Applying the Hospitality as Entertainment Model to Hotels

While running a successful hotel requires a wide and diverse skillset, most professionals inside the industry wouldn't count the ability to entertain as an important part of that list.

When you consider how a hotel can truly differentiate itself in the minds of the people who are actually responsible for its success - the guests - you can begin to understand why veteran hotel development consultant and industry insider, David McMillan, takes a different view.

David McMillan: "Hospitality is… an entertainment industry."

David McMillan is a well-known consultant to hotels around the world. As President of Axis Hospitality International, he takes on rebranding and repositioning projects for established hotel brands as well as development of new brands and new locations. He has decades of industry experience working in nearly every aspect of hotel employment, management, and ownership.

In a , McMillan made an interesting statement that may serve as a sort of epiphany for hospitality professionals who have been seeking out an elusive key to success:

"The connection between entertainment and hospitality is very real. It truly is not a service industry, it's an entertainment industry. The more that people realize that, the more fun it gets and the more successful they can become."

Throughout the rest of the interview, McMillan further explains that metaphor by discussing how the hotel staff are like actors playing various roles, and a good owner or manager serves as a director, guiding the actors, but not writing their script for them. In fact, he makes a point of saying that the best hotel staff members "write their own script" every single day.

Hospitality as entertainment - What does it mean for you?

If you take a few moments to really let that idea sink in, it's going to bring some interesting and exciting ideas to the surface. Here are just a few applications of the "hospitality-as-entertainment" model to consider in your own professional circumstances:

All the world's a stage

You may remember Shakespeare's famous line, "All the world's a stage, all the men and women merely players." But one of the most exciting aspects of David McMillan's concept is the fact that - as entertainers in the hospitality industry - every member of a hotel staff has the opportunity to write their own script as they go.

In other words, the goal is to ensure that each and every guest has the time of their life while staying with you. How you go about making that happen is up to you!

This applies from hotel ownership down to the newest entry-level busboy or housekeeping position: everyone is in a position to make choices and take action to improve the guest's level of enjoyment and satisfaction. From leaving a handwritten welcome note on the pillow to offering a free upgrade to a more luxurious room, there's something every member of the team can do to make the guest's stay a little bit more fun and memorable.

"The most serious film can be the most fun."

Actor Eric Bana said the statement above, and it makes an important point about entertaining your hotel guests as well: the idea of writing your own script and working hard to provide an enjoyable and memorable experience isn't limited to non-stop fun. In fact, creating an enjoyable experience is often more about resolving problems quickly and thoroughly, or - better yet - foreseeing potential problems and removing them before the guest is affected.

Anyone who's worked in the hospitality industry more than a few days knows that running even a small hotel takes a lot of work, organization, coordination, and more than a pinch of luck. Maintaining a sense of humor, a high level of energy, and a positive attitude can make even the most challenging of circumstances easier to deal with. Combining that with a constant focus on keeping your guests happy can result in a lot of rewarding and fun experiences.

With these ideas in mind, what other ways can you think of to write your own script starting today? How can you make your guests' stay more enjoyable, rewarding, and memorable?

Answering those questions can open up a whole new dimension in your hospitality industry career.