Hotel Café Royal is home to some of Londons most iconic dining destinationsincluding The Gallery, Café Royal Grill, Green Bar, and Cakes & Bubbles. As Head Host, you will oversee and inspire the team of Hosts across all F&B outlets, ensuring a seamless, elegant, and guest-centric arrival experience that reflects the hotels heritage of excellence.
In this role, you will serve as the primary liaison for all restaurant and bar guests, working closely with the operational teams to uphold standards, refine guest flow, and ensure every visit is personalised and memorable.
Your Role
As the Head Host, you will lead a multi-outlet host team, ensuring flawless coordination across our restaurants and bars. You will champion the guest journeyfrom reservations and warm welcomes to fond farewellsensuring that every interaction reflects Café Royals refined service philosophy.
Key Responsibilities
Lead, supervise, and support the Host team across The Gallery, Café Royal Grill, Green Bar, and Cakes & Bubbles.
Ensure guest experience excellence, acting as the main point of contact for restaurant and bar guests throughout their visit.
Maintain and elevate service standards, coaching hosts on luxury etiquette, guest engagement, and service flow.
Collaborate closely with F&B operational teams to ensure smooth communication and coordination between front-of-house and service teams.
Oversee reservations and seating plans, ensuring guest preferences, VIP details, and special occasions are accurately communicated and delivered.
Monitor and enhance the arrival and departure experience, ensuring each guest receives a warm, personalised, and efficient welcome.
Support in training and developing Host team members, including onboarding, ongoing coaching, and performance support.
Resolve guest concerns promptly and professionally, anticipating needs and consistently exceeding expectations.
Ensure the physical presentation of reception desks, podiums, and entrance areas meets the hotels luxury standards at all times.
Assist in reporting, communication logs, and coordination for daily briefings with F&B leadership.
Your Profile
Experience: Previous experience as a senior host, head host, or guest relations professional within a luxury hotel or high-end restaurant environment.
Leadership: Strong ability to lead, motivate, and coordinate a small team in a fast-paced, multi-outlet setting.
Communication: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with a warm, confident, and polished approach to guest interaction.
Organisation: Excellent understanding of reservations, seating management, and guest flow optimisation.
Service Mindset: A passion for luxury hospitality, with an eye for detail and a commitment to exceeding guest expectations.
Professional Presentation: Immaculate grooming and a poised, gracious, and service-driven demeanour.
System Knowledge: Familiarity with reservations and table-management systems (e.g., SevenRooms, OpenTable, ResDiary).
The benefits:
Pay of up to £35,000 including service charge
Access to heavily discounted friends and family rooms rates
Two complimentary rooms nights per year (after 1 year of employment)
Up to 50% colleagues discount in all our food and beverage outlets
Colleague wellness sessions in our Akasha spa each month including osteopath, podiatrist, yoga and fitness classes (as well as staff discounts on spa treatments)
Regular social events, including our infamous Summer Party (August) and Black-Tie Annual Awards dinner (January)
Christmas celebrations, including colleague lunch, childrens party and Christmas gift
Automatic membership of the companys life assurance scheme from day one
Generous discounts on retail and dining in Central London through the West End Club app
Mental health support including Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and mental health champions in all departments
A variety of external benefits including gym discounts and free eye tests
Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
A wide range of both internal and external training and development programmes to support all of our colleagues career progression
The usual bits and bobs such as free meals on duty, uniform laundry, pension & holiday
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