Clio Knowles, vice president of people for Virgin Hotels, sums up the culture at her rather nascent company quite simply, focusing on the words “authentic” and “fun.”
“We really focus a lot on letting people be their true selves at work,” Knowles says. “That’s shown itself in a number of unique ways. We’ve had some fun requests from guests for a singing wakeup call, which our guest agents have delivered because for them it’s who they are, and it’s fun to do.”
As part of a culture roundtable at Virgin Hotel Chicago presented by HOTELS and the Wall Street Journal and chronicled in the September issue, Knowles shared insights about both the triumphs and challenges of fostering the Virgin culture.
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Editor’s note: In addition to the Special Report about the culture roundtable in the September issue of HOTELS, don’t miss videos with cultural insights from Niki Leondakis, CEO of Commune Hotels & Resorts, and Bill DeForrest, president and CEO of Spire Hospitality.