Director of Butlers

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