If you’ve ever sat through a mandatory hotel staff training that felt more like a hostage situation than a learning opportunity, you’re not alone. I’ve seen it all—PowerPoints that drone on forever, role-plays that make grown adults cringe, and enthusiastic facilitators who somehow forget we work in hospitality, not accounting.

Training is supposed to energize teams, not drain them. It’s meant to build confidence, grow skillsets, and foster a culture that shines through in every guest interaction. But far too often, we miss the mark by defaulting to cookie-cutter workshops that barely scratch the surface.

In my experience opening and operating properties around the world, the most successful teams don’t just complete training—they live it. They walk away with real tools, shared language, and a sense of ownership in the guest experience. That only happens when training is designed to stick. Here’s how I approach it.

1. Ditch the Classroom, Bring in Real Life

Let’s start with the setting. If your “interactive workshop” still looks like a classroom with rows of chairs and a podium, you’ve already lost half the room. People remember what they experience, not what they’re lectured about.

Whenever possible, I take training out of the conference room and into the heart of the hotel. Housekeeping simulations in real guest rooms. Front desk scenarios played out at the actual check-in desk. Team-building exercises in the restaurant before service.

This hands-on approach not only feels more natural—it’s how people learn best. They’re solving problems in context, collaborating in real time, and building muscle memory in the spaces they actually work.

2. Make It Personal—And Practical

Every hotel team is different. A downtown boutique property has different training needs than a sprawling resort. That’s why I always start by asking: What are our actual goals here? Are we improving guest engagement? Reducing service recovery issues? Building leadership skills in middle managers?

Once we know the “why,” we tailor the content. I’m a big believer in using real guest feedback—good and bad—as training material. Nothing drives a point home like reading an actual comment from a disappointed guest and working together on how to fix it for the next person.

Practicality is everything. If staff can’t see how a workshop connects to their day-to-day, they’ll tune out. So keep it relevant, specific, and immediately usable.

3. Flip the Script: Let Staff Lead

One of the best shifts I ever made in training was getting out of the way. Instead of always having a manager or outside facilitator run the show, we invite team members to lead sections.

For example, if we’re doing a workshop on service recovery, we might ask a front desk agent to share how they handled a tough situation, then have the group discuss what worked and what could improve. It builds confidence, ownership, and peer respect.

Peer-led training is especially powerful because it breaks down hierarchies. It says: “We’re all in this together, and everyone has something to teach.”

4. Train the Whole Person, Not Just the Role

Too often, training focuses solely on job tasks. But we’re not hiring robots—we’re building teams made up of people with emotions, ambitions, and stories of their own.

I like to include short modules in every workshop that touch on things like emotional intelligence, managing stress, or even how to deal with difficult guests without taking it personally. When we invest in the whole person, not just their performance, we build loyalty and resilience.

We’ve also done creative sessions like storytelling workshops, personal goal-setting, and even hotel “hackathons” where teams pitch ideas for improving the guest experience. These things may not show up on a checklist, but they build a stronger, more connected culture.

5. Mix It Up: Variety Wins

No one wants to stare at a slide deck for three hours. So I mix up the format as much as possible. Try pairing quick videos with small-group discussions. Use role-playing only when it feels natural. Include a competitive game or quiz element to keep people on their toes.

We’ve even done “mystery guest” role plays where someone pretends to be a surprise guest with a very specific challenge, and the team has to respond in real time. It’s fun, engaging, and sparks great conversations afterward.

Training doesn’t have to be serious to be effective. In fact, the more fun your team is having, the more likely the lessons will stick.

6. Follow-Up Is Where the Magic Happens

Here’s the part most teams forget: The workshop isn’t the end—it’s the beginning. What happens after training matters just as much as what happens during it.

We build follow-ups into every workshop plan. That might mean a 10-minute refresher in the next staff meeting, a quick digital quiz to reinforce key points, or a one-on-one coaching check-in.

Recognition is key, too. When a team member applies what they learned in a meaningful way, shout it out. Share the win. It reinforces that the training wasn’t just a box to check—it’s part of how we work and grow.

Rethinking Training as a Culture Builder

At the end of the day, training is more than teaching someone how to do a job. It’s about showing them what kind of team they’re a part of—and what kind of experience we want to create for every guest.

When we reimagine training as a living, breathing part of our culture—not a quarterly chore—it becomes something people look forward to. Something that energizes, equips, and connects.

So no more boring binders or stale scripts. Let’s train like we mean it. Let’s build teams that own the guest experience. And let’s make sure every workshop we run leaves our people better, braver, and more ready to wow.

Because in hospitality, how we show up for each other is just as important as how we show up for our guests.