Job Title: Lodge Manager
Function:
Directly responsible for all Lodge functions including cabin rental management, housekeeping, kitchen operations and meal service, grounds keeping, and all other operational concerns. Helps with hiring, and trains any subordinate managers and other employees, numbering a total staff of about 5-8. Has frontline contact with lodge guests and provides superior guest service. (Note that most reservations are made through our main office in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, so this is not part of the on-site job. The exception is walk-ins that come directly to the resort.)
Background:
The River Dance Lodge is a small log cabin resort located in central Idaho along the banks of the Clearwater River and next to US Highway 12, roughly half way between Missoula, Montana and Lewiston, Idaho. The resort is owned by the owners of ROW Adventures, Idaho’s largest rafting and adventure travel company. There are 8 log cabins that sleep from 4-10 people plus three “glamping” tents that accommodate two people each. There is limited camping available for people that have booked activities with ROW and also for random bicyclists traveling the river corridor.
From 2005-20 we also operated the on-property Syringa Café as our dining option for the Resort. It has gone through several iterations during that time in terms of serving breakfast or not, being open to the public or not, etc. In 2021 it will not be open to the public, nor will it have an on-demand menu. Lodge staff will facilitate meals on a limited basis for package guests in a format of fixed menus.
We operate as an all-inclusive resort and offer packages that include accommodations, meals and activities, however in 2021 we will only include meals for parties of 10+ or weddings or other events. Most of our business is cabin rentals and packages that include activities.
We are seeking a dynamic general manager with resort and food service experience. Preference is given to those with a big smile and strong work ethic. Applicants should be positive, energetic, ambitious, motivated, hard working, and have excellent supervisory and communications skills.
This is a challenging and demanding position requiring someone with high energy and a positive attitude. Applicants should have experience training and supervising staff, a proven record in providing exemplary guest service and be able to operate independently. On the dining side, the resort manager would also supervise staff to prepare meals for small groups of 10-20 people who have purchased all-inclusive packages, as well as weddings which usually happen 3-5 times a season.
During the Lochsa whitewater season (mid-May to early July) the restaurant prepares lunch for all rafting clients going on trips with ROW Adventures. This can be 10-30 people per day during the week and 30 per day on weekends. After Lochsa season, ROW continues to conduct rafting trips, but they are generally smaller and the hectic pace of weekends slows down some. Lunches are still prepared for the July/August trips but group size is typically 6-12 people.
We are seeking people looking for a long term seasonal position. We offer competitive pay, housing during the season, and FSA. We are a family-run business and offer a healthy, supportive work environment. We do not tolerate drug use and prefer people that do not use tobacco. The owners live four hours away in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho but visit on a regular basis. Reservations, and sales and marketing take place from our Coeur d’Alene office.
The resort is open from latter-April to mid-October and this position would start a couple of weeks prior to opening and end a week or so after we close.
More background: The resort was built from 2004-2005 and has a proven track record and loyal guests. The area is an outdoor paradise with rivers for canoeing, rafting and kayaking, wilderness areas for hiking, fishing and hunting and wide-open spaces to explore.
Note that this position requires people who will get their hands dirty to get the work done. This is not an office-based administrative type of management. Rather the manager will be expected to do housekeeping, help in the kitchen/dining arena as needed, perhaps a limited amount of grounds keeping, all in addition to administrative duties.
What to Expect:
The season starts gradually when we open in late April or early May with some highway traffic and cabin guests. It picks up dramatically once ROW Adventures begins whitewater rafting trips on the Lochsa in mid-May. It then remains quite busy (particularly on weekends) with the peak whitewater season running until late June. Late June to early July is a transition as the rafting season slows down but the general traveler season picks up. The cabins are generally booked to near full occupancy from roughly June 20 through Labor Day weekend. Things slow down some in September and then quite a lot in latter September and early October with only a few cabins occupied on weekday nights but weekends still booked pretty full.
Note that during the Lochsa season there are an additional 5-7 whitewater rafting guides that camp on the property and operate ROW’s rafting trips. This operation is separate from the lodge but the lodge manager and the Lochsa River Manager work closely together to coordinate a positive guest experience.
As indicated previously, this is a “hands on” position that requires a person willing to do the physical work of running the resort. One of the seasonal positions we hire for is a mostly full time groundskeeper who takes care of many aspects of the grounds including the hot tubs at the cabins. We also have a full-time seasonal housekeeper, and in the peak of the season another person dedicated to housekeeping. There are also “activity guides” who guide our gentle floats, hikes and bike tours, but also do housekeeping, grounds keeping, and help in the dining area, During the shoulder seasons of spring and fall the manager must be willing to do many of these tasks as most other staff will be gone. Business is slow enough that we cannot afford additional staff at this time, so the manager does indeed make beds, water and mow lawns, clean hot tubs, serve in the café, etc. This is primarily from opening to mid-May and again from early September to closing in early or mid-October. However, even in the busy summer season the erratic nature of the volume of business means the manager must be willing to jump in where needed.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Human Resources:
- Make employment and termination decisions including interviewing, hiring, evaluating and disciplining personnel as appropriate.
- Provide orientation of company and department rules, policies and procedures and oversee training of new employees.
- Oversee and ensure that employee performance reviews are followed and completed on a timely basis. These should be given within three weeks of a new employee’s arrival and then every four to six weeks thereafter.
- Be knowledgeable of company policies regarding personnel and administer prompt, fair and consistent corrective action for any and all violations of company policies, rules and procedures.
Lodge Facilities:
- Ensure that all lodging facilities are in top condition and full working order. Use provided manuals to make sure all details are covered.
- Ensure that all housekeeping standards are met or exceeded according to company guidelines.
Dining Operations:
- Responsible for supervising any kitchen crew.
- Ensure that food and dining service meets or exceeds quality standards and provides consistently great food, service and presentation.
- Complete inventory, ideally on a weekly basis, but no less than once per month.
Grounds Keeping:
The resort owns five acres. This is landscaped around the cabins, restaurant and camping area
- Keep the limited lawn areas green, clean and mowed.
- Maintain irrigation and drainage systems including a drip irrigation system,
- Keep everything properly watered, especially during July/August.
Guest Extras:
- Write personal thank you cards to all guests.
- Encourage guests to complete online reviews such as on Google, Trip Advisor, etc.
- Train all staff to be familiar with the scope of ROW’s operations and be able to converse about these with lodge guests.
- Be familiar with the local area trails and things to see and do in order to answer guest questions and direct them to places and activities of interest.
General & Administrative:
- Fill in where needed to ensure guest service standards and efficient operations as explained above about the need to be “hands on.”
- Prepare all required paperwork, including financial reports, payroll, forms, reports and schedules in an organized and timely manner.
- Responsible for overall cost control. Expense comparisons from previous years will be provided as guidelines.
- Responsible for operating the lodge in a way that minimizes energy consumption including electricity and propane and monitoring monthly usage carefully.
- Embrace our “responsible business” ethics and run the resort in as environmentally responsible a manner as possible including reducing, reusing and recycling.
- Embrace our values around inclusion and diversity
- Maintain excellent relationship with Lodge suppliers and outside maintenance personnel.
- Schedule labor as required by anticipated business activity while ensuring that all positions are staffed when and as needed and labor cost objectives are met.
- Understand and permeate the place with a sense of the Resort’s Mission and Values.
Qualifications:
- A minimum of 2 years of experience in the hospitality industry, ideally in a management position.
- A Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management or similar or, work experience equivalent to this.
- Proficiency in computer programs
- Familiar with POS systems. Use as needed for gift shop sales, etc.
- Able to effectively communicate clearly with managers, staff and guests.
- Be able to reach, bend, stoop and frequently lift up to 50 pounds.
- Be able to work in a standing position for long periods of time (up to 9 hours).
Salary and Benefits:
- Salary is DOE, plus housing is provided. As well, it’s assumed that most food consumed will come from the restaurant.
- Flexible Spending Account: To complement the health insurance coverage, after 30 days employment, eligible to participate in ROW’s FSA (Flexible Spending Account) that allows pre-tax wages to be withheld to pay for medical expenses not covered by health insurance or health insurance deductibles, or other dental, optical or other medically related expenses as defined by Federal Laws governing these plans.
How to Apply:
Thanks for applying to River Dance Lodge!