General Manager

Overview

Now open in the city’s Northern Quarter, The Standard, Brussels marks the brand’s latest European outpost. Rising 2 storeys above the skyline, the hotel features 200 rooms and suites , including extended-stay residences, and brings The Standard’s signature design, culture and activation-driven philosophy to Belgium.

The property is home to multiple vibrant venues that have quickly established themselves as neighbourhood destinations. On the ground floor, Double Standard serves a mash-up of American comfort food and Belgian classics alongside a lively Lobby Bar. Upstairs, Lila29 the rooftop restaurant, bar and garden offers bold Iberian-inspired sharing plates with panoramic city views. Throughout the building, dynamic public and private spaces provide platforms for happenings, events and cultural programming.

Role

The Standard, Brussels welcomes a creative, dynamic mix of local and international guests into the brand ethos. In Brussels, The Standard’s playful, sophisticated and unexpected approach to hospitality finds strong roots in the city’s global mix of culture, business and nightlife. The simple premise behind The Standard is that it is anything but. Founded in 1999, the goal of every Standard is to raise the aesthetic stakes and defy convention while attending to every detail, embracing our local communities, providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for our teams and, of course, delivering a smashing good time for our guests.

Responsibilities

We are defined by our richness of personality, diversity of background and lifestyle and are now looking for a General Manager who will embody our ‘Anything but Standard’ ethos and lead the continued success of The Standard, Brussels.

Your role

As the General Manager for The Standard, Brussels you will work in partnership with the Head of Operations, Ownership and our Senior Leadership team to drive the ongoing operational and commercial performance of the hotel.

This role is pivotal within the business to ensure that strategic commercial decisions flow through all areas of the operation so productivity and profit are maintained at optimum levels. You will lead and guide the senior team to ensure revenue generation, labour productivity and cost control are aligned with operating budgets and brand objectives. With this in mind, you will lead and manage the Annual Budget, Annual Marketing Plan, Annual Capital Expenditure Plan and Forecasts/Re-forecasts in conjunction with Ownership and ensure strategic objectives are communicated effectively so the team understands and shares the ‘big picture’.

Naturally you will be a strong operator with a solid background in both Rooms and F&B, enabling you to take a pragmatic and creative approach to the business. You will play an active role in hotel programming and events, develop partnerships to support revenue generation across all areas and ensure our multi-outlet operation including Double Standard, Lobby Bar and Lila29 performs at the highest level. Your keen eye for detail means you never miss a thing, and your visible presence within the operation will ensure the property is maintained meticulously and each area is staged to optimise our guests’ experience.

We are, of course, The Standard, and you will play an active role in hosting our guests, from high-profile events and nightlife programming to daily meet and greets with our regular clientele. Equally important are our team members and you will work closely with HR to ensure communication cascades effectively through all levels of the organisation, teamwork remains strong and all employees embody our culture and values.

Finally, you will take overall responsibility for implementing company policies and procedures to ensure that all statutory and legal obligations are met, from licensing, fire and health and safety through to insurance and GDPR requirements.

As a natural team leader, you remain calm during challenging situations with the ability to lead, motivate and coach your team to develop and grow their skills. This is not a ‘Standard’ General Manager role so you will need serious stamina and passion, be highly social, upbeat and friendly; confident and able to handle pressure well; thrive in a high-volume, high-energy environment and work equally well independently and as part of a wider senior management team.

Qualifications

Do you have what it takes to be our General Manager at The Standard, Brussels…

A minimum of 5+ years’ experience as a General Manager or Hotel Manager ideally gained within a similar lifestyle hotel or large 4- or 5-star property in Brussels or (France / Netherlands) is essential for this role.

In addition to this you may also have:

• A strong understanding of the Brussels hotel market, competitors and local business environment
• A good knowledge of local Belgium employment laws and understanding of industry CBA (JC302)
• A background in a high-volume property with a complex multi-outlet F&B operation
• Experience managing or overseeing a vibrant nightlife or activation-driven environment
• An excellent understanding of Revenue Management
• Previous responsibility for full end-to-end budgeting processes with strong commercial acumen
• Experience leading and managing a large team
• Broad senior management experience with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• An interest in arts, music and entertainment
• A highly social, motivated and proactive personality — you’ll need to be the life and soul of the party
• You will need to have a flexible approach to working hours including late nights, as we host a regular nightlife programme and events within the hotel.
• Fluency in both French + English is essential for this role

If you think you have what it takes to be our General Manager at The Standard, Brussels we would love to hear from you.

All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the European Union. Documented evidence of eligibility will be required prior to commencing employment.