Enjoy being pamperedFlawless service at the Headland Hotel
Our staff
Step inside and everything will be taken care of by our friendly, professional staff. Your pleasure is our priority; the dedicated, personal service of our team ensures that at The Headland Hotel you will be treated like a special guest. We pride ourselves on good old-fashioned values and demand high standards of our staff.
Our Core Values
We create positive memories by giving genuine, personal, outstanding service to everyone.
We believe that training, development and support should be there for everyone.
We believe that we should support our local communities.
We believe that if we follow our values we will continue to grow and prosper.
Join the team
The Headland Hotel, Newquay, offers a wide range of career opportunities within its welcoming team. Whether for full-time, part-time, seasonal or year-round work, there are regular employment opportunities at our renowned hotel in Cornwall. The staff play a vital role in the success of our four-star hotel, and we invest in their training and development in order for them to reach their full potential. A friendly, professional atmosphere underlies and supports the maintenance of our high standards, and all team members are encouraged to undertake relevant training courses. Opportunities vary from reception and administration posts, to housekeeping and hospitality work. Several members of our staff have been encouraged to progress within The Headland Hotel, and have achieved positions of responsibility at a relatively young age.
For details of current vacancies please go to Careers and Vacancies at the bottom of the page.
Meet the Team
Michelle Brown, Human Resources Manager
Michelle has been with the hotel for 10 years, joining as a part time chambermaid at 18, progressing through the ranks and taking over as Head Housekeeper aged just 20. During her 4 years in this role she helped the hotel achieve excellent AA reports.
When the opportunity to take over the Human Resources role arose, Michelle saw it as an opportunity to progress her career further. Michelle has been supported in her professional development and is currently studying for a PDS (Professional Development Scheme) by CIPD flexible learning. In 2007, Michelle was awarded an Acorn award which is presented to only 30 high achievers in the hotel industry on a yearly basis. Despite her busy role, she still manages to maintain a good work life balance as she has two small children, a dog, a guinea pig and a Paramedic husband!
"My aim is to be at the top of my profession and keep developing!"
Adam Cornish, Head of Front of House
Adam started his career by studying for an 'A' Level in Hospitality Management, and an NVQ Level 2 in Food and Drink Service and also in Food Preparation.
The Headland was quick to spot Adam's potential when he finished and offered him a three year Trainee Manager position during which he spent time in every department, working from the bottom to the top.
Adam has loved the challenge of learning how each department operates and interacts. He finished studying for a Foundation Degree in Tourism and Leisure Management, then converted this to a Business Degree at Cornwall College, Camborne in early 2009. He is now back working full time at The Headland, and recently spent time at The Goring, London, gaining valuable experience and insights at what is the highest rated family run hotel in the country (five red stars).
Adam says 'Ambition is the key to life, you can never aim too high.'
Emilia Czatrowska, Assistant Head of Front of House
Emilia was born in Poland and after completing a Master Engineering degree in Science of Commodities in 2005 she came to England to experience more of the world and improve her English.
Emilia's career in hospitality began at the five red star Summer Lodge Hotel in Dorset. Working there for almost 2 years as a room attendant she learned how to keep high standards and deal with customer requests. Emilia also discovered that she really enjoyed working for the hotel industry.
In June 2007 following a successful interview she accepted the position as Front of House Receptionist at Alexander House Hotel & Utopia Spa in West Sussex. After a year Emilia was promoted to the Senior Receptionist position.
Emilia's passion for hospitality and her wish to develop her career brought her to Cornwall, where she joined the Headland team in August 2009 as Cottage Manager. Just before Christmas 2009 Emilia joined the Front of House team, a position she loves, being right at the forefront, meeting and greeting!
Emilia says: "There is no bigger motivation to work, than happy customers".
Sean Davies, Food and Beverage Manager
Sean was born in Germany where his father was stationed whilst serving in the army. Sean's family then moved to Hong Kong for 3 years, eventually settling back in England when he was 12.
He was interested in catering from an early age which took him to catering college, here he trained as a chef for 3 years, however, Sean soon realised that his interests really lay in working front of house.
Sean chose the Crown Plaza to train in front of house operations before joining the QE2 where he worked for 4 years in the dining room. He then moved to The Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and was based in Miami for 4 years, finishing his time at sea with 12 months working for the exclusive Silver Seas.
Back in the UK Sean held the position of Restaurant Manager at the luxurious Lower Slaughter Manor in the Cotswolds, then continuing his career in Michelin starred restaurants he moved to Lucknam Park Hotel, Bath, before relocating to the Isles of Scilly for 2 years.
Sean's time on the Isles and in Cornwall led him to want to stay in the area and continue his involvement in the upmarket hotel industry. Spotting the Headland's advertisement for a Food and Beverage Manager, he jumped at the chance to work in a family run, high class hotel.
Sakis Dinas, General Manager
Born in Greece and bought up in Germany Sakis studied hotel management in Switzerland at a private school in Chur.
In order to improve his English, Sakis came to the UK for a ‘'short 6 months to a year'' in 1995 finding work as a waiter at the Park Lane Hilton. Sakis stayed with the Hilton Group for six years and progressed through the ranks to the Food and Beverage Manager at the Green Park Hilton.
Sakis decided that the service and atmosphere in London didn't give him the satisfaction he wanted from working in the hotel industry so he moved to Ashdown Park in East Sussex, trying a new direction with Country House Hotels. Sakis stayed there for three years, the final year as Deputy General Manager, he then moved to Summer Lodge in Dorset to learn about the highest level of customer service.
Ready and eager to move up the ladder Sakis attained his first General Manager role at Langshott Manor and upgraded the hotel within one and half years from three red stars to four red stars.
In search of a new challenge Sakis saw the advertisement for the General Manager post at The Headland and "fell in love with the hotel when staying for the interview".
"And that 6 months to a year, well 14 years on, I am still in the UK...."
Jude Gallacher - Executive Housekeeping Manager
Jude was brought up in the pub industry, and learnt from an early age how to keep a place spotless! Before she started at The Headland, Jude had worked in various schools and government offices (achieving the full BICS awards), before making the move to Cornwall in 1995.
Jude is a very respected member of the Headland Team, and has won 'Manager Of The Year' twice (2009 & 2007), and runner up for the same award twice (2006 & 2008)!!
In September 2010 Jude will have been with us for five years, and she is already looking forward to collecting her special long service badge!
Gareth Sorsby, Assistant Manager
Gareth Sorsby only had about six months experience behind a bar in Newquay when he joined The Headland, but made such a good impression that within six months he rose to the position of Bar Supervisor and within 12 months had begun undertaking Duty Management shifts.
Gareth has recently been made Assistant Manager and co-ordinates the Duty Management shifts whilst overseeing the beverage side of the business. He has been able to undertake a wide range of training courses to support him in his development.
Gareth firmly believes that "Hard work pays off - that's what got me here in the first place" and this will no doubt take him a lot further still.
Estelle Thornton, Terrace Manager
Estelle lived and grew up in Newquay and from a young age she knew the tourism industry was going to be the career path she would take. On finishing her A- levels and wanting to stay close to the county, Estelle enrolled on a 2 year foundation degree at Cornwall College, completing her studies at Plymouth University and gaining a Bsc in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Soon after completing her degree Estelle noticed an advertisement for a ‘Recruitment Day' at The Headland, ‘it was fate, too good to be true'.
She started working at The Headland as a Food and Beverage Attendant in The Terrace Restaurant, and within three months Estelle's hard work and dedication resulted in a promotion to Assistant Manager. Three months after this the role of Terrace Manager became available, and Estelle jumped at the chance. Recently Estelle has also taken over managing the Bar.
Estelle says "This is my dream job, I feel really lucky to be here. Everyday is different, the people I meet and the people I work with are second to none".
Alison Turner, Financial Controller
Alison will have been at the Headland for 5 years at the end of February 2010. She started her working life as a secretary after having been to secretarial college. A couple of years later she moved into the accounts side of things, as she had always liked math's at school.
After mostly self taught book-keeping and accounts, in 1998 she decided to attend college for 3 years of evening classes to obtain her degree in accounting, as well as completing advanced courses in Excel & Word at St. Austell Learning Centre.
Alison grew up in Cornwall, but then left for many years, before moving back down in 2001 - she loves her holidays, but believes that the beaches of Cornwall are the best in the country. She says "Cornwall has always felt like home, and there is no intention to move back to the Midlands! When I first visited the Headland I remember catching a glimpse of the hotel, and just thinking ‘WOW'. I have always thought and felt that the Headland is a very professional place to work."
