THE OPPORTUNITY
We are currently looking for a highly motivated, determined, and experienced Sales Manager for the Holiday Inn Fort Lauderdale Airport in Hollywood, Florida.
This is a proactive, market-facing sales position for someone who enjoys getting out into the community, building relationships, identifying new opportunities, and converting those opportunities into long-term business.
The Sales Manager will be responsible for driving room revenue through proactive prospecting, consistent outside sales calls, account development, and relationship management across key market segments. This includes maintaining and developing corporate LNR accounts, while placing a strong emphasis on building partnerships within the airline and cruise industries, including airline crew accommodations, distressed and displaced passenger business, irregular operations opportunities, cruise-related room demand, and other transportation and travel accounts.
The successful candidate will understand that great hotel sales happens both inside and outside the four walls of the hotel. We are looking for an entrepreneurial salesperson who understands the local market, builds genuine relationships, seeks out opportunities, and consistently converts those relationships into measurable revenue.
ABOUT PALM HOLDINGS
Palm Holdings is an award-winning, family-owned hospitality company with three generations of experience in hotel ownership and management. We develop, build, and operate hotels worldwide, with properties across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Partnering with leading brands such as Hilton, Marriott, and IHG, we continue to grow our diverse portfolio while staying true to our roots. With more than 1,000 team members globally, we are committed to exceptional service, innovation, and creating meaningful career opportunities for our people.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
As Sales Manager, you will be primarily responsible for ensuring that revenue goals are achieved or exceeded within assigned and controllable market segments by soliciting, developing, negotiating, and closing new and repeat business.
Key responsibilities include:
- Conduct consistent and purposeful outside sales calls each week, meeting prospective and existing clients at their places of business and throughout the South Florida market.
- Proactively prospect for new accounts while maintaining a disciplined schedule of sales calls, appointments, follow-up, and account development.
- Maintain, strengthen, and grow existing corporate LNR accounts while proactively identifying, soliciting, and developing new corporate LNR business throughout the Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, airport, and surrounding South Florida markets, with a focus on increasing room-night production and capturing additional market share.
- Identify local businesses and organizations generating transient room demand and develop strategies to convert those opportunities into producing accounts.
- Consistently review account production and identify opportunities to increase penetration within existing accounts.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with airline partners to generate airline crew and distressed/displaced passenger business, including opportunities resulting from flight cancellations, delays, diversions, irregular operations (IROPS), weather events, and other airline disruptions.
- Develop and foster relationships with cruise lines, cruise operators, transportation providers, travel partners, tour operators, and other organizations connected to the South Florida cruise market.
- Identify opportunities for pre- and post-cruise accommodations, cruise crew business, group movements, distressed cruise passengers, transportation partnerships, and other cruise-related room demand.
- Conduct regular in-person sales appointments, field presentations, client entertainment, site inspections, and hotel tours designed to convert prospects into producing accounts.
- Consistently book new and repeat business while maximizing the revenue potential of existing accounts.
- Negotiate corporate LNR, airline crew, transient, group, and other contracts within established parameters, ensuring all aspects of solicitation, negotiation, closing, and documentation are completed accurately.
- Participate in applicable IHG sales initiatives, RFP opportunities, and local, regional, and national sales programs.
- Develop sales strategies and account action plans designed to achieve maximum revenue penetration within assigned accounts and market segments.
- Partner closely with the General Manager, Revenue Management, Operations, and Palm Holdings Sales & Marketing leadership on pricing, availability, account strategy, and revenue opportunities.
- Participate actively in revenue management meetings and provide relevant market intelligence regarding account activity, competitors, airline developments, cruise activity, compression dates, and local demand generators.
- Respond quickly to changing market conditions and adjust sales strategies and prospecting priorities accordingly.
- Stay abreast of competition, industry developments, new hotel supply, airline schedules, cruise activity, and changes within the local market.
- Maintain accurate and timely records of sales calls, account activity, opportunities, contracts, production, and follow-up within the hotel’s approved sales systems.
- Attend relevant trade shows, industry functions, networking events, tourism events, airline and cruise industry functions, and community events.
- Represent the hotel and Palm Holdings professionally within the local business, tourism, and hospitality communities.
- Consistently meet or exceed established sales activity, new-account development, room-night, and revenue goals.
- Perform other sales and business-development responsibilities as required to support the hotel’s overall revenue objectives.
QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will have at least one to three years of experience as a Sales Manager, Sales Coordinator, or similar hospitality sales professional with a proven track record of success.
Experience in the Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, or broader South Florida market is strongly preferred. Experience developing business across corporate LNR, airline, airline crew, cruise, transportation, corporate transient, or group segments is a significant asset.
If you have high performance standards, a high level of enthusiasm, enjoy being out in the market developing relationships, and thrive in a fast-paced team environment, you just might be the candidate we’re looking for!
The minimum qualifications for this position are:
- Demonstrated ability to achieve or exceed hotel sales and revenue goals.
- A proactive sales approach with a strong commitment to outside prospecting and face-to-face account development.
- Ability and willingness to consistently conduct outside sales calls throughout the local market.
- Strong prospecting skills and confidence initiating relationships with new accounts and decision-makers.
- Proven ability to maintain and grow existing accounts while identifying and converting new business opportunities.
- Experience developing or managing corporate LNR accounts is an asset.
- Track record of developing meaningful, long-term client relationships.
- Airline, crew accommodation, distressed passenger, cruise, transportation, or airport-market sales experience is highly desirable.
- Strong negotiation, presentation, closing, and account-management skills.
- Clear, concise written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational skills and disciplined sales follow-up.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with hotel Operations, Revenue Management, and Palm Holdings leadership.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google applications.
- Experience with IHG and hotel sales/CRM systems is an asset.
- Local South Florida market experience is strongly preferred.
- Ability to attend outside sales appointments, networking functions, trade shows, and industry events as required.
- Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for regular outside sales activity.
WHY JOIN PALM HOLDINGS?
We believe experienced team members are culture carriers and leaders.
United: Work within a collaborative, respectful, and team-first environment. Leverage individual strengths across Sales, Operations, Revenue Management, and the wider Palm family to achieve collective success.
Bold: Be trusted to take initiative, get into the market, open new doors, pursue opportunities, showcase your talents, and bring forward creative ideas that grow the business.
Authentic: Build relationships based on honesty, trust, transparency, and follow-through. Do what’s right for our guests, clients, partners, and team.
Embrace Change: Respond quickly to changing travel patterns and market conditions, remain open to new opportunities and ideas, and continually evolve sales strategies to keep Palm and the hotel moving forward.
WHAT WE OFFER
- Access to employee rates across the world at participating branded hotels.
- Employee discount programs.
- Competitive employee benefit package.
- Role-specific sales bonus plan.
- Brand-specific training and development.
- Room for growth within an award-winning and growing international hotel company.
- An entrepreneurial environment where initiative, relationships, creativity, and results are recognized.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
1. Submit your cover letter and resume with salary expectations.
2. Qualified applicants will be contacted to proceed in the screening process.
3. Selected candidates will be contacted to proceed to the interview phase.
Palm Holdings respects the confidentiality of all applicants, and all applications will be kept strictly confidential. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. We kindly request no inquiries from recruitment agencies.
Palm Holdings is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, sex, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
If you require accommodation due to a disability or special need, please let us know.
Pay: $59,402.67 - $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
