Reservations Coordinator

About the role

Cape Town Luxury Escapes is hiring a Bookings & Reservations Coordinator to take ownership of the guest journey from the moment a booking is confirmed through to checkout. You will be the quiet force behind every stay, ensuring our sales team stays focused on their clients while each guest arrives to a meticulously prepared experience and is looked after throughout their time with us. This is a role for someone who takes genuine pride in detail, follow-through, and making complex logistics look effortless.

The Essentials

• Location: Cape Town Office 5 days per week.
• Type: Full-time.

Key Responsibilities

1. Booking Execution

• Supplier Confirmations: Once a booking is confirmed, secure all supplier arrangements, including accommodation, transfers, and private chefs.
• Check-In Coordination: Send complete guest check-in procedures, including breakage deposits, property addresses, and host details, and ensure suppliers have full guest information.
• Calendar Management: Manage the master booking calendar to prevent double-bookings and conflicts.
• Changes & Cancellations: Process date changes, cancellations, and refunds in line with supplier policies.

2. Guest Communication

• Pre-Arrival: Handle all guest correspondence from confirmation through to arrival, including check-in details, breakage deposits, and special requests.
• Add-On Services: Source quotes for additional services such as private chefs, car hire, baby equipment, and tours.
• Arrival Logistics: Coordinate arrival logistics with property managers and suppliers, acting as the point of contact between booking and check-in.
• Welfare Check: Follow up with guests the day after arrival to confirm all is well, and escalate any issues to the property manager.
• In-Stay Support: Remain the guest’s point of contact throughout their stay, attending to requests or issues that arise right through to checkout.
• Payments: Ensure supplier invoices are loaded and paid, and that customer outstanding payments are kept up to date.

3. Post-Stay & Administration

• Reviews: Send review and feedback requests within 48 hours of checkout.
• Feedback Logging: Log guest feedback and flag issues to the Sales Manager.
• Records: Maintain accurate records in the booking system and CRM.
• Reconciliation: Reconcile supplier invoices against bookings.
• Damage Claims: Liaise with suppliers on any damage quotes and inform a CTLE representative of any claims.

4. Process Building

• Documentation: Document standard operating procedures for all booking workflows by the end of month 3.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify and flag bottlenecks or recurring issues to improve systems.
• Supplier Database: Maintain the supplier contact database with current rates and policies.

What Success Looks Like

In your first year we will be tracking:

• The accuracy of bookings and confirmations. Errors and misses should be rare.
• How much of the sales team’s time is freed up from coordination work.
• The speed of supplier confirmations once a booking is in.
• Whether guest itineraries consistently reach guests well ahead of arrival.
• The promptness of review and feedback requests after checkout.
• The progress of documented booking SOPs across the role’s first quarter.

Requirements & Qualifications

Must Have

• Experience: 2+ years in a coordination, admin, or operations role. Hospitality, travel, DMC, or events experience is strongly preferred.
• Communication: Fluent written and spoken English; a second language is a plus.
• Multitasking: Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks without errors.
• Tech Savvy: Comfortable with booking platforms, CRMs, email platforms, and chat desks.
• Location: Based in Cape Town.

Nice to Have

• Experience in luxury travel or high-end hospitality.
• Familiarity with supplier networks in Cape Town and the Western Cape.