Head Housekeeper

The Bath Priory - Management and Support roles; Bath; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Service charge and gratuities on top

Management bonus scheme

Discounts across our family of hotels

25% off food and beverage

Staff rates of £25 B&B per person

Perkbox discounts

Free meals on duty

Employee Assistance Programme

Milestone rewards and experiences

Career progression opportunities

Job summary

The Bath Priory is seeking a proactive Head Housekeeper to lead our housekeeping team and uphold the hotel’s 5‑star standards. You’ll be responsible for the presentation and maintenance of 33 bedrooms, public areas and back‑of‑house spaces, ensuring every corner reflects dedication to guest comfort and luxury.

You will recruit, train and mentor staff, collaborate with other departments and drive continuous improvement in cleanliness, efficiency and service quality.

Qualifications

• Senior housekeeping experience in a luxury hotel
• Proven leadership and mentoring abilities
• Strong knowledge of housekeeping standards and procedures

Responsibilities

• Lead the day‑to‑day operation of the Housekeeping department, motivating and developing the team
• Set and maintain the highest standards for bedrooms, bathrooms, public areas and back‑of‑house spaces
• Oversee room allocations, cleaning schedules and inspections to ensure rooms are ready for arrivals
• Recruit, induct and train new colleagues and promote a culture of pride in work
• Coordinate with Reception and Maintenance to handle guest requests and defects promptly
• Manage rotas, stock, linen, amenities and cleaning supplies to operate efficiently
• Monitor cleanliness scores and guest feedback to identify improvement opportunities
• Foster teamwork across departments and lead by example

Skills

Team leadership

Attention to detail

Guest service excellence

Job description

Come and join our team and let your passion and personality shine!

We’re looking for an exceptional Head Housekeeper to lead our Housekeeping team at The Bath Priory, a 5-star Relais & Châteaux hotel in the heart of iconic Bath.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is passionate about creating beautiful spaces, takes pride in the smallest details and understands that outstanding hospitality starts with making guests feel comfortable, relaxed and at home.

As Head Housekeeper, you’ll take responsibility for the overall cleanliness, presentation and maintenance of our 33 bedrooms, public areas and back‑of‑house spaces, ensuring that every corner of the hotel reflects the high standards our guests expect.

Working closely with the senior management team and other departments, you’ll lead, inspire and develop your team, ensuring that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes and that our guests enjoy a consistently exceptional experience.

This is a hands‑on leadership role for someone who enjoys being visible, getting involved and leading by example.

What will you be doing?

Here are some of the key parts of the role:

• Lead your team: Take responsibility for the day‑to‑day operation of the Housekeeping department, motivating, supporting and developing your colleagues.

• Set the standards: Ensure bedrooms, bathrooms, public areas and all other spaces are cleaned and presented to the highest standards.

• Pay attention to the details: From beautifully presented bedrooms to perfectly prepared bathrooms and thoughtful finishing touches, you’ll understand that the little things make a big difference.

• Make sure everything is ready: Oversee bedroom allocations, cleaning schedules and room inspections to ensure rooms are ready for arrivals and meet our expectations.

• Train and develop: Recruit, induct and train new colleagues, sharing your knowledge and helping everyone take pride in their work.

• Work with other departments: Communicate closely with Reception and Maintenance to ensure that guest requests, room defects and maintenance issues are dealt with promptly.

• Manage your resources: Take ownership of departmental rotas, stock control, linen, amenities and cleaning supplies, ensuring we operate efficiently and commercially.

• Take responsibility: Monitor cleanliness scores, guest feedback and departmental performance, identifying opportunities to improve.

• Be one team: We all muck in from time to time, and we encourage strong relationships and teamwork across every department.

What we offer

• Competitive salary, dependent on experience.

• Service charge and gratuities on top of your basic salary.

• Management bonus scheme.

• Excellent discounts across our family of hotels.

• 25% off food and beverage across the group.

• Special staff rates of £25 B&B per person, with additional rates for friends and family.

• Retail and hospitality discounts through our Perkbox platform.

• Free meals while on duty.

• Access to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme.

• Recognition for your loyalty, including milestone awards and special experiences.

• Genuine opportunities for career progression and personal development.

The Operation

The Bath Priory is a beautiful 33‑bedroom hotel, with:

• 33 individually styled bedrooms and suites.

• Elegant guest lounges and public areas.

• The Priory Restaurant, awarded 3 AA Rosettes.

• The Pantry Restaurant and beautiful garden terrace.

• Garden Spa by L'Occitane, with indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

• Four acres of award‑winning gardens.

• Meetings, events and private dining spaces.

You’ll be responsible for ensuring that all these areas are maintained to the highest standards, creating an environment that feels welcoming, immaculate and full of character.

Who are we looking for?

We’d love to hear from someone who:

• Has previous experience in a senior housekeeping role, ideally as a Head Housekeeper or Deputy Head Housekeeper within a luxury hotel.

• Has excellent knowledge of housekeeping standards and procedures.

• Is an organised and confident leader who knows how to motivate and develop a team.

• Has a keen eye for detail and takes genuine pride in presentation and cleanliness.

• Is commercially aware, with experience managing departmental budgets, payroll, stock and costs.

• Can plan and manage rotas effectively, ensuring the department is appropriately staffed.

• Communicates confidently with colleagues across all departments.

• Is proactive, solution‑focused and comfortable taking ownership of challenges.

• Understands that great hospitality is about more than just clean rooms; it's about creating a feeling of comfort, care and belonging.

Previous experience in a 4- or 5-star hotel environment would be an advantage, but above all, we’re looking for someone with the right attitude, personality and passion for hospitality.

Why you'll love working with us

At The Bath Priory, we believe that great hospitality starts with a happy, supported team.

Our culture is built around four values:

• Let Passion and Personality Shine

• Be Curious

• Show Thoughtfulness

• Share the Wisdom

We want our colleagues to build strong relationships, learn from one another and feel proud of what they do. We offer genuine opportunities to progress, with hundreds of internal promotions across our hotel group, including to General Manager level.

We also believe in recognising the people who make our hotels special. Our milestone awards include Champagne, afternoon tea or dinner for you and someone special, with additional rewards for longer service.

A little about The Bath Priory

Set in a beautiful Georgian house built from honey‑coloured Bath stone, The Bath Priory is a 5‑star hotel with 33 bedrooms, four acres of multi‑award‑winning gardens and a reputation for exceptional hospitality.

We’re part of the Brownsword family of hotels and are proud of our longstanding commitment to quality, individuality and thoughtful service. Located just a short walk from Bath city centre, with a bus stop right outside, we’re a wonderful place to work and develop your career.

Our service charge

We share our service charge fairly across the hotel team. All service charge collected goes into one pot, with 100% distributed to our colleagues. Every penny received is paid out to the team.

For a full‑time colleague, service charge has typically been worth around £160 per month, or close to £2,000 per year, on top of basic pay. Actual amounts vary depending on business levels.

About our family of hotels

We bring a family of hotels together under one roof, ready to welcome guests with open arms, warm hearts and experiences that are simply memorable.

Each of our hotels is unique, individual and full of personality. Quality is fundamental to everything we do, and we believe the simple things matter most. Everyone should feel included, special and welcome, whether they are a guest or a member of our team.

From award‑winning Gidleigh Park in Devon and the 900‑year‑old Amberley Castle to our city‑centre Abode Manchester, every property offers its own opportunities to learn and grow.

Discover more at www.brownswordhotels.co.uk.

Ready to join our family?

If you're passionate about housekeeping, take pride in creating beautiful environments and have the leadership skills to inspire a team, we'd love to hear from you.

Come and join us, and let your passion and personality shine.