AC Hotel Spartanburg's Sarah Keim Shines Like a ‘Rising Star’

October 9, 2024 | Awards

She joined OTO Development as an operations intern and immediately stood out as a future leader. Today, as Director of Sales at AC Hotel Spartanburg, Sarah Keim has been honored among Hotel Management’s 2024 Thirty Under 30, a list that showcases our industry’s preeminent rising stars.

Read Hotel Management's 2024 Thirty Under 30 Special Feature

Below is Sarah’s Q&A with Hotel Management magazine:

Q: Tell us about your current position. What are your top five responsibilities?

I am the Director of Sales at AC Hotel Spartanburg, where I oversee the sales and marketing efforts for a select-service property in the heart of downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina. My top responsibilities include:

• Developing relationships with existing and potential corporate travelers to maintain strong negotiated production.
• Executing overall hotel revenue strategy by winning group and corporate business that aligns with the property’s day of week and rate needs.
• Collaborating with our catering sales manager to identify opportunities to sell meeting space for a variety of events, both business and social.
• Working with our corporate support team to identify sales and marketing initiatives on a quarterly basis.
• Building, developing, and managing a sales team capable of executing at a high level.

 

Q: What leadership skills have you used the most in your current role?

Humility was the primary leadership skill I needed when I became DOS. I had come to the property from the corporate office, joining a hotel team that already had an experienced sales manager in place. It took humility to learn all the systems and nuances of this particular property from someone I’d be leading, but I needed her to teach me before I could begin contributing fully in my new role.

While I am still growing my skills every day, that initial learning curve was steep. Asking for help from those who report to me ultimately strengthened our team — it laid a foundation of mutual respect and established a culture of collaboration where we help each other win business rather than compete. As such, this sales department is thriving.

The leadership skill I am currently relying upon most heavily is communication as I navigate conversations with guests, meeting planners, corporate travel partners, and local clients; communicating clearly builds trust and establishes credibility throughout the sales process.

 

Q: What was appealing about the hospitality industry to you prior to joining the industry? Is that the same thing that appeals to you today?

I grew up and attended college in OTO Development’s corporate hometown. I was initially interested in the company — prior to knowing much at all about the hospitality industry — because I’d always heard OTO was a great employer that cultivated potential in people who are early in their careers. I first joined the company as an operations intern, and I rotated through every department at two hotels in Washington, D.C. That’s when realized just how exciting the hospitality industry could be; what appealed to me most was the variety of opportunities along so many different career paths.

I grew up playing sports and thrived most in environments where teamwork is crucial to success; my summer internship showed me how important collaboration amongst departments is to the overall success of a hotel. After graduating, I joined OTO Development’s corporate office, working in revenue management, before transitioning back into an on-property role. The teamwork aspect is still so appealing to me, and I’ve come to realize it’s truly the people who keep me engaged.

I feel most fulfilled when making genuine connections to people I’m meeting for the first time and hearing about what’s brought them to Spartanburg and, especially, to my hotel.

 

Q: What is the most pressing challenge you’ve faced on the job in the past year? How did you resolve it?

As a relatively new Director of Sales who comes from a revenue management background, I’m relishing the challenge of honing my sales skills and learning to step outside of my comfort zone in order to fill AC Hotel Spartanburg with guests as well as meetings and events.

I accepted this role because of my love for our local community — truly, I want everyone who visits to experience just how special this city is. OTO offered me an opportunity to combine my passion for the city with my passion for meeting new people, even though I had little sales experience. The idea was, you can teach sales but you can’t teach passion.

Initially I worried about saying the right phrase or using the most convincing rhetoric to convert a piece of business; what I know now is that being honest with people while having a rich conversation makes more of an impact when selling than just saying the right words to close a deal.

 

Q: How are you working today to develop your career for your next roles?

I fell in love with learning at an early age and my college professors encouraged all of us to become “lifelong learners.” Because my career path didn’t lead back to the classroom, I’ve chosen to make AC Hotel Spartanburg my school. I am constantly reaching outside of the sales office to learn more about every other department in the hotel.

It’s easy in sales to close the door, make our phone calls, prospect our business, and go about our day without ever interacting with the people who make the experience so special for our guests. Therefore, I’m intentional about spending time out in the hotel — working at the front desk, for example — so that I learn something new every day about what happens in operations that I might not otherwise experience.

Stepping outside my own daily routine keeps me well-versed in more than just sales, which I believe will lead me to make a more agile pivot toward whatever my next role might be.

 

Q: What experiences, people or tools have taught you the most?  

I learn best on the job. There have been so many moments — on a revenue call or in the middle of a sales blitz, for example — when I've needed to think on my feet to execute the plan. I believe in preparation, but there’s almost always some last-minute aspect to any situation where you need to be able to react quickly. Those are the moments that have taught me more about who I am as a leader and where I have the most opportunity to grow.

 

Q: What is the most appealing aspect of your work environment?

My work environment is especially appealing because the City of Spartanburg is experiencing exponential growth and AC Hotel Spartanburg is in the heart of all that is to come. By Spring 2025, there will be a minor league baseball team in a brand-new stadium that is literally in our hotel’s backyard along with new restaurants, retail, and entertainment.

I grew up in Spartanburg so working now with other community leaders to grow our city is incredibly rewarding. With all the redevelopment around our downtown hotel, my team and I feel invigorated to execute at the highest level as we work together to achieve our goals.

CAPTION: AC HOTEL SPARTANBURG Director of Sales Sarah Keim, one of Hotel Management’s 2024 Thirty Under 30.

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