INDUSTRIES

    Hospitality, travel and luxury leadership search

    Luxury hospitality is growing while much of the market fights for margin, and guests expect more from every interaction. Here's what makes each leadership search hard right now, what to look for, and what to watch out for.

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    The market right now

    • US hotel revenue per available room fell 0.3% in 2025, while luxury hotels grew 5.7%.(CoStar, January 2026)
    • The 2026 forecast was raised to 4.4% growth on World Cup and America 250 demand.(Hotel Dive, August 2026)
    • 70% of hoteliers raised wages, and more than half say they're somewhat or severely understaffed.(AHLA, March 2026)
    • The quits rate in accommodation and food services averaged 4.2% a month in 2025, nearly double the 2.2% private-sector rate.(BLS, March 2026)
    • The US luxury hotel pipeline reached a record 103 projects (Lodging Econometrics via Hotel Dive, July 2026), while luxury spending is shifting from goods toward experiences.(Bain & Company and Altagamma, November 2025)

    Leadership roles we recruit

    • General Manager and Director of Operations
    • Director of Guest Experience and Chief Experience Officer
    • Director of Sales and Director of Revenue Management
    • Head of Media, Head of Content and Creative Director
    • Spa and Wellness Director
    • Director of Food and Beverage
    • Director of Marketing and Brand
    • Luxury retail Store Director, Regional Director and Director of Clienteling

    In demand now

    • Director of Hospitality Technology, Data and AI
    • Director of Loyalty and CRM
    • Director of Events and Catering
    • Pre-Opening General Manager
    • Director of Asset Management (owner side)
    • Director of Branded Residences
    • Director of Private Clients
    • Director of Talent and Workforce Strategy

    Role guides

    General Manager and Director of Operations
    Why it's hard right now
    Owners want margins protected while costs rise (CoStar, January 2026), and a record luxury pipeline is competing for a small pool of proven luxury general managers.
    What to look for
    P&L results through a down cycle. Fluency working with owners and asset managers. Labor modeling. Department heads who stayed. CHA is a plus, not a requirement.
    Watch out for
    A select-service general manager jumping straight to luxury without a luxury step in between. A whole career inside one brand's system, hired into an independent or owner-run property.
    Pay data
    The BLS median for lodging managers is $69,250 (May 2025). It skews toward limited-service hotels, so luxury roles pay well above it.
    Director of Guest Experience and Chief Experience Officer
    Why it's hard right now
    Companies define the role very differently, and the stakes are high: guests who had a problem rated their stay 217 points lower on J.D. Power's 1,000-point satisfaction index. (J.D. Power, July 2025)
    What to look for
    Service-recovery systems. Guest data and CRM fluency. Satisfaction gains tied to revenue. Real authority across departments.
    Watch out for
    An experience title with no operating authority. Luxury service polish with no data skills, or the reverse.
    Director of Sales and Director of Revenue Management
    Why it's hard right now
    Revenue management now covers total revenue, including food and beverage, spa and experiences, and HSMAI calls recruiting and retaining that talent a significant challenge. (HSMAI, December 2024)
    What to look for
    A total-revenue track record, not rooms only. Oversight of pricing systems and AI tools. Group displacement analysis. Discipline on distribution costs. HSMAI CRME, CRMA or CHSL.
    Watch out for
    Revenue managers who can't explain what the pricing system recommends. A sales book that really came from the brand's national accounts.
    Head of Media, Head of Content and Creative Director
    Why it's hard right now
    Social media drives 36% of trip discovery, but only about $7 billion of an estimated $115 billion in social-inspired travel demand is booked through social. (Skift, July 2026)
    What to look for
    Content tied to bookings or revenue. Experience running creator programs. Command of in-house production costs. Brand governance across properties. Generative AI workflows with rights and brand-safety controls.
    Watch out for
    A portfolio with no performance data. Agency-only experience. Judging creators by follower count.
    Spa and Wellness Director
    Why it's hard right now
    US spa revenue reached $23.5 billion in 2025, up 4.2%, while spa employment grew only 0.2%. (ISPA, March 2026)
    What to look for
    Yield management for treatment rooms and retail. Therapist retention. Clinical governance for medical wellness. A licensed-practitioner background.
    Watch out for
    A day-spa operator stepping into a resort spa, which averages $1.9 million in revenue per location against $0.93 million for a day spa. (ISPA, June 2025) Wellness vision with no P&L experience.
    Pay data
    Average full-time spa director pay is $108,700 at resort and hotel spas. (ISPA, June 2025)
    Director of Food and Beverage
    Why it's hard right now
    Labor makes up 59.4% of hotel food and beverage expenses. (CBRE, November 2025)
    What to look for
    A P&L covering multiple outlets plus banquets. Labor scheduling. Running concepts with partner chefs or restaurant groups. Beverage program revenue. AHLEI CFBE. Sommelier credentials for luxury properties.
    Watch out for
    A standalone restaurateur with no banquet or in-room dining experience. A chef-led concept with no labor model.
    Director of Marketing and Brand
    Why it's hard right now
    First-party data is now central. Marriott Bonvoy reached 271 million members after adding 43 million in 2025. (Hotel Dive, February 2026)
    What to look for
    CRM and first-party data skills. Direct-booking economics. Visibility in AI search. Brand architecture. HSMAI CHDM.
    Watch out for
    Mass-market marketers who default to discounting when placed in luxury. Brand leaders who can't read a P&L.
    Luxury retail leadership: Store Director, Regional Director and Director of Clienteling
    Why it's hard right now
    68% of top luxury clients follow their advisor to a new brand (Bain via Forbes, December 2024), so losing a store leader can mean losing clients.
    What to look for
    Advisor retention. Adoption of clienteling tools. Growth in the top-client book. Event-driven selling. Pay-plan design.
    Watch out for
    Leaders from outlet or volume retail. Results that depend on one or two star advisors.

    Hiring for one of these roles, or want a second opinion on how to recruit for it?

    Across our careers, we've recruited for roles like these. Tell us what you're hiring for and we'll share what we'd look out for, whether or not you start a search with us.

    Start a SearchTalk With TAP

    Frequently asked questions

    Do you recruit for pre-opening teams?
    Yes. Pre-opening general managers and department heads are among the most in-demand hires right now, with a record luxury hotel pipeline.
    How long does a hospitality leadership search take?
    Most of our searches take 4 to 10 weeks, depending on the role and the market.
    What does TAP charge for a hospitality or luxury leadership search?
    25% of the new leader's first-year compensation. On most packages, an engagement fee paid at the start is credited toward it, and the placement fee is invoiced on your new leader's start date. See the full fee guide.

    Sources

    1. CoStar, 2026 hotel outlook, January 2026: https://www.costar.com/article/717287358/last-years-hotel-headaches-persist-but-2026-shows-slow-growth-expectations
    2. Hotel Dive, raised 2026 outlook, August 2026: https://www.hoteldive.com/news/costar-tourism-economics-raise-us-hotel-performance-outlook-2026/827318/
    3. AHLA, staffing survey, March 2026: https://www.ahla.com/news/rising-cost-staffing-challenges-persist-hotels-travel-demand-expected-hold-steady
    4. BLS, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, Table 22: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.t22.htm
    5. Hotel Dive, Q2 2026 construction pipeline, July 2026: https://www.hoteldive.com/news/hotel-construction-pipeline-q2-2026/826231/
    6. Bain & Company and Altagamma, luxury study, November 2025: https://www.bain.com/about/media-center/press-releases/20252/global-luxury-stays-resilient-despite-economic-headwinds-and-shifting-consumer-trends-that-reshape-marketbain--company-and-altagamma/
    7. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, lodging managers: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/lodging-managers.htm
    8. J.D. Power, 2025 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index, July 2025: https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2025-north-america-hotel-guest-satisfaction-index-nagsi-study
    9. HSMAI, revenue optimization trends, December 2024: https://americas.hsmai.org/insight/8-revenue-optimization-trends-and-challenges-for-2025/
    10. Skift, July 2026: https://skift.com/2026/07/30/announcing-skift-creator-summit/
    11. Health Club Management, ISPA US Spa Industry Study, March 2026: https://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/health-club-management-news/US-spa-industry-revenue-reaches-US235-billion-in-2025-says-annual-ISPA-study/362721
    12. Spa Business, ISPA 2025 US Spa Industry Study, June 2025: https://www.spabusiness.com/wellness-news/ISPA-releases-full-2025-US-Spa-Industry-Study-with-details-of-spa-staff-compensation/356147
    13. CBRE, hotel food and beverage, November 2025: https://www.cbre.com/insights/articles/hotel-food-and-beverage-a-bright-spot-in-2025
    14. Hotel Dive, Marriott loyalty members, February 2026: https://www.hoteldive.com/news/marriott-adds-more-than-40-million-loyalty-members/811934/
    15. Forbes, luxury retail labor, December 2024: https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanziger/2024/12/08/luxury-brands-face-a-retail-labor-crisis-as-51-of-employees-plan-to-leave-their-jobs/

    Last reviewed September 2026