Staff Accountant at Sonesta Hotels, Sonesta NYC, NY

Staff Accountant at Sonesta Hotels in Sonesta NYC, NY. Full-time. $31.5 to $37.5 an hour. Apply with swipeandhired.

We’re People People. Are you?

We’re Sonesta International Hotels—the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S. (and growing fast 🚀).

With a dynamic mix of full-service and focused hotels across major cities, our diverse portfolio of owned, managed, and franchised properties means we’re everywhere our guests need us to be.
But here’s the thing—we’re not just in the business of hotels, we’re in the business of people. We bring service with passion, loyalty with purpose, and create experiences that genuinely connect—delivering quality, value, and memorable stays across 1,000+ properties in eight countries (and counting).

What this role is all about

The Staff Accountant serves as a core financial operator and analytical partner supporting a full-service hospitality environment inclusive of Rooms, Restaurant, Bar, Catering, and Room Service operations.

This role is responsible for real-time revenue integrity across PMS/POS systems, F&B and Rooms profitability analytics (COGS, PAR, yield), daily income audit, cash controls, payroll, and inventory compliance. The position ensures 100% revenue capture, audit readiness, and margin optimization, directly impacting Gross Operating Profit (GOP).

This role goes beyond traditional bookkeeping and is responsible for:

• Real-time revenue integrity across PMS/POS systems
• F&B and Rooms profitability analytics (COGS, PAR, yield)
• Daily income audit and cash controls in a high-volume environment
• Inventory oversight and compliance (liquor, food, and spoilage controls)

The position is critical to ensuring 100% revenue capture, audit readiness, and margin optimization, directly impacting Gross Operating Profit (GOP).

If you’re analytical, organized, and passionate about hospitality finance — we’d love to meet you.

What you’ll be doing
WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Onsite presence required due to:

i. Daily cash handling
ii. Inventory oversight
iii. Cross-functional coordination with operations

• Hospitality setting (hotel + restaurant + event operations)

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Revenue Integrity & Systems Reconciliation

• Perform daily PMS vs. POS reconciliation across all outlets (restaurant, bar, catering, room service)
• Audit and validate:
• Banquet event orders (BEOs) and catering billing
• House accounts and comp/discount activity
• Third-party integrations (OTA, TravelPass, etc.)
• Investigate and resolve:
• Chargebacks and disputed transactions
• Revenue discrepancies and unposted transactions
• Ensure complete capture of all revenue streams across Rooms and F&B

1. Income Audit & Daily Operations

• Execute daily income audit across all revenue centers
• Prepare and post daily income journals
• Monitor deviations from expected revenue trends
• Produce daily flash reports for leadership decision-making
• Perform cashier audits and validate cash handling procedures

1. F&B Analytics, COGS & Yield

• Be prepared to perform menu-level and recipe costing analysis
• Monitor and analyze:
• Food & beverage cost percentages
• Waste, spoilage, and variance trends
• Support pricing and yield strategies using:
• PAR (Per Available Room) metrics
• Contribution margin analysis by outlet
• Partner with operations (Chef, F&B Director, Catering) to:
• Improve profitability
• Identify cost inefficiencies

1. Inventory Control & Compliance

• Conduct and support:
• Physical inventory counts (food, beverage, liquor)
• Bottle-for-bottle liquor controls
• Spot audits and variance analysis
• Identify and report:
• Obsolete inventory and shrinkage
• Potential fraud or control weaknesses
• Ensure compliance with:
• Sales tax regulations
• Liquor laws and reporting requirements

1. Cash & Reconciliations

• Prepare and reconcile:
• Daily cash deposits
• Credit card settlements
• Bank reconciliations (daily/monthly)
• Ensure timely and accurate close processes
• Monitor cash flow trends tied to receivables and operations

1. Accounts Receivable & Catering

• Manage:
• Catering deposits and event billing cycles
• Corporate accounts and receivables aging
• Coordinate directly with Sales & Catering teams to:
• Prevent billing delays
• Eliminate revenue leakage
• Maintain continuous communication to support operational continuity

1. Accounts Payable, Payroll and Other Disbursements (NYC Complex’s Commission Reconciliation)

Daily Responsibilities

• Be familiar with EPRO, ADP, Yardi General Ledger to process and code vendor invoices across all properties (hotel, F&B outlets, catering, and corporate entities)
• By opening new mails that arrive (electronically or otherwise), ensure invoices are:

i. Properly approved, and processed per delegation of authority
ii. Matched to purchase orders, contracts, and receiving documentation (3-way match where applicable)

• Audit, monitor, and manage invoice intake channels (email, POS integrations, vendor portals - EDI)
• Maintain accurate invoice aging and tracking logs
• Respond to vendor inquiries regarding payment status and discrepancies
• Review and reconcile daily receiving reports (Laundry, food, beverage, operating supplies) against invoices
• Flag and escalate:

i. Pricing discrepancies
ii. Duplicate invoices
iii. Unapproved purchases

• Coordinate with department heads (Chef, F&B Director, Engineering, Rooms) for invoice validation
• Ensure proper expense coding by department and property (Rooms, F&B, Catering, A&G, POM, Utilities)
• Maintain compliance with cut-off procedures for daily financial reporting
• Working knowledge to reconcile associate’s timesheet, audit and complete payroll cycle.
• Reconcile payroll deductions and follow up with compliance reporting -weekly, monthly and annually
• Perform bank and credit card reconciliations.

Weekly Responsibilities

• Follow up with the corporate office (Shared Services) on preparation and processing of weekly check runs / electronic payments (ACH, wire, virtual cards) across all entities
• Prioritize payments based on:

• Vendor terms
• Operational criticality (e.g., Movies, Garage, F&B reimbursements, TA and Group Commissions, food vendors, utilities, linen services)

• Reconcile vendor statements and resolve outstanding discrepancies
• Review open A/P aging report and identify:

• Past-due balances
• Unapplied credits

• Coordinate with operations to resolve invoice disputes and receiving issues
• Ensure timely payment of:

• Perishable goods vendors (F&B)
• Contractual services (security, maintenance, IT systems)

• Monitor cash requirements and provide weekly A/P cash forecast to CFO/DOF
• Assist in maintaining approved vendor list and onboarding documentation (W-9, insurance, contracts)
• Perform random audits of invoices to ensure adherence to internal controls

Monthly Responsibilities

• Perform month-end A/P close procedures for all properties:

• Accrue expenses for goods/services received but not invoiced (GRNI)
• Ensure all invoices are recorded in the correct accounting period

• Reconcile:

• A/P subledger to general ledger
• Vendor balances and aging schedules

• Review and analyze:

• Expense trends by department (Rooms, F&B, Catering, etc.)
• Significant variances vs. budget/prior periods

• Ensure timely processing and payment of:

• Sales & use taxes (if applicable to purchases)
• Recurring expenses (rent, management fees, licenses, subscriptions)

• Support month-end financial reporting by providing:

• A/P aging
• Accrual schedules
• Vendor analysis

• Maintain proper documentation for audit trail and compliance
• Evaluate vendor performance and identify opportunities for:

• Cost savings
• Consolidation
• Renegotiation of terms

Quarterly Responsibilities

• Assist in quarterly financial close and reporting requirements
• Review and validate 1099 vendor classifications and payments
• Perform detailed review of:

• Large vendor accounts
• Contractual obligations and payment terms

• Support internal and external audits by preparing:

• A/P schedules
• Invoice samples
• Payment support documentation

• Evaluate and test internal controls over A/P processes
• Coordinate with DOF\ADOF on cash flow planning and working capital management
• Review vendor contracts for compliance with negotiated terms

Annual Responsibilities

• Follow up on the preparation of 1099 forms for all applicable vendors
• Support year-end audit by providing:

i. Full A/P ledger
ii. Accrual documentation
iii. Vendor confirmations

• Assist in annual budgeting, internal and external audit request, and processes by providing historical expense data and trends – Pulling supporting documents when needed.
• Review and update:

i. Vendor master file (remove inactive vendors, update compliance documents)
ii. Payment terms and contract renewals

• Participate in year-end close procedures, ensuring all liabilities are accurately recorded
• Evaluate A/P processes and recommend:

i. Automation improvements (invoice scanning, OCR, system integrations)
ii. Workflow efficiencies across multiple properties

• Ensure compliance with:

i. Corporate policies
ii. Tax regulations
iii. Audit requirements

1. Financial Reporting

• Work closely with DOF or Assist. to Generate:
• Weekly and monthly financial reports
• Departmental performance dashboards
• Work closely with DOF or Assist. to Support:
• Budgeting and forecasting processes
• GOP and margin analysis

• Respond to ad hoc requests from:

i. DOF, GM, Ownership

1. Internal Controls & Process Improvement

• Identify and escalate:

i. Internal control weaknesses
ii. Process inefficiencies

• Assist in implementing:

i. Enhanced workflows across accounting and operations

• Support transition from:

i. Reactive bookkeeping → proactive financial partnership

What great looks like

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field (required).
• CPA track or hospitality focus (preferred)

Experience:

• 2–4 years of specific accounting experience with general ledger and chart of account experiences.
• Exposure to hospitality, restaurant, or multi-unit operations strongly preferred

Technical Skills:

• Advanced Excel
• POS/PMS systems (Micros, Opera preferred)
• Accounting systems (QuickBooks, Sage)

Core Competencies:

• Analytical mindset with strong attention to detail
• Ability to operate in fast-paced, high-volume environments
• Strong communication with both finance and operations teams
• Ability to multi-task across daily operations and month-end responsibilities
• Exhibits a “can-do” attitude which includes willingness to proactively assume additional responsibilities for new project(s) and duties that contribute to growth at the individual (role) level, departmental, level and company level

Anticipated Pay Range & Additional Job Information
Hourly Compensation Range: $31.50 - $37.50
Base pay offered may vary depending on various factors including but not limited to job related knowledge, skills, and job specific/overall experience.

How we reward you

At Sonesta, we know showing up for our guests starts with showing up for our people. That means supporting your health, your financial future, and everything in between.

Here’s a snapshot of what we offer:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

• Health Savings Account (HSA) with Company Match

• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match

• Paid Vacation & Sick Time

• Paid Parental Leave

• Company-Paid Life Insurance

• Company-Paid Short-Term & Long-Term Disability

• Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness & Accident Insurance

• Educational Assistance

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