Food and Beverage Assistant- Hospitality Host

Hospitality Host

Role Purpose

As a Hospitality Host, your role is to create a warm, relaxed and professional experience for every guest.

This is a broad food and drink service role covering all aspects of restaurant, bar, breakfast, events, room service and general guest hospitality.

Rather than working within a narrow waiter or bar role, Hospitality Hosts are expected to take ownership of the complete guest experience, moving naturally between different areas of the hotel as required.

Key Responsibilities

1. Welcome guests warmly and confidently throughout the hotel.
2. Deliver food and drink service across breakfast, lunch, dinner, bar, events and room service.
3. Take orders accurately and provide knowledgeable recommendations on menus, drinks and guest preferences.
4. Prepare and serve drinks, including wine, cocktails, spirits, beers, soft drinks, teas and coffees.
5. Set up, maintain and clear restaurant, bar and event spaces to the required standard.
6. Maintain strong menu and product knowledge, including allergens, ingredients and dietary requirements.
7. Anticipate guest needs and respond quickly to requests without waiting to be asked.
8. Handle guest queries and minor concerns confidently, escalating where appropriate.
9. Process bills and payments accurately using the hotel’s systems.
10. Support breakfast preparation, restaurant service, bar service, events and other food and drink operations depending on business requirements.
11. Maintain excellent standards of cleanliness, presentation and organisation throughout guest areas.
12. Work closely with kitchen, reception, housekeeping and management teams to ensure a joined up guest experience.
13. Support stock replenishment, preparation and closing duties.
14. Follow all food safety, licensing, health and safety and responsible alcohol service requirements.
15. Represent the hotel professionally at all times and contribute positively to the atmosphere and culture of the property.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for people who genuinely enjoy hospitality and looking after others.

You should be approachable, confident and comfortable speaking with guests from different backgrounds.

Previous hospitality experience is helpful, but attitude, personality and willingness to learn are equally important.

You will need to be flexible, organised and comfortable working across different areas rather than seeing yourself as belonging to just 1 department.

You should enjoy working as part of a team while also being confident enough to take responsibility for a guest experience independently.

The Hospitality Host Approach

Hospitality Hosts are not simply waiting staff.

The role is about taking ownership of the guest experience from the moment somebody enters the room until the moment they leave.

That might mean welcoming a guest, taking their order, recommending a wine, making a coffee, delivering their food, resolving a small problem or simply noticing that they need something before they have to ask.

Our expectation is simple.

Be present.

Be knowledgeable.

Be genuine.

Look after the guest.

Merchants Manor is an independently owned boutique hotel in Falmouth, Cornwall, built around a simple idea: hospitality should feel personal, thoughtful and full of character.

We are not a large corporate hotel and we do not want to operate like one. Our guests choose us because they want individuality, genuine care, great food and drink, beautiful surroundings and a team that notices the details.

Every role at Merchants Manor contributes to that experience. Whether you work in housekeeping, the kitchen, reception, maintenance, food and beverage, spa, management or behind the scenes, what you do directly affects how a guest feels about their stay.

We believe in high standards without unnecessary formality. We want people who take pride in their work, support the people around them, solve problems, communicate clearly and care about doing things properly.

We are continually evolving the business and investing in the future of Merchants Manor. That means creating new experiences, improving what we already do and giving talented people the opportunity to grow with us.

Above all, we are a hospitality business built around people. Our aim is to create a place where guests genuinely want to return and where good people are proud to work.