<b>At your service:</b> The oddest hotel jobs in the world

Hotels can find room on payroll for all sorts of odd jobs, from aura architects to guacamologists

Hotels can find room on the payroll for all sorts of odd jobs, from aura architects to guacamologists. While some are marketing fluff, many are downright essential. Nikki Einstein lists the oddest hotel jobs in the world

Mermaid instructors at Sanderling Resort, North Carolina’s Outer Banks

Want to be part of that world? Talk to Kitty Hawk Kites, the lead mermaid instructor at the Sanderling Resort’s six-month-old Mermaid School. During $49, hour-long sessions, she teaches guests how to slide in and out of a custom-designed mermaid tail, as well as how to be graceful in the water when wearing it. (Remember what they say about flipping your fins: Even Ariel didn’t get too far.)

Canine masseuse at the Belmond Hotel Splendido, Portofino, Italy
 

This one may not exactly be for you. But any dog with passport stamps would covet a canine masseuse at one of Italy’s most impressively situated hotels.

There, pups get pampered in treatment rooms just as humans do; this one happens to overlook Portofino Bay. And yes, the masseuse uses Swedish massage techniques to "warm up and work the dog's muscle tissue." Just don’t ask us how that differs from a belly rub. (We’re pretty sure it doesn’t.)
 

French polisher at the Dorchester, London

Kevin Berry has been tasked with maintaining all the antiques at the historic Dorchester hotel in London for the last 16 years. So why is he called a French Polisher? He uses a particular technique for refinishing wood called, well, French Polishing; it gives antiques a mirror-like gloss. He’s hardly alone in his industry. At the Café Royal, also in London, an uncle-nephew team function as marble and stone specialists, polishing the hotel’s many marble walls and furnishings with old and new techniques. (The old-school system: Use abrasion to create a shine-producing grit. The new way: Draw out stains with chemicals and UV light.)

The tartan butler at the Balmoral, Edinburgh

Longtime Balmoral concierge Andy Fraser has picked up a niche specialty: helping guests trace their Scottish roots to discover the family tartan. (Each Scottish family can claim a particular tartan, depending on ancestry, the locality it hailed from, or the clan its relatives belonged to.) Give him your known genealogy ahead of your visit, and he’ll do all the digging with local registries and experts. By the time you arrive, he’ll have tracked down your match in the Scottish Register of Tartans. (He’ll hook you up with kilt shops for outfits in your personal pattern, too.)

Chandelier cleaner at the Waldorf Astoria, New York

This is a really full-time job. Now, we’ve told you a bit about the crazy back-of-house needs at the Waldorf Astoria, and the legends of its politician-packed ballroom. But did you know it takes a team of three people to clean the Grand Ballroom’s massive chandelier? Not just that: It takes the trio three days to pull down the fixture and polish each crystal, one by one.

Truffle hunter at Le Richemond, Switzerland

This venerable, 142-year-old hotel on Lake Geneva has hired Clément Jacquemier, a local truffle supplier, to take guests on weekly foraging tours with his truffle sniffing pup, Pistache. Dig up what you can and bring it back to the hotel restaurant, Le Jardin, which has a black truffle-centric menu full of dishes that can be helped by a few additional shavings.

Sunset bagpiper at the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, California

You’d think bagpipers of any kind would be mostly found in Scottish hotels, if at all. But this stateside resort has had one for more than 15 years. He pipes an hour and a half before sunset most days of the week, 52 weeks per year, starting near the first hole of the golf course and making his way around the resort's grounds. Why? Some say the coastal golf resort resembles the cliffs of Scotland. Maybe the better question is: Why not?

Shabbat Technician at the King David Hotel, Jerusalem

For Orthodox Jews staying in Jerusalem, the Shabbat Technician’s services aren’t just an amenity—they’re a reason to stay at the King David. After the sun sets on Friday, they refrain from using electricity. The technician is on call to disconnect electric drape mechanisms, replace key cards with actual room keys, and operate an elevator that stops on every floor, so guests need not push the buttons.  

Underwater cleaning crew at the Conrad Maldives

On the theme of cleaning: This property is famous for its one-of-a-kindunderwater restaurant, which wouldn’t be such a hit if it were mucked up by algae or debris. That’s why the hotel maintains a team to tidy up the massive marine tank three times a day. (The process takes about 20 minutes each time.) As for their office? It’s five meters (16.4 feet) underwater, surrounded by coral reefs. 
 

Text and pictures: Bloomberg