Representations of hospitality at The Special Needs Hotel

Abstract

Norms of ‘professionalism’ expected by the hospitality industry may create unrealistic and problematic expectations for employing people with learning disabilities. This study provides a first consideration of hospitality training for young people with learning difficulties. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the popular television documentary series The Special Needs Hotel, generating two key themes: hospitality as achieving independence; and hospitality as expectations. Hospitality training is seen as a means of enabling ‘independence’ for young people with learning disabilities with strategies used to ensure the trainees meet the necessary ‘expectations’ and requirements of hospitality work. However, this positive representation contrasts with the struggles, fear and realities of independence and hospitality work for the trainees themselves. Contributing to discourses of representation and notions of inclusion and exclusion in hospitality, this study provides an opportunity to review and vary what is expected of hospitality work to increase employment for people with disabilities.