The Grand, York is a five-star city centre hotel continually committed to making a difference within the hospitality industry. Adam Dyke, who assumed the helm of the hotel as General Manager in January 2025 is continually passionate about The Grand being a cut above the rest for its commitment to accessible, diverse and inclusive hiring practices. Supported by Emma Bellwood, The Grand’s People Director, Adam is passionate about continually championing the existing team at the hotel, recognising that everyone has their own individual strengths and how this ensures both great guest and team experience.
The Grand are proud to have a team of 265 across the hotel, even affectionately coined Grand Family Members by the internal team. At its core, The Grand’s strong diverse workforce incorporates 27 nationalities and 22 languages, setting an example for hospitality and leisure businesses in Yorkshire and beyond. Adam, alongside the dedicated HR team, incorporates seamless cross-departmental integration and thoughtful consideration for every member touchpoint, be that internal or external, to make sure that every member of the team feels at home.
As a five-star hotel, The Grand views their team’s internal experiences as equivalent to their guest’s experience. With this in mind, Adam and the hotel have worked hard to create a supportive and adaptive environment to make sure all needs of the team are met. In doing so, one of the initiatives was to develop the hotel’s onboarding and training programmes. These programmes are designed to nurture new and existing talent, create a welcoming workplace where every person’s individual strength is recognised and to affirm that the team at all levels and disciplines have complete awareness of each person’s individual needs. These included but are not limited to:
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Complete Neurodivergent training for all levels with specific approaches to how workplaces can evolve and adapt. This includes altering work hours and tailoring performance management to result in a happy, productive and ultimately thriving workforce.
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Deaf Awareness and basic BSL, to enhance communication between team members and boost guest experience for guests who are deaf and hard of hearing.
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Mental Health first aiders helping to provide support to team members who need it most.
Adam also takes pride in The Grand’s team retention rate. Year to date, team turnover at The Grand stands at 13.28%, which is significantly lower than the average in the industry, with 73% of the team choosing to stay with them for more than a year. It is the implementation of these programmes which have upheld this stability rate, alongside supporting team wellbeing and integration.
Whilst it is great to see this forward-thinking approach, Adam and the team acknowledge that this is the first step of the hotel’s journey and they are open to continually adapting as the team grows. Whilst The Grand became the only Disability Confident Leader in hospitality within York in 2022. This accreditation lasts for three years, this year Adam and the HR team are focused on ensuring The Grand has everything in place to have a successful application to be re-awarded. The Disability Confidence Scheme is a UK government scheme designed to be a continuous learning journey. Adam prides himself and the rest of the team of being the only company in York within the hospitality sector to be accredited, demonstrating exceptional leadership and showcasing that The Grand prioritises disability inclusion at every internal and external touchpoint. As the hotel is a heritage site, refurbishments are carefully considered to make sure that they are compliant to accessibility standards and there are plans for 2026 to enhance this further as well as the overall guest journey. What’s more, this gives confidence to the wider team to ensure that best practices are continually affirmed as well as implement strategies to ensure an inclusive workplace.
These training and development programmes have also been pivotal in working alongside The Grand’s employment partnerships with United Response and Askham Grange Ladies Open Prison. United Response is a charity that helps support people with learning disabilities, neurodivergent people and those with mental health needs at home and within the wider community. Askham Grange Ladies Open Prison is a women’s open prison, with the focus on helping women re-integrate within the wider community. The Grand offers both work experience and employment opportunities to United Response and Askham Grange, indicative of their continued passion to support and work with local communities in York and Yorkshire.
Adam Dyke, General Manager of The Grand: “Since joining The Grand in late 2024, the last 10 months have affirmed to me just how fantastic and passionate the team are about making sure that every person is valued and feels integral to our day-to-day operation. Running and maintaining a hotel of this size and stature is no easy feat, which is why building a strong community within our team is vital to making sure all those who step through the doors are welcomed and feel at home. The steps we have made so far are only just the beginning and we are excited to evolve and make The Grand the best in Yorkshire, inside and out. This commitment is both a personal and professional passion, and we wholeheartedly believe that a high standard of accessibility should be implemented across hospitality.”
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