InterContinental Lisbon: a best practice about Setting Inclusion Standards in luxury hospitality

The InterContinental Lisbon, a luxury hotel with 40 years of experience, joined the IHG Group in October 2014. The hotel provides service for both leisure and business travellers and employs 200 team members.

Context

The InterContinental Lisbon has named its initiative to embrace cultural diversity and inclusion True Hospitality for Good. The hotel has created non-discrimination policies regarding age, disability, and sexual orientation. In addition, the company actively supports women’s career progression by providing equal opportunities. The aim of this commitment is to inspire the team to provide their services with the same energy as they do in their personal interests.

 

Implementation

The InterContinental Lisbon starts with a recruitment policy designed to enhance diversity as well as attracting and retaining its workforce. The hotel ensures fair treatment and equal opportunities for all employees by following the Global Protocol on Diversity & Inclusion. For example, the InterContinental Lisbon has begun to hire people with disabilities. Furthermore, the hotel also adopted the IHG Group’s Journey to Tomorrow initiative which aims to positively contribute to the environment, communities, and individuals over a 10-year period. More recently, the InterContinental Lisbon created a diversity and inclusion handbook and an internal Diversity Calendar to highlight EDI events throughout the year.

 

Enabling Factors

A key enabler of the InterContinental Lisbon’s diversity and inclusion policies is its affiliation with the IHG hotel chain, which provides the necessary guidance and resources to support and implement these initiatives. Furthermore, the InterContinental Lisbon has been a signatory of the Portuguese Charter for Diversity since 2018, strengthening its dedication to recognising, respecting, and valuing the unique differences among their stakeholders.

 

Barriers

Being so committed to EDI values demands a lot of training, additional activities, continuous awareness initiatives, and creative approaches to cultivate a more inclusive organisational environment.

 

Impact on the Organisation

Prioritising diversity and inclusion has boosted employee productivity and enhanced service delivery at the InterContinental Lisbon. The hotel has also earned awards for its inclusive practices. The ‘Diversity Seal’ was awarded based on its organisational culture focused on diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities for career development and progression. Additionally, it has been named a ‘Best Place to Work’ in Portugal for prioritising its workforce’s health and well-being.

 

Quotes

‘Diversity is not about how we become equal, but how we respect and value our differences. Accept it, celebrate it and let it inspire you.’

 

‘Our purpose is True Hospitality for Good. It’s the positive difference we make in the world. We are focused on growing our business and everyone in it, fostering a unique culture with our Brilliant Talents, supporting local communities and contributing to sustainability.’

 

‘Our promise to those who bring InterContinental Lisbon to life is to always have “Space to Belong”, “Space to Grow” and “Space to Make a Difference”. So Together We Go Further!’

 

Lessons Learned

By embracing diversity, the hotel recognised the importance of addressing workplace challenges with empathy and respect. This approach encouraged a culture of mutual understanding and collaboration. The hotel also shared that employees should be allowed freedom to reflect their personality to provide a unique service.

 

Future Plans

The InterContinental Lisbon is committed to prioritising diversity and inclusion in its managerial decisions to continue to create a positive and inclusive workforce. Additionally, the hotel invites applicants from all backgrounds to join its team, cultivating a dynamic work environment.

 

Links with UN Sustainable Development Goals

 

You can download the full EDI report here