The Wesley Camden Town and The Wesley Euston, hold Green Tourism Gold and ECO Smart Gold accreditations. James Barr, general manager, The Wesley Hotels, looks at how the sector needs to invest in its people to achieve any success in sustainability.
“In a sector grappling with cost pressures, staffing shortages and record turnover, sustainability is often discussed in terms of carbon and consumption. But I believe sustainability starts much closer to home, with our people.
The hospitality industry’s greatest renewable resource is its workforce. Yet our sector loses too many talented individuals each year due to burnout and unstable work patterns. I believe the answer lies in a simple philosophy: grow your own. Investing in our people and embedding that principle into our governance and culture is the most sustainable strategy of all.
That belief recently earned The Wesley the Investors in People Gold Award, but it’s far more than a badge; it’s a statement of intent. As a socially responsible business owned by the Methodist Church, our mission is guided by long-held values of inclusiveness, integrity, and stewardship. Those values shape how we look after both our guests and our teams.
Our governance framework ensures that staff wellbeing isn’t an afterthought but a board-level priority. We have a dedicated People and HR Working Group, sitting alongside those for Finance, Sustainability and the Pathway to Net Zero, each chaired by a non-executive director.
This structure means that social sustainability, how we support, develop and empower our people, receives the same scrutiny as carbon reduction or financial control. We track retention, training hours and satisfaction as key performance indicators, reported to the board alongside profit and environmental metrics.
This reflects our wider ESG philosophy: sustainability in hospitality is as much about people as it is about energy use. A happy, engaged team underpins every goal in our Pathway to Net Zero, because the same culture of care that drives responsible operations also drives retention.
From receptionists to chefs, we believe in building sustainable hospitality through our people. Internal promotion, mentoring, and structured career development aren’t just policies; they’re part of our culture. One of our team members began her journey as a receptionist and, through consistent investment in training, mentoring, and confidence-building, now leads a team of her own. Stories like hers are no longer rare; they’re a reflection of how loyalty, growth, and purpose can thrive even in a fast-paced industry.
Our commitment to “Pioneering Purpose” in sustainability starts with creating a workplace where people feel valued, supported, and inspired. By prioritising wellbeing initiatives such as team building events, access to mental health support and continuous learning opportunities, we’ve seen stronger engagement, happier teams and a shared sense of responsibility for the environment we work in.
With each passing year, we’re proud to see more of our team members reaching over two years of service, a significant achievement in a sector known for one of the highest employee turnover rates. This retention reflects a workplace built on trust and shared values. When people feel good, they do well and together, we’re shaping a more sustainable and conscious future for hospitality.
In times of financial pressure, there’s always the temptation to cut training or reduce investment in people. But our experience shows the opposite: the more we nurture our team, the stronger and more adaptable we become.
Just as we measure carbon footprint and energy use, we measure engagement and development, because both are vital to long-term resilience. You can’t achieve environmental progress without social stability.”
The views expressed in this opinion piece are based on the observations, experience and belief of the individual author and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Sustainable Hotel News. For more opinion pieces from industry experts click here.