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26 June 2025

Open

General Manager

Lavenham, Suffolk, CO10

General Manager

The employer

The Swan at Lavenham Hotel & Spa began as a coaching Inn some 500 years ago and grew as the village of Lavenham gained its wealth through the wool trade to become one of the most famous medieval towns in the UK. If walls had ears and eyes, this hotel certainly would have many stories to tell.

The Swan boasts 45 bedrooms, two restaurants, Weavers’ House Spa, and the Airmen’s Bar packed with history and extensive lounges to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet of being in the Suffolk countryside.

Annually The Swan sells over 10,000 room nights and looks after 42,000 covers across the restaurants. If this wasn’t enough, there are also three function rooms where large Weddings and Events are frequently held. Weavers’ House Spa has six treatment rooms and provides a perfect complement to guests enjoying a restful break in the surroundings of The Swan.

The Swan is part of the enviable Pride of Britain group of hotels, a 4 Silver Star Hotel within the AA guide and 2AA Rosette food offer. Over the past three years three-quarters of the 45 bedrooms have been refurbished with the remainder planned over the next 18 months. All public areas and quality of the hotel environment are of a high standard, although, we are always looking for ways to improve further.

The Swan is part of The Hotel Folk, an award-winning group of six hotels across Suffolk. All six hotels are unique and run autonomously with the support of centralised finance, HR, IT, Revenue Management and Marketing, meaning priority at the hotels is always on the guest and providing them with a Blow-Your-Socks-Off hospitality experience.

The job

As General Manager you will manage all aspects of the hotel's day-to-day operations, including front of house, F&B, housekeeping, spa, events, and guest services. Responsible for over 100 staff, you will be able to lead, support and train them in delivering the very best for guests. You’ll be results focussed and drive accountability to ensure projects are delivered on time and process and practices are instilled, engrained and followed within the team. You will champion the guest experience, and act on feedback quickly and efficiently to ensure any issues are resolved. You’ll apply your commercial acumen to grow sales by maximising all aspects of hotel facilities and managing costs - an everyday requirement in modern hospitality.

This is a wonderful opportunity for a General Manager to take the hotel through the next chapter in its journey.

What you'll need

Exceptional hospitality standards, honed from working in similar hotels to The Swan, ensuring you understand the guest expectations across every department
Strong leadership skills.
A commercial mindset and understanding to manage and run a £4.5 million turnover hotel.
A demonstrable track record of delivering results and exceeding expectations.
Strong attention to detail and the ability to lead your team by example to ensure all guests leave raving about their experience

Where you'll be based

The Swan at Lavenham Hotel & Spa is based in the medieval town of Lavenham, Suffolk.

What you'll receive

£60,000 - £65,000 per annum dependent on experience
Performance-based bonus
Working five days from seven as the business requires which may include weekends and evenings on occasion.
33 days annual leave per annum
Company pension scheme
Staff discounts across the group

Find out more

To discuss this position in more detail, please send your CV to martin@martin-salter.com or call 07983 967143.

All communication will be treated in complete confidence.

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