I’ve spent the last week in the U.S.A., where I had the exciting opportunity to speak at the Hollywood Big Festoon about all things hospitality with a global audience.
This trip was incredible in many ways. As always, my travels included stays at experiential hotels, which, overall, were stunning and generally did not disappoint. The energy of American hospitality is certainly very much alive.
However, even with all of that, a few experiences left a mark—and not for the right reasons. These moments resonated deeply with the main theme of my talk: the urgent need to awaken many and ensure we save hospitality.
Those in hospitality who are doing it well have a responsibility to share their skills. Similarly, those who enjoy hospitality have a responsibility to shine a light on career opportunities and, in the current economic climate, do all they can to support operators.
So, let’s start with the flight and quick overview of the experience we had…
We flew a well-known airline, seated in premium economy. Row 7, not exactly far down the plane, yet when meal service began, we were told they’d already run out of the fish option!
How does that happen in “premium economy”, when you’re talking 30-40 people and the remainder of the plane is over 150 and the most basic expectation, a choice of two meals, wasn’t even met. It may sound small, but it sets a tone.
When we then arrived in Las Vegas, checking into a five-star luxury hotel, expecting just that – luxury – we were on the roller coaster 😉 – an instant upgrade which was fabulous 51st Floor looking across Vegas!
Get to the hotel room, and instantly you knew the room hadn’t been hoovered! Sadly, to feel near the bed a sharp scratch, to look down to find someone else’s toenail – eek! In any hotel, that’s unacceptable, but naturally in a five-star property, it’s truly shocking – to be fair the remainder of the stay and service, including room service, was great! That of course was until we had to extend another night…
Well, what happened?
We went to Reception to extend and get our key card extended, but it just couldn’t happen! Yep, the only option was to go back to our room, call reservations, then come back downstairs to reception to have a new key cut, once we had been extended – small, but irritating and for someone in the industry that understands how easy this is, to me, it makes no sense why they just couldn’t extend our stay at the desk and sort it all there and then and provide a good service. It felt very ‘anti-guest’.
Next Stop, Los Angeles, and our next hotel was another five-star property, on the beach front of Santa Monica, and to its credit, it was wonderful.
Beautiful space, everything you’d expect and exceptionally clean. So much so that we decided we wanted to stay another night. We went down to reception to extend our stay and hey – no issue! The buildings were beautiful and the branding strong.
The issues here arose around their people and small problems, that simply come down to being undertrained, under-resourced, or under-empowered staff – sadly all in the Food & Beverage department.
The result? A guest experience that felt disjointed, frustrating, and far from five-star.
There’s a long-standing perception in the UK that American hospitality is world-leading.
In many ways, it is. But what I’ve experienced shows cracks in that image and it matters.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the leisure and hospitality sector had the highest ‘quit’ rate in 2023, with more than 5% of the workforce leaving each month.
Meanwhile, 96% of U.S. hotels report staffing shortages, particularly in housekeeping.
When rooms aren’t cleaned, when simple guest requests become operational puzzles, when choice and personalisation are lost, it isn’t about drama, it’s about standards.
I’m not saying hospitality is broken. I’m saying it’s at risk from burnout, from understaffing, from the slow erosion of pride in service and from the good operators not investing enough in ensuring the new team understand the Why!
These moments, however small, matter. They stay with the guest. They shape reputation. They define loyalty. We can’t let travel and tourism die by a thousand cuts.
Every missed detail, every frustrating process, every moment of poor service chips away at trust.
When enough of those moments build up, people stop giving second chances. They develop vendettas against brands, avoid entire hotel chains, and boycott airlines altogether.
And who suffers then? Not just businesses, but the people, communities, and economies that rely on tourism to thrive.
This cannot happen.
The industry needs to invest, not just in marketing or design, but in people. We need consistent training, thoughtful education, and a revival of what great hospitality truly means.
As I prepare to speak here in Hollywood, I feel more strongly than ever:
We must save hospitality, so that it can save us.
If you’re passionate about the future of hospitality and tourism, we invite you to join us at The Art of Hospitality on June 12. A day filled with insightful talks and industry professional panels.
🎟️ Tickets are free, reserve yours here and be part of the conversation.
