Leadership & Communication in Hospitality: What Happens When Project Management Thinking Enters the Room?

This week I delivered a half-day Leadership & Communication workshop for the team at Martinhal Resorts, a luxury, family-owned hotel group known for combining five-star standards with genuine warmth. 

And that family feel? It’s real.

From the moment the session began, it was clear this wasn’t just a collection of departments. It was a cohort that genuinely felt part of something bigger. Operations, construction, revenue, HR, IT, ownership… different roles, but strong shared identity.

That made the learning even more powerful.

The focus of the session wasn’t theory. It was practical leadership under pressure.

We explored:

• How communication styles differ across cultures and why that matters in multinational teams

• How stakeholder awareness reduces unpleasant surprises

• Why reporting up is a leadership skill, not an admin task

• How Agile principles like, “little, often, consistent” strengthen everyday management

  
  

One of the strongest moments came during the final group case study. Teams had to identify risks, quantify impact, propose options, make a recommendation, and then present clearly and concisely.

Seeing people step outside their comfort zones to present structured thinking was impressive. It wasn’t about getting the “right” answer. It was about:

• Clear judgement

• Confidence in communication

• Shared language

• Collective ownership

  
  

Management feedback highlighted something important: introducing Project Management concepts and terminology created clarity. And clarity builds trust.

In hospitality, the environment is fast-moving and high stakes:

• Brand reputation matters

• Safety and compliance matter

• Timing matters

• Informal influence matters4

  
  

Leadership in that context requires visibility, disciplined communication, and the ability to escalate before pressure turns into crisis.

That’s what we practised.

This was the food for the mid Morning break (you can now imagine the lunch!)

And I have to say, it was also the best training lunch I’ve ever had.

Five-star setting, five-star food.

There are worse places to deliver leadership workshops. 😊

More seriously, what stood out most was the culture. Martinhal is a family-founded brand, and that sense of belonging and pride was evident in every discussion. It made the conversations honest and constructive.

If you are part of a hotel group, hospitality brand, or mixed operations and development environment and would like to explore a similar Leadership & Communication workshop for your senior team, feel free to get in touch.

Practical. Engaging. Structured. And designed for real operational pressure in hospitality.

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