The Person Behind the Business: Steven Hesketh

An overview of yourself and your current role:

I’m Steven Hesketh, a hospitality entrepreneur with a passion for people, places, and great experiences. I’m the CEO of The Savvy Hotel Group and founder of Hospitality Hero, as well as a co-director of DevaFest - an independent family-friendly music festival in Cheshire. Across all of these ventures, I’m focused on leading with purpose, supporting the next generation of hospitality leaders, and creating sustainable, profitable businesses that people genuinely enjoy being part of.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Seeing people grow. Whether it's a junior team member stepping into their first management role or a business partner bringing a bold idea to life, it brings me great joy seeing our team work together. I also love the diversity of what I do - no two days are the same. I think I am quite a creative person, so I love sitting down with like-minded people and coming up with creative idea on how to expand or grow either the business or my team. Was a role like this always what you aspired to?

Not exactly. I didn’t know I would end up owning hotels, owning a festival, and advocate for the industry nationally - but hospitality has a way of pulling you in.

It’s been a journey of saying yes to opportunities and being pushed into challenges. I had some hard-working role models that I always aspired to. I knew I could achieve what they were if I observed and put the work in too.

Each step built on the last, and along the way I’ve picked up partnerships, business ventures, and a real desire to influence the wider hospitality landscape through The Hospitality Hero and my involvement in my voluntary committee work.

Tell us a bit about what you do outside of work to relax:

“Stay grounded. Businesses are about people - your team, your customers, your suppliers. Lead with empathy, make decisions with integrity, and surround yourself with people who challenge you and if they don’t, change it.”

Tell us about your previous roles/ business journey:

My first job was washing windows at a beach resort in Australia, which gave me a real understanding of what makes a great experience from the ground up. I’ve done every role within a hotel – from housekeeping to kitchen porter - I then moved into senior hotel management, and later into ownership and investment.

Family time is really important to methat’s my anchor. I also enjoy travelling, and spending time at gigs when I can actually enjoy them as a guest, not as an organiser! A good bottle of wine and hottub time also helps me de-stress.

In an ideal world, what else would you like to be?

Honestly, I think I’m already doing what I’m meant to do. But if I had to choose something else -maybe a mentor or coach full-time, supporting aspiring entrepreneurs to think bigger and believe in themselves more.

What advice would you give to anyone else in business?

Stay grounded. Businesses are about people - your team, your customers, your suppliers. Lead with empathy, make decisions with integrity, and surround yourself with people who challenge you and if they don’t, change it. Don’t be afraid to change your mind and direction. Sometimes the best opportunities come when you’re brave enough to change direction and evolve.