General Manager - AETHOS Ericeira

Key Responsibilities Guest Experience & Brand Spirit

Champion the Aethos ethos of relaxed, unpretentious luxury

Personally connect with guests across the wellness, surf, and design-conscious traveler mix that defines Aethos's community

Uphold the property's sustainability commitments as a lived practice

Protect the design integrity of the property in partnership with ownership and the original design team

Team Leadership

Lead and maintain an inclusive work environment for the team, fostering an open and respectful culture

Guide, motivate, and align the team around a clear, shared vision for the property's future

Lead visibly and informally on the floor; be a coach and mentor, not a distant executive

Identify and develop internal talent who can grow with the property

Foster bilingual (Portuguese/English) team communication and a strong local hiring pipeline

Financial & Operational Management

Own the P&L, budgeting, forecasting, and revenue strategy (RevPAR, ADR, occupancy)

Oversee F&B, spa, wellness programming, Experiences and the full operations together with the HODs

Manage supplier relationships in line with the property's sustainability standards

Report to stakeholders and ownership on financial performance and property direction

Community & Local Relationships

Represent the hotel within the Ericeira community — stakeholders, suppliers and partners

Liaise with Portuguese regulatory bodies and local government as needed

Build relationships across the broader Aethos portfolio to share best practices

Sales, Marketing & Reputation

Support the Aethos brand's positioning as a design-led, wellness-focused lifestyle leader

Maintain strong relationships with trade partners (Smith Hotels, Michelin Guide, luxury travel advisors)

Monitor guest sentiment thoughtfully across platforms while staying true to brand tone

Requirements Experience & Education

Degree in Hospitality Management, Business, or related field

3-5+ years progressive hospitality experience, ideally as Assistant GM, Hotel Manager or Operational-, Duty manager role in boutique, lifestyle, or wellness-focused properties

Experience in a design-led or wellness/lifestyle brand strongly preferred

Experience with small-key-count properties (under 75 rooms) preferred

Language & Communication

Fluent Portuguese required (native or professional fluency)

Fluent English required

Additional languages (Spanish, French) a plus

Skills & Competencies

Entrepreneurial mindset — comfortable in a fast-scaling, less bureaucratic brand environment

Strategic and growth-oriented, with a genuine drive to elevate a property's experience and market position over time, not just maintain the status quo

Creative eye for guest experience — naturally generates ideas for how a stay could feel more special, memorable, or worth paying more for

Strong financial acumen paired with commercial instinct — understands how experience quality connects to rate and revenue performance

Comfortable building a case for change and personally driving it through, rather than waiting for direction

Calm, solutions-oriented approach to problem-solving

PMS systems proficiency (Opera, Mews, or similar)

Solid, practical understanding of Rooms, F&B and wellness, with a genuine commitment to embedding them into daily operations rather than treating them as marketing points

Commercially minded and revenue-focused, able to balance profitability with guest experience and team wellbeing

Local sensitivity paired with global sensibility — deeply connected to the Ericeira community while comfortable engaging a diverse, international clientele

Personal Attributes

High energy, hands-on, and ambitious - sees this as a property with real room to grow, and is motivated by that opportunity

Restless in a good way: always looking for the next improvement, partnership, or idea rather than settling into routine

Genuinely curious about wellness, gastronomy, local culture, sustainability, and design, and how these translate into guest value

Open to candidates of any gender; we welcome applications from all qualified candidates

Comfortable living locally or in the Ericeira area

Flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays

Strong alignment with Aethos's conscious-travel, community-minded philosophy

Genuine care for the wellbeing of the team, not just guests — creating an environment where staff feel supported and inspired to deliver their best

Committed to preserving the local environment and natural setting as part of day-to-day decision-making, not as a separate initiative

What We Offer Competitive salary + performance-based bonus

Health Insurance benefits, paid leave

Career growth within a fast-scaling international lifestyle hospitality group, including future opportunities as Aethos expands its Portuguese portfolio (Lisbon 2027 and beyond)

The chance to genuinely shape the next chapter of one of Portugal's most distinctive design-led properties