Controller

Kessler Hospitality’s portfolio of artistically inspired boutique hotels features unique design, luxurious accommodations, enriching ambiance, and intuitive service. With properties throughout Colorado, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina, each hotel’s exquisite art, music, and cultural influences are intentionally approachable. Designed to inspire and create unforgettable experiences, Kessler guests are immersed in refined Bohemian luxury, whether at a cutting-edge downtown icon, a premier luxury lodge, Savannah’s entertainment destination, or an elite ski lodge. As the founding member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, Kessler Hospitality has long championed bold, original hotels, each carefully created with distinctive style and the Individualist traveler in mind.

Located in Richmond Hill, Georgia, this 200-room dual-branded hotel will feature a Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott inspired by the legacy of Henry Ford, who once owned more than 85,000 acres in Bryan Country and helped shape the Richmond Hill community. The hotel will celebrate the nostalgia of American automobile travel through curated art, artifacts, and vintage vehicles displayed throughout the property, highlighted by a signature 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback located at the entrance. Set to open in late 2026, the hotel is designed to bring Kessler’s signature blend of elevated design, artistic inspiration, and best-in-class Southern hospitality to one of Georgia’s fastest-growing communities.  

The Controller is responsible for overseeing all daily accounting operations, month-end and year-end close processes, balance sheet reconciliations, audits, and financial reporting. This role supervises the Accounting Clerk and coordinates accounting deliverables with Metriqe while ensuring compliance with company policies, internal controls, audit requirements, and USALI standards.

The Controller will support the accounting functions for the Courtyard and Residence Inn in Richmond Hill while also overseeing the reconciliation and review of all balance sheet accounts for the JW Marriott Savannah. This position requires strong technical accounting expertise, exceptional attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities across multiple properties within a complex hospitality environment.

• Maintain a warm and friendly demeanor at all times.
• Must be able to effectively communicate both verbally and written, with all level of employees and guests in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service oriented manner.
• Must be effective at listening to, understanding, and clarifying concerns raised by employees and guests.
• Must be able to multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
• Approach all encounters with guests and employees in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service-oriented manner.
• Attend all hotel required meetings and trainings.
• Participate in M.O.D. coverage as required.
• Maintain regular attendance in compliance with Highgate Hotels Standards, as required by scheduling, which will vary according to the needs of the hotel.
• Maintain high standards of personal appearance and grooming, which include wearing nametags.
• Comply with Highgate Hotels Standards and regulations to encourage safe and efficient hotel operations.
• Maximize efforts towards productivity, identify problem areas and assist in implementing solutions.
• Must be effective in handling problems, including anticipating, preventing, identifying and solving problems as necessary.
• Must be able to understand and evaluate complex information, data, etc. from various sources to meet appropriate objectives.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.
• Effectively manage and communicate cash flow related issues. This includes the accurate and timely preparation of cash flow statements, management of receivables, payables, cash balances, control mechanisms and timely deposits of all funds.
• Monitor hotel revenues and expenses and ensure the accurate recording in accordance with Highgate Hotels’s established guidelines. Investigate and critique variances to budget or to prior year and offer practical improvement methodologies to management.
• Monitor the capital planning process by assisting management with the calculation of return on capital improvements, gathering support and monitoring the bid process, and ensuring proper upkeep of the property by evaluating scope of work and specifications.
• Ensure hotels’ compliance on all regulatory licenses and permits, leases, contracts, legal agreements, and the proper execution of all operational taxes. Provide assistance to management in enforcing compliance on all these items.
• Analyze financial data and operations in order to assist and advise management in maintaining the hotels’ financial objectives.
• Ensure that all balance sheet accounts, including bank reconciliation’s are reconciled on a timely basis.
• Establish and continually audit all internal financial controls including purchasing, cash handling, disbursements, inventories, hotel assets, master keys, payroll, and employee records.
• Embrace a continuous growth environment by actively assisting in recruiting, reviewing, recommending and maintaining an inventory of Directors of Financial Services, Assistant Directors of Financial Services, Assistant Directors of Financial Services Trainees, Accounting Managers, Controllers, Assistant Controllers and other managers for the organization.
• Continually focus on training and development programs for the Accounting associates to cultivate the “brightest” and “best” talent within the industry.
• Ensure implementation and completion of all Accounting Key Competencies, both management and hourly.
• Hire, train, supervise and develop staff, including coaching, counseling and discipline.
• Maintain compliance with Highgate Hotels’ standards and regulations to ensure safe and efficient operation of the hotel.
• Ensure the proper utilization, maintenance and periodic upgrades of all equipment.
• Directs or prepares all financial reports in accordance with Highgate Hotels’s requirements meeting various due dates and deadlines, i.e.,
• Conduct and/or attend and contribute to periodic meetings to maintain favorable working relationships among employees and promote maximum morale, productivity, and efficiency.
• Monitor hotels’ compliance in meeting required report deadlines and due dates and react accordingly.
• Monitor the accurate production of the hotel daily operating report.

• A minimum of 6 years of related progressive experience in hotel Accounting or related field; or a 4-year college degree with an Accounting/ Finance concentration and a minimum of 2 years of related progressive experience; or a 2-year college degree and a minimum of 4 years of related progressive experience.
• Must be proficient in Windows, Company approved spreadsheets and word processing and in the operation of all hotel-specific systems.