel Coordinators
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Entertainment and Production Accounts
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Proficiency with:
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Opera
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Delphi
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CRM and hotel sales systems
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Microsoft Office Suite
Physical Requirements
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Ability to sit, stand, walk, and move throughout hotel properties and client locations for extended periods.
- Ability to travel regularly between Dallas, Houston, and Austin markets, including occasional overnight travel.
- Ability to attend and participate in networking events, trade shows, client meetings, and industry functions.
- Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through written correspondence.
- Ability to operate standard office equipment including computers, printers, mobile devices, and audiovisual presentation equipment.
- Ability to lift, carry, and transport sales materials, presentation equipment, and promotional items up to 25 pounds.
- Ability to occasionally work evenings, weekends, and holidays as business needs dictate.
- Ability to maintain a professional appearance and represent the Hotel ZaZa brand in client-facing environments.
Work Environment
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This position operates in a combination of hotel, office, and field sales environments.
- Regular travel within the Dallas, Houston, and Austin markets is required.
- Work is performed both independently and collaboratively with hotel leadership, revenue management, sales teams, and corporate stakeholders.
- The role requires frequent interaction with clients, travel advisors, corporate decision-makers, and industry partners in professional hospitality settings.
- Attendance at networking events, trade shows, client entertainment functions, and community events is expected.
- Work schedules may vary based on business demands, client availability, and event schedules.
- Fast-paced environments, changing priorities, and frequent deadlines are common within this role.
- The position requires a high degree of professionalism, adaptability, and relationship management while representing the Hotel ZaZa brand.
Compensation and Benefits
Hotel ZaZa offers a competitive compensation package, which includes base salary, bonus opportunities, health and welfare benefits, paid time off, retirement savings plans, employee assistance programs, hotel discounts. Subject to eligibility requirements and company policies.
Why Join Us?
At Hotel ZaZa, we don’t just offer jobs, we offer careers that inspire. Be part of a brand that celebrates individuality, creativity, and excellence in every detail.
No Job Description for a position can possibly include all duties, which may be requested by guests or required by the hotel. The objective of all positions is to effectively provide the services personally, or to immediately refer requests to the appropriate department manager. Hotel ZaZa is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender/sex, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, age, or veteran status. Hotel ZaZa is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process. Applicants requiring accommodation should contact Human Resources. Hotel ZaZa also participates in E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.
