Assistant Innkeeper - Station Inn B&B

Property Name: The Station Inn

Website: www.stationinnpa.com

Position: Assistant Innkeeper

Position Classification: Hourly, $16/hour

Hours: Sunday 11am-4pm; Monday, Thursday, Friday 7am-3pm; Tuesday, Wednesday 7am-12pm

Date: October 2024

The Property

Open since 1993, The Station Inn B&B has provided comfortable lodging and tasty breakfasts to rail enthusiasts from all over the world. Situated 150 feet from the busy Norfolk Southern main line, guests relax on our front porch to take in the rail action. History buffs and railfans alike visit this area to explore the famous Horseshoe Curve, the Gallitzin Tunnels, and the Altoona area. We aim to provide a homestyle, comfortable experience for all of our guests. The inn has 8 suites that sleep up to about 30 people in total. The Yard Office Lounge is located in the basement of the Inn. This “speakeasy” space is currently used only for private events, such as groups/reunions, business meetings, parties, etc.

Position Objective

We are seeking a self-motivated, friendly, and personable candidate to serve as an Assistant Innkeeper, who will help ensure our guests feel at home by preparing hearty breakfasts and cleaning guest rooms and common areas.

Positivity, honesty, and integrity are essential attributes of the team and set examples for all staff and their behavior. Professional appearance and behavior is always required when guests are on the property.

Position Summary

The Assistant Innkeeper reports to the General Manager. They are mainly responsible for cooking breakfast, housekeeping, and administrative tasks. They will ensure guests enjoy a hearty breakfast in a communal environment, experience clean guest rooms and common areas, and receive a warm send-off that inspires them to return.

We seek staff who are trained in all aspects of the Inn’s operations, however we are open to different staffing mixes that suit the particular skills and interests of each staff member. For example, if a staff member is a great cook and prefers to handle breakfast, we would be flexible in accommodating a schedule that supports that interest. To this end, candidates should highlight their special skills or talents such as baking, event planning, or even brewing.

The Assistant Innkeeper should be sensitive and responsive to guests’ dietary and accommodation needs. They will manage guest check-out and ensure guests questions are answered. They should be well-versed and comfortable with the property's location, history, and activities to optimize the guest experience and help guests with local activity and dining suggestions.

Time Commitment

The Assistant Innkeeper may be expected to work between 5-31 hours/week. Fewer hours will be required during off-peak season (November-March), while more hours will be required during peak season (April-October). Typical hours are scheduled Sunday-Friday mornings/early afternoons.

The Assistant Innkeeper is expected to communicate time off needs with the General Manager and to coordinate daily on ensuring responsibilities are covered between staff members.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities are defined in the following areas:

Food Service and Housekeeping

Daily Operations

Cook and serve breakfast to guests including food prep, making coffee, table setting, reviewing dietary needs, baking as needed, plating, serving, etc.

Ensure guests enjoy a hearty, communal breakfast, by engaging in conversation and prompting group discussion.

Clean up after breakfast including removing dishes from table, wash all dishes, sweep/mop kitchen floor

Clean guest rooms after guest check-out

Light cleaning of common areas

Weekly Operations

Sweep/mop kitchen floor; keep refrigerator, stove, and pantry clean.

Report all housekeeping and kitchen equipment and supply needs to General Manager

As needed

Prepare breakfast casserole or conduct breakfast prep for next morning at Assistant Innkeeper’s discretion.

Bake or prepare afternoon snacks for guests at Assistant Innkeeper’s discretion.

Assist with weekly breakfast menu planning, including dietary preferences or restrictions of guests and rotating offerings each week.

Assist with purchasing food needed for weekly breakfast menu, including coordinating delivery orders and grocery shopping. Assist with purchasing additional food for cookie jar, afternoon snacks, tea, etc.

Assist with purchasing housekeeping supplies

Guest Relations

Daily Operations

Oversee guest check-out, ensuring all guests receive a warm send-off that inspires them to return again. Ensure all guests are paid in full prior to departure, facilitate any early check-out needs, invite guests to write a review, make sure keys are returned, offer assistance with leaving town, etc.

Engage with the guests and make them feel welcome and at home by offering referrals to local sites and restaurants, answering their questions, creating rituals and experiences for them like morning coffee on the porch or meeting new friends over breakfast.

Ensure guests comply with published policies, including avoiding the railroad tracks.

As needed and as directed by General Manager

Conduct front-office functions such as: answering the phone and returning voicemails within 8-12 business hours; making phone or in-person reservations; reviewing and managing booking calendar in reservation system, including online reservations; and referring unusual booking circumstances to owners. Assistant Innkeepers are not permitted to make same-day or short-notice reservations, these circumstances should be reported to the General Manager for consideration.

Welcome guests at check-in. Ensure expectations are set with guests and that guests are introduced to the property, know which staff will be on duty during their stay, who to call in case of any needs.

Tend to guest emergencies.

General Management and Administrative

Daily Operations

Fulfill gift shop/merchandise orders made in-person or online, including shipping online merchandise orders.

As needed and as directed by General Manager

Check and respond to all e-mails

Ensure coverage for all cleaning and cooking needs based on reservation schedule, including same-day room flips and two staff for breakfast support when more than 10 guests will be present for breakfast.

Collect and upload all receipts to Quickbooks

Manage petty cash

Enter payroll hours for all staff and ensure Guest Innkeepers are paid prior to departure.

Review and follow manuals, checklists, procedures, and policy documents for staff.

Maintenance

Daily Operations

Ensure the property’s facilities, porches, parking areas, and sidewalks are kept clean, neat, and free of debris, and that garbage/trash is regularly and properly disposed of.

Ensure all interior and exterior spaces are in good working order by conducting interior and exterior grounds maintenance checks. Identify maintenance needs like fire extinguisher compliance, plumbing, electrical, paint, landscaping, show removal, etc. and report needs to General Manager.

As needed

Tend to property emergencies.

Event Planning and Coordination

As needed and as directed by General Manager

Assist with catering needs, Yard Office Lounge cleaning and event space prep, etc.

Position Requirement

Qualified candidates must have at least one year of relevant experience. The successful candidate must be passionate about hosting, an exceptional communicator, confident with guests, accountable for delivering results, and comfortable rolling up their sleeves (literally), acting as the face of the property and the Owner.

Food safety certification preferred, but training will be provided as needed.

Compensation and Incentives

The Assistant Innkeeper will be paid an hourly wage of $16/hour for up to 31 hours/week. Pay periods are weekly, with checks distributed on or as close to each Monday as possible.

At the 3-month review, an incentive plan will be established based on mutually established benchmarks for guest satisfaction, work ethic, and other overall objectives established with the Owner. The incentive plan will be paid annually in November at the conclusion of peak season; total potential earnings of up to 10% of base compensation.

Time Off

The Assistant Innkeeper is responsible for coordinating scheduling needs with the General Manager. The Inn is closed for the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years during which times staff will enjoy unpaid time off.

Additional Background

Our B&B is somewhat of a hybrid of a train station, a hunting cabin, and your grandparents’ house when you were a kid. It is comfortable and home-style, and somewhat eccentric. Our aim is not to provide the traditional, “fancy”, B&B experience you’ll find elsewhere. But we want our guests to feel at home, and design our services accordingly. Most of our guests are rail enthusiasts, and roughly 50% of our guests are repeats. Our service is provided somewhat on an as-is, where-is basis. (For example, breakfast is typically served at 8:15am. If guests request a 7am breakfast due to an early flight, it is entirely at the General Manager discretion whether or not to accommodate.)