The Elevator to a Five-Star Culture

The Elevator to a Five-Star Culture

In my work with hotel executives, I help leaders elevate their teams' performance. And if there's one thing I’ve learned, it’s that productivity is tied directly to your hotel's culture. A strong culture is like a well-run property—every detail matters, and it shapes every experience, whether for guests or your staff.

Often, I’m called in when the "hotel culture" needs a serious makeover—a swift lift from ground-level struggles to that five-star level. And many hoteliers, understandably, want it to happen quickly. They want to take the express elevator to the penthouse. I get it; you wish there was a way to instantly jump from a dysfunctional team to a flawless one.

But changing your hotel’s culture takes time and consistent effort.

When your staff is used to a certain type of behavior or leadership style, changing those habits is like moving between floors on an elevator; it can’t all happen at once. You can’t jump from the basement to the penthouse overnight. Yet, every once in a while, an opportunity comes along—a hidden button, so to speak—that can let you skip a few floors and make real progress fast.

Let’s talk about two ways to push that elevator button to shoot straight toward five-star culture.

Firing Toxic People: The Express Button

In hospitality, your goal is to create an environment where both guests and staff thrive. But even in the best hotels, sometimes you’ll hire the wrong person. Maybe they seemed perfect during onboarding, but after the honeymoon period, their behavior started to clash with your values. They became a source of negativity—a toxic presence. And here’s the truth: a single toxic employee can ruin the experience for your entire team, just like a loud, disruptive guest can throw off the vibe for everyone else.

Toxic employees create an unhealthy work environment. They’re like broken elevator buttons that only take you to the wrong floors, making daily operations stressful for the entire team. And they start to dominate not just the workplace but also your conversations, making every staff meeting and late-night discussion a debate about how to deal with their behavior.

The culture of a hotel is defined by the worst behavior a leader is willing to tolerate. If you allow toxicity to persist, you’re choosing to stay stuck on a lower floor. And the longer you delay firing that toxic employee, the more your hotel’s culture will degrade, and the more your staff will see you as a weak leader who won’t make the tough decisions.

Firing toxic employees quickly is your express button.

I know this is easier said than done. Many leaders hesitate to fire someone—they don’t want the conflict, they fear how it might look, or they dread the hiring process all over again. But here’s the thing: every day you delay is a day you miss out on elevating your culture.

By firing the person and clearly communicating why—“We will no longer tolerate this kind of behavior in our hotel”—you'll feel a shift. It's like that elevator suddenly jumps up several floors. Your staff will notice, and your culture will immediately start to improve. It’s the power of pushing that express button, and it’s then your responsibility to continue moving upward, floor by floor, removing toxic behaviors.

The Power of Leadership Changes: New Floors, New Views

Another way to change the trajectory of your culture is to use moments of leadership change as a chance to hit the express button. There are three ways this can happen:

• Adding a new leader to the team

• Removing a leader who’s not a fit

• Shifting leadership roles and responsibilities

When one of these moments happens, it's like changing the elevator floor plan. It creates a unique chance to alter your hotel’s culture in one swift move.

Imagine announcing to your staff: “We recognize our culture has room to grow. We are taking big steps to improve our work environment, starting with changes to our leadership team.” It signals to your team that the elevator is moving up and fast. The culture you want to build is one step closer.

Looking for the Elevator’s Secret Button

Too often, hotel leaders see situations like firings, leadership changes, or major shifts as times of crisis—critical points of stress. But I want to shift your thinking. These are actually opportunities to find that hidden button that can fast-track your hotel’s culture.

Rather than seeing these moments as setbacks, use them as a chance to push the express button and jump floors quickly. Use them to elevate your culture, strengthen your team, and accelerate your hotel’s growth.

That five-star culture is within reach. All you have to do is find the opportunity, seize it, and press the button. And trust me, once you do, the ride up is exhilarating.

And I know what you’re thinking: What are the other ways to elevate culture quickly? Here are a few:

• Hiring a new team member

• Navigating a crisis

• Conducting a merger or acquisition

• Rebranding your hotel

• Rolling out new processes

• Committing to a new purpose or social initiative

Each of these moments is an opportunity to take your hotel culture up several floors.

The question is: Are you ready to push that button and enjoy the ride?

Want to Be Part of Mentor Hotelier? Here Are Ways You Can Help:

• Join the Mentor Hotelier Community: Subscribe to our newsletter and join a vibrant community where you’ll learn innovative strategies and discover the latest digital tools to improve your hotel’s productivity and streamline the workflow of your entire team.

• Every Successful Hotel Has a Story to Tell: I understand the challenges of managing a hotel—I come from a family of hoteliers. So every week, I interview hoteliers and managers, from boutique hotels to large chains, to share their stories and insights with our community. Would you be open to a quick chat to share your experience?

• Group Consultations with Fellow Hoteliers: Join our group consultation sessions, where we gather periodically as a community of hoteliers. These private, small-group consultations allow us to share challenges, insights, and strategies, working together to find tailored solutions for your hotel.

• Collaborative Team Training and Implementation: As part of the Mentor Hotelier community, we work together to create resources that help train your teams and implement the latest tools. Whether it's for improving operations or enhancing guest experiences, our collective efforts ensure everyone benefits from shared knowledge and support.