- It's about getting people to slow down.
- To switch off.
- To reconnect with nature, themselves and the people they're travelling with.
- Who the great local artists are.
- Which grower or maker they should meet.
Guest Experience & Wellness Curator | Matakana | 30 Hours
CRE8 Talent is working with our client on a genuinely exciting opportunity in Matakana.
This is not your usual hospitality role.
And that's probably the point.
Set across 50 acres of native bush overlooking the Matakana Valley and Hauraki Gulf, this private, off grid retreat is being created around something much bigger than accommodation.
It's about getting people to slow down.
To switch off.
To reconnect with nature, themselves and the people they're travelling with.
The land itself is being regenerated through native planting, conservation, growing and foraging food, with kiwi returning to the valley.
And the retreat is still evolving. There is a wellness whare coming. A sauna precinct. New accommodation. New experiences. New ideas.
Which is where you come in.
This is a role for someone who likes creating things
We're looking for someone who can take ownership of the guest experience from the very first enquiry through to the moment they leave.
But we don't want someone who simply follows a process.
We want someone who can create one.
Imagine a guest arriving for five days because they need to completely disconnect.
You might put together a restorative itinerary with yoga, massage, a private chef, a walk through the surrounding landscape and time simply doing nothing.
Another guest might want to discover Matakana properly.
So you know
Who the great local artists are.
Which grower or maker they should meet.
Where to send them for dinner.
Which practitioner is worth recommending.
Where to run.
Where to walk.
And when the best experience you can give someone is actually leaving them completely alone.
That's the difference.
You need to understand people, not just bookings.
What you'll be doing
You'll manage enquiries, bookings and guest communication across email, phone, the website and booking platforms.
You'll be the person guests get to know before they arrive and the person making sure everything is taken care of while they're there.
You'll coordinate arrivals, departures, special occasions, dietary requirements and those little details that make people feel genuinely looked after.
You'll build relationships with local artists, makers, growers, chefs, guides, wellness practitioners and cultural knowledge holders.
You'll coordinate yoga, massage, sound healing, meditation, breathwork and other wellness experiences.
You'll help create nature based experiences, digital detox stays, private retreats and small group programmes.
And as the retreat grows, you'll have a real opportunity to help shape what it becomes.
This is where it gets interesting
The retreat isn't finished.
That's the opportunity.
You'll be working closely with the owners and helping develop the guest experience, partnerships, wellness offering and way of doing things as the business grows.
There isn't going to be a giant operations manual telling you exactly how everything should be done.
· You'll need judgement.
· You'll need initiative.
· You'll need to be comfortable saying, “I think we could do this better.”
And then helping make it happen.
Who will love this role?
Someone with experience in boutique or luxury hospitality, tourism, wellness, events, travel or guest experience would be ideal.
But we're much more interested in the person behind the experience.
You're warm.
You're naturally curious.
You notice the little things.
You have excellent communication skills.
You're comfortable dealing with discerning guests.
You're organised without being rigid.
You can make a decision and get on with it.
You genuinely care about wellness, nature and the environment.
And you understand that luxury isn't necessarily about extravagance.
Sometimes it's remembering someone's favourite tea. Having the fire going before they arrive. Knowing exactly which practitioner they'll love.
Or simply knowing when not to interrupt.
An understanding of te ao Māori, rongoā Māori or other indigenous wellbeing practices would be valued, as would existing relationships across the Matakana and Auckland wellness and tourism community.
What you're joining
A small team.
A remarkable piece of land.
A business with big ambitions.
And something that is still being written.
You'll have the freedom to contribute, influence and make your mark rather than stepping into a role where everything has already been decided.
The ambition is to create one of New Zealand's exceptional destinations for rest, wellness, nature and reconnection.
You could help build it.
Please apply direct with a copy of your CV and covering letter, or
Kat Evans from CRE8 Talent for further information kat@cre8talent.nz