Accessible Hospitality Alliance has appointed Andrew Stembridge, Executive Director of Iconic Luxury Hotels, as an Ambassador.
Stembridge brings recognised leadership across the luxury hotel sector, guiding a collection known for its individuality, attention to detail and commitment to guest experience. A graduate of the University of Strathclyde in Hospitality Management and Tourism, he continued his executive development at Cornell and Cranfield. His career includes being the youngest-ever recipient of Hotelier of the Year, chairing the Master Innholders, and supporting initiatives such as Hospitality Action and Room to Reward.
His appointment follows a period of heightened commitment to accessibility in the industry, reflected in the actions emerging from November’s The aha Forum, in Partnership with Thomas Franks. The event brought operators together with people with lived experience of limited accessibility to hospitality. Its impact has continued to resonate across the sector in the weeks since.
This new role aligns with the strengthened sense of shared purpose developing among organisations seeking to contribute to a more accessible and inclusive industry.
Reflecting on his new role Andrew Stembridge said: “The current economic climate and labour market challenges make inclusivity more important than ever for both our guests and those who work in our industry. All of the Iconic Luxury Hotels properties are in historic buildings, some heavily listed, which presents physical limitations, but that only strengthens our resolve to find solutions and remove barriers wherever we can.
“As a profession we have a duty to lead this conversation and ensure accessibility becomes a defining principle of hospitality.”
Robin Sheppard, Chair, Accessible Hospitality Alliance, welcomed the appointment saying: “We are grateful and appreciative of Andrew’s considered commitment to aha, embracing the very definition of our industry: ‘the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers’, which of course is not selective.”
As an Ambassador, Andrew Stembridge will support the Alliance’s purpose: a hospitality world that welcomes everyone. His appointment reinforces the shift toward industry conversations that are becoming more collaborative, constructive and action-focused, with more operators examining their operations through a lens of accessibility and inclusion.
