Director of Butlers

Head of Operations - Smyth & Co Luxury Hospitality Consulting

Position Title: Director of Butlers

• Salary: Highly competitive, plus accommodation and travel
• Department: Rooms Division / Guest Experience
• Reports to: Resort Manager / General Manager
• Team Size: 35 Butlers (large European-style operation)
• Environment: True luxury resort setting over 100 acres, servicing villas, suites, and residences

Role Overview

We are seeking a top-tier Director of Butlers to lead and elevate a large-scale, European-style butler operation within a true luxury resort environment. This is a hands‑on, highly visible leadership role requiring deep luxury service DNA, outstanding emotional intelligence, and the authority to reset, standardise, and elevate service at scale.

The successful candidate will set uncompromising standards for anticipatory service, presence, grooming, posture, language and consistency, ensuring the butler experience aligns with Forbes / LQA / Michelin-level expectations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the butler operation end‑to‑end across villas, suites and residences, ensuring flawless consistency and delivery.
• Elevate and enforce standards: grooming, posture, language, etiquette, arrival/departure rituals, in‑room service sequences, and anticipatory service.
• Drive a culture reset where required—setting expectations, addressing underperformance, and restoring pride in the function.
• Maintain high guest visibility: present in the operation, leading by example, not desk‑bound.
• Coach and develop the team through daily floor presence, observation, feedback and structured training.
• Establish clear SOPs and service playbooks in line with ultra‑luxury benchmarks (Forbes, LQA and equivalent).
• Partner closely with Resort Leadership and Heads of Department to ensure seamless cross‑functional delivery.
• Manage performance, scheduling, succession planning and talent development across a large, mixed‑tenure team.
• Ensure exceptional guest handling for UHNW and American luxury guests, with calm authority and discretion.
• Maintain service recovery excellence and proactive guest experience management without drifting into “guest relations only.”

Key Requirements (Non‑Negotiable)

• Proven Director / Head of Butlers experience in ultra‑luxury resorts or palaces (Aman, Cheval Blanc, Raffles, Rosewood, Peninsula, Dorchester Collection, One&Only or equivalent).
• Demonstrated leadership of high‑performance teams across villas, suites and residences.
• Strong grounding in International and European luxury service standards, with confidence managing UHNW and American luxury guests.
• Personally experienced in high‑level butler service (not purely guest relations).
• Track record in culture reset and standards enforcement: grooming, language, posture, anticipation.
• Comfortable managing long‑tenured teams and underperformance without disruption.
• High guest visibility; not desk‑bound.

What We Will Not Consider

• Guest Relations–only profiles or current Guest Manager profiles.
• Cruise‑ship butler backgrounds.
• Candidates without International and European luxury training.
• Corporate or policy‑heavy operators lacking floor presence and luxury service instinct.

Role Mandate (Success Measures)

• Elevated service standards and consistency across the entire butler team.
• A clear operating rhythm: daily floor leadership, coaching and accountability.
• Alignment with Forbes / LQA / Michelin-level expectations.
• Strong partnership with Resort Management as a trusted senior leader.

Candidate Profile & Search Notes

• Open to International and European or international candidates with the right pedigree.
• Only discreet, currently employed, top‑tier candidates should be presented.

Seniority level

• Director

Employment type

• Full‑time

Job function

• Management

Industries

• Hospitality