How a branded hotel captures its local identity

When you pull up outside the Mercure Sheffield Kenwood Hall Hotel & Spa, you know you've arrived. On a sunny Sheffield morning that feels almost suspiciously perfect, I follow the sweeping, flag-lined drive towards the porte-cochère, where a red carpet completes the grand entrance. The grounds open out around the original 1840s building, whose stone façade and imposing presence immediately tell me this is a hotel with a story to tell. Before I've even stepped inside, Kenwood Hall has made an impression.

But what makes the hotel feel like it belongs here, in Sheffield? And can a branded hotel create a distinctive sense of place without losing the consistency that guests expect from a recognised name?

Kenwood Hall offers an interesting answer. It has the reassurance of the Mercure brand, but it’s also deeply rooted in Sheffield – in its history, its community, and the people who work and visit here. At the centre of it all is Marsela Loulai, who became Hotel Manager last year after building her own career through hospitality in Greece and Britain. For Marsela, the two sides of hospitality – the local and the global, the brand and the individual – don't have to be in conflict. Done well, they can actually make each other stronger.

Rooted in Sheffield

“Through the years, the hotel has changed owners, with different brands,” Marsela explained. “But the hotel has always has tried to maintain its history.”

That history is hard to miss at Kenwood Hall. The original house was built in the 1840s for George Wostenholm, one of Sheffield's most famous cutlery manufacturers. While Wostenholm was rooted in Sheffield, his business exploded, with his I*XL mark becoming one of the most recognisable names in American cutlery. There's something rather fitting about that history for a hotel now sitting within an international brand.

Kenwood Hall is now part of the Vine Hotels portfolio, alongside its Mercure branding, and has grown into a sizable operation: 114 bedrooms, nine conference and meeting spaces, a spa and gym, along with a thriving leisure membership. Yet Marsela and her team have found ways to make all of that feel distinctly ‘Sheffield’.

The meeting rooms encapsulate this, designed with themes inspired by the city. One celebrates Sheffield FC, which traces its origins to 1857, making it the world's oldest existing football club. Another is themed around The Crucible Theatre, home of the World Snooker Championship since 1977. But my favourite has to be the meeting room inspired by ‘Hendo’s’ – everyone’s favourite ‘Strong and Northern’ relish.

This sense of place extends beyond the hotel's walls. Sheffield itself has plenty to offer, from its sporting heritage and cultural attractions to the Peak District on its doorstep. Kenwood Hall makes the most of that with packages and experiences that encourage guests to explore the wider area.

For Marsela, that local connection is about more than putting Sheffield names on meeting rooms. It's about understanding what makes the destination distinctive, and reflecting that in the experience the hotel offers. The result is a hotel that feels connected to its surroundings, rather than simply located in them.

Local roots, international careers

The connection with Sheffield doesn't stop with the building. Kenwood is part of local life too, welcoming people from the area for weddings, events, family occasions and spa memberships, as well as providing a base for visitors to the city.

Equally, the hotel staff creating that experience are a mix of Sheffield locals and international professionals. Marsela is a case in point. Originally from Greece, she started working in hospitality as a waitress at 16, progressing through F&B and events before moving to the UK and studying Travel and Tourism Management.

She knew from the start hospitality was the right career for her. “I always liked interacting with people,” she said. “I like to help people; their happiness gives me happiness as well.”

Studying in the UK helped her understand the differences between hospitality in Greece and Britain, while also developing her language skills. She went on to spend five years in events before joining Kenwood Hall as Operations Manager, promoted to Hotel Manager in November 2025.

Her story captures something important about hospitality. A hotel can be deeply connected to its local community while being shaped by people from somewhere else entirely. Local knowledge and international experience don't have to compete; together, they can create a richer guest experience.

For Marsela, that starts with listening. “I listen to my staff, I listen to the guests, I make sure I know what I need to deliver,” she explained. “It's very important we look after our guests – because that's what hospitality is – but we have to look after our staff as well.”

Making hospitality a career

That people-first approach also shapes Marsela's thinking about the industry's next generation. Recruitment, particularly for casual staff during busy periods, has become more challenging. Kenwood Hall has a stable core team, but the constant cycle of recruiting and training new people can be difficult to sustain.

Marsela believes the industry needs to start earlier, working more closely with colleges to show young people what hospitality can actually offer. “They need to get away from the mindset that it's just a temporary job,” she said. “Hospitality offers career progression, and it can be a very satisfying, well-paid job. You just have to work to get there.”

Her own career demonstrates the possibilities. Hospitality has taken her from waitress to supervisor, events manager, operations manager and ultimately hotel manager, while giving her opportunities to develop skills in leadership, communication and management along the way.

A hotel with its own identity

The more time I spend at Kenwood Hall, the more the answer to my original question becomes clear. Its identity doesn't come from choosing between brand and place. It comes from combining them.

The Mercure brand provides recognition and reassurance. The history, football, snooker and unmistakably Sheffield details give the hotel a sense of place. And people like Marsela bring the two together, listening to guests and staff and shaping the experience around them.

Perhaps that's the real opportunity for branded hotels. Consistency doesn't have to mean sameness. A recognised brand can provide the framework, while the people and place give it personality.

At Kenwood Hall, Sheffield is more than a location on the booking page. It's part of the hotel's story – and, importantly, part of what makes it feel like somewhere worth staying.