General Manager - The Palmer House Hilton

About the Role
The General Manager of the Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel, provides visionary leadership for one of Chicago’s most iconic and historic properties. This role is responsible for driving overall hotel performance while preserving the hotel’s rich legacy and delivering exceptional guest experiences. The GM oversees all operations, leads a large and diverse team, ensures financial excellence, and partners closely with ownership and Hilton to elevate service standards, culture, and market presence. Success in this role requires a strategic, people-first leader with strong commercial acumen, operational expertise, and a passion for stewarding a landmark hotel into its next chapter.

About the Property:
Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel, is Chicago's iconic downtown landmark with more than 150 years of storied elegance. Originally opened in 1871 as a lavish wedding gift and rebuilt after the Great Chicago Fire, it is celebrated as one of North America's longest continuously operating hotels. The grand lobby showcases stunning French-inspired design, glittering Tiffany-style chandeliers, and historic frescoes the reflect its Gilded Age glamour.

Guests enjoy refined rooms and suites just steps from Millennium Park, the Art Institute of Chicago and world class shopping on State Street. The hotel offers modern amenities including a full-service spa, indoor pool, fitness center, signature dining and cocktail venues, and over 130,000 sq ft of elegant event space. Famous for inventing the Palmer House Brownie and hosting presidents and cultural icons, Palmer House blends timeless heritage with contemporary comforts in the heart of the Chicago Loop.

To learn more about the Palmer House, please click HERE .

What are we looking for?

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum of 5 years' Hotel General Manager experience with a proven track record leading operations in a property with 500+ rooms and a minimum $50M annual revenue.
• Proven experience leading a big box hotel with the ability to balance a storied legacy while evolving service delivery to meet modern guest expectations.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, including experience managing hotels within a sales cluster and partnering effectively with centralized or shared-services sales teams.
• Demonstrated success leading hotels through renovation or capital improvement phases, with the ability to collaborate with ownership, lenders, and brand partners throughout planning and execution.
• Track record of driving performance across diverse demand segments, including citywide group business, large room blocks, social events, and strong food & beverage operations.
• Strategic, people-focused leader capable of positioning the hotel for long-term growth and ownership alignment, including performance optimization tied to gainshare or incentive structures.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience partnering effectively with union leadership and navigating unionized environments.
• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to inspire and motivate large teams and serve as a confident, compelling public speaker with internal and external stakeholders.
• Hilton brand experience
• Local market experience

Since being founded in 1919, Hilton has been a leader in the hospitality industry. Today, Hilton remains a beacon of innovation, quality, and success. This continued leadership is the result of our Team Members staying true to our Vision, Mission, and Values. Specifically, we look for demonstration of these Values:

• Hospitality - We're passionate about delivering exceptional guest experiences.
• Integrity - We do the right thing, all the time.
• Leadership - We're leaders in our industry and in our communities.
• Teamwork - We're team players in everything we do.
• Ownership - We're the owners of our actions and decisions.
• Now - We operate with a sense of urgency and discipline

In addition, we look for the demonstration of the following key attributes:

• Quality
• Productivity
• Dependability
• Customer Focus
• Adaptability

What will it be like to work for Hilton?
Hilton is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For nearly a century, Hilton has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. Hilton is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands . Our vision “to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality” unites us as a team to create remarkable hospitality experiences around the world every day. And, our amazing Team Members are at the heart of it all!

The annual salary range for this role is $275K - $315K and is determined based on applicable and specialized experience and location.
Subject to plan terms and conditions, you will be eligible to participate in the Hilton Annual Incentive (Bonus) Plan and the Company's long-term incentive plan, consistent with other team members at the same level and/or position within the Company.