General Manager

The Retreat Elcot Park; Newbury; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Healthcare

Pension

General Manager bonus scheme

28 days’ holiday plus your birthday off

Ongoing training opportunities

Discounted stays and dining

Early access to pay

Comprehensive Wellbeing Hub

Referral bonuses up to £1,000

Long Service Awards

Complimentary meals on shift

Supplier trips, workshops, and industry experiences

Job summary

The Retreat Elcot Park is seeking a General Manager to lead our hotel operations. This pivotal role involves overseeing a team, managing commercial performance, and ensuring exceptional guest experiences in beautiful Berkshire surroundings.

Ideal candidates will have at least five years of senior operational experience in quality hotels. We offer a competitive salary, private healthcare, a bonus scheme, and opportunities for personal and professional growth within a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years in a senior operational role at a quality hotel or inn.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and organized in complex situations.
• Strong understanding of financial metrics without compromising guest experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support Heads of Department to create a cohesive team.
• Manage hotel’s commercial performance thoughtfully.
• Ensure a natural and polished guest experience.
• Foster a positive team culture.
• Balance attention to both the big picture and finer details.
• Collaborate closely with the Managing Partner and support team.

Skills

Leadership

Customer service

Organizational skills

Financial understanding

Detail-oriented

Job description

General Manager — The Retreat at Elcot Park

Some places are easy to fall in love with. The Retreat at Elcot Park is one of them.

Set within beautiful Berkshire countryside, The Retreat is a place where things feel considered without ever feeling overthought — a hotel with a relaxed rhythm, understated style, and a genuine sense of welcome. It’s somewhere guests come to switch off, settle in, and stay a little longer than planned.

Due to an internal promotion, we’re now looking for a General Manager to lead it — someone who enjoys the natural pace of a busy hotel resort operation, who notices the detail, and who knows how to create something that feels both effortless and exactly as it should. This role will report into the Operations Director (who used to be The Retreat's General Manager)- so there is great continuity in place!

The Role (or, what your days might look like)

No two days are quite the same — and that’s very much part of the appeal.

You might begin the morning walking the hotel, taking it all in with fresh eyes. By midday, you’re working with your team to shape ideas and plans that move things forward. And by evening, you’re with guests — listening, on the floor, and ensuring everything feels just right.

Along the way, you will:

• Lead and support a team of Heads of Department — setting the tone, offering clarity, and keeping everyone moving together
• Take ownership of the hotel’s commercial performance, with a steady, thoughtful approach to growth
• Ensure the guest experience feels natural — warm, polished, and never overdone
• Build a team culture people want to be part of — and choose to stay in
• Balance the bigger picture with the smallest details — because both matter equally
• Work closely with our Managing Partner and Central Support Team

About You

You’re experienced, certainly — but more importantly, you’re considered in how you lead.

• You’ve spent at least five years in a senior operational role within a quality hotel or inn with rooms. This could be your first GM role, or you may have led a smaller hotel before.
• You’re calm when it’s busy, organised when it’s complex, and consistent throughout
• You understand the numbers — but never at the expense of people
• You notice the small details (and know they’re rarely small)
• You lead in a way that feels natural, never forced
• You take pride in creating something that feels… just right

What We Offer

We think carefully about the experience of working with us, too.

• Competitive salary (discussed on application), Private Healthcare and Pension
• General Manager bonus scheme
• 28 days’ holiday (including Bank Holidays), plus your birthday off
• Ongoing training and clear opportunities to grow — including involvement in our new Learning & Comms platform, powered by All Gravy
• The opportunity to move across the wider Signet Collection
• Discounted stays and dining for you, your family and friends
• Stream — access up to 40% of your pay before pay day, and save directly from your salary
• A comprehensive Wellbeing Hub, powered by Hospitality Action — including 24/7 support, fitness, nutrition and counselling
• Referral bonuses of up to £1,000
• Long Service Awards — from memorable dinners to theatre experiences and stays across the collection
• Complimentary meals on shift
• Supplier trips, workshops and industry experiences