The hotel industry is not designed for the dispassionate or detached. It’s a world built for people who notice everything, who obsess over ambiance, who analyze lobby lighting and critique playlist choices. For those individuals, this business isn’t simply a job. It’s an identity, a persistent mental framework that shapes how they move through the world.
Barry Sternlicht recently cut to the core: “If you like people, be in this industry. If you don’t, go code in a garage in Mongolia. This is a fun business, and it should be fun. If you’re not having fun, you shouldn’t be in the business.”
In a sector increasingly ruled by metrics and performance dashboards, that statement is a breath of fresh air. It’s not about spreadsheets or unit economics. It’s about presence. About genuinely connecting with guests, employees, and moments that matter. People don’t remember the fiber count in their sheets. They remember a scent, a smile, a spontaneous laugh at the bar. The memorable parts of a hotel experience often live in the intangible.
Fun is not optional. It’s foundational. It sustains staff morale in high-pressure environments. It creates the emotional touch points that drive loyalty. And it’s the source of innovation when formulaic approaches fall flat. Sternlicht didn’t conceptualize W Hotels by analyzing spreadsheets. He built a brand that felt distinct and alive because it was born out of passion.
We focus heavily on financial returns, but the highest yield often comes from emotional investment. Guests recall the quirky bartender who shared a story. The night shift manager who went out of their way to make them feel at home. Staff remember leaders who respected their weekends and treated them like collaborators, not just labor inputs. Culture is not a slogan on a wall. It’s a set of shared behaviors repeated when no one is watching.
Staff turnover in the hotel industry is notoriously high, exceeding 70 percent annually in the U.S., costing thousands per lost team member. That’s not simply a staffing challenge. It’s a culture issue. One rooted in a lack of joy, a lack of purpose, and a daily grind that fails to inspire. If you want to build a team that stays, build an environment that feeds the soul. Compliance keeps things running, but culture is what keeps people engaged.
Sternlicht’s advice is deceptively simple: care more. Notice the details. Elevate the basics. Then empower people who are wired to connect. Real leadership in hospitality isn’t about cutting costs. It’s about creating value through humanity. The best operators don’t just read balance sheets; they read body language. They understand that revenue follows emotion, and emotion stems from joy. And joy, while difficult to scale, is impossible to fake.
The future of hospitality won’t come from headquarters. It will come from properties where personality takes priority. Brands that speak with a point of view, not a checklist. Social media has democratized influence. Guests now gravitate toward hotels that feel individual, not institutional. People don’t want more features. They want more meaning. Sternlicht reimagined Starwood not just to compete, but to connect. Passion was the vehicle.
What defines a great hotel? Often, it’s a detail that seems irrelevant to a revenue manager. A hotel dog named Disco. A front desk agent who sings to guests on their birthday. Keycards that double as artwork. These flourishes may not show up on a spreadsheet, but they lodge themselves in the memory of guests.
Yes, competitive pay and benefits are essential. But joy is what differentiates. That’s what turns a job into a vocation and a stay into a story. It’s the reason a team member offers to cover a shift without complaint. It’s why a guest returns without searching elsewhere. Joy is not frivolous. It’s sticky. It drives word of mouth. It drives margin.
Want stronger financial results? Invest in emotional ones. Want higher retention? Create shared meaning. Want a brand people admire? Build an experience they want to feel again. Real differentiation comes from the spaces that make people feel something, places that leave a mark.
If operating a hotel doesn’t make you reflect, laugh, problem-solve, hustle, or feel, maybe it’s time to reconsider. If it does, and you still find yourself lighting up when you enter a humming lobby, stay with it. Lean in. Make it better.
Because hospitality isn’t a formula. It’s a feeling. And if you’re not having fun, you’re missing the point.
Have your people call my people.
-Longing for Belonging™
