Barista – Meliá Dubai

Job Description

Meliá Dubai, the first Spanish five-star hotel brand to open in the Middle East, is hiring a skilled Barista to join its F&B team in Bur Dubai. Known for its classic elegance, modern Italian-influenced interiors, and a diverse outlet portfolio spanning fine dining, themed bars, and lounge service, Meliá Dubai offers hospitality professionals the chance to work within an internationally established hotel group with a strong presence across Europe, Latin America, and the Gulf. This role is ideal for a coffee professional who takes genuine pride in consistency, presentation, and guest interaction.

This vacancy sits within a hotel environment rather than a standalone café, which means the successful candidate will work alongside a broader F&B operation, rotating where required across lobby lounge service, in-room dining support, and event coffee stations. Candidates who enjoy variety within a single role — rather than a fixed single-outlet routine — will find this a good fit.

About Meliá Dubai

Meliá Dubai is a 5-star urban hotel located in the Al Raffa area of Bur Dubai, within walking distance of the city’s main commercial and shopping districts, the Gold Souk, and Dubai Creek. As the first Spanish hotel group property in the Middle East, Meliá Dubai combines classic elegance with modern design, and houses a well-regarded outlet lineup that includes an internationally inspired all-day dining restaurant, a rooftop pool and spa, and themed bars known for their Spanish tapas and cigar-and-sushi concepts. The hotel is part of Meliá Hotels International, a global hospitality group with properties across dozens of countries, giving staff exposure to internationally benchmarked training and service standards.

Guests at Meliá Dubai include a mix of business travellers, tourists, and long-stay corporate guests, meaning the lobby lounge and coffee service sees a wide range of expectations — from a quick, efficient espresso for someone heading to a meeting, to a guest who wants to linger over a specialty coffee and pastry. The barista role is central to setting the tone of that first hotel impression.

A Day in the Life

Mornings at the lobby lounge tend to move quickly, with business guests coming through before check-out and meetings, followed by a steadier flow of leisure guests through the late morning and afternoon. A barista at Meliá Dubai will typically start the shift by checking machine calibration, restocking milk and syrups, and reviewing any function sheets for conferences or private events happening that day. During service, the pace shifts constantly — a rush of quick espressos ahead of a business breakfast, followed by slower, more conversational orders from guests relaxing in the lounge. Afternoons often bring banqueting support, preparing coffee stations for conference breaks or private functions, which requires batch preparation without compromising on quality or consistency. Throughout the day, the role also involves close coordination with the wider F&B team, since the lobby lounge frequently overlaps with restaurant and bar service during busy periods.

Role Overview

As Barista at Meliá Dubai, you will be responsible for preparing and serving a full range of hot and cold beverages to a consistently high standard, while delivering warm, efficient service to hotel guests in the lobby lounge and associated F&B outlets. You will work closely with the wider F&B and stewarding teams to maintain hygiene, presentation, and stock standards, and will be expected to represent the hotel’s five-star service philosophy in every guest interaction, however brief.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare espresso-based drinks, filter coffee, teas, and specialty beverages to consistent recipe and presentation standards.
• Operate, clean, and perform basic maintenance checks on espresso machines, grinders, and related equipment.
• Greet guests warmly, take orders accurately, and offer recommendations based on guest preferences.
• Maintain accurate stock levels of coffee, milk, syrups, and pastry items, flagging reorders to the outlet supervisor in good time.
• Handle cash and card transactions accurately through the hotel POS system.
• Keep the coffee station, display counters, and surrounding lounge area clean, organised, and guest-ready at all times.
• Support event and banqueting coffee stations during conferences or private functions as required.
• Follow all HACCP and hotel hygiene protocols relating to food and beverage handling.
• Communicate guest feedback or recurring issues to the F&B supervisor to support continuous improvement.
• Uphold Meliá’s grooming, uniform, and five-star brand service standards during every shift.

Requirements

• Minimum 1–2 years of barista experience, ideally within a hotel, five-star café, or high-volume specialty coffee outlet.
• Strong working knowledge of espresso extraction, milk texturing, and latte art is an advantage.
• Good spoken English; additional languages such as Arabic, Spanish, Russian, or Hindi are a strong plus given Meliá’s international guest profile.
• Food hygiene certification (or willingness to obtain one) and awareness of allergen handling.
• Well-groomed, guest-focused, and comfortable working in a structured five-star hotel environment.
• Flexibility to work rotational shifts, including early mornings, weekends, and public holidays typical of hotel F&B operations.
• A valid UAE residence visa or eligibility to be sponsored is required; candidates already based in the UAE are preferred for faster onboarding.

What Meliá Dubai Offers

• Competitive monthly salary, commensurate with experience and coffee skill level.
• Employment visa, medical insurance, and annual leave in line with UAE Labour Law.
• Staff accommodation or accommodation allowance, depending on hotel policy, plus duty meals.
• Access to Meliá Hotels International’s global training programs and internal transfer opportunities across the group’s international portfolio.
• A genuine long-term career path within hotel F&B, from barista to outlet supervisor and beyond.

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How to Apply

Interested candidates who meet the above requirements are encouraged to apply with an updated CV highlighting relevant barista and hotel F&B experience. Please clearly state your current visa status, coffee equipment experience (brand/model if known), notice period, and expected salary. Shortlisted candidates already based in the UAE and available for immediate interview will be given priority.

Tips to Strengthen Your Application

• Name the specific espresso machines and grinders you’ve operated (La Marzocco, Rancilio, Mahlkonig, etc.) — hotel recruiters often shortlist faster when equipment experience matches what’s already on property.
• Mention any barista or latte-art competitions, certifications, or training courses you’ve completed, even informal ones.
• If you’ve worked in a hotel environment before, note the star rating and outlet type (lobby lounge, banqueting, in-room dining) — hotel-specific experience is weighed differently from standalone café experience.
• State your current visa status clearly at the top of your CV so recruiters can assess turnaround time immediately.

This is a strong opportunity for coffee professionals looking to build a long-term hospitality career within one of the world’s largest hotel groups, based in one of Dubai’s most established five-star properties.