Restaurant Host

KI - Charlotte Square (EDICS); City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 22,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Complimentary stay

Staff discounts

Volunteer days

Wagestream access

Sick pay

Life insurance

Mental Health support

Employee Assistance

Holiday entitlement

Global discounts

Refer a Friend

Training & progression

Job summary

Kimpton Charlotte Square, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, is hiring a Restaurant Host on a full-time basis in Edinburgh. The role pays £13.41 per hour, roughly £27,892.80 annually, plus service charge.

You’ll join a luxury hotel team delivering outstanding guest experiences in the BABA restaurant and beyond. You’ll manage reservations, seating, guest communications and team coordination to optimise service and revenue while benefiting from extensive training, career progression, and a

Qualifications

• Experience working within a Restaurant, Bar or Hotel as a Server, Waiter/Waitress, Barista, Bartender or Host
• Drive to produce results, team-based culture within the Kimpton family
• A warm and authentic personality with a can-do attitude and commitment to service
• Willingness to collaborate with the team to delight guests

Responsibilities

• Welcome guests warmly and professionally, creating a positive first impression of BABA.
• Manage restaurant reservations using SevenRooms, confirm bookings, handle amendments, manage walk-ins, and maintain guest profiles.
• Coordinate seating plans and table allocation to ensure smooth service and maximize revenue per available seat per hour.
• Liaise with management and floor teams about arrivals, VIPs, special requests and dietary requirements.
• Answer calls and respond to reservation inquiries with information about the restaurant, menus and services.
• Monitor online guest reviews and report recurring feedback to the management team.
• Maintain a tidy, welcoming entrance and reception area.
• Support the wider restaurant team to deliver an exceptional guest experience.

Job description

A fantastic opportunity for Restaurant Host to join us at Kimpton Charlotte Square on a Full-Time contract!
You will earn £13.41 per hour – equal to £27,892.80 salary, plus service charge!

Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel brings together traditional Edinburgh architecture with an exciting and fresh indoor feel, offering our guests a modern luxurious stay. Welcoming locals to relax in our Garden area (a must visit), experiencing mouth-watering food in BABA restaurant, or guests from far and wide being pampered in our state-of-the-art Spa – we cover it all!

What’s in it for you as our Restaurant Host:

• Becoming part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts family, one of the world’s leading hotel companies - which means global opportunities.
• Complimentary stay for you+1 in our Hotel upon successful completion of probation, generous discounts across our F&B outlets at Kimpton Charlotte Square and InterContinental Edinburgh The George, plus Spa & Gym discounts at our Kimpton property.
• Extensive training, opportunities for career progression across the world, plus 2 paid days volunteering per year with a cause of your choice
• Wagestream - a financial wellbeing app giving you the opportunity to save, track and withdraw your pay as you earn it.
• Apart from Meals whilst on duty, we also provide every employee company sick pay and life insurance, Mental Health First Aiders on Duty, and access to Employee Assistance Programs.
• 28 days holiday each year, including bank holidays, this increases up to a maximum of 33 days (Pro Rated) & Enhanced Family Leave (you can ask more details at the interview).
• Amazing discounts for our hotels and restaurants around the world, plus discounts from over 15,000 stores – all the way from retail to cinema!
• Don’t forget, bring your friends and take part in our generous ‘Refer a Friend’ programme!

As a Restaurant Host, you enjoy variety and are at your best when being part of a team as well as being passionate about delivering first-rate guest service through your high-quality work. You will manage the restaurant table management system, managing reservations to gain the greatest efficiency and maximise revenue per available seat per hour.

As our Restaurant Host, your main responsibilities will be:

• Welcome guests warmly and professionally, creating a positive first impression of BABA.
• Manage restaurant reservations using SevenRooms, including confirming bookings, handling amendments, managing walk‑ins and maintaining accurate guest profiles and reservation notes.
• Coordinate the seating plan and table allocation, monitoring availability and waiting times to ensure a smooth flow of guests throughout service.
• Liaise closely with the management and floor teams, communicating arrivals, VIP guests, special requests and dietary requirements.
• Answer telephone calls and respond to reservation enquiries, providing guests with information about the restaurant, menus and services.
• Monitor online guest reviews across relevant platforms, responding to feedback professionally and promptly, and sharing recurring comments with the management team.
• Maintain a tidy, organised and welcoming entrance and reception area.
• Support the wider restaurant team when required, contributing to an excellent overall guest experience.

To succeed as a Restaurant Host, you will need:

• Experience working within a Restaurant, Bar or Hotel as a Server, Waiter/Waitress, Barista, Bartender or Host
• Drive to produce results, we work together within the Kimpton family to continue to provide our guests with extremely personal experiences and human connection.
• A warm and authentic personality, with a can‑do attitude and commitment to service.
• Overall, you will be willing to work within our team to embrace our service and delight our guests!

At IHG, we believe there’s Room for You: Room to Grow (providing career development and learning opportunities), Room to Belong (fostering an inclusive environment where diverse employees can be their authentic selves), and Room to Make a Difference (empowering employees to have an impact on the guest experience and the business).

At Kimpton, our shared mission is to make lives better through heartfelt human connections. This emotional investment drives all that we do, and it’s why you’ll love the work, too, Our colleagues are empowered and encouraged to act from the heart, to go above and beyond to create ridiculously personal experiences for each other and our guests!

Our passion is YOU…come as you are!

If you are someone who likes to march to the beat of their own drum and wants…
You must meet the legal requirements to work in the UK.
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Please let us know if you require any adjustments or support at any stage, and your recruiter will assist you accordingly.
At IHG Hotels & Resorts, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We firmly believe that all our colleagues deserve to be treated equally and have the same opportunities to develop and grow their skills within our business and provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and colleagues without regard to an individual's, race, colour, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or familial status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.