Room Blocker & Coordinator

Position Title: Room blocker & coordinator
Location: The Wildbirch Hotel – Anchorage, Alaska

Position Overview:
At The Wildbirch Hotel, our Rooms Controller plays a crucial behind-the-scenes role in orchestrating a seamless guest experience. As the key liaison between reservations, front office, sales, and housekeeping, the Rooms Controller ensures that every room assignment is thoughtfully managed—from VIP guest placements to complex group blocks. This position combines analytical thinking with a high level of service, ensuring guest preferences, operational needs, and inventory strategies are in perfect alignment.

Key Responsibilities:

Room Assignment & Inventory Management

• Assign rooms daily based on guest profiles, preferences, special requests, and operational priorities.
• Monitor real-time room availability to prevent overbooking and ensure even occupancy distribution.
• Partner with Housekeeping to ensure rooms are clean and ready before guest arrival; track room status updates throughout the day.
• Oversee and action room changes, upgrades, and downgrades with a focus on guest satisfaction and upsell opportunities.
• Analyze daily arrivals and departures to make strategic room assignments for groups, VIPs, and long-term stays.

Reservations & Group Block Coordination

• Accurately input and modify individual and group reservations in the PMS (Opera), ensuring rate integrity and policy compliance.
• Manage room blocks across segments—corporate, airline crew, cruise passengers, and leisure groups—including monitoring pickup, attrition, and cut-off dates.
• Coordinate rooming lists, folio routing, and special instructions in collaboration with Sales, Front Desk, and Revenue teams.
• Serve as the point of contact for pre-arrival arrangements, including transportation logistics and custom room setup for key accounts.

Cross-Departmental Communication & Reporting

• Work closely with Sales and Revenue Management to forecast demand and inform rate strategies based on real-time pickup trends.
• Provide daily reporting on arrivals, in-house groups, VIPs, occupancy forecasts, and block utilization.
• Attend pre-conference meetings and assist with planning large group arrivals or special events.
• Resolve discrepancies in room assignments or reservation details quickly and effectively to prevent guest service issues.

Guest Service & Operational Excellence

• Field and respond to guest inquiries, special requests, and last-minute changes with warmth and professionalism.
• Maintain a strong presence at the Front Desk during peak periods to support seamless communication and service delivery.
• Implement and maintain lost & found protocols, ensuring timely documentation and secure return of guest items.
• Uphold guest privacy and security standards, ensuring all staff are aligned on confidentiality protocols.

Qualifications & Skills:

Required Experience

• 2+ years of experience in Reservations, Front Office, or Rooms Coordination roles, preferably in a lifestyle or boutique hotel setting.
• Familiarity with airline crew logistics or high-volume group travel is highly preferred.

Technical Proficiency

• Hands-on experience with Opera PMS and Hyatt platforms (Reserve, World of Hyatt) is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook).
• Comfortable navigating OTA extranets and channel management systems.

Key Attributes

• Exceptional organizational and time-management skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy under pressure.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Guest-first mindset with a solutions-oriented approach.
• Collaborative and proactive team player.

Physical & Availability Requirements:

• This role is based on property and may require sitting or standing for extended periods.
• Must be available to work flexible hours including occasional weekends, holidays, and evenings based on group arrival patterns or special events.

Why Work at The Wildbirch Hotel?
As Anchorage’s first new boutique hotel in over two decades, The Wildbirch Hotel offers a dynamic work environment inspired by the spirit of Alaskan adventure. Join our opening team and play a pivotal role in shaping the guest experience from behind the scenes—ensuring that every detail of each stay is intentional, memorable, and flawlessly executed.