Sydney Hilton opens in style

Overview

In 2005, the prestigious Hilton Sydney unveiled a complete transformation following an extensive rebuild. With the relaunch came the challenge of recruiting and training approximately 3,000 new staff members across multiple departments. To ensure the hotel’s newly refurbished image was matched by equally polished front-line presentation, Hilton enlisted Prep People to develop and implement a comprehensive grooming strategy.

 

Objectives

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• Establish clear, stylish, and functional grooming standards aligned with Hilton’s luxury positioning

• Create tailored hair and makeup styles that complement various uniforms across departments

• Ensure staff at all guest-facing points reflect Hilton’s brand promise of sophistication and professionalism

• Deliver effective training to embed grooming standards hotel-wide upon reopening

 

Approach

Prep People worked closely with Hilton’s leadership and HR teams to conduct a detailed review of uniform styles and brand expectations across the hotel. From this, we crafted a series of tailored grooming standards, focusing on consistency, brand alignment, and wearability.

 

We developed department-specific style solutions covering hair, makeup, and presentation for roles in reception, welcome areas, cafés, bars, restaurants, and conference/event teams. Each style was designed to be both high-impact and easy to maintain, enabling staff to present with confidence during every guest interaction.

The rollout of these grooming standards took place immediately after the hotel’s reopening, with Prep People conducting targeted training sessions to ensure every front-line employee understood the expectations and felt equipped to meet them.

 

Outcomes

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• Seamless brand alignment: Every guest-facing role now reflects the refined, luxurious standard of the Hilton brand

• Consistency across departments: Custom style guides ensured a cohesive presentation, despite varied uniforms and environments

• Staff empowerment: Training sessions provided both practical skills and motivation, encouraging ongoing commitment to personal presentation

• Lasting impact: Hilton’s polished image was reinforced through day-to-day interactions, strengthening their position in Sydney’s competitive hotel market

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Conclusion

Prep People’s partnership with Hilton Sydney played a key role in the successful relaunch of one of Australia’s premier hotel destinations.