The Guide to Building an Awesome Staff for Luxury Hotels

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Luxury hotels can be difficult to staff well. You must hire people who are both comfortable interacting with well-off or celebrity guests, and committed to delivering a memorable experience to each and every one of them. It’s not easy. Guests of upscale hotels bring high expectations and can be demanding. They are accustomed to only the best and it can be difficult to delight them. You can put a great deal of money and effort into high-end features and finishes in the guest rooms, but the most upscale fabrics and desirable locations are wasted without the right staff.

How can you build a truly awesome staff for your luxury hotel?

Hire for Attitude; Train for Skills

Virtually any hospitality skill can be trained, from the front desk to housekeeping. What you can’t train is the attitude that someone brings to their work day. Have you ever had a service experience where you were treated as an inconvenience or interruption to the people who were being paid to help you? It’s nearly impossible to train that out of someone.

Look for people with the following attributes:

  • Eager to learn
  • Strong work ethic
  • Ownership/entrepreneurial attitude
  • Committed to delivering a “wow” experience

Vary Your Training

Once you’ve got people with this potential on board, it’s up to you to train them to your standards. Put a system in place that combines independent study, hands-on training and job shadowing. This will ensure that you cover various kinds of learning styles.

Teach Them Your Brand

Every property has its own personality. Be sure that each new hire and existing employee understands what that is and how they can reflect that brand in their interactions with guests.

Give Them Autonomy

When they have some experience, let them make decisions on the fly. Trust them with some autonomy on the job. Not only will this give them confidence and reinforce their ownership attitude, it will make your guests feel well taken care of. Guests who expect an upscale experience don’t want to hear, “I’ll check with my manager.” They want to know that they are being helped by someone with authority.

Bonus: Language Skills

Luxury hotel guests come from all corners of the world. Hiring people who are fluent in two or more languages can give you a real competitive edge when it comes to attracting guests who will make your property a destination and recommend you to their colleagues.

Need Help Building Your Team?

The hotel recruitment specialists at Horizon Hospitality can help you find great people and deliver the upscale experience your customers demand. Contact a top hotel recruiter today to learn more, or start your hotel executive search today.

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