Mermaid Instructor? Canine Masseuse? The Oddest Hotel Jobs on Earth

Sometimes, as a travel editor, I think I’ve seen it all. The jaded journalist in me sneers at the countless “cupid concierges” that pop up around Valentine’s Day, along with desperate-feeling marketing gimmicks that range from the campfire-based S'morrier to an Aura Architect to a Guacamologist. (Yep, those are all real.)

Not all of them are quite so out-of-left-field, these crazy hotel jobs. The Bow Tie Concierge at Atlanta's Ritz-Carlton Bulkhead is really just a front desk manager who happens to have gotten a reputation for his excellent bow-tying skills, so now he turns guests into properly dapper Southern Gentlemen before weddings and galas. “Northern Lights Spotter” might seem a ridiculous job title, but that’s someone who stays up all night in Iceland, so you can wake up if—and only if—there’s good reason to get out of bed. And yes, you can roll your eyes at the word “Tobacconist,” but the one at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington D.C. passed a legitimate certification exam to qualify; he looks after one of the most meticulously curated cigar lounges anywhere.