Hospitality Association York (HAY)

We have issued the following statement in response to recent reports about the future of York’s Christmas Market. “We are disappointed to learn that the future of the Christmas Market is in doubt, due to vehicle access challenges for disabled visitors. The Christmas Market is a nationally recognised event, consistently ranked among the best in the country, and has a significant impact on our city’s economy, particularly on hotel occupancy levels from late November through December. Visitors have been coming to York specifically for the market for many years, and we fully expect this trend to continue. The market’s reputation influences booking patterns and travel behaviour, and its absence would have a serious and detrimental impact on our hotels and the wider hospitality sector. We welcome the new safety recommendations, but we believe these should not signal the end of the Christmas Market.  We call on the council to work closely with Make it York and other stakeholders to explore practical accessibility solutions while protecting this cherished event, which is vital to our city’s economy." Make It York | City of York Council | Sarah Loftus | Stefan Micevski MBA FIH

Yesterday, 80 amazing individuals came together to support the first ever Walk for Wellbeing York! Together, they completed a 20km walk around our beautiful city to raise funds and awareness for Hospitality Action, a charity dedicated to supporting those working in hospitality who may be facing challenging times. We all recognise the high-pressure nature of the hospitality industry, as well as the physical and emotional demands it can place on those within it. Hospitality Action continues to innovate and deliver vital financial and mental health support, alongside advice and signposting for individuals experiencing poverty, homelessness, or deteriorating mental health. It was a true pleasure to support a charity that does so much for our industry. 😊 Bringing the event to York was the idea of our colleague Chris Cooper IS FIH, and it was a pleasure to co-host the event with the Splendid Hospitality Group and The Grand, York, who kindly hosted the start and finish of the walk, and treated everyone to some delicious refreshments at the end! 🥂 We set out with an initial fundraising target of £5,000, and we’re beyond excited that our total is now very close to £7,000! A huge thank you to everyone who has supported and donated so far, your generosity will make a real difference. To everyone who took part and helped make the day such a success: thank you and a massive well done! 🙌 📷 More pictures on our Facebook and NEW Instagram page: hospitalityassociationyork #Hospitality #Fundraising #Wellbeing #Team

A huge good luck to everyone taking part in our Walk for Wellbeing today! 🌿 Thanks to your amazing support, we’ve already raised over £6,000 for Hospitality Action, but every £1 helps spur us on to cross the finish line! If you’d like to cheer our walkers on and support a great cause, you can donate here: https://lnkd.in/ezzti8Yw 

We’re less than 24 hours away from the very first Walk for Wellbeing York! 🎉 Tomorrow morning, 80 walkers will be setting off from The Grand, York on a 20km route around the city in support of Hospitality Action. Here are a few reminders for everyone taking part: 🏁 Start & finish: The Grand, York 🕤 Registration: From 9:30am, collect your goody bag of treats to keep you going. The walk starts at 10am! 🥾 Dress for comfort: 20km is a fair distance, wear suitable footwear and clothing ☀️ Weather: It’s looking OK, but this is Yorkshire...come prepared for anything! 🍴 Halfway stop: The Ship Inn, Acaster Malbis, a perfect place to rest, refuel, and refresh 🥂 Post-walk celebration: Join us back at The Grand to celebrate your amazing achievement 🏷️ Share your journey: Tag us and Hospitality Action in your photos and posts 😊 Most importantly: Have fun! You’re walking for an incredible cause and making a real difference. THANK YOU! #HospitalityAction #WalkForWellbeing #YorkHospitality Chris Cooper IS FIH | Stefan Micevski MBA FIH

Last week, we hosted another fantastic HAY social event! 🎳 Eleven hotel teams gathered at Hollywood Bowl, Monks Cross, for an evening of friendly competition. A big congratulations to Dean Court, who successfully defended their title from last year and once again took home the winners’ trophy! 👏🏻 Well done also to Hilton York for claiming 2nd place, and Malmaison who finished 3rd 🙌 A great night dedicated to rewarding and celebrating the hard work of our incredible teams. Events like this encourage our teams to spend time together outside of work, strengthen bonds and have some fun. They're also a reminder of the strength of HAY, where we support, encourage, and inspire each other to thrive ✨ #YorkHospitality #TeamSpirit #Networking #HAYEvents #HospitalityExcellence

Congratulations to our friend Andy Barnsdale on winning General Manager of the Year at the Boutique Hotelier Awards 🏆 A well deserved award for a wonderful colleague ✨

🚤 We’re halfway through our annual charity partnership with York Rescue Boat, and are thrilled to share that we’ve just passed the £1,000 fundraising milestone! 🎉 Over the past six months, our HAY community has come together to support this life saving local charity by: ⚽ Hosting our annual football tournament 🎟 Donating proceeds from HAY Awards ticket sales 🎁 Contributing auction items for their fundraising ball A huge thank you to all our members, friends, and partners who’ve made this possible. 🙌 Your generosity helps York Rescue Boat continue their incredible work keeping our community safe. We’re proud to keep this momentum going for the next six months! 💙 https://lnkd.in/euwvGKnR

🌟 This week we’re celebrating Hospitality Apprenticeship Week — the perfect moment to shine a spotlight on our incredible HAY Awards finalists and winner. 🏆 Winner: Yasmin De Souza, Hilton York Yasmin began her career as a Casual Food & Beverage Assistant but after discovering her passion during the hotel’s major refurbishment, she transitioned into her current role as a Maintenance Assistant, where she’s become an integral part of the engineering team. With energy, precision, and an unshakeable work ethic, Yasmin brings the drive of a seasoned professional to everything she does. ⭐ Finalist: Chris Burton, Middletons Hotel As Nights Supervisor, Chris also oversees the hotel’s accounting functions — a role that requires real dedication. Wanting to grow his expertise, he enrolled in a Level 2 Accounting Apprenticeship alongside his demanding job. His determination to balance both shows the value of continuous learning in hospitality. Known for his positivity and willingness to help anyone, Chris embodies the spirit of hospitality, always finding a solution and never saying no. ⭐ Finalist: Vanitha Selvaraj, Novotel York Centre Vanitha’s warmth and attention to detail make every guest feel special, whether she’s greeting a regular with their favourite drink or welcoming someone new like an old friend. She’s also stepped up her development by undertaking a Hospitality Team Member qualification, embracing new challenges to grow her skills. Her thoughtfulness shines through in everything she does. 👏 Yasmin, Chris, and Vanitha show how apprenticeships help people discover passions, grow careers, and make hospitality shine. #HosptalityApprenticeshipWeek #HospitalityCareers #Apprenticeships #HospitalityHeroes York College, York UK

We're less than two weeks away from the York Walk for Wellbeing 🥾 71 people have signed up to take part so far, and we're well on our way to our £5000 target with over £1500 raised! Walk for Wellbeing is a 20km walk around York to promote the importance of wellbeing in hospitality and generates vital funds for Hospitality Action. Take part as a workplace team, as an individual, or with friends and family, it's free to register and is for a great cause that supports many of our hospitality colleagues! https://lnkd.in/ezzti8Yw 

HAY are delighted to be backing York BID for another 5 years. They play a vital role in keeping our city clean, safe and vibrant! From the work of their street rangers, to deep cleaning and brightening up some run down spaces, they make York a better place to visit, work and live. The Ballot is now open and we hope you’ll join us in voting YES to another five years of BID investment and support 🗳️ 👍🏻