The hospitality executive search specialists. Global reach. Sector-defining placements.
Madison Mayfair runs retained executive search campaigns for hospitality businesses operating at the highest level. Whether you're building a senior leadership team for a single property, scaling a corporate function across a global portfolio, or making a transformational hire at the top of your organisation, we have the network, the methodology and the track record to deliver.
We work globally. We work exclusively in hospitality. And we fill the roles that matter most.
Three Search Disciplines. One Specialist Firm.
Senior Leadership
The most consequential hires in hospitality are the ones that set the tone for everything else. General Managers, Regional Vice Presidents, Managing Directors, and Chief Operating Officers shape culture, drive performance, and define the guest experience. Finding individuals of this calibre requires more than a database search — it requires trusted relationships with passive candidates who are performing well and not looking. That's exactly what we bring.
We conduct senior leadership searches across luxury hotels, resort groups, private members' clubs, lifestyle brands and hospitality management companies worldwide.
Property-Level Executive Search
Outstanding individual properties demand outstanding individual leaders. We conduct focused, confidential executive searches for property-level roles including General Manager, Hotel Manager, Director of Sales and Marketing, Director of Operations, Food and Beverage Director, Revenue Manager and Financial Controller.
Whether you're opening a new property, repositioning an existing asset or replacing a key leader, we move quickly, discreetly and with a clear focus on finding the right person — not just an available one.
Corporate & Group Functions
As hospitality businesses grow in scale and complexity, the demand for exceptional corporate talent intensifies. We recruit for group-level and corporate functions, including Chief Commercial Officer, Chief People Officer, VP of Development, VP of Asset Management, Group Financial Director, Group Director of Sales and Marketing and corporate operations leadership.
We understand the difference between a great property operator and a great corporate leader — and we know how to identify and attract both.
Why Businesses Choose Madison Mayfair for Executive Search
Hospitality executive search requires more than generalist recruiting capability. It requires genuine sector knowledge, a deep candidate network built over decades, and the ability to reach executives who are not actively on the market.
Madison Mayfair has been placing senior hospitality professionals since 1996 as part of the Hospitality People Group. Our track record speaks for itself: a 97% search completion rate, 80% of mandates from repeat clients, and placements across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the Americas.
We operate on a retained basis, which means our clients get commitment, focus and full accountability from the first day of engagement to the moment the right person accepts their offer.
Roles We Regularly Place
We conduct executive search campaigns across the following disciplines within global hospitality: General Manager, Hotel Manager, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, Managing Director, VP Operations, VP Development, Director of Sales and Marketing, Director of Operations, Director of Finance, Financial Controller, Revenue Director, Director of Human Resources, Food and Beverage Director, Group Asset Manager and Board-level advisory appointments.
A Global Network Built on Relationships
The candidates who make the biggest difference in hospitality are rarely found on job boards. They are known to us personally — senior professionals we have placed before, worked alongside, or maintained relationships with over many years. When you instruct Madison Mayfair, you gain direct access to that network.
We recruit globally, with particular depth across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas.
Ready to discuss a senior search?
If you have a leadership requirement — at the property level or corporate level — we'd welcome a confidential conversation.
Get in touch with the Madison Mayfair team today.
Frequently asked question
Q1: What is hospitality executive search, and how does it differ from standard recruitment?
Hospitality executive search is a proactive, research-led process used to identify and approach senior professionals who are not actively looking for a new role. Unlike standard recruitment, which relies on candidates applying to advertised vacancies, executive search targets the best people in the market regardless of whether they are available. For senior leadership, property and corporate roles in hospitality, this approach consistently delivers higher-calibre candidates and better long-term outcomes than contingency or advertised hiring.
Q2: Which senior hospitality roles do you conduct executive search for?
We conduct retained executive search campaigns for a wide range of senior roles across the global hospitality sector, including General Manager, Hotel Manager, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, Managing Director, VP of Operations, VP of Development, Director of Sales and Marketing, Director of Finance, Group HR Director, Food and Beverage Director and Board-level appointments. We recruit for both individual property leadership positions and group corporate functions.
Q3: Do you conduct hospitality executive search internationally?
Yes. Madison Mayfair conducts executive search campaigns globally, with active placement experience across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas. Our candidate network spans every major hospitality market, and we regularly place senior leaders into roles across multiple regions and time zones. Whether you are hiring for a single property in one market or building a corporate team across a global portfolio, we have the reach to deliver.
Q4: How long does a hospitality executive search campaign typically take?
Most retained executive search campaigns are completed within eight to twelve weeks, from initial briefing through to offer and acceptance. The timeline depends on the seniority and complexity of the role, the target geography and the availability of shortlisted candidates. Madison Mayfair's structured search process and 97% completion rate mean clients can plan with confidence from the moment a search is instructed.
Q5: Why use a specialist hospitality executive search firm rather than a generalist headhunter?
Hospitality is a relationship-driven industry with a relatively small global pool of senior-level talent. A specialist firm like Madison Mayfair brings decades of sector-specific relationships, deep knowledge of the candidate market and an understanding of what genuinely differentiates a strong hospitality leader. Generalist headhunters may have a broad reach, but they lack the sector credibility to engage passive hospitality candidates effectively, represent your opportunity convincingly, or assess cultural and operational fit with the same precision as a dedicated specialist.