HostHostess at the Warbler Hotel

The Warbler Hotel - Host / Hostess

Role Details

• Department: Food & Beverage
• Reports To: Restaurant Manager / Café Manager
• FLSA/Status: Hourly non-exempt; tipped or non-tipped status to be determined by the property
• Outlets: The Warbler Café and the fine-dining Spanish restaurant

Position Summary

The Host/Hostess creates the first and final impression of The Warblers dining experience. This role manages the rhythm of arrival reservation and seating across the all-day café and the Spanish restaurant with calm authority precise communication and personal recognition. The successful Host/Hostess understands that a polished welcome is not a script: it is the beginning of an individual guests experience whether they are picking up espresso before a meeting or arriving for a celebratory tasting menu.

Key Responsibilities

• Welcome every guest promptly using the guests name whenever known and offering a sincere tailored opening rather than a rote greeting.
• Maintain accurate live reservation books in OpenTable platform including preferences allergies celebrations VIP designations visit history and seating notes.
• Confirm reservations manage waitlists and communicate availability honestly while offering thoughtful alternatives such as café seating bar seating a later dining time or a return reservation.
• Build floor plans that balance server sections table turns accessibility needs kitchen pacing and the character of the restaurant; do not over-seat a section merely to reduce a quoted wait.
• Coordinate with the restaurant manager maître d servers sommelier and kitchen expeditor to pace seating around tasting menus large parties and peak service windows.
• Recognize in-house guests repeat patrons VIPs and local regulars through the approved guest-recognition process while protecting privacy and avoiding public disclosure of room numbers or personal information.
• Escort guests to the table with menus presented in pristine condition describe relevant service options and introduce the server or captain when appropriate.
• Maintain the cafés queue and counter flow during morning and lunch peaks; distinguish dine-in take-away mobile and hotel-guest traffic without allowing the entrance to feel congested.
• Conduct pre-shift checks of entry lighting scent music menus host stand materials accessibility pathways and the condition of waiting-area furniture.
• Communicate delays special requests no-shows cancellations and guest-recovery needs to leadership in real time and document service notes accurately.
• Answer telephone text and digital reservation inquiries with complete product knowledge including restaurant menus dress guidance corkage policy private-dining referral protocol and café hours.
• Close the host stand securely reconcile reservation records and prepare clear handoff notes for the next shift.

Guest Experience & Service Standards

• Make eye contact and acknowledge an arriving guest within moments even when assisting another party; offer a clear promise of when assistance will be available.
• Use names naturally and discreetly confirming pronunciation when uncertain; never announce a guests room number status or private occasion in public.
• Anticipate comfort needs-shade a quieter table mobility accommodations a high chair or a place for a bag-without making assumptions about a guest.
• Maintain immaculate grooming poised posture and a composed expression during waits weather disruptions and high-volume transitions.
• Own the experience through departure by thanking guests personally and inviting a return in a manner appropriate to the occasion.

Qualifications & Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• One year of guest-facing hospitality reservations reception or luxury retail experience.
• Comfort using digital reservation and POS systems and communicating by phone text and email with polished grammar.
• Ability to remain organized and gracious in a fast-moving guest-visible environment.

Preferred

• Experience with OpenTable platform.
• Luxury hotel fine-dining concierge or high-volume café experience.
• Conversational Spanish or another language relevant to the hotels guest mix.

Knowledge & Skills

• Reservation pacing table-status management basic revenue-awareness and waitlist judgment.
• Working knowledge of the Spanish restaurants menu structure tasting-menu format dietary accommodation process wine-bar seating and café offerings.
• Clear radio and internal communication; ability to relay sensitive guest preferences only to colleagues who need the information.
• Conflict de-escalation and service recovery that protects both the guests dignity and the integrity of the floor plan.

Physical Requirements

• Stand and walk for up to 8 hours per shift including frequent movement between the host stand entrance dining room and café.
• Lift and carry up to 20 pounds including menus small guest items and host-stand supplies.
• Work near entry doors outdoor weather exposure crowding and varying noise levels; use stairs as required by outlet layout.

Schedule & Availability

Availability for mornings afternoons evenings weekends holidays special events and peak dining periods is required. Shifts may begin before café opening or end after restaurant close; schedule flexibility is essential during seasonal and hotel-occupancy peaks.

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation: $13.00 to $15.00 per hour; tipped status and any tip-pool participation determined in accordance with applicable law and property policy. Hourly team members are eligible for benefits based on average hours worked each week.

Certifications

• State/local food-handler certification if required
• Responsible alcohol-service/TIPS or state equivalent if required
• Hotel guest-privacy and harassment-prevention training

Equal Opportunity Employment & Accommodations

The Warbler Hotel is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment and to making employment decisions based on legitimate business needs job-related qualifications and individual merit. The Warbler Hotel considers qualified applicants and team members without regard to race color religion creed sex pregnancy sexual orientation gender identity or expression national origin ancestry citizenship or immigration status as permitted by law age disability genetic information marital or familial status veteran or military status lawful off-duty conduct or any other status protected by applicable federal state or local law.

The Warbler Hotel provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs observances and practices unless doing so would create an undue hardship or direct threat as defined by applicable law. The essential functions and physical requirements listed in each description are provided to inform candidates of the roles core duties and are not intended to exclude individuals who can perform those functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Applicants who need an accommodation during the application or interview process may contact .