Kush Kapoor, CEO of Roseate Hotels & Resorts, was telling me recently about his journey to hospitality leadership, and the process of launching a new luxury brand with 6 hotels in India and the U.K. that consistently top guest satisfaction charts.

His enthusiasm for hospitality was obvious from the start of our conversation.

“Hospitality is not a job if you ask me. It’s a way of life.”

To illustrate, he shared an analogy that he shares with each of his new hires.  

“Let’s say you invite me to your home for dinner. As the night gets closer, you’re looking forward to it. You’re tidying up your house, and getting the food ready. You’re watching the door as the time comes for me to arrive so you can receive me, give me a tour of your house, and bring out the food. We’ll have a great evening of conversation, and when I’m leaving you’ll bring me out to the gate to wish me farewell. That’s what happens daily as a hotelier,” he explained. 

“We are waiting for you to check into our hotel. We make sure you have the best accommodations, and everything is ready for you. We make sure you have the best food and drinks. And when you leave, we wish you farewell. So what you do for a friend at your home is what we do all the time at a hotel – but we get paid to do this!”

Hospitality is fun and meaningful if you look at the industry this way, Kapoor says. He enjoys the challenge of providing authentic luxury hospitality to people from all walks of life. And he enjoys the diversity. 

“The hotel industry is the only industry in the world where you consistently meet everyone from a carpenter, to a plumber, to a scientist, to a doctor, to a member of the armed forces, to a professor – and so many more. Everyone has a different background and a different story. Being able to meet them and care for them is what makes hospitality the best profession in the world.” 

What about you? Why do you enjoy working in hospitality?