Company Description
Work Your Way to the heart of the Waikato flagship, home to Novotel & ibis Tainui Hamilton - a dynamic dual-brand complex proudly owned by Tainui Group Holdings and located on the banks of the Waikato River in the heart of Hamilton’s CBD. Together, our hotels combine contemporary comfort, authentic manaakitanga and strong community connection, delivering memorable experiences for business, conference and leisure travellers exploring the Waikato region.
The General Manager is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the Novotel & ibis Tainui Hamilton complex, overseeing performance, people and guest experience across both hotels while building strong relationships with owners, iwi partners and community stakeholders.
Novotel Tainui Hamilton offers 217 contemporary guestrooms and 4.5-star comfort in a prime riverfront location, featuring modern meeting and event facilities and vibrant dining within walking distance of Hamilton’s retail and entertainment precinct.
ibis Tainui Hamilton complements the complex with 126 well-appointed guestrooms, providing a smart, accessible stay with city or river views and convenient access to local attractions.
Together, the hotels (343 rooms) form a key hospitality destination in the Waikato region, combining scale, flexibility and Accor’s Heartist culture with the spirit of Waikato manaakitanga.
Job Description
- Provide visible, strategic leadership across Novotel & ibis Tainui Hamilton, setting clear direction and performance expectations for both hotels.
- Drive commercial and financial performance through revenue growth, profitability, cost control and capital planning.
- Champion operational excellence and brand integrity aligned to Novotel and ibis standards.
- Build high-performing leadership teams and a strong Heartist culture focused on engagement, wellbeing and succession planning.
- Maintain relationships with Tainui Group Holdings, iwi partners and key stakeholders, acting as Accor’s senior representative in the Waikato region.
- Lead with cultural awareness and authenticity, embedding manaakitanga, inclusion and respect for Te Ao Māori in guest and team experiences.
- Drive innovation and continuous improvement to enhance guest satisfaction, operational efficiency and market reputation.
- Build community and industry partnerships supporting tourism, business events and regional economic growth.
- Act as the primary escalation point ensuring compliance, governance and risk management across both hotels.
Qualifications
- Proven General Manager experience, ideally within a multi-department or dual-brand hotel environment.
- Strong commercial acumen with demonstrated success leading complex operations and managing multiple stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to lead large, diverse teams, fostering engagement and high-performance cultures.
- Experience working closely with owners, boards and external stakeholders, building trust and confidence.
- A genuine appreciation of the cultural context of operating in Aotearoa New Zealand, with the ability to lead respectfully, inclusively and with understanding of manaakitanga and Te Ao Māori.
Additional Information
- Competitive Salary package including bonus potential
- Salary continuance insurance
- Private Healthcare
- Incredible Accor Heartist Benefits - discounted Food & Beverage & Accommodation Worldwide
Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
We are an inclusive company, and our ambition is to attract, recruit, and promote diverse talent. We offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process — please let us know if you require support.
