Contracts Manager

DESTINATION MANAGER / REGIONAL TRAVEL MANAGER

NORTHEAST USA — BOSTON · CHICAGO · WASHINGTON DC · PHILADELPHIA

COMPETITIVE SALARY DOE \+ BENEFITS

Destination Manager job covering the Northeast United States — Boston, Chicago, Washington DC and Philadelphia — within the global wholesale travel sector. This is a commercially driven hotel contracting role managing FIT supplier relationships, rate negotiations and portfolio performance for a high-volume, internationally operating tour operator.

▌ Do you?

Have recent experience contracting hotels within the US market — with a strong understanding of destinations such as Boston, Chicago, Washington DC or Philadelphia and the hotel landscape within them?

Are you commercially minded and confident negotiating directly with hotels to secure competitive rates, availability and added value — while building strong long-term partnerships rather than taking a purely transactional approach?

Do you understand how quickly the hotel market can move — staying close to market trends, keeping a constant eye on rates and availability, and knowing when to challenge, renegotiate or push for more when needed?

Are you someone who enjoys managing your own region and being trusted to make decisions — comfortable having commercial conversations at all levels, from sales managers through to hotel leadership and ownership groups?

And importantly, do you enjoy being out in market — meeting hotel partners face to face, strengthening your network and becoming the go-to expert for your destinations? Candidates should ideally be based in Boston, Chicago, Washington DC or Philadelphia, or within a reasonable commuting distance of one of these cities.

▌ Our Customer

Our client is an established global travel business specialising in wholesale group travel and FIT hotel distribution across international markets. They work closely with hotel partners around the world to build competitive, well-positioned travel product for their global network of travel trade clients.

With teams across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America, they have built a strong reputation within the industry for their market knowledge, commercial credibility and collaborative way of working. They value people who know how to build long-term partnerships, navigate commercial conversations confidently and represent the business well in market.

They are now looking to bring in a Destination Manager to take ownership of hotel contracting across key US cities including Boston, Chicago, Washington DC and Philadelphia. This is a commercially focused role where you will negotiate directly with hotels, manage supplier performance, review market competitiveness and help ensure the business has the right product, rates and availability in place to support sales and growth.

▌ The Role

In this role, you will own the commercial hotel contracting strategy across four key Northeast US destinations, ensuring the business holds the most competitive FIT offering in the market.

– Negotiate and secure rates, inventory and conditions with a portfolio of hotel partners

– Achieve room night and revenue targets through ongoing monitoring and optimisation

– Develop deep, in-market knowledge across Boston, Chicago, Washington DC and Philadelphia

– Identify and target key new strategic accounts and suppliers within your region

– Monitor contracted allocation usage and the competitiveness of negotiated rates

– Build strong relationships with sales leaders and management teams globally

– Analyse performance data and provide actionable recommendations to management

– Represent the business at trade shows and industry events as required

– Conduct regular hotel visits and business trips within your contracting territory

▌ Experience Required

– Significant and recent experience of hotel contracting in the Northeast US market

– Exceptional negotiation skills with the ability to influence at all organisational levels

– Strong commercial acumen and solid working knowledge of hotel distribution channels

– Confident analysing and evaluating data to shape and execute growth strategies

– Excellent written and verbal communication in English

– Ability to work independently to deadlines in a fast-paced environment

– Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel

▌ Benefits

– Competitive salary reflecting experience and the importance of the role

– Health insurance

– 401K match

– 20 days annual leave plus major public holidays

– Travel opportunities at discounted prices

– Collaborative, high-performance culture where individual contribution is recognised

▌

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for a Destination Manager in wholesale travel in the USA?

The package is competitive and reflects the seniority of the role and your experience. Ambitions Travel Recruitment will share full salary and package details with all shortlisted candidates before interview.

Is this role remote or office-based?

This role is remote-based, with a preference for candidates located in the Northeast US — specifically within or close to Boston, Chicago, Washington DC or Philadelphia. Regular hotel visits and in-territory business travel are a requirement of the role.

Is travel industry experience required for this Destination Manager position?

Yes — significant and recent hotel contracting experience in the Northeast US market is essential. Ambitions Travel Recruitment will fully brief all shortlisted candidates before interview.

What does a Destination Manager role in FIT wholesale travel involve?

A Destination Manager in FIT wholesale travel is responsible for negotiating and contracting hotel rates, inventory and conditions within a defined geographic territory. The role combines commercial strategy, supplier relationship management, data analysis and in-market expertise to ensure the business holds the most competitive product for its global distribution network.

How do I apply through Ambitions Travel Recruitment?

Apply via this page. Ambitions Travel Recruitment reviews every application personally — no automated screening. Register at ambitionstravelrecruitment.com to be considered for future roles.

Who are Ambitions Travel Recruitment?

Boutique headhunters specialising in luxury leisure travel, lifestyle and events — UK, South Africa, GCC, Asia and North America. Founded by Fi Morrison-Arnthal with 35\+ years’ experience.

Click here to apply for this

Destination Manager

job, which is being recruited by Ambitions Travel Recruitment, a boutique recruitment agency, specialising in global luxury travel, lifestyle and events roles, and known for sourcing hard-to-find talent.

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