Director of Operations

About AARO

AARO Hospitality Management is a Houston-based third-party hotel management company operating branded select-service and upscale-select hotels under IHG, Hilton, Marriott, and Choice flags. We currently manage 8 hotels across multiple states totaling approximately $32.5M in managed revenue. We are building a best-in-class platform with an operational turnaround thesis, and we are looking for someone who wants to build with us.

The Role

We are hiring a Director of Operations to own day-to-day operating performance across an initial cluster of 4 hotels, with a path to 6 as the portfolio grows. You are the primary operator for your portfolio: you lead the General Managers and Area General Managers, enforce AARO’s playbook, and make sure every property hits its EBITDA, brand, and guest targets. You are a core member of the leadership team and will work shoulder-to-shoulder with the principals, Director of Revenue Management, Corporate Controller, and Director of Growth to build and scale the platform the right way.

What You Own

Overall performance of 4 select-service and upscale-select hotels across multiple states. Direct management of each property’s General Manager and Area General Manager. Execution of AARO’s operating standards, SOPs, and training programs at the property level. Labor discipline, controllable expense discipline, and flow-through to EBITDA in partnership with the leadership and finance team. Brand standards, QA scores, and guest satisfaction metrics. On-time, on-budget execution of maintenance and capex projects once approved.

Decision Authority and Guardrails

People: you coach, develop, and performance-manage GMs and Area GMs, and recommend hires and terminations, with final decisions made collaboratively with the leadership team. Money: you propose annual budgets, staffing plans, and unbudgeted OpEx and CapEx needs, with all material money decisions made in partnership with the ownership and Corporate Controller team. You bring clear analysis and recommendations; we make the calls together. Operations: you can require implementation of AARO SOPs, training, vendor changes, and process changes across your portfolio once approved centrally, and you lead the follow-through until changes stick.

What You Will Do

Visit each assigned property 1 to 2 times per month based on performance, with more attention on underperformers. Run weekly performance calls with each GM covering EBITDA versus budget, RevPAR index, labor, guest scores, and project status. Partner with the Director of Revenue Management to align GMs on rate strategy, mix, and sell-out discipline. Partner with the Corporate Controller to keep books clean, expenses coded correctly, and variances explained. Ensure every property stays audit-ready for brand QA, safety, and compliance. Build and refine operating SOPs so new hotels can plug into a proven system as the portfolio grows.

What We Are Looking For

Required: 5+ years of hotel operations leadership, including multi-property, area, or regional responsibility. Deep experience with select-service and upscale-select hotels under at least two major brands. A track record of growing GOP/EBITDA and RevPAR index, not just keeping properties stable. Comfortable reading a P&L and translating it into specific labor and expense actions. Able to be direct, hold GMs accountable, and still maintain strong relationships. Excited to work directly with a leadership team in a lean, fast-moving environment. Nice to have: experience at a third-party management company, turnaround or underperforming asset experience, multi-state operations experience, and experience building or rolling out SOPs across multiple hotels.

Long-Term Growth

As AARO adds hotels, this role is designed to grow into broader multi-cluster or portfolio-wide operations leadership. For the right person, the path leads toward VP of Operations-level responsibility as you prove you can consistently grow hotel performance across multiple markets.

Compensation and Benefits

Base salary $110,000 to $130,000 depending on experience, targeting around $120,000 for the right fit. Performance-based bonus tied to hotel EBITDA growth, RevPAR index versus comp set, and brand and guest scores. Paid time off, health insurance, and 401(k), plan in development.

About You

You want to build something. You are comfortable in a small, fast-moving team where your work matters immediately, and you want to grow into a bigger role as the company does.

Pay: $110,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Application Question(s):

• Have you turned around an underperforming or distressed hotel? What was the result?
• Have you led operations for select-service or upscale-select hotels under at least two of these brands: Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Choice?
• Willing to travel to hotels across multiple states 1 to 2 times per month?
• Name one hotel or portfolio where you grew EBITDA/GOP or RevPAR index. Give before and after numbers and the time frame.
• A property is running 3 points of labor over budget with flat occupancy. What are your first two moves?
• Have you operated at a third-party management company, or only owner-operated hotels?

Traliant, 360training, IHG Merlin or MyLearning, Hilton University, Marriott MGS or Digital Learning Zone, Best Western University, Monday.com

Experience:

• Hospitality: 5 years (Preferred)

Work Location: In person