Pan Pacific London, a member of Accessible Hospitality Alliance (aha), has appointed Reino De Villiers, Director of Security, Safety & Sustainability, as its Access Champion.
The appointment places accessibility within a senior operational remit already focused on how people move through, experience and trust a hospitality environment.
Pan Pacific London joined aha earlier this year, bringing into membership a hotel where accessibility is already present across significant parts of the guest experience.
Located in London’s Square Mile, the hotel combines 237 guest rooms with restaurants, bars, meetings and events spaces, and its SENSORY Spa & Wellbeing floor. Its accessibility provision includes spatially accessible rooms, fully wheelchair accessible rooms, tracking hoists, a Changing Places facility, accessible WCs across public areas, and a pool hoist within the wellbeing floor.
The hotel also sets out its accessibility commitment publicly through a dedicated accessibility statement on the Pan Pacific London website, stating that every guest has different needs and that the hotel strives to make its facilities available and accessible to all.
That public statement matters. Accessibility is not only an operational consideration inside the hotel; it is also part of how guests make informed decisions before arrival. Clear, visible accessibility information enables greater confidence at the point of enquiry, booking and visit.
By appointing De Villiers as Access Champion, Pan Pacific London gives the role clear operational relevance. Accessibility is closely connected to safety, security, sustainability, guest confidence and the practical management of a complex hospitality environment.
As Access Champion, De Villiers will help ensure accessibility remains visible, discussed, measured and progressed across the hotel. He will also join The Access Champions Collective, the peer community created through aha membership for hospitality professionals entrusted with advancing accessibility within their own organisations while learning alongside others facing similar operational opportunities and challenges.
Reino De Villiers, Director of Security, Safety & Sustainability and Access Champion, Pan Pacific London, said: “True luxury is not defined by what we offer, but by how every guest feels when they come through our doors. At Pan Pacific London, accessibility is a shared commitment – one that inspires us to go beyond expectations, embrace every individual with genuine care, and ensure everyone feels welcomed, valued, and at home. Together, we create a place where inclusion isn’t an initiative; it’s simply who we are.”
The appointment also strengthens the breadth of operational experience within The Access Champions Collective. As more operator members appoint Access Champions from different disciplines, the collective continues to reflect the reality that accessibility is not confined to one department. It touches guest experience, colleague wellbeing, safety, sustainability, property, operations and culture.
Charlotte Evans, Group Partnerships Director, Accessible Hospitality Alliance, said: “Pan Pacific London continues to set a strong example of how accessibility can be embedded within luxury hospitality. Reino De Villiers’ appointment as Access Champion reflects a clear commitment to inclusive guest experience and operational excellence.”
Pan Pacific London’s appointment of an Access Champion marks the next step in its engagement with aha, moving from membership into active participation within a growing operator community focused on practical progress.
As accessibility becomes increasingly recognised as part of business performance, human capital and responsible hospitality, appointments such as this help move the conversation from intention into everyday operational practice.
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