The world’s coolest hotel jobs

From directors of ambience to marine biologists, hotels have been expanding their rolodex of talent in recent years, all in the name of guest satisfaction. A clever, out-of-the-box hire can soon turn into a hospitality must-have, while a misfire is dismissed as a gimmick. For this list, 50 Best has sought out the most head-turning, offbeat hotel jobs that tap into the very soul of the property, leaving guests buzzing for more.

Fireplace butler, The Newbury, Boston

When you think of Boston, it’s hard not to conjure up that perfect autumnal scene – crisp orange leaves, lamp-lit avenues and locals bundled in scarves, strolling the streets at golden hour. At the heart of this visual sits The Newbury – a grand Bostonian gem framed by the Public Gardens, which, in peak leaf-peeping season is where you’ll want to recover, fireside, after a long day’s pounding the streets. And thanks to the property’s resident fireplace butler, you’ll have to do very little to create such a moment besides choose the wood. The menu includes quick-burning birch, scent-of-New-England maple and long-burning cherry among its varieties, and your butler will set and tend to the fire, leaving you to sit back and sip a cocktail – something smoky perhaps?

Directeur d’ambiance, Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles

Chateau Marmont hardly needs an introduction, but for the uninitiated, Arman Nafeei might. After dabbling in London’s art scene and spinning records in the underground clubs of Berlin and Cologne, Nafeei was installed by the legendary André Balazs to mastermind the music across all his properties, which include The Standards, the Mercer, and Chiltern Firehouse. It’s at the legendary Sunset Boulevard address though that his obsessively curatorial approach found its spiritual home. There’s a good reason a quick lunch here can end up becoming an all-night affair, in huge part thanks to Nafeei’s pitch-perfect, vibe-inducing soundtracks.

Leopard guide, Suján Jawai, Rajasthan

Of course, you’ll find wildlife guides at every safari lodge, nature reserve, and scuba haven on the planet, but here in the rugged landscape between Jodhpur and Udaipur, you’ll find a specialist guide like no other. Ranked No.43 on The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024, the retreat’s camp has been pitched in one of the world’s prime places for leopard spotting. The nomadic Rabari tribe have roamed the hills here for centuries, their rock-hewn temples often just feet from leopard dens, allowing them to forge a unique understanding. Such is their world-leading knowledge that dawn and dusk drives almost always yield sightings, both guides and leopards perfectly in sync with the land they roam.

Tea master, The Ritz, London

If you’re searching for something as quintessentially British as tea at the Ritz, then look no further than, yes, tea at the Ritz. It’s fitting, then, that the legendary Piccadilly hotel is the only place in the country with its very own certified tea master, Giandomenico Scanu. Born and raised in Sardinia, Scanu’s fascination with the art of blending began in his father’s coffee bar, playing with coffee beans. After honing his craft in the tea fields of Sri Lanka, he took on the coveted title of tea master, now guiding the world-famous afternoon tea service. Today he travels the world’s tea plantations, bringing back rare blends and new knowledge – ask him to spill the tea and he’ll do so… but only figuratively.
Wellness abuela, Chablé Yucatan, Mexico

Ranked No.16 on The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024, this breath-taking retreat is a love letter to ancient Mayan traditions. Back then, a shaman would guide rituals, cleanses, and ceremonies, but in keeping with Chablé’s as-soothing-as-possible ethos, it's the gentle, welcoming presence of an abuela – yes, a grandmother – who takes the lead on your wellness journey. This spiritual elder offers a softer journey to enlightenment, helping you tap into the healing powers of the hotel’s own cenote (sinkhole) and temazcal (a sweat lodge), with rituals known to leave guests feeling rejuvenated from the inside out.

Frankincense sommelier, Shangri-La Al Husn, Muscat

Home to dramatic coastlines and jaw-dropping vistas, Oman is also holy ground for the scent-obsessed. Here you’ll find Amouage, the world’s most lavish perfumery, and a land where frankincense reigns supreme. Few know more about the ancient resin, harvested from the Boswellia sacra tree (or luban in Arabic), than the Shangri-La’s Khaled al-Amri, the world’s first frankincense sommelier. Here, Khaled chronicles the country’s history through tours of the hotel’s very own frankincense garden, revealing its varieties, cultural and religious meanings, and why in Oman, frankincense is much more than just a fragrance.

Bug concierge, The Newt, Somerset

Thomas Oliver’s official title might be ‘entomologist’ but he’s more like The Newt’s very own insect concierge. Working at the estate, which ranked No.37 on The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023 list, Oliver first got the bug for insects from his bee-keeping grandparents, leading him to his current role, in which he surveys the grounds for new species, creates habitats to coax them back, and plants specifically to keep them coming. He helped craft a pint-sized ‘bug hotel’ to boost biodiversity, and has ventured into something similar for hedgehogs. For curious human guests, he’ll happily give a hands-on tour of the soil, sharing his knowledge of The Newt’s incredible underworld.

Artists & repertoire liaison, Geejam, Jamaica

Much like the rest of Jamaica, music is in Geejam’s DNA. Owned by two ex-record execs, the hotel is half secluded paradise, half world-class recording studio, offering the ultimate fusion of inspiration and isolation. And in true music industry fashion, the resort has an in-house A&R team to cater to every creative whim. Need a drummer from Kingston? Consider it done. Like what you’ve laid down? Contracts are ready. Fancy capturing the whole session on film? Their video crew’s already en route. No wonder legends like Grace Jones, Dua Lipa and Gorillaz feel so at home here. At Geejam, you come for a holiday, and leave with a chart-topper.

Richard MacKichan