‘When I started my career, association with LGBTQ+ communities on professional and personal levels was still taboo’

Sholto Smith, general manager at Great Scotland Yard Hotel, spoke with myGwork about the open nature of the company and the important role of inclusivity in the hospitality industry. He also discussed how LGBTQ+ inclusion has changed over the span of his career, as well as his hopes for the future of diversity in hospitality.

A lifelong passion for the hospitality industry and a desire to help create unique and memorable experiences have led Sholto down an expansive and impressive career path. With 30 years of experience working in five-star luxury hotels, his journey in management constantly developed as he found himself travelling the world and coming to understand first-hand the value of customer satisfaction.

His role at multinational hospitality company Hyatt Hotels Corporation has seen him take up work in Almaty, Melbourne, Siem Reap, Perth, and eventually London, where he now occupies the role of general manager at Great Scotland Yard Hotel. Despite an inevitably busier schedule, Sholto is keen that his senior role doesn’t take away from the interactive and sociable aspects of the industry.

“It’s no surprise as a general manager that a lot of one’s day is spent in meetings, but every spare minute I have, I’ll go to the lobby to say hello to the guests or do a quick walk around all other departments,” he said. “In this industry, there’s nothing more valuable and informative than face-to-face contact, whether with guests or colleagues.”

As an industry that seeks to provide a leisurely and relaxed environment for guests, it’s imperative that the hospitality business strives for and maintains inclusivity wherever it can. Beyond equal treatment and respect, Hyatt Hotels are also active in taking practical, progressive steps. For example, Great Scotland Yard Hotel changed its colleague bathrooms to gender neutral for International Women’s day 2022, taking the opportunity to make its work environment more gender inclusive and to raise awareness among its teams on this crucial topic. It was also a moral stance to preserve a caring and respectable relationship between colleagues and guests.

“The world has moved to celebrate the authenticity of human beings, and industries – especially hospitality and leisure – need to catch up,” he says. “We ought to provide a relaxing time, whether it’s for dinner or a stay. If we’re not inclusive, how relaxing can it be? The same goes for our colleagues, whose well-being directly affects our guest experience.”

LGBTQ+ inclusivity is a particularly high priority for Sholto. As well as actively participating in parades and hosting events after Pride, Great Scotland Yard Hotel has also partnered with myGwork, the LGBTQ+ business community, to show its support for its LGBTQ+ staff and guests. On a personal level, throughout three decades working in hospitality, Sholto has witnessed a shift in attitudes towards the community and is keen to champion identities that were once vilified in this industry and in wider society.

“When I started my career, being associated with LGBTQ+ communities – both from a professional and personal level – was still taboo,” he explained. “Today, our company purpose is built on the recognition of every human’s uniqueness and encourages its expression.”

Inspiring diversity and inclusion in a global business can be difficult, particularly with ever-shifting legislation and social attitudes across various continents. Sholto shared his belief that even motivating small changes in representation and inclusion can make a significant impact. “It’s not unexpected that in certain parts of the world this is much harder than here in the UK, but I believe if we could move the needle a little bit, it would be progress. It’s about raising awareness so every human will be safe.”

Sholto spoke with pride about the inclusive culture at Hyatt Hotels Corporation and its transparency in recognizing areas in which it needs to improve. By creating such an open culture, there’s room to constantly evolve and understand what developments are working and what progress needs to be made, he said. Colleague and customer feedback alike are valued at the company, Sholto added.

“As a global company that welcomes colleagues and guests from all around the world, Hyatt is deeply committed to advancing a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace and society. This includes taking bold actions towards meaningful goals and being transparent about what is and isn’t working so that our learnings are shared, and we hold ourselves accountable to our commitments.”

Looking to the future of inclusivity in the hospitality industry, Sholto expressed his hope for more diversity in senior management roles. Though he thinks that the industry has always been somewhat inclusive of the gay male community, he recognizes that other identities within the LGBTQ+ spectrum have been left behind.

Eliminating discrimination based on gender is a top priority for him. “With regards to the way we do things, I think again it starts with an inclusive thought process, from building hotels with gender-neutral bathrooms to ensuring the marketing is not gender biased.”

Though he recognized that there’s still work to be done in achieving truly diverse representation, particularly in senior roles, he’s also certain that the hospitality industry has the potential to be one of the most inclusive trades in the business. Maintaining the integral social aspect of the industry heavily relies upon creating an open and safe environment for everyone involved.

“In that process, you get to learn so much more about people, and ultimately, the people that go on to make a great team are very much a part of making the hotel what it is. We are all individuals, and hotels are great places for inclusivity.”

Great Scotland Yard Hotel is a proud partner of myGwork, the LGBTQ+ business community. Find out more about jobs at Great Scotland Yard Hotel.