Abbi Balaka

Experience

• 

  The Henry Ford

  Apr 2017 - Dec 2017

  Food Service Intern

  o Supervised hourly food concession stand employeeso Ensured proper food safety protocols were followed o Acknowledged customer issues and resolved their problems quickly and efficiently

• 

  Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center

  Oct 2017 - Dec 2019

  o Generated $30,000+ in revenue in the short-term social group market within six monthso Merged contracts, banquet event orders, and room blocks in OPERA Sales and Catering Systemo Provided day-of coordinator services to wedding groups o Worked as Front Desk Host, Reservations Agent, PBX Operator, and Bellhop in a convention hotel with 160 rooms and 35,000+ square feet of meeting spaceo Served hotel, restaurant, and convention guests simultaneously in a fast-paced environmento Facilitated communication between hotel departments using OPERA PMS System

  • Wedding Sales Assistant, Trainer

    Oct 2018 - Dec 2019

  • Front Office Rotational Agent

    Oct 2017 - Oct 2018
• 

  Detroit Zoological Society

  May 2018 - Aug 2018

  Marketing and Events Intern

  o Executed 10 public events with 250-5,000 guests, 60+ private events with 25-2,000 guestso Assisted clients in understanding available rental options and service plans for their needso Effectively communicated with other employees, management, and third-party vendors to ensure complete care of customers

• 

  Marriott International

  Feb 2020 - Jul 2020

  Event Voyager

  VOYAGE Leadership Development Programo Fostered relationships with clients to manage event programs using FOSSE and SFA Systemso Undertook the role of Food/Alcohol Inventory Planning and Controlo Program ended prematurely due to COVID-19

• 

  Grand Hyatt Nashville

  Aug 2020 - now

  o Yielded $1,300+ of incremental revenue in four months by implementing upsell techniques during check-in, including suite and view upgradeso Managed guest satisfaction by organizing pre-arrival delighters and following up on guest issues after departureo Supported Guest Services team of 23 people, including Guest Services Representatives, Night Auditors, Telephone Operators, Concierge, Bell Persons, and Club Level Attendants o Welcomed all hotel and restaurant guests and provided tours of the new state-of-the-art facilities in a luxury property with 591 rooms and 77,000+ square feet of meeting spaceo Communicated with all hotel departments to provide consistently excellent service and safety for guests during COVID-19 pandemico Created, modified, and cancelled guest reservations using Reserve, OPERA PMS, Colleague Advantage, and third-party web portals (i.e., Expedia, Booking.com, Priceline)

  • Revenue Manager

    Sept 2024 - now

  • Reservations Manager

    Feb 2022 - Sept 2024

  • Revenue & Reservations Supervisor

    May 2021 - Feb 2022

  • Front Office Supervisor

    Nov 2020 - May 2021

  • Front Desk Host

    Aug 2020 - Nov 2020