The Grand, York has announced that General Manager, Adam Dyke, has been named Access Champion for the five-star city centre hotel, further strengthening its commitment to accessibility, diversity and inclusive employment across the business.
The appointment builds on The Grand’s continued work with the Accessible Hospitality Alliance, which the hotel joined last year, reinforcing its role as a sector leader in accessible luxury hospitality.
Since becoming General Manager in January 2025, Dyke has been a strong advocate for inclusive workplaces and accessible guest experiences. Under his leadership, The Grand has continued to prioritise accessibility across both guest and team journeys, recognising that employee experience is just as important as guest experience. This work will only continue as he fulfils his role as an Access Champion.
The hotel employs approximately 265 team members representing 27 nationalities and 22 languages, with accessibility and inclusion embedded across recruitment, training and development programmes.
The Grand is also the only Disability Confident Leader within York’s hospitality sector, demonstrating its commitment to supporting disabled colleagues and guests through continuous learning and improvement.
Adam has worked closely with internal teams to expand initiatives including neurodiversity training, deaf awareness and British Sign Language basics, alongside the introduction of mental health first aiders across the workforce, creating a supportive and adaptive environment for all team members.
When reflecting on what this accolade means for himself and the hotel, Adam commented: “Accessibility and inclusion are fundamental to who we are as a business. We are proud of the progress we’ve made so far, but we know this is an ongoing journey.
“Being named Access Champion allows us to further champion accessibility across our hotel and the wider hospitality industry, ensuring both our guests and our team members feel valued, supported and able to thrive.”
The Grand continues to work with local and national partners to create employment pathways and inclusive opportunities within hospitality, while investing in training and development programmes that support long-term career growth and wellbeing. This latest milestone reflects The Grand’s long-term vision to set new standards for accessibility and inclusion within luxury hospitality, both in York and across the UK.