General Manager – Trilith Guesthouse, A Marriott Tribute Portfolio Hotel — Fayetteville, GA

We’re looking for enthusiastic, fun, and energetic people who take the work seriously, but not themselves. Let’s see if we’re a fit. We hope so.

The General Manager serves as the strategic and operational leader of Trilith Guesthouse, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio Hotel, responsible for delivering exceptional guest experiences, employee engagement, financial performance, and long-term asset value. This role provides visionary leadership while ensuring operational excellence across all departments, creating a distinctive boutique hotel experience that reflects the unique character of the Tribute Portfolio brand and the creative spirit of the Trilith community.

As the leader of one of the most unique boutique hotels in the Marriott system, the General Manager champions a culture rooted in storytelling, creativity, personalized service, and authentic guest connections. The General Manager is accountable for maximizing profitability, driving market share, protecting the owner's investment, and ensuring the hotel consistently exceeds guest expectations and brand standards.

A critical component of this position is fostering a strong partnership with hotel ownership through proactive communication, transparency, responsiveness, and accountability. The General Manager must build trust and confidence with ownership by providing timely business insights, strategic recommendations, accurate forecasting, and consistent follow-through on commitments. This role serves as the primary liaison between ownership, Mainsail Lodging & Development, Marriott International, and the local community.

The General Manager leads by example, cultivating a high-performance culture that embraces innovation, develops talent, and creates memorable experiences for guests, associates, owners, and stakeholders alike.

About Trilith Guesthouse

Located in the heart of the Town at Trilith and adjacent to the world-renowned Trilith Studios, Trilith Guesthouse is a 193-room Marriott Tribute Portfolio boutique hotel designed to inspire and celebrate storytellers from around the globe.

Unlike traditional hotels, Trilith Guesthouse delivers an immersive experience where creativity, imagination, and community intersect. The hotel serves filmmakers, creators, business travelers, leisure guests, and local residents seeking an authentic destination experience. Every aspect of the hotel—from its design and culinary offerings to guest interactions and community engagement—is intentionally curated to inspire meaningful connections and unforgettable stories.

As a Tribute Portfolio property, Trilith Guesthouse embraces individuality and character while maintaining Marriott’s commitment to service excellence. The General Manager is responsible for preserving and elevating this unique identity while driving operational and financial success.

Essential Functions

Business Strategy Development

The General Manager remains informed of hospitality industry trends, market conditions, competitive activity, and emerging opportunities while evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the local marketplace. This includes identifying new revenue streams, guest experience enhancements, and strategic initiatives that maximize customer satisfaction, profitability, and market share.

The General Manager develops comprehensive business plans that align with Mainsail Lodging & Development, Marriott International, and Tribute Portfolio brand objectives. These plans are translated into actionable strategies and measurable goals that drive operational excellence and long-term success.

Business Strategy Execution

The General Manager implements and drives business plans designed to enhance guest satisfaction, increase profitability, strengthen market positioning, and create sustainable growth.

This includes ensuring all departments are aligned with the hotel's strategic goals while maintaining accountability for execution and results. The General Manager encourages innovation and calculates risk-taking to improve guest experiences, operational efficiency, and financial performance while ensuring decisions positively impact the overall success of the property.

Ownership & Stakeholder Relations

The General Manager is expected to establish and maintain a trusted partnership with ownership through consistent communication, transparency, and accountability.

Responsibilities include:

• Serving as the primary representative of the hotel to ownership and investors.
• Building long-term trust and confidence through integrity, responsiveness, and execution.
• Providing timely and accurate financial reporting, forecasting, and business updates.
• Presenting strategic recommendations that support asset growth and long-term value creation.
• Maintaining regular communication regarding hotel performance, market conditions, capital projects, risks, and opportunities.
• Ensuring ownership is informed, engaged, and confident in operational decisions.
• Leading quarterly business reviews and annual strategic planning sessions with ownership.
• Demonstrating stewardship of ownership investments through disciplined financial management and capital planning.
• Fostering collaborative relationships with Marriott, ownership groups, Mainsail leadership, and community stakeholders.

Talent Management & Organizational Capacity

The General Manager cultivates a high-performing, service-oriented culture that attracts, develops, and retains exceptional talent. Recognizing that associates are the foundation of the guest experience, the General Manager is responsible for building an engaged workforce that embodies the values of Mainsail Lodging & Development, Marriott International, and the unique spirit of Trilith Guesthouse.

The General Manager actively coaches and develops department leaders through consistent feedback, accountability, mentoring, and career development planning. Individual development plans are established for all direct reports, focusing on leadership growth, operational excellence, succession planning, and professional advancement.

The General Manager fosters an environment where creativity, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement thrive. Through effective workforce planning and talent assessment, the General Manager ensures the hotel maintains the organizational capacity necessary to achieve both short- and long-term business objectives.

Special emphasis is placed on:

• Leadership development and succession planning.
• Associate engagement and retention.
• Building a culture of accountability and recognition.
• Creating opportunities for career growth and internal promotion.
• Developing future leaders within Mainsail and Marriott.
• Maintaining strong associate satisfaction and engagement scores.
• Ensuring all leaders are actively coaching and developing their teams.

The General Manager leads by example and creates a workplace where associates feel valued, empowered, respected, and inspired to deliver extraordinary guest experiences.

Brand Champion

As the leader of a Marriott Tribute Portfolio Hotel, the General Manager serves as the ultimate steward of the hotel's identity, culture, and guest experience.

The General Manager champions the unique story and positioning of Trilith Guesthouse, ensuring that every aspect of the operation reflects the property's commitment to storytelling, creativity, community, and authentic hospitality. They inspire associates to embrace the hotel's purpose and create memorable moments that differentiate the guest experience from traditional hotels.

The General Manager promotes a culture of excellence that aligns with:

• Marriott International brand standards.
• Tribute Portfolio brand values.
• Mainsail Lodging & Development's Core Values.
• The creative spirit of the Town at Trilith and Trilith Studios.

Through visible leadership and effective communication, the General Manager ensures that associates understand how their individual contributions support the overall mission and success of the hotel.

The General Manager serves as a change leader, fostering innovation while maintaining operational consistency and ensuring all decisions positively impact guests, associates, ownership, and the long-term success of the property.

Business Information Analysis

The General Manager utilizes data-driven decision-making to maximize profitability, guest satisfaction, associate engagement, and asset value.

Through regular analysis of financial, operational, guest experience, and market data, the General Manager identifies opportunities, anticipates challenges, and develops strategies that improve business performance.

Areas of focus include:

• Revenue generation and market share growth.
• Profitability and expense management.
• Labor productivity and workforce optimization.
• Guest satisfaction and loyalty metrics.
• Marriott GuestVoice and brand performance scores.
• Associate engagement survey results.
• Competitive set analysis and market trends.
• Food and Beverage performance.
• Capital planning and asset preservation.
• Forecasting accuracy and business planning.

The General Manager maintains a comprehensive understanding of all financial statements, including profit and loss statements, balance sheets, cash flow analysis, and operational performance metrics.

Business insights are communicated regularly to ownership, Mainsail leadership, and hotel teams through detailed reporting, forecasting, strategic planning, and performance reviews. The General Manager ensures business decisions are supported by data while remaining aligned with the hotel's strategic objectives and ownership goals.

What You Have

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Prior General Manager experience is strongly preferred.
• Minimum of ten years of progressive hospitality leadership experience, with significant exposure to Rooms and Food & Beverage operations.
• Experience leading a luxury, lifestyle, boutique, or independent hotel preferred.
• Marriott brand experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience working directly with ownership groups, investors, and asset managers.
• Proven success managing complex Food & Beverage operations.
• Strong customer service and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong presentation and public speaking abilities.
• Advanced understanding of hotel financial management, forecasting, budgeting, and balance sheet analysis.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and hospitality management systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, collaboration, accountability, and innovation.

What You'll Do

• Consistently demonstrate and uphold Mainsail Lodging & Development's Core Values.
• Deliver exceptional guest experiences that reflect Marriott and Tribute Portfolio standards.
• Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Build a strong leadership culture based on honesty, transparency, collaboration, and mutual respect.
• Drive revenue growth, profitability, and market share while maximizing owner returns.
• Lead all operational, financial, and strategic functions of the hotel.
• Conduct regular leadership meetings and operational reviews.
• Ensure compliance with Marriott brand standards, company policies, and operating procedures.
• Lead capital projects, renovations, and property improvement initiatives.
• Manage guest concerns and oversee service recovery efforts.
• Develop, present, and achieve annual operating, marketing, sales, and capital budgets.
• Drive profitability while maintaining exceptional guest satisfaction.
• Set and execute both short-term and long-term strategic goals.
• Develop cost-control initiatives and operational efficiencies.
• Provide accurate monthly reporting, forecasting, and business reviews to ownership and stakeholders.
• Monitor daily business reports and adjust operational