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.
Heart of Hospitality Podcast & Stories
- Jana Berger18. May 2023Jana Berger
Director of Front Office, Sofitel Munich Bayerpost - Germany
- Rebecca Vreeman9. May 2023Rebecca Vreeman
Front Office Manager, ibis Gent Centrum Kathedraal - Belgium
- Melissa Vidal9. May 2023Melissa Vidal
Melissa Vidal, Operations Manager, Novotel London Bridge - United Kingdom
- Julia Pfleiderer2. May 2023Julia Pfleiderer
Novotel, ibis & ibis budget Zürich City West - Switzerland
- Ingebjørg Foss23. March 2023Ingebjørg Foss
Front Office Supervisor, Novotel London Bridge - United Kingdom
- Florian Mendes22. March 2023Florian Mendes
Reception Supervisor, Raffles London at The OWO - United Kingdom
- Marleen Owel13. March 2023Marleen Owel
Back Office Manager, ibis and ibis Budget Amsterdam Airport - The Netherlands
- Flóra Szegedi7. March 2023Flóra Szegedi
Director of Sales, Mercure Budapest City Centre - Hungary
- Agnieszka Powązka-Celer6. March 2023Agnieszka Powązka-Celer
General Manager, Novotel Poznań Malta - Poland
- Verena Becherer17. February 2023Verena Becherer
Talent & Culture Manager Future Talents, Munich Support Office - Germany
- Yasda Gomez17. February 2023Yasda Gomez
Food & Beverage Manager, Novotel Edinburgh Park - United Kingdom
- Renate Fransen17. February 2023Renate Fransen
Cluster Talent & Culture Manager, ibis Rotterdam City Centre and Novotel Rotterdam Brainpark - The Netherlands
- Gábor Demény14. February 2023Gábor Demény
General Manager, Mercure Debrecen - Hungary
- Michaela Pontzen13. February 2023Michaela Pontzen
Reservations Manager, ibis Munich Garching - Germany
- Trevor Fernandes13. February 2023Trevor Fernandes
Assistant General Manager, ibis budget Cardiff Centre - United Kingdom
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.
CEO Accor Northern Europe & Host Heart of Hospitality Podcast
