Director of Butlers
Pubblicato il 09-10-2026 - Smyth in Milano
Head of Operations - Smyth & Co Luxury Hospitality Consulting
Director of Butlers for beautiful Caribbean resort - relocation opportunituy!
- 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
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