For a hotel opening you need to find a complete team, train it and get it working together in a few months, often while construction is still going on. Read how to plan recruitment in phases so you do not open with gaps in the schedule.
15 October 2026
Normally you replace one leaver in a team that is already running. At an opening there is no team yet, no schedule and often no building to show candidates around. Everyone starts at roughly the same time, nobody knows the systems, and the first guests expect the same service as in an established hotel from day one. That is why recruiting vacancy by vacancy does not work here. You need one plan with fixed milestones, counted back from the opening date.
Start with the day the first guests arrive and plan backwards:
• Key roles first: general manager, heads of front office, housekeeping, F&B and kitchen, and HR. They help select the rest of the team and write the procedures. Allow several months of search time plus a notice period with their current employer.
• Supervisors and specialists next: chefs de partie, reception supervisors, floor supervisors. They need to be in place before training starts.
• Line staff in waves: reception, housekeeping, service, breakfast and kitchen. Have them start a few weeks before opening so there is time for training and dry runs.
Record for each role when the offer must be signed and when the first working day is. That shows you quickly which department is falling behind.
Work from the occupancy you realistically expect in the first months, not from a full house. Build a baseline schedule for a normal week per department and add leave, sickness and training on top. Agree with the owner or management at which booking level you hire extra people. Opening with too few people costs reviews; opening with too many costs money and leaves staff with too few hours, who then leave again.
For dozens of roles at once, individual interviews are too slow. What helps in practice:
• Recruitment days per department: candidates come on one day for an introduction, a short interview and, where possible, a practical task.
• A temporary venue: a nearby meeting room or another hotel in the group while your own building is not ready.
• Fast decisions: give candidates an answer within a few days. Anyone left waiting for weeks signs elsewhere.
• One scorecard per role: so different interviewers assess the same points.
There are often weeks or months between the offer and opening day. In that time some hired candidates drop out because they get another offer, construction is delayed or their situation changes. Keep a few runner-up candidates warm in each department, and stay in touch with those who have signed: a progress update, a site visit as soon as the building is accessible, or a team evening. If the opening date moves, tell new hires straight away and agree clearly on the start date and what applies in the meantime.
A team that meets for the first time on opening day makes mistakes in front of guests. Before opening, plan:
• Induction: brand standards, house rules, safety and hygiene.
• Systems training: the property management system, point of sale and housekeeping system, with personal logins.
• Department training: procedures per department, written by the heads of department.
• Dry runs: overnight stays and meals for staff, partners or invited guests, so the team practises the real flow.
Also check what applies in your country to contracts, mandatory training and any work permits. These rules differ by country and take time if you leave them late.
• Starting key roles too late: heads of department arrive just before opening and have no time to choose their team.
• Everyone starting on the same day: there is no time to train the managers first.
• Staffing for a full house: staff get too few hours and leave in the first months.
• No buffer: a few dropouts in the last weeks immediately leave gaps in the schedule.
• Cutting training when construction overruns: the team then learns on the guests.
• Is there a recruitment plan counted back from the opening date, with dates per role?
• Are key roles filled well before the rest of the team?
• Is staffing based on the expected occupancy in the first months?
• Do you recruit in groups with one scorecard per role and fast decisions?
• Do you keep reserve candidates warm per department and stay in touch with those who have signed?
• Are training and dry runs fixed in the plan, even if construction overruns?
AXXAZ Hospitality supplies reliable hospitality staff to hotels across Europe. At an opening we can fill departments where your own recruitment is behind, or cover the first busy months while your permanent team grows. We work with candidates already pre-screened on availability, language and role, from a clear staffing brief. Get in touch.
Count back from the opening date, fill key roles first, recruit the rest in groups with a buffer for dropouts and keep time free for training.