Valentina Popa
Summary
Luxury hospitality professional with 5 years of experience across New York City hotels, including nearly 3 years in concierge roles serving VIP, celebrities, and high-profile guests. Known for delivering discreet, high-touch service while managing complex logistics and sensitive requests with sound judgment and professionalism. Progressed from front office operations to supervisory leadership before transitioning into luxury pre-opening and Forbes Five-Star concierge roles. Currently at The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad, curating bespoke guest experiences and leveraging an extensive network of premier hospitality partners to fulfill high-level requests.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Concierge
The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad
07.2024 - Current
- Serve as a dedicated concierge to hotel guests, residence owners and club lounge guests.
- Build and maintain relationships with luxury hospitality partners, restaurants, transportation providers, and entertainment venues to fulfill high-priority guest requests.
- Contributed to The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad being recognized as the #1 Best Hotel in New York City by Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards in both 2024 and 2025.
- Earned a 90% score during the May 2026 Forbes Five-Star luxury hospitality evaluation, demonstrating exceptional adherence to Forbes service standards.
- Exceeded The Ritz-Carlton Intend To Recommend benchmark for two consecutive years: 76.2 vs. 71.9 in 2024 and 74.7 vs. 72.4 in 2025.
Concierge
The Fifth Avenue Hotel
09.2023 - 07.2024
- Curated personalized guest experiences by providing tailored recommendations for dining, entertainment, cultural attractions, private car services, sightseeing tours and in-house programming.
- Played a key role in the hotel’s pre-opening and guest experience development, contributing to the property earning Two Michelin Keys for exceptional service standards.
- Conducted personalized property tours showcasing guest rooms, design features, art collection, and hotel history while tailoring presentations to prospective guests.
- Attended daily morning briefings with department leaders to review every arrival, in-house guest, VIP, and special occasion, discuss current and upcoming hotel events, and share departmental 'golden nuggets' to identify opportunities for personalized service.
- Coordinated bespoke 'surprise and delight' experiences in collaboration with food & beverage and butler teams.
- Maintained Forbes Travel Guide standards during regular internal quality audits and official Forbes evaluations, ensuring readiness for luxury service assessments.
Front Office Supervisor (Hotel transition)
33 Hotel Seaport
01.2023 - 09.2023
- Oversaw room inventory and room assignments to optimize occupancy, accommodate guest preferences, and ensure timely availability for VIPs and early arrivals.
- Analyzed weekly occupancy, ADR, and revenue reports to support operational planning and executive decision-making.
- Managed the department budget.
- Participated in weekly cross-department meetings with executive leadership and operational teams to align priorities and improve guest experience.
- Assisted in the recruiting, hiring, training, and scheduling of front office team.
- Authorized service recovery adjustments and revenue allowances to resolve guest opportunities after evaluating and implementing alternative solutions.
Front Office Agent
Mr. C Seaport
05.2022 - 01.2023
- As a Leading Hotels of the World oasis from the fourth generation Cipriani property, ensured a five-star greeting upon arrival and departure
- Up-sold rooms where possible with the objective of increasing revenue.
- Created and managed group blocks; processed, generated PM accounts, updated reservations according to latest information provided by group and/or Director of Sales, sending rooming lists, confirmations, credit card authorization forms.
Front Office Coordinator
Feather Factory Hotel
12.2021 - 05.2022
- Coordinated reservations through direct and third-party booking channels, ensuring accuracy and efficient room inventory management.
- Processed daily financial transactions, reconciled payments, and maintained accurate guest billing records.
- Acted as the primary point of contact during management absences, supporting hotel operations and resolving guest opportunities with professionalism and discretion.
- Developed and maintained an Excel-based competitive market analysis tracker comparing ADR and pricing strategies of nearby hotels, enabling management to optimize pricing and strengthen market positioning.
Education
Criminal Justice, Law Candidate
John Jay College
New York City07-2026
Skills
- Infor HMS, Skytouch, MS Shift, Opera PMS, ALICE
- Leadership, Training and Mentoring
- Front Office Operations, Hotel Transition & Hotel Opening
- Pre-Arrival Planning & Bespoke Experience Curation
- Complex Logistics Coordination
- Team Leadership, Training & Mentoring
Internship
Assistant Police Administrative Aide, 06/01/19, 08/01/19
Timeline
Concierge
The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad
07.2024 - Current
Concierge
The Fifth Avenue Hotel
09.2023 - 07.2024
Front Office Supervisor (Hotel transition)
33 Hotel Seaport
01.2023 - 09.2023
Front Office Agent
Mr. C Seaport
05.2022 - 01.2023
Front Office Coordinator
Feather Factory Hotel
12.2021 - 05.2022
Criminal Justice, Law Candidate
John Jay College