Are you a visionary leader in People & Culture, ready to shape the future of one of London’s most iconic luxury hotels?

Hotel Café Royal is entering an exciting phase of cultural evolution, and we are seeking an experienced and inspirational Director of People & Culture to lead this transformation. As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team (EXCOM), you will report directly to the General Manager, with a dotted line to the VP of People & Culture / Owner’s Representative.

This is more than an HR role. It is a transformative leadership position - strategically guiding our people vision while ensuring operational excellence across the colleague journey.

Your Impact

As Director of People & Culture, you will:

• Bring Our Vision to Life: Lead the rollout of a new vision and values framework, embedding it into daily behaviours, decisions, and guest interactions.
• Shape the Future Workforce: Develop and deliver people strategies that elevate colleague engagement, service culture, and leadership development.
• Build a Culture of Excellence: Champion organisational integrity, performance, and care - ensuring the colleague experience reflects our position among global luxury hospitality leaders.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Cultural Leadership

• Lead cultural transformation initiatives and drive strategic people planning in alignment with hotel goals.
• Serve as the guardian of our values, ensuring they are lived authentically throughout the business.

People Strategy & Experience

• Oversee all People & Culture functions including workforce planning, L&D, recognition, compensation, and employee relations.
• Drive colleague experience from recruitment through alumni engagement, with a focus on care, consistency, and luxury-level standards.

Learning & Leadership Development

• Foster a strong service and leadership culture through high-impact training, coaching, and development initiatives.

Colleague Engagement & Communication

• Launch and lead engagement strategies and internal communications that promote belonging, purpose, and clarity.

Workforce & Organisational Planning

• Manage strategic recruitment, organisational design, and succession planning to ensure a future-ready team.

Compliance & Commercial Oversight

• Ensure legal compliance, operational efficiency, and responsible management of People & Culture budgets and workforce data.

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field (Master’s preferred)
• CIPD Chartered Member or equivalent HR qualification
• Minimum 10 years of progressive HR leadership, including 5+ years in a senior hospitality or luxury environment
• Deep understanding of UK employment law and best practices in global luxury hospitality
• Proven track record in leading culture change and values-based leadership

You Are…

• A strategic thinker who can operationalise vision into meaningful people initiatives
• A cultural leader with passion for service, team development, and authenticity
• Commercially savvy, making data-informed decisions that support business goals
• Highly emotionally intelligent, with the confidence and calm to lead through complexity
• An inclusive and inspiring communicator who builds strong relationships across all levels

Our Vision & Values

• Our Vision: To be recognised as one of the world’s leading modern hotels.
• The Artistry of Our People: Our combined talent, skills, expertise, and flair create inspiring environments and individual experiences that feel Beautifully Composed.
• Our Values: Shape our culture and guide how we deliver our vision—through integrity, creativity, excellence, and care.