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Hospitality matters because it has heart.
People are the heart of hospitality

Hospitality is a people business. Heart of Hospitality celebrates the moments and lives of people who make hospitality so special.

Think of your last holiday, the special birthday meal with friends, the business trip where the deal finally got done. Every day, around the world, people come to hospitality venues to celebrate, to dream, to escape, to work, to play, to spend time with loved ones, to laugh and to love. What an industry to be a part of; to be the person responsible for these precious moments and the memories that follow.

Those who work in the industry do so for many reasons, most commonly because they simply like people. They care about the craft, the experience and the service because it matters. It matters to our guests and therefore it matters to us.

Hospitality is the epitome of diversity, bringing together people from all backgrounds, from all walks of life, from all over the world. It is an industry full of passionate, creative and talented people some of whom have worked in the industry their entire life, others who fell into the sector and fell in love with it. Whatever their background, their stories are connected by their talent, love and care for what they do.

Hospitality is a people first business full of people people who chat, and connect, and use their talent and creativity to create special moments and tiny touches that matter to their guests, that matter to each of us.

Here we celebrate their work, their stories and their heart.

Meet the industry
Heart of Hospitality Podcast & Stories
  • Janusz Wędzicha

    Guest Experience Specialist, Mercure Kraków Stare Miasto - Poland

  • Gabriel Baldez

    Reservations Manager, ibis London City - United Kingdom

  • Emese Pagony

    Pastry Chef, Novotel Budapest City - Hungary

  • Corina Matei

    Cluster Sales Manager, Novotel Bucharest City Centre & Mercure Bucharest Unirii - Romania

  • Kristina Matulevičienė

    Deputy General Manager, Novotel Warszawa Centrum - Poland

  • Gayatri Marsiglia

    Front Office Team Leader, Novotel London Bridge - United Kingdom

  • Ashley Staggs

    Maintenance Manager, Novotel London Waterloo - United Kingdom

  • Manvir Singh Dalal

    Executive Chef, Novotel London Greenwich - United Kingdom

  • Skip Waslander

    Receptionist, Novotel den Haag City Centre - The Netherlands

  • Aneta Lewandowska

    General Manager, Sofitel Warsaw Victoria - Poland

  • Zbigniew Brząkała

    Guest Experience Manager, Rezydent Sopot MGallery Hotel Collection - Poland

  • Christian Köntopp

    General Manager, Novotel Munich Airport - Germany

  • Agnieszka Kalinowska

    Senior Manager Media Relations & PR Poland & Eastern Europe - Poland

  • Olivier Rouma

    General Manager, ibis Styles Liège Guillemain - Belgium

  • Michał Kopciński

    Executive Chef, ibis Styles Krakow Centrum - Poland

Hospitality is possibly the most glamourous job in the world.

MPS Puri
People who work in hospitality are custodians of experiences – we are the host of moments that matter and creator of future memories. We take this responsibility to heart and treat it with care because it matters.

The Heart of Hospitality Podcast is hosted by Duncan O’Rourke, CEO Northern Europe at Accor, a globally renowned hotelier with stories from around the world thanks to his career in hospitality. Seduced by the glamour of the hotels, restaurants and travel at a young age, Duncan studied hospitality management in Switzerland before travelling the globe, each role taking him to a new country, a new experience and new people, each sharing his passion, talent and heart.

In this series, Duncan shares his stories and speaks with people from across the industry, some well-known, others known just to the guests they serve. Listen to the podcast as he gives voice to the people who are the true heart of hospitality.

Duncan O'Rourke

CEO Accor Northern Europe & Host Heart of Hospitality Podcast