BK (BYOUNGKEOL) CHOI
200 Laird Avenue APT 208, Cliffside Park,NJ
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Front Office / Acting Director of Rooms
Royalton Park Avenue
09.2021 - Current
- Direct customer service and command strategic operations for Rooms Divisions of 249 rooms lifestyle property located in the heart of Nomad neighborhood in New York City
- Work alongside with the General Manager in the daily oversight of the operation to develop new procedures and standards of service in accordance with the company polices amid the hotel’s renovation
- Achieve Revenue and profit margin increases as well as flow-through and guest service improvements since the hotel’s reopening in September 2021
- Analyze and keep track of monthly budget and P&L reports to consistently achieve the company’s financial goals
- Eliminated 90K+ in combined expenses through contract renegotiations and efficiency improvement for Room Divisions since the reopening
- Motivate and lead the team in improving the hotel’s TripAdvisor racking by over 40 spots since the reopening in September 2021 and positioning the property within the top 3 properties of 57 Highgate properties resourced by Kipsu communication tool usage for providing guests a prompt and efficient service on a monthly basis
- Initiate and implement marketing and up-selling techniques to promote hotel services facilities to maximize room occupancy and overall revenue.
Director of Front Office
Royalton Hotel at Times Square
02.2018 - 09.2021
- Direct and administer all Front Office operations for AAA four diamonds 169 rooms luxury property in the heart of Times Square to include, but not limited to, guest service, registration (check-in / check-out), room inventory and availability, guest service standards and initiatives, product quality, cost controls and overall profitability, marketing initiatives, systems usage and management, budgeting and forecasting, department management, policy and procedure implementation and enforcement and meeting participation and facilitation
- Motivate and lead the Front of House team in improving TripAdvisor ranking by over 100 spots since 2018 by supporting and implementing initiatives to enhance guest’s satisfactions and retentions and continue to improve onwards
- Monitor and develop team member performance to include, but not limited to, providing supervision and professional development, scheduling, conducting counseling and evaluations and delivering recognition and reward
- Monitor and assess service and satisfaction trends, evaluate and address issues and make improvements accordingly
- Ensure team members have current knowledge of hotel products, services, facilities, events , pricing and policies and knowledge of the local area and event
- Train and develop team members to resolve guest issues and concerns to guest satisfaction.
Rooms Manager
Royalton Hotel at Times Square
04.2015 - 01.2018
- Implemented company programs and supervised the daily operations of the Front Desk to comply with SOPS and LSOPs, maximized revenues, and motivated associates to ensure an optimal level of service and hospitality are provided to the hotel guests
- Supervised the Front Office associates; interview, recommend hiring, schedule, payroll, train, coach and counsel, recommend performance reviews, provide open communications and recommend discipline as appropriate
- Resolved guest complaints, anticipated potential problems by reviewing and monitoring complaints, operational issues, business flow and associate performance to ensure high levels of guest satisfaction and quality
- Managed upselling opportunities, email capture, drive core values and other Front Office initiatives to positively impact both Employee and Guest satisfaction scores.
Front Desk Agent
Royalton Hotel at Times Square
06.2013 - 03.2015
- Assisted all guests with check in and out process and resolved a variety of guest requests including but not limited to making/cancelling reservations, processing transactions, and organizing records
- Maintained a detailed knowledge of all guest concerns and comments to establish a culture throughout the team for owning issues and resolving them to the fullest
- Registered guests arriving at the hotel and assigned them rooms depending on guest preference and room availability
- Complied and checked daily record sheets, guest accounts, receipts, and vouchers and store them appropriately in both computerized and manual forms.
Guest Service Agent / Conference Concierge
Desmond Tutu Hotel / Conference Center
10.2011 - 01.2013
- Checked guests in and out of their rooms, and processed customer cash and credit payments according to established policies and procedures
- Implemented tracking measures to establish the root cause and eliminate recurrence through sustained and regular review of repetitive issues
- Liaised between the guests, group, and the management by directing each department within the hotel as to their specific role in the on-site meeting or event
- Facilitated the setting of various appointments on behalf of guests as well as conveying messages received to them.
Executive Intern
Chatwal Hotel (Starwood Hotels Luxury Collection)
07.2009 - 10.2009
- Assisted with preparing budgets and provide periodic progress reports to Executives for each project in the Pre-Opening process
- Conducted research, made site visits, and found resources to help department heads make decisions about the event possibilities
- Assisted DOS in revision of hotel room layouts for the floor plan brochures
- Assisted with negotiations for the design of hotel’s in-room materials and marketing supplies to meet the quality expectations of the management.
Sales Intern
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
07.2008 - 06.2009
- Collaborated with Sales Director in strategies to further business growth including several successful promotions and seasonal mailings
- Assisted senior group sales manager in responding to group inquiries for potential clients
- Conducted site inspection of hotel with potential clients
- Analyzed and presented the annual Mobile Evaluation Report and other hotel rating systems such as AAA, Richey for hotel’s strategy development.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management -
New York City College of Technology: CUNY Brooklyn
New York01.2009
Skills
- Bilingual in English and Korean; knowledge of Japanese and Spanish
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Delphi, OPERA, Epitome, Holidex, and SMS (Springer-Miller System)
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Tel
347-256-4969
References
Available upon request
Timeline
Director of Front Office / Acting Director of Rooms
Royalton Park Avenue
09.2021 - Current
Director of Front Office
Royalton Hotel at Times Square
02.2018 - 09.2021
Rooms Manager
Royalton Hotel at Times Square
04.2015 - 01.2018
Front Desk Agent
Royalton Hotel at Times Square
06.2013 - 03.2015
Guest Service Agent / Conference Concierge
Desmond Tutu Hotel / Conference Center
10.2011 - 01.2013
Executive Intern
Chatwal Hotel (Starwood Hotels Luxury Collection)
07.2009 - 10.2009
Sales Intern
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
07.2008 - 06.2009
Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management -
New York City College of Technology: CUNY Brooklyn
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