guest service agent

hotel housekeeper

room service server

host/hostess

concierge

Hotel EMMA

I'm really grateful for my time working at Emma. They showed me that the ideal workplace CAN exist, most companies just don't actually care enough to create it. They make it clear they want to be the best employer in SA, just like everyone else does. The difference is they actually try ($$$$$) instead of throwing a little party once a year and telling the employees they're one big family ($).

No workplace is perfect but my complaints are really minor. One FO manager was particularly stressful to work with. They've received a considerable amount of complaints but to my knowledge they still behave the same way a couple years later. The problems were mostly at an individual level rather than an organizational level, which is a GOOD sign. Financially, the hotel is driven to perform better every year just like any business. But when you're already the best hotel in SA, those expectations start to become unrealistic and all it does is put needless stress on sellers to deliver results. Let me reiterate at this point, though: Hotel Emma is a great place to work.

I was happy with my pay, I was surrounded by amazing people, and I felt like my leaders cared about me. My time there genuinely made me a better person. They have high service expectations from their employees but they invest in them accordingly and acknowledge hard work when they see it - exactly how it should be at an elite luxury hotel.

My time there was a great experience. It made me totally rethink how I deserved to be treated as an employee, which is pretty cool. I'd recommend it to anybody who wants be in the hospitality industry.

The training process is horrible in certain departments. They leave “you out to dry” and hold no accountability for the wrong doing by they’re “trainers” in the lack of proper training. The upper management in certain departments especially culinary is super sub par. They don’t train properly and will hold that against you later in your employment in the sense that they will push you to get faster and more proficient without the consideration or common sense to understand that you(the new hire) haven’t been trained properly. The treatment through out the culinary department is rough, uncoordinated, and unfair. The second in command of the kitchen is rude, unprofessional and lacking in communication and leadership skills. They pick and poke at your intelligence as well as your personal life, asking personal questions regarding your home life. They also don’t care for a new hires views, or feelings in the new job, as far as how they feel so far. You are told that you can have a break, but in reality you won’t have one. Family meal seems to be only accessible to the management of the kitchen, while everyone else works through the break and doesn’t eat the entire day. There are many problems in this kitchen, from cleanliness, to the leadership and it’s disappointing to say the least because when you look at this hotel as being such a highly regarding and beautiful place that it is. 

Not what I thought it would be. At orientation everything seemed so well and very nice but 1 month into the job that’s when you find out how it actually is working here. It becomes a more toxic culture every month,  management and a particular upper manager will talk to you and treat you like a nuisance. You’re pressured to perform with unrealistic expectations and always be at your best but if you have any small issues, questions, or concerns they will go unanswered by management as long as possible. Never seen any manager train a new hire at all.  I’ve seen some workers get thrown under the bus by management and HR (they go by “Talent and Culture.”
Management really shows us that they operate by “rules for them, but not for me” with much double standards. Favoritism left and right, some coworkers have cliques and engage in so much drama and those people will talk to you and treat you very disrespectfully. I enjoyed working with very few people and all of this does help build some character at the end and you’re going to learn so much.

Do not give breaks in-between 9+ hour shifts, give overtime without asking, advertised paid vacation but only gave me the server hourly wage-$4.25/hr, no communication among management, there are long periods when management isn't there during operation hours, lots of gossip and shady info gathering, biased promotions, discriminatory hiring practices, HR is a joke, constant staff turnover so you are constantly picking up slack. They pull people in with the discussion of great company culture and benefits but don't deliver. Very disappointing.

There is no cohesion or cooperation between departments. There is a lot of drama between managers that manifests in plotting and throwing people under the bus. Lots of fraternization between workers which creates an even more hostile environment. The level of customer service that they require is never applied to interdepartmental relations and results in unnecessary animosity and issues that do not need to occur. These issues and culture lead to a high turnover in several departments that leaves Hotel Emma in a constant state of chaotic scrambling and high stress behind the scenes. 

I didnt really learn anything, their is no training or recipe books, and all the leaders take critisism very personally. 
This is a place where the benifits seem good enough to let your dreams go for stability for your family.  They have no intrest in promoting people, it wasnt just my self either, they where waving a carrot in front of many others too. 

Management is very disorganized, some work very hard others gossip and do less than bare minimum. More managers than staff with no clear direction and minimal training, seems like most of the managers ended up in the positions they are in out of desperation and not because they would be good at the job. There is no planning ahead or preparation for what is to come until everyone is scrambling. Kitchen is also very small and not planned out well.

I was excited to be apart of this company at first. But I often had worked while other employees were allowed to sleep and repeatedly be late and call off with no discipline. Going to HR does not help because then your labeled as the “problem “. So there’s no support at all. Managers gossip way too much and tell employees personal business/health issues. This place has not real work ethic

It’s apparently a 5 diamond property, but everyone still questions that. “Management” will never guide or help. Be expected to be thrown under the bus when the $@& hits the fan, and that’s almost every day. Enormous & unbelievable favoritism within the staff!!! 

Hotel Emma was an original and exciting place to work. #1 hotel in the city, #28 in the world. Challenging work environment, motivated employees. Hotel Emma also gave out perks, like a one year bus pass, 3 meals a day, free dry cleaning of uniforms, bonuses twice a year, and very high hourly pay!!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Guest service agent 7 salaries reported	$15.43 per hour
Hotel housekeeper 4 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour
Room service server 6 salaries reported	$12.00 per hour
Host/hostess 5 salaries reported	$16.80 per hour
Concierge 3 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour

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