KYLE RISTAU
Arlington Heights,USA
Summary
Dynamic Guest Services Manager with a proven track record at multiple properties, excelling in team leadership and upselling strategies. Achieved a remarkable rise in guest satisfaction scores while implementing effective training programs. Skilled in financial management and fostering a collaborative environment, driving operational excellence in luxury hospitality.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Guest Service Manager
The Hoxton
Chicago, Illinois
09.2025 - Current
- Oversaw daily operations to ensure smooth hotel functioning and guest experiences.
- Trained staff of 6+ to uphold service brand standards and values.
- Created and managed monthly upsell program and challenges
- Managed on a property with 3bars & restaurants, enduring very high paced high stress environment with ease
- Had a direct impact with bringing brand scores & 3rd party scores up.
Guest Services Manager
The Pendry
Chicago, IL
04.2024 - 04.2025
- Responsible for the oversight & strategic planning of the Front Office/ PBX & Bell/Door staff for a 364 rooms, 2 Forbes Keys rated, Luxury Hotel.
- Boosted department morale by working closely with a team to build a supportive & collaborative work environment.
- Upsell champion, creating and achieving monthly upsell goals.
- Implementing training & training programs.
- Processing department's payroll, in charge for scheduling & productivity control.
- Personally handling high VIP guests.
- Implementing new Opera System SOP's after company wide updates.
Front Office Manager
Omni Hotels
Chicago, IL
09.2022 - 04.2024
- Responsible for the oversight & strategic planning of the Front Office/ PBX/Loyalty Ambassador & Bell/Door staff for a 347 rooms, 4-Star rated, Luxury Hotel.
- Task forced at 4 different properties; 2 luxury, 1 convention, 1 resort.
- Managed a team new to the front office area.
- Fostered a culture of excellence & delivering outstanding guest satisfaction.
- Achieved monthly Omni enrollments.
- Achieved along side my team to raise overall satisfaction scores from #24 to #3 best overall Omni Property.
- Processing department's payroll, in charge for scheduling & productivity control.
- Creating and implementing Omni Front Office training manual after collaboration with corporate.
Assistant Front Office Manager
Hotel EMC2
Chicago, IL
09.2021 - 09.2022
- 1st return to work after Covid lockdown.
- Managing and supervising front office operations.
- Room decorator for guests with special occasions.
- Managing 3rd party messages, requests & reviews.
- Managing a team of up to 8 employees.
- Implementing training for FO staff.
- Payroll.
- Scheduling.
- Balancing billing reports.
- Handling and assigning VIP's/Groups/High level members.
- Amenity management for VIP's and high level members.
- Ensuring all group information is properly reviewed with FO staff.
- Template creating.
- Constantly providing training to provide exemplary customer service and satisfaction.
Front Desk Supervisor/Night Auditor
Holiday Inn Elk Grove
Elk Grove Village, IL
12.2019 - 03.2020
- Handling check ins and check outs.
- Assigning rooms to all guests and VIP's.
- Ordering inventory for front desk supplies and gift shop items.
- New hire training.
- Template maker.
- Night Audit.
- File tracker.
- Financial management.
- Creating daily reports upselling and taking walk ins.
- Laid off due to Covid Quarantine/shut down.
Front Desk Agent/Night Auditor
Crowne Plaza O’Hare
Rosemont, IL
08.2018 - 12.2019
- Night Audit/Front Desk Agent experience.
- Heavy seasonal guests due to walked airport guests.
- Very fast paced environment.
- Assisting with room cleaning & inspecting.
Night Audit Manager/Front Desk Agent
DoubleTree by Hilton Schaumburg
Schaumburg, IL
01.2018 - 08.2018
- Standard front office agent work.
- Housekeeping/cleaning & inspecting rooms.
- Light engineer work: Resetting breakers, HVAC repair, Light bulb replacement.
- Experience working all shifts (1st, 2nd & 3rd).
Front Desk Agent/Night Audit Manager
Hyatt Regency Schaumburg
Schaumburg, IL
01.2016 - 01.2018
- 1st front office experience.
- Interacting with business, convention & airline employee guests.
- 1 year of Night Audit Manager experience.
Education
Associates Degree -
Elgin Community College
Elgin, IL05.2015
High School -
Wheaton North High School
Wheaton, IL01.2011
Skills
- Managing teams
- Guest service
- Training and development
- Leadership
- Upselling
- Profit and loss
- Analysis skills
- Guest relations
- Handling financial reports
- Time management
- Marketing
- Organizational skills
- Culinary experience
- Interviewing
- Cash handling
- Night Audit
- Budgeting
- Payroll
- Financial management
- Microsoft Office applications
- Sales
- Purchasing
- Public relations
- Front office management
- Revenue optimization
- Payroll administration
- Customer relationship management
- Opera system implementation
- Team building
- Performance evaluation
- Upselling techniques
- Guest ambassadorship
- Effective communication
- Conflict resolution
- Attention to detail
- Strategic planning
- Staff training and development
- Reservation management
- Financial monitoring
- Money handling
- Operations management
- Business forecasting
- Budget administration
- Strong leadership
- Exceptional communication
- Sales and upselling
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Revenue generation
- Food and beverage knowledge
Certification
- CPR/First Aid
- Driver's License
- Basset Certificate
Accomplishments
- Omni Manager of the 1st Quarter 2023
- Omni Manager of the 4th Quarter 2023
- EMC2 Manager of the 2nd Quarter 2022
Timeline
Guest Service Manager
The Hoxton
09.2025 - Current
Guest Services Manager
The Pendry
04.2024 - 04.2025
Front Office Manager
Omni Hotels
09.2022 - 04.2024
Assistant Front Office Manager
Hotel EMC2
09.2021 - 09.2022
Front Desk Supervisor/Night Auditor
Holiday Inn Elk Grove
12.2019 - 03.2020
Front Desk Agent/Night Auditor
Crowne Plaza O’Hare
08.2018 - 12.2019
Night Audit Manager/Front Desk Agent
DoubleTree by Hilton Schaumburg
01.2018 - 08.2018
Front Desk Agent/Night Audit Manager
Hyatt Regency Schaumburg
01.2016 - 01.2018
Associates Degree -
Elgin Community College
High School -
Wheaton North High School