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.
A few of our Development Programmes include:
Supervisory – The GROW Supervisory Programme is a 3-month blended learning programme to develop a capable and competent Leonardo supervisor or Team Leader by growing their skills, knowledge and behaviours.
Insights – This 1-year programme would be ideal for a supervisor or team leader in a hotel wanting to make their first move into management as the Insights Trainee Manager Programme is designed to develop competent Duty Manager’s in the business.
Graduate Programme – This 18-month programme is aimed at those who have studied and are now looking to put their education into practice with the aim to securing a managerial position by the end of the programme. Find out more here
Fast Forward – A 6-month programme ideal for those that are new into the HOD or Assistant role and are looking to develop their skills in these key areas; leadership, operational excellence, productivity, people development, commercial, you and your team.
Junior and Senior Chef Programme – Designed to develop chefs at different levels of their career through a blended learning approach as well as supplier visits and input.
Accelerate – This programme is designed for HOD’s ready to take the next step into Ops/DGM role, providing the commercial and people knowledge required for the role.
High Potential - This development programme is aimed at Ops managers and DGMs who have the aspiration to become a Hotel or General Manager, created with input from senior leaders in the business.
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 18-month 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 management 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 management level role , there are further opportunities for development:
Click on the below tiles to find out more about the Graduate Programmes we offer:
During your 18-month placement you will have 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 ”. Once you have mastered the DM role you will then have a focus on your chosen department and be looking to secure a permanent management 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 18-month 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 management role by the end of the programme.
During your 18-month placement, you will experienc e different clusters along with undertaking a HOSPA qualification. To begin have a focus on learning the Cluster Accounts and Purchasing Assistant role; you’ll then be ready to take on Supervisor duties and finally 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 18-month 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.
Meet Apurva, one of our Graduate Managers who joined Leonardo Hotels in 2024 Describe your journey with us so farI joined Leonardo Hotel Sheffield in September 2024 as part of the Graduate Management Programme. During my first year, I completed all-round operational training across departments before progressing into Duty Manager responsibilities. In September 2025, I moved to Leonardo Royal London St Paul’s to continue the second year of my graduate journey. What do you enjoy most about your role?One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about the programme is the level of responsibility and exposure it offers early on. I’ve had the opportunity to work across all departments including Front Office, Food & Beverage, Meetings & Events, as well as brief exposure to Kitchen, Maintenance, and Housekeeping. This has helped me understand hotel operations from multiple perspectives and given me a clear picture of what is expected from a manager — both from senior leadership and from the team on the ground. |
I’ve been incredibly well supported throughout my journey. Support from my Hotel Manager, peers across the business, the Learning & Development team, and HR has made a huge difference . I’ve also benefited from access to the Institute of Hospitality, where having an external mentor has given me valuable perspective beyond my own hotel and helped me grow professionally.
My advice would be to apply with an open mind and a genuine willingness to learn. The Graduate Programme gives you real responsibility early on and exposure across different departments, so being adaptable and open to feedback is really important . Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, ask questions, or make mistakes — that’s where the biggest learning happens. If you’re looking for a programme that challenges you, supports your development, and gives you a clear path for progression, this is a great place to start.
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.
Apprenticeships are great for people who like to ‘learn by doing’, as they are very practical and hands-on. You will gain new skills and knowledge, which you will then use as evidence towards your qualification.
You will work towards an end-point assessment as a final programme sign off. This is not as daunting as it sounds – you just need to show what you’ve learned to achieve a recognised national standard.
