In recent years, I have heard many colleagues speak passionately about the purpose of their hotels. Inspiring words that adorn presentations, corporate websites and opening speeches. Yet I cannot help thinking that, too often, these statements remain no more than a handsome frame on the wall. And when purpose becomes a mere slogan, its ability to transform the guest and employee experience is diluted.

In hospitality, where the product is intangible and the experience is everything, purpose is more than a corporate ideal: it is the compass that connects every team member with something greater than their daily task. The challenge is that translating this vision into everyday work is far more difficult than it seems. This is where many organisations fail: they design flawless strategies from senior management, but forget that the real battle is fought on the ground floor—in reception, in the kitchen, in housekeeping.

I have learned that it is not enough to define a purpose such as “creating memorable experiences” or “being a benchmark in sustainability”. What matters is how that purpose is discussed and embodied in day-to-day operations. Academic literature confirms this: according to a study published in Long Range Planning, when leaders maintain an open and ongoing dialogue with their teams about the organisation’s purpose, employee engagement increases by an average of 10%. We are not talking about a cosmetic detail, but about a direct impact on cohesion, motivation and, consequently, profitability.

But beware: this dialogue only works when it is underpinned by genuine relationships. A leader who speaks about purpose while treating staff unequally is creating noise, not inspiration. In fact, research shows that a variation of just one point in the perceived quality of the leader-team relationship can reduce employee engagement by between 3% and 5%. Hospitality, so dependent on the human factor, cannot afford that luxury.

That is why, when we speak about purpose in our sector, we should ask less “what do we want to be?” and more “how are we going to ensure that every receptionist, waiter and housekeeper lives it and conveys it in their day-to-day work?”.

The power of purposeful dialogue

So-called dialogical purpose involves maintaining regular, deliberate conversations between leaders and teams about the hotel’s reason for being. It is not a monologue from management, but an exchange: explaining how purpose connects with daily tasks, while also listening to how each person perceives and interprets it in their role.

In my experience, the results are immediately noticeable. A clear example: when the kitchen team understands that its mission is not simply to prepare dishes, but to contribute to the hotel’s gastronomic identity and sustainability by reducing waste, the level of engagement changes radically. We are no longer talking about recipes, but about culture, pride and impact.

Three elements are key to making this dialogue effective:

• Consistency: An annual meeting is not enough. It must become an ongoing practice, like daily briefings or departmental meetings.

• High-quality relationships: Dialogue only has strength where there is trust, respect and fairness in the way people are treated. If a leader listens to some and disregards others, cohesion breaks down.

• Autonomy: Purpose comes to life when teams feel they have the freedom to act in line with it. One study shows that increasing employees’ perception of autonomy by one point can add between 3% and 8% in additional engagement.

When these three factors align, something extraordinary happens: purpose ceases to be an abstract concept and becomes a tangible driver of performance. The guest perceives it in the waiter’s genuine smile, in an unexpected detail in the room, in personalised service that emerges without anyone having to order it.

Bringing purpose into hotel operations

Talking about purpose without a concrete plan is like designing a menu without ingredients. To prevent the message from becoming empty rhetoric, it is necessary to operationalise it in the hotel’s day-to-day management. Some useful practices include:

1. Institutionalise conversations about purpose

   • Include space in every team meeting to connect tasks with purpose.

   • Conduct post-mortems at the end of projects or seasons to assess how actions have reflected the purpose.

2. Reduce inequalities in management

   • Avoid favouritism and bias when allocating shifts, training opportunities or recognition.

   • Regularly assess perceptions of fairness and make adjustments accordingly.

3. Encourage autonomy with clear direction

   • Set strategic objectives and give teams the freedom to decide how to achieve them.

   • Publicly recognise initiatives that reflect the hotel’s purpose.

4. Link purpose to revenue and sustainability

   • Connect purpose with key indicators: occupancy, guest satisfaction and environmental footprint.

   • Use Revenue Management and Lean Hospitality metrics not only to control costs, but also to reinforce the value we deliver.

5. Involve teams in the impact

   • Share guest satisfaction results and show how purpose has contributed to them.

   • Recognise those who embody the purpose through real stories that are visible to the entire workforce.

Staying on course

What I have learned over these years leaves me with three reflections that may be useful to anyone managing a hotel:

• First, purpose is not imposed; it is discussed. If it only flows from the top down, it eventually rings hollow. Listening to frontline staff is the best way to keep it alive.
• Second, consistency carries more weight than rhetoric. There is nothing more destructive than preaching values and then managing arbitrarily. A culture of purpose is built on fairness and everyday trust.
• Third, give your team autonomy. In a sector where every interaction matters, controlling every move is counterproductive. Autonomy is the spark that turns the corporate vision into a memorable guest experience.