At Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland, we have opportunities to help you “Be Leonardo, Be Yourself”. We were proud winners of the Best Training Programme at the Springboard Awards for Excellence 2024 — a fantastic recognition of our commitment to developing our people.
We offer a place where you can truly be yourself as part of a team that delivers memorable hospitality experiences while always striving to exceed our guests’ expectations.
Our approach to learning and development is all about equipping you with both the technical and communication skills to raise the bar in your career. There are tailored development programmes for every stage of your journey, ready for when you’re ready to take that next step.
We’re proud that more than 70% of our General Managers and Hotel Managers started in operational roles and progressed through the company — supported by our industry-leading Learning & Development opportunities and career pathways.
Through our GROW Learning & Development programmes, we support every team member to “Be Yourself, Be Leonardo” through a blended learning approach:
We asked some of our colleagues why they chose Leonardo Hotels and how it’s helped shape their careers.
We believe that ongoing support and encouragement help us build a world-class team. Throughout your journey with us, you’ll have access to our in-house Learning & Development programmes and our award-winning e-learning platform GROWonline.
We’re proud to deliver a career pathway of development programmes with regular internal and external recruitment opportunities — helping you become the best version of yourself.
We are extremely proud of our GROW Graduate Programme, after all Leonardo Hotels is one of the UK and Ireland’s leading hospitality employers! Our 2-year programme allows you to develop your skills and knowledge of the different roles and departments within our hotel or function with a view to securing a permanent position with us at Leonardo Hotels by the end of your programme.
We asked Jonty and Rafaela, two of our current Graduates, why they chose Leonardo Hotels and what they have found beneficial about the Graduate Programme so far:
What we can offer
What we are looking for
We have big plans for you: the opportunities don’t end after the Graduate Programme. Once you have secured your role as a Head of Department or Manager within a function, there are further opportunities for development:
Click on the below tiles to find out more about the Graduate Programmes we offer:
You will have two 12-month placements, experiencing two different hotels, with exposure to all of the departments within the hotel and a Duty Manager focus in your first 3 months through the Leonardo Hotels programme “MyOps”. In your second year, you will have a focus on your chosen department and be looking to secure a permanent Head of Department role in one of our hotels by the end of the programme.
You will have exposure to all aspects and disciplines of the Revenue function during this 2 year Programme, with short secondments in the Central team, Meetings and Events, and 2 – 3 different areas of revenue during the duration of your programme. You will be enrolled onto the Leonardo Hotels “Revenue Academy Programme – Optimize”. You will be entering at Revenue Executive level with a view to securing a permanent Revenue Manager role by the end of the programme.
You will have two 12-month placements, experiencing two different clusters along with undertaking a HOSPA qualification. Year 1 will have a focus on learning the Cluster Accounts and Purchasing Assistant role; you’ll be getting ready to take on Supervisor duties for Year 2 whilst advancing to Account Manager responsibilities. The aim is to develop you into an Assistant Financial Controller position (or higher!) by the end of your Programme.
This 2 year Programme has exposure to all areas of the Sales function, with short secondments in Central Sales, Meeting and Event Sales and different market places. Entering at Sales Executive level, with the learning from the Graduate Programme and entry onto the Leonardo Hotels “Sales Academy Programme – Guru, Master the Art of Sales” you will advance to Sales Manager level.
Please note that these programmes don’t all run every year; please check our live opportunities here for the most current information
Meet Jamiilah, one of our Graduate Managers who joined Leonardo Hotels in 2021
I started my journey in Brighton and covered all departments of the hotel: Front Office, Housekeeping, Food and Beverage, Sales and Accounts. I am currently in my second year, and it’s been really good to experience lots of different guests and how things work across the business.
Every day is different and I thrive off that!
One thing that really stood out to me was the Learning and Development side of things. Leonardo Hotels offer a variety of management courses whether you are part of the programme or not, which I think is great for someone who is looking to progress and develop their career further. I have been able to attend a variety of training sessions that have supported me to develop into a Duty Manager and be my best self.
Being part of the programme has been a great start for my career in hospitality. I have gained a lot of confidence and very good experience of the different departments. I feel confident and supported to take on my first Head of Department role when I finish the programme. I think it’s important to stay open-minded and to be prepared to work hard. Challenges will come your way and it really does pay off. I have been nominated as Manager of the Quarter and that really is my biggest achievement so far!
Here at Leonardo Hotels we need people like you, who want to start an exciting career in Hospitality! Not everyone has the experience to get their first Hospitality role and that is why we have developed our Leo Apprenticeship programme to help.
We are looking for people who have either finished school or are looking to retrain into Hospitality as we have a range of programmes ready to support you. As a Leo Apprentice you would be employed full-time whilst completing your learning during working hours. You’re earning as you’re learning!
Becoming a Leo Apprentice has many advantages; you will get the excellent perks and benefits that we offer all our colleagues, as well as gaining skills and confidence as you progress your Hospitality career with us.
In our kitchens you will find friendly and supportive teams that will help you succeed. You will complete the Food Production apprenticeship, learning how a commercial kitchen operates and gaining new cooking skills along the way.
This apprenticeship sets you up for success at our front desk in a Receptionist role. You’ll gain an understanding of reservations systems and the importance of delivering excellent service with our in-house “Come Join Us” Guest Care Training.
Food and Beverage is a fast-paced and exciting department! You’ll work across all F&B areas from breakfast to events, completing the Hospitality Team Member – Food Service Route apprenticeship with a focus on guest care and genuine hospitality.
The Housekeeping department is the heart of any hotel! You’ll maintain cleanliness standards and learn how to create memorable guest stays while completing the Hospitality Team Member – Housekeeping Route apprenticeship.
Got what it takes to be a leader? Our higher-level management apprenticeships develop your leadership skills for career progression. Previous Hospitality experience and supervisory skills are required to get started.
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