Rooms Manager

Company Description The Ellson is a 49-room boutique hotel in the heart of Kingscote on Kangaroo Island, reimagined from a historic island guesthouse. The property combines relaxed coastal accommodation, warm hospitality, and a strong sense of place inspired by the island’s landscape and community. Opening in December 2026, The Ellson will feature thoughtfully designed guest rooms and suites, as well as Flo’ restaurant and bar that showcases local produce and talent. The hotel is designed as a relaxed yet refined base for weekend getaways, extended escapes, and group journeys, offering guests an immersive Kangaroo Island experience.
Role Description The Ellson Hotel is seeking a hands-on Rooms Manager to join our pre-opening team and help establish the Rooms operation ahead of the hotel's opening.
This is a broad operational role suited to someone who enjoys being close to the action and can confidently coordinate the guest journey from reservation through to departure, while maintaining strong standards across room presentation, service delivery and operational efficiency.
As part of the pre-opening team, you will also contribute to establishing operating procedures, setting up departmental systems and workflows, onboarding and training team members, and preparing the hotel for opening.
Key responsibilities include:Leading the daily Front Office, Reservations and Housekeeping operationCoordinating arrivals, departures, room allocations, special requests and room readinessOverseeing reservation accuracy, payments, packages, group requirements and booking conditionsLeading and supporting Front Office and Housekeeping team membersMaintaining high standards of room cleanliness, presentation and inspectionCoordinating and following up room-related maintenance requestsManaging rosters, labour productivity and departmental operating requirementsMaintaining accurate room status, guest information and operational controlsSupporting recruitment, onboarding, training and ongoing team developmentActing as a senior escalation point for guest concerns and operational issuesPerforming Manager on Duty responsibilities when rosteredWorking closely with Food & Beverage and hotel leadership to ensure a smooth overall operation
We are looking for someone who is organised, practical and proactive, with previous hotel supervisory or management experience and strong knowledge of Front Office and reservation operations.
You should be comfortable leading from the floor, managing competing priorities and making routine operational decisions independently. Experience with housekeeping operations and hotel property management systems is important; Cloudbeds experience would be advantageous.
This is a great opportunity to be part of a hotel pre-opening, help shape how the Rooms operation is established from day one, and join the team bringing a newly developed 49-room boutique hotel to life on Kangaroo Island.