Is Genuine Hospitality Still the Raison d'Être in
Medium to Large Hotels?

As a business coach, one of the most important questions I ask leaders is: “What is the true purpose of your business?” If the answer is simply “profit,” we have a problem. Cash flow and profit are undeniably the lifeblood of any business, but they are not the purpose behind what you do, never more so than in the hospitality industry.

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In theory, the raison d'être for any hotel should be to deliver an unforgettable, treasured experience to each guest. But in practice, is this really still at the core of medium to large hotels? I would argue that, with the exception of the luxury market, the answer is no. And while there are countless pressures contributing to this - margins, recruitment issues, economic fluctuations, it’s not an excuse to let the guest experience fall by the wayside.

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We’ve seen a shift in focus within many hotels away from hospitality and toward procedure and operational efficiency. Many leaders in hospitality management agree with the principles in Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect. The idea that extraordinary customer experiences are essential is widely accepted. Yet, the difficulty comes when you ask those same leaders why they might not be consistently delivering this level of service. The reasons are plentiful: understaffing, shrinking budgets, and increasing demands from upper management. But the challenge lies not in the obstacles themselves but in how leadership and culture are positioned to overcome them.

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In my experience as a hotel GM, I’ve seen the emphasis on the guest experience being shifted towards compliance, procedures, and managing upwards. That shift can lead to an assembly-line mentality, where guests are processed rather than served. It’s a stark contrast to the kind of hospitality which keeps guests coming back, builds loyalty, and makes a lasting impression.

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The solution, in my view, is simple but far from easy: culture and leadership. It’s about establishing a culture where hospitality is not just a task but a passion. And that starts at the top. A passion for delivering exceptional experiences cannot be bought; it has to be cultivated. It’s about hiring people who genuinely enjoy interacting with others, and then training, developing, and mentoring them in a way that prioritises the guest experience over the bottom line. Leadership must be visible, not just in boardrooms but on the front line, demonstrating what exceptional hospitality looks like.

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Of course, some organisations do this very well, and they’re rewarded with loyal guests, positive reviews, and repeat business. But too many hotels have drifted from this fundamental focus. It’s time to reconsider: is it better to "process" guests efficiently or to make every interaction an opportunity to exceed expectations?

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Re-focusing on the individual guest experience might just be the way out of the operational and financial pressures that hotels are currently facing. The power of genuine, personalised hospitality can be the ultimate differentiator in an increasingly competitive and commoditised industry.

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Is your business putting the guest experience first, or is it getting lost in procedure and process? Is it time to re-evaluate and re-establish some time-served hospitality principles?

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Antony Penny

AWP Consultancy