Executive Head Housekeeper in London

Nestled in a quiet cul-de-sac in the heart of Mayfair, St. James's Hotel and Club is a timeless sanctuary where British heritage meets contemporary luxury. Since its inception in 1857 as an elite gentleman’s club, it has served as a sophisticated "home away from home" for diplomats, authors, and stars of the silver screen. The hotel is renowned for its modern English elevated cuisine by Executive Chef William Drabble, whose menus celebrate the finest seasonal British ingredients with meticulous technique.

We are seeking an experienced, passionate, and detail-driven Executive Head Housekeeper to lead the Housekeeping operation within our 5-star boutique hotel. This is an exciting opportunity for a hospitality professional who takes pride in delivering exceptional guest experiences and maintaining the very highest standards across all guest rooms and public areas.

About the Role

As Executive Head Housekeeper, you will oversee the day-to-day management of the Housekeeping department, ensuring immaculate presentation standards throughout the hotel while creating a positive, supportive, and high-performing team culture. You will work closely with senior leadership and other departments to ensure every guest experience reflects the standards expected of a luxury boutique property.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate, and develop a team of 16 housekeeping team members
• Ensure exceptional cleanliness and presentation standards across guest bedrooms, public areas, and back-of-house spaces
• Manage departmental rotas, productivity, payroll, and labour costs
• Conduct regular room inspections and quality audits
• Recruit, train, coach, and support team members to achieve consistently high standards
• Foster a positive working environment focused on teamwork, accountability, and engagement
• Manage linen, laundry, and housekeeping inventories effectively
• Ensure compliance with all health & safety, COSHH, and hotel brand standards
• Work collaboratively with Reception, Maintenance, Food & Beverage, and senior management teams
• Handle guest feedback professionally and proactively resolve any service issues
• Drive continuous improvement within departmental operations and guest satisfaction scores

About You

The ideal candidate will have:

• Previous experience as a Head Housekeeper or Executive Housekeeper within a luxury or boutique hotel environment
• Strong leadership and people management skills
• A hands-on approach with excellent attention to detail
• Experience managing housekeeping operations within a high-service environment
• Excellent organisational and communication skills
• The ability to motivate, develop, and retain a stable housekeeping team
• Sound knowledge of health & safety and housekeeping best practices
• Flexibility to work weekends and operational shifts where required

What We Offer

• 50% off from room and F&B outlets for friends and family
• Continuous training and development for all staff of all levels
• TFL monthly travel card for zone 1 -2 paid after successful completion of probation
• Staff meals provided on shift
• Discretionary service charge
• Laundry service for all formal uniform
• Introduce a friend scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Full-time employees are entitled to 28 days of annual leave per year, inclusive of public and bank holidays. This entitlement increases by one day every two holiday years, up to a maximum of 36 days, in recognition of long service. Holiday entitlement for part-time employees is calculated on a pro-rata basis.

If you are passionate about luxury hospitality and take pride in creating exceptional standards and guest experiences, we would love to hear from you.