Long Lane is a wellness-focused private members club and hotel at Dunford House, a 55-acre country estate in Midhurst, West Sussex. It is the first property under the Long Lane brand, with further houses planned.
- The estate includes:29 bedrooms across the main house and grounds
- A natural swimming pool and spa garden
- Contrast therapy suite and nature-immersed spa
- A longevity clinic offering diagnostics and practitioner-led programmes
- A large gym and a movement studio
- A restaurant and kitchen built around a small regenerative farm on the estate
- Woodland trails and open parkland across the 55 acres
- Personalised wellbeing pathway for members
The house has been designed and built to low-tox principles using natural materials throughout. The membership and guest proposition is built on five pillars: movement, recovery, nourishment, community and nature.
Our membership spans 3 tiers; country club, local and longevity. Our members are wellness-literate individuals and couples, based in London or the South Downs, alongside UK and international hotel guests. The food & beverage offering is alcohol-free and 100% organic.
The role
We are recruiting a General Manager to open and then run Long Lane. You will join during pre-opening, build the operating team, deliver the opening, and hold full operational and commercial accountability for the property thereafter.
You will report to the founders and will own the P&L from opening.
This is a build role before it is an operating role. The standards, systems, team and service model are to be created, supported by the pre-opening consultancy team.
Pre-opening responsibilities
- Recruit, induct and train the operating team, department heads first
- Write the service model, operating standards and SOPs across rooms, F&B, spa, clinic, studio and grounds
- Own the pre-opening critical path: licensing, health and safety, insurance, compliance, supplier onboarding, snagging and building handover
- Support the implementation of the operating stack: PMS, booking engine, membership CRM, EPOS, rota and procurement systems
- Manage the opening budget, staffing model and first-year operating plan with the founders
- Work alongside the membership and marketing team so the delivered experience matches what is being sold
Post-opening responsibilities
- Full P&L accountability, including forecasting, cost control and monthly reporting to the founders and board
- Day-to-day operation of rooms, F&B, spa, longevity clinic, studio, grounds and events
- Member experience, engagement and retention
- Team culture, development, performance and retention
- Consistency of standards across every department, every day
- Feeding operational learning back into the model for future Long Lane properties
Requirements
Essential
Senior operational leadership in luxury hospitality: hotel, private members club, resort or high-end wellness property. Current GM, Hotel Manager, Deputy GM or Director of Operations
- Pre-opening, relaunch or major repositioning experience
- Demonstrable P&L ownership, including budgeting, forecasting and cost control
- Experience leading multi-department teams of 50 or more
- Strong recruitment and people development track record
- Working knowledge of UK licensing, health and safety, and employment compliance
- Able to work on site in Midhurst, West Sussex. This is not a hybrid role
Desirable
- Wellness, clinic or retreat operations experience
- Experience in a membership business, including retention and engagement metrics
- Experience opening a rural or estate property
- Familiarity with regenerative or farm-to-table food operations
Terms
Full-time, permanent
- Based on site at Dunford House, Midhurst, West Sussex
- Salary: £80,000-£100,000, plus performance-related bonus. Equity or long-term incentive available for the right candidate
- Meals, use of the estate and facilities, full health plan and professional development support
- Start date: as soon as possible
To apply
Send your CV and a short covering note to careers@longlane.co.uk. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
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