Host - The Promenade

The Dorchester; Greater London; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Complimentary stays

Discounts on food & beverages

Royal London Pension scheme

Apprenticeship & training programs

Social events

£1000 referral bonus

Well-being support

Job summary

The Dorchester is seeking a welcoming Host for The Promenade to manage reservations and seating, ensuring every guest feels valued. You will greet guests, allocate tables, and handle special requests while coordinating with hotel teams to maintain seamless service.

Operational hours are shift-based with breakfast, lunch and dinner service. A professional appearance and strong communication are essential for delivering exceptional guest experiences within the Dorchester collection.

Qualifications

• Welcoming personality and ability to greet guests warmly.
• Strong verbal and written communication.
• Attention to detail for seating and guest needs.
• Able to work well in a team and help colleagues.
• Keep reservations and guest flow organised.
• Remain calm during busy periods.
• Maintain professional appearance in provided uniform.

Responsibilities

• Manage reservations and table allocations during shift.
• Greet guests, seat at allocated tables and bid farewell on departure.
• Fulfill guest requests including dietary requirements and occasions.
• Coordinate with kitchen and other hotel departments to ensure guest satisfaction.

Skills

Welcoming personality

Good communication

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Organisational skills

Calm under pressure

Professional appearance

Job description

Join us as a Host at The Dorchester's The Promenade, recently recognised as one of ‘The Sunday Times Top 10 Best Places to Work for’ in 2024-2026 and ‘Hotel of the year – London’ at the 2024 AA Hospitality Awards. We continually strive to build and nurture a culture where inclusiveness is part of our DNA, reflected in our values of passion, personality, respect, working together, and creativity. We believe that a variety of perspectives enriches our culture and drives our success.

What you’ll do

As a Host at The Promenade, you'll enjoy your work and take pride in delighting our guests:

• You will be responsible for managing reservations and table allocations during your shift which will include meeting and greeting guests, seating guests to allocated tables and bidding them farewell on departure all to ensure our guests receives nothing but the best.
• You will be responsible for fulfilling our gests special requests including dietary requirements, food and drink preferences and special occasions.
• You will communicate with other departments and extended hotel team in order to ensure the alignment remains.

The items shared are the essence of a day in the life of a Host, but we’ll make sure you are provided with specifics on how we care for our hotel.

The operational hours of work are shift-based and may be subjected to change. This is currently set as:

• We are open breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• The operational hours of work are shift-based.

What You’ll Bring

Essential Skills and Experience

• Welcoming personality – You enjoy greeting people and making them feel comfortable.
• Good communication skills – You can talk and listen to people clearly and politely.
• Attention to detail – You can notice small things, like checking if a table is ready or if guests need help.
• Teamwork – You enjoy working with others and helping your teammates.
• Basic Organisational skills - You can keep track of reservations and guide guests to their tables.
• Able to stay calm under pressure – You can handle busy times and stay relaxed.
• Professional appearance – You look after your personal appearance and wear the provided uniform properly.

Preferred Skills

• Experience working in a restaurant or similar environment – If you’ve worked in a café, hotel, or restaurant before, that’s a plus.
• Knowledge of reservation systems – If you’ve used tools or systems for booking tables, that’s helpful.
• Good time management – You know how to manage your time well to make sure guests are seated on time.

What You’ll Get

• Complimentary Stays: Enjoy complimentary stays with breakfast at Dorchester Collection Hotels every year.
• Discounts: Get 50% off food and beverages at selected bars and restaurants within the Dorchester Collection: Enjoy Friends & Family stay discounts at our hotels, and benefit from discounts at various high street and online shops
• Employee Perks: Enrol from day 1 into the Royal London Private Pension scheme (we contribute 8% towards your pension); Benefit from Seasonal ticket loan, Rental deposit scheme, private financial advice, and Eye care vouchers.
• Training and Development: Advance in your career by accessing various apprenticeships from Level 2 to Hospitality Degree Level 5. We partner with outstanding nationally recognised Apprenticeship providers.
• Social Events: Participate in vibrant social events, including a summer party, winter ball, pub quizzes, and cultural and milestone recognition celebrations.
• Referral Bonus: Earn a £1000 bonus when you recommend a friend.
• Well-being Support: Access immediate well-being advice because we care about our employees.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. If you need us to do anything to support you during the recruitment process (such as adjustments to how you apply, alternative formats of information, or adjustments to the assessment process itself), please do call People & Culture team on 02073197011 or email [e-mail] so that we can discuss how we can support you through this process.