Head Concierge

DAKOTA NEWCASTLE – HEAD CONCIERGE 

Dakota Hotels are coming to Newcastle city centre in early 2025 and to help us provide a tailored, unique service to our guests, we are seeking a warm and passionate Head Concierge to join our team from Spring 2025.  

The role of Head Concierge requires you to have the flair for turning every guest interaction into an unforgettable experience and possess the leadership to inspire a team that delivers excellence with every smile. Ideally having local knowledge and connections in the city, furthering our guests experience being able to make amazing recommendations and fulfil every guest request. Our Concierge team also ensures a seamless valet parking experience for our guests, enhancing the outstanding level of service we look to provide.  

The sky is the limit at Dakota, within the group we are so lucky to have two Golden Key accredited concierges providing amazing connections and opportunities.  

Ideally situated on the Quayside, our hotel will boast 118 bedrooms which includes 33 suites. Dakota Newcastle will host our renowned Bar & Grill, Champagne Room, Cigar Terrace, and an events space for up to 60. 

PRIMARY ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES 

• To carry out Concierge duties by welcoming all guests who arrive at Dakota, providing bag portering, and working closely with Reception to provide a seamless experience.  

• Carry out valet parking duties, driving and parking guest cars as well as the hotel car.  

• General administration managing the valet parking booking process.  

• Provide a consistently excellent level of guest service in accordance with our service principles and values, ensuring that all guests receive special attention and recognition.  

• Work closely alongside all other departments especially Reception to ensure excellent communication and be proactive in assisting other departments as required. This may include delivering room service, taking items to guest bedrooms, and answering the hotel phone.   

• Manage the welcome and seating of any groups of guests before entering the building.  

• Offer additional services to make the guest experience more seamless i.e. making restaurant reservations, assisting in directions, providing local recommendations.  

• Managing a team of Concierges; scheduling rotas, being involved in the recruitment and selection process of the team. 

•  Focus on the training and development of your team encouraging them to be consistent in using Dakota vocabulary, always working with an emphasis on guest recognition, making guest experiences extra special, and achieving sales through service.    

• Fulfil managerial tasks including writing the departmental rota, managing holidays, carrying out appraisals, and stock management. 

ABOUT DAKOTA HOTELS  

Dakota is a growing UK-based lifestyle brand, known for our stylish hotels, bustling brasserie Grills and upscale cocktail Bars. Dakota’s story started with two boutique hotels on the outskirts of Edinburgh, in South Queensferry, and Glasgow, in Eurocentral. We have now expanded into prime city centre locations in Glasgow, Leeds, and Manchester, with Newcastle opening early 2025 and more in our pipeline.  

Dakota is synonymous for delivering attentive and genuine guest service. We attract hard-working individuals who are passionate about working to the highest standards and have been voted within The Caterer’s Top 15 Best Employers in Hospitality for the last five years in a row. We were also featured within the Top 10 employers in the 2024 Sunday Times Best Places to Work in the UK, as well as being awarded the Spotlight Award for Best Places to Work for LGBTQIA+ employees.  

As recent winners of The Cateys ‘People Team of the Year’, we have award-winning internal training programmes within Dakota Academy fostering continuous development and ongoing training. As a result, over 75% of our leaders have been promoted internally and, for four consecutive years, a member of our team has won a prestigious Acorn Award awarded by The Caterer to the ‘Top 30 under 30’ in the industry, demonstrating our success in developing talent.  

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS 

Successful candidates must demonstrate having researched our brand and a genuine desire to be part of our team. The successful applicant will have/be: 

• Working experience as a Concierge, Doorman or Security is highly desirable.   

• Be a proactive individual who can keep themselves busy and active, supporting wherever required throughout the Hotel.   

• Have held a full UK driver’s license for at least 5 years for car insurance purposes.  

• Physically able to stand for the entirety of your shift and carry guest luggage. Physically able to carry out maintenance tasks and be standing for the entirety of your shift. 

• The ability to work flexibly, including evenings and weekends as needed, with a full-time presence onsite during preopening and beyond.  

• Local Knowledge & Expertise: With extensive knowledge of the local area, the head concierge provides insider tips on the best restaurants, attractions, events, and hidden gems, ensuring guests experience the city like a local. 

PACKAGE AND BENEFITS 

This role carries a permanent contract of working 40 hours per week. The gross annual salary is £30,000 with bonus and incentives of a further £2,ooo + tips.  

In addition to being part of a culture infused with positivity and opportunity for ongoing development, tangible benefits you could enjoy when you join our team include:  

–40 per cent off stays at any Dakota  

–25 per cent off drinks and dining at any Dakota  

–Access to our Employee Assistance Program which includes  

• free private mental health support and counselling sessions  

• video GP consultations and private prescription services  

• access to daily rewards to be cashed out for shopping vouchers  

-Access to discounted gift card platform  

–Support from our inhouse Mental Health Champions  

–Additional holiday day on the first anniversary of your employment.  

–Family-friendly flexible working options  

–Meals on duty and uniforming  

–£200 bonus to recommend a friend to join our team  

–£10 bonus every time you are mentioned on Trip Advisor  

–Free bi-annual eye testing for users of display screen equipment  

–Accredited, certified compliance training given on employment such as in Food Hygiene, Alcohol Responsibility, Data Protection, and Health & Safety  

–Access to a suite of external, certified resources via our Learning Management System  

–Supportive continuous professional development culture with an annual appraisal and objectives, or a Personal Development Plan  

–Opportunities to undertake both internal and external training courses, including potential for in-house Apprenticeships  

Full terms on our benefits can be found in our Handbook.  

APPLY 

Please send us your up to date CV.  

Visit our Careers page to learn about current opportunities and find your #DreamRolesAtDakota – we’d love to hear from you 

 For more information on our luxury hotel, please visit our:

• Website
• Dakota Hotels Instagram