If you’re searching for inspirational hospitality quotes, we’re guessing you’re part of this rarified field. It’s hard to think of any other industry as dynamic, exciting, and varied as the world of hospitality.
Whether you choose a career in a restaurant, hotel, bar, or elsewhere, you’ll never have the same workday twice.
Which also makes it such a polarizing career choice.
Anyone who’s worked in the hospitality industry knows it takes a particular type of person to succeed and stay motivated.
Taking the good with the bad is a massive part of hospitality work. And considering the events of recent years, it’s safe to say this remains true.
With that in mind, we’ve drawn together our favorite hospitality quotes. These nuggets of wisdom should be as much a part of your vocabulary as hospitality key terms. Enjoy ten quotes to motivate you and your team.
1. Inspiring Hospitality Quotes: Mahatma Gandhi
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
We could end this entire list right here. This quote captures the simple idea behind the entire hospitality world. Few sentences sum up the golden rule of the industry quote like Gandhi’s words.
Serving others was his calling, and that’s the same for the most successful people in hospitality.
This industry is about one thing: the guest. All great companies understand that they exist to treat people with kindness and exceptional warmth.
Get yourself in that mindset, and you’ll reap the rewards.
2. Maya Angelou
People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Remember the last wonderful hotel experience you had? Or the last time you went to the restaurant, you felt like you were part of the family.
Service is a pillar of true hospitality, no matter the type of business. No matter what part of hospitality you work in, responding to client asks is the single principle that transcends time.
From the moment people enter the door, you can make them feel fantastic. The critical thing to remember is that quality comes from the big and little things. Don’t forget to add personal touches, like writing hospitality thank you notes or tucking in someone’s chair for them. Master this, and there’s no better feeling.
3. Teamwork Hospitality Quotes: Danny Meyer
Hospitality is almost impossible to teach. It’s all about hiring the right people.
If you’re looking for teamwork hospitality quotes, look no further than the wise words of Danny Meyer. Simply put: if you’ve bagged yourself your ideal job within a hospitality business, you’re there for a reason.
That reason is that you’re great at what you do. Or because you have the potential to do great things.
Remember that whenever you have an off day. Being a great host isn’t teachable. There’s no handbook for it; you’ve just got that ‘thing’ within you that many people desire.
4. John Ruskin
Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of an intelligent effort.
When you do the same thing every day, it’s easy to forget you’re the energy behind magical moments.
Call it imposter syndrome or plain old humility. But whatever it is, make sure you put it to one side and recognize the power of what you’re doing. You’re a master of customer experience. You’re an agent of true hospitality and intelligent luxury in an age of quick fixes and phoned-in phrases.
The superb service you provide isn’t an accident, as Ruskin says.
5. Jael McHenry
I want them to bite into a cookie, and think of me, and smile. Food is love. Food has a power. I knew it in my mind, but now I know it in my heart.
Whether you’re preparing, cooking or serving food, this quote should always be in your mind.
Who doesn’t love a fantastic meal? Food makes us feel good; it brings us together as few other things in life can.
And, when your business centers around food, you hold the keys to immense happiness. How many other industries can claim that?
6. Bill Kimpton
A hotel should relieve travelers of their insecurity and loneliness. It should make them feel warm and cozy.
When people rock up to your hotel, they’re tired, stressed and ready to devote time to themselves. You’re at the start of that beautiful journey.
What a privilege. It’s hard to think of any other industry which enables its workers to relieve customers of insecurity and loneliness.
Those characteristics may not be inherent in all your guests, but the sentiment behind your warm welcome is.
7. Bill Gates
Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.
Ok, we know Bill Gates more for his software than his hospitality. But we couldn’t leave out these witty words on a list of hospitality quotes for guests.
Beyond taxes and long hours, there is one certainty in hospitality: unhappy guests.
They’ll always crop up and have the power to ruin your day. But hidden behind their words are the best opportunities to learn.
You’ll learn to set realistic customer expectations and deliver on those promises. You’ll have an open response to guest criticism and improve your hotel or restaurant service for all customers.
So, have that ‘moment’ when you receive a negative review. Then learn from it. Remember, Google reviews are important in the hospitality industry. Whether they’re good or bad, you’ll create a better future.
8. Justine Vogt
Hospitality is making your guests feel at home, even if you wish they were.
This tongue-in-cheek hospitality quote neatly sums up what it’s like to work in the hospitality industry.
You love your guests. Even those who seem to go out of their way to make the most frustrating requests. But you’re also human.
Long hours and back-to-back shifts play havoc with your emotions and subjectivity. But this sentence should remind you that your job is as simple as the guest’s ultimate desire.
9. Quotes About Hospitality Management: Mark Hoplamazian
Listening is critical to leadership, and so is staying authentic. You do that, and you will get loyalty, making your role as a leader will be easy.
Are you in a leadership role and previously worked at the bottom? Then you know how giant a leap it is to the top.
The stress levels, expectations and pressure are enormous.
Thankfully, you can fix this by building the best possible team. Hoplamazian’s quote about hospitality management concisely reveals how to do that.
To do that, however, you must lead by example. Create a supportive, inspiring workplace culture. Find creative, purposeful unexpected and helpful ways to incentivize your team to show up to work as their best selves.
10. Henri J. M. Nouwen
Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines.
If all else fails and you’re having an awful day at work? This quote should be all you need to get your mind back into gear.
Can you think of any other industry that can have this kind of quote applied to it? We can’t.
Keeping Your Team Inspired
The future is very bright for hospitality, and we hope these inspirational words remind you of that. To keep yourself and your team motivated, bookmark this page! Share relatable quotes with your team. Print out these quotes and display them in your staff areas.
We hope these hospitality quotes did more than make you smile. Use these as the impetus to get out there and make a name for yourself in the hospitality industry. Provide courteous treatment to each and every person and always stay open to customer feedback.
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