Culture: the Hidden Force that Shapes Hospitality
As I am walking the Mission Beach boardwalk in sunny San Diego, next to me run, bike, and roller skate hundreds of people. Many smile, many talk, many just enjoy the surroundings the way I do.
Mission Beach has its own unique culture, a subculture within the larger one that San Diego represents. This city feels free, active, dynamic, and sunny.
Within it, you’ll find countless subcultures: surfers chasing waves at dawn, fitness lovers training by the water, craft beer enthusiasts hopping between local breweries, Navy families grounding entire neighborhoods, and the vibrant border-town mix of Mexican and American influences.
Each thread adds to the fabric of what makes San Diego, San Diego.
Hospitality works in the same way. When most people think of it, they imagine nice rooms, attentive service, or beautiful design. But these are only the surface. Behind them lies something deeper: culture.
Culture reaches beyond tradition or ancestry.
Culture is belief in motion.
It works like a faith, not religious in doctrine, but as the invisible compass that directs daily life.
In hospitality, this means the values you set are not just written in a handbook.
They are lived in every choice.
They show up in how a team greets a guest, how colleagues treat one another, and how decisions are made when no one is watching.
Two properties can have nearly identical amenities and price points, yet feel completely different. One may radiate warmth because its team treats every guest as part of an ongoing relationship. Another might feel transactional because efficiency is the only goal.
Culture is the invisible ingredient that turns a routine check-in into a genuine welcome, or a dinner service into a memory that lingers long after the plates are cleared.
Why Culture Becomes an Advantage
Culture cannot be copied the way furniture or floor plans can. It is cultivated over time, reinforced by consistent behavior, and passed from one team member to another.
In crowded hospitality markets, it often becomes the decisive factor behind guest loyalty, glowing reviews, and word-of-mouth recommendations.
Building a Strong Hospitality Culture
Define your values – Decide what your property stands for beyond profit and let those values guide every decision.
Live the story – Root your operations in the inspiration, history, or ethos that makes your stay unique.
Lead by example – Owners and managers must model the culture they want the team to reflect.
Protect against drift – As you grow, stay vigilant about holding onto the values that set you apart.
Culture Shapes Every Guest Experience
Just like San Diego’s spirit is more than its beaches, your property’s magic is more than its walls.
Hospitality without culture is simply service delivery. Hospitality with culture creates meaning.
It creates the kind of experiences that touch people on a deeper level, experiences they remember, return to, and share.
Every place has a culture, whether it is intentional or not.
Every person has one too.
What's yours?
