When Mark Winter, pre-opening general manager of the newly opened Holiday Inn Blackpool, began his career in hospitality, his path was anything but certain. “I think if I was being honest, it wasn’t initially my career plan… I wanted to be a schoolteacher,” he shares. Studying to be an educator, he took a part-time job in hospitality to make ends meet, but what started as a means to an end quickly evolved into a passion. “I actually made the decision to stay in the industry… which, to be honest, shocked my parents quite a bit.”
Winter’s story is a classic example of finding purpose in unexpected places. Working his way up from receptionist to reception manager, and eventually to General Manager, he learned quickly about the growth opportunities in hospitality, which is what captivated him from the beginning. “You know, my aspiration was to be a general manager. I’d love to be a general manager one day,” he recalls. What’s more, the people-centered nature of the industry solidified his decision to stay. “I probably spend more time with my work colleagues than I do with my family. And there’s just that… culture within and the people that you work with. It’s quite unique in the hospitality industry.”
In his mid-twenties, Winter’s ambitions led him to a groundbreaking role as the youngest-ever General Manager within RB’s portfolio at age 25. “I felt as though I had the personality… and certainly in this industry, it was a case of you were working from, you know, a receptionist all the way through.” But, he reflects, his leap into management came with challenges. “I hadn’t been a general manager before, so you never had that experience of being in that position.” Lacking experience, he relied on his interpersonal skills and a hands-on approach, working closely with his team and mentors, “because that’s crucial… I think ultimately, like many general managers say, you can train a team to work a system, but it comes down to that leadership and how you drive that engagement and culture within a business.”
His early management experiences inspired his people-first leadership style, a quality that has become central to his approach. For Winter, leading is about setting an example through dedication and accessibility. He reminisces about past managers who went “9 to 5 and then… left you to deal with a very busy check-in or a very busy restaurant service,” contrasting their styles with his approach of becoming “one of you,” as he puts it. “I think that was quite refreshing to kind of replicate into how I wanted to be perceived as a leader.”
Winter’s tenure saw him open several hotels, a role he equates more to project management than the traditional duties of a general manager. The unique challenge of building a hotel from the ground up is something he finds rewarding. “It was like spinning a lot of plates… building a new team, working towards deadlines, managing different owner relationships,” he explains, describing the unpredictable nature of the role, including last-minute changes that could derail even the best-laid plans. Yet, it’s the potential for creativity that drives him. Opening Holiday Inn Blackpool was, in Winter’s view, one of his favorite projects. “Blackpool is a fun place… you could be really creative and do things just very, very differently,” he enthuses. From quirky decor to a signature recruitment campaign, Winter’s vision for the hotel blends local flavor with vibrant personality.
One of his most celebrated initiatives, the “Be More You” campaign, emphasized individuality and drew a record 3,068 applications for only 70 positions. The goal was simple yet ambitious: to hire not based on qualifications but on personality. “I wasn’t bothered about your experience. I was more bothered around your desire to be part of something new… and showcase your personality.” The campaign was, he says, inspired by a Virgin Atlantic advertisement celebrating individuality, an idea he felt matched Blackpool’s dynamic spirit. By encouraging applicants to submit video introductions, Winter’s campaign highlighted personal traits over formal resumes, breaking away from traditional recruitment practices.
Winter’s passion for the people within the industry is palpable, and it’s no surprise that he’s a vocal advocate for changing the public’s perception of hospitality as a career. “Many years ago, hospitality was seen as unskilled, which annoyed me because I think this is a very skilled industry,” he shares, pushing back against stereotypes. In his view, the misconception is a barrier to attracting young talent. By highlighting the industry’s possibilities, he hopes to shift perspectives. “I always start with, ‘Who wants to run a multi-million-pound business?’” he says. When young people understand that working in hospitality offers this potential, “the way in which they look at the industry changes.”
Winter’s insights on engaging and retaining fresh talent come from personal experience. Reflecting on his early career, he advises newcomers to set goals and create a roadmap. “I would say have a roadmap, and with that roadmap, you may change direction… but have that sort of determination,” he says. He attributes his success to his willingness to learn, often seeking out knowledge independently. “I remember one particular ops manager who said, ‘Winter, you’re always asking questions, always wanting to know this and that.’ And I never apologized because I wanted the knowledge.” His advice is clear: be curious, ask questions, and never stop building your knowledge base.
For Winter, the rewards of the job go beyond career advancement. Working with a team he describes as “a second family,” he finds joy in fostering a culture that brings out the best in his employees. He believes that when people feel valued and understood, it has a ripple effect on the guest experience. And while Winter relishes the “buzz” of opening new hotels, he acknowledges that not every day is easy. Managing a hotel’s launch, he advises, requires not only organization and resilience but also a sense of humor. “You know, I always say there was no fairy that came in and just put them [irons, kettles, and other essentials] into the rooms—that was us. And then it was going to the pub and having a few beers, having a laugh… and the next day we went at it again.”
His perspective on work-life balance also evolved through years of managing high-pressure roles. “I think planning is crucial… I would plan either a long weekend away or a bottomless brunch with one of my friends,” he shares. Winter believes in setting personal commitments to ensure a sustainable balance between work and life, something he recommends to all industry professionals.
As he reflects on his journey, Winter remains passionate about hospitality and the impact of genuine leadership. His roadmap is clear, and his commitment to people-centered values in hospitality serves as a model for others. “If you sit there as a receptionist and go, ‘I’m never going to be a general manager because I’m just a receptionist,’ well, I was just a receptionist.” His message for future generations in hospitality is simple but powerful: stay curious, stay ambitious, and most importantly, be yourself.
