Master Innholders Community Spotlight - Andrew McKenzie MI

We've recently been speaking with members of the Master Innholders community to find out more about their hospitality careers, what working in hospitality means to them, as well as what they are doing currently to give back to the industry as part of their work.

In our latest spotlight, we spoke to Andrew Mckenzie MI, Managing Director of Donnington Group and recently appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Innholders.

What do you love most about working in hotels?

It’s a wonderful industry in so many ways. We get to meet some interesting guests, be part of some great events and experience things that people in other industries might never come across. But over the years, it’s been working alongside some really talented young people that has given me the most joy. Watching people develop, discover what they’re capable of and go on to build successful careers is hugely rewarding. For me, that’s one of the best things about working in hospitality.

You were recently installed as the new Master of the Worshipful Company of Innholders. What do you hope to bring to the role, and what would you most like to achieve during your time as Master?

There have been very few active hoteliers installed as Master in recent times, so I hope to bring a practical, hands-on understanding of the challenges facing our industry. I’d like to bring the Worshipful Company and the Master Innholders even closer together, building on the relationship between the two and keeping the needs and issues of hospitality firmly on the Company's agenda.

We have a great deal to offer one another, and I’d like to make sure that the experience and influence of both organisations are used to support our industry and the people working in it.

You are also Managing Director of Donnington Group. What qualities do you think define a great Managing Director, and how have those qualities shaped your own leadership style?

Running a hotel business isn’t complicated, it just isn’t easy! You need to paint the big picture, be clear about where you want the business to go, concentrate on the details at the point of delivery and employ great people to do the rest.

Ultimately, you can have the best strategy in the world, but it’s the people delivering it every day who determine whether it succeeds. My job is to give them a clear direction, make sure they have what they need to do their jobs well and trust them to get on with it. Getting the right people in place makes all the difference.

Can you share a moment in your career that you’re particularly proud of, and why does it stand out to you?

I was at an industry event recently and realised that six of the attendees were general managers who had come through the ranks in our group. It was a wonderful moment of reflection.

When you identify someone with talent early in their career, you hope they’ll go on to do great things, but seeing that potential turn into reality is hugely rewarding. Hospitality offers people the chance to build really varied and fulfilling careers, and being able to play a part in that journey is one of the privileges of leadership. Seeing those individuals progress to become general managers is something I’m immensely proud of.

The hospitality industry has changed considerably throughout your career. What do you think is the biggest opportunity and the biggest challenge facing hotels today?

For me, both the opportunities and the challenges revolve around our people. Get the culture right and the world is your oyster; get it wrong and you’re on a hiding to nothing. A great culture gives people the confidence to do their jobs well, creates a better experience for guests and gives a business the foundations it needs to succeed.

The difficulty is that various governments seem to have colluded to make achieving that ever harder! Hotels are people businesses, and we need to make sure the environment in which we operate allows us to invest in our teams, develop talent and give people reasons to build a career in hospitality. Get that right and there are still enormous opportunities for our industry.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in hotels?

Embrace everything and be annoyingly curious. Ask questions, take an interest in what’s happening around you and learn as much as you can from the people you work with. You never know which experience or conversation will prove useful further down the line.

And be immensely proud of the career you’ve chosen. Hospitality gives you the chance to meet all sorts of people, take on different challenges and develop skills that will serve you throughout your career. Make the most of it.

What does giving back to the industry mean to you, and how do you hope to make a difference through your role as Master Innholder?

Compared with many industries, hospitality has a wonderful tradition of sharing experiences and helping others. Almost every hotelier I know gives back in some way, whether that’s supporting colleagues, sharing their knowledge or helping the next generation find their feet.

As Master of the Worshipful Company of Innholders, I want to celebrate that generosity and make sure it continues to be recognised. We have a wealth of experience across our industry, and there’s real value in people being willing to share what they’ve learned. I’d like to help strengthen those connections and keep that sense of responsibility to the wider hospitality community at the heart of what we do.

You’ll be joining us at the Hotel Leadership Conference 2027, where the theme is “Unbreakable: The Human Advantage”. What are you most looking forward to about the conference, and why do you think this is such an important conversation for hospitality leaders right now?

I’ve been attending the Hotel Leadership Conference for more than 20 years, and it never fails to send me away with renewed hope and enthusiasm for our industry.

There’s no doubt that our industry is facing some serious headwinds, particularly when it comes to looking after our people. Our people are at the heart of what we do, but creating the right environment for them to thrive is not always easy. I’m looking forward to hearing the conversations that come out of the conference and, as always, leaving with plenty to think about.