Veteran Consultant Advocates for Mentorship, Workforce Development, and the Human Side of Hospitality
PALM BEACH, FL / ACCESS Newswire / May 20, 2025 / With over 30 years of hospitality experience and a track record of turning struggling hotels into sought-after destinations, Eric David Meeuwsen is raising his voice for something bigger than business: the people behind the service.
Meeuwsen, founder of Meeuwsen Hospitality Consulting, is calling for greater awareness and support for mentorship and talent development in the hospitality industry, especially in an era of staffing shortages and high turnover.
"Your future in hospitality won't be built in a classroom," says Meeuwsen. "It'll be built in your habits-how you show up every day, how you learn from the people around you, and how you treat others along the way."
Why Mentorship Matters Now More Than Ever
The hospitality sector is still grappling with the aftershocks of the pandemic. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 1.2 million hospitality jobs remain unfilled as of early 2025. Training, retention, and frontline leadership are emerging as urgent challenges.
"We've lost a lot of experienced workers, and too many new hires don't feel supported," Meeuwsen notes. "We can't fix this with software or slogans. We fix it by investing in people, day by day, shift by shift."
Meeuwsen's approach centers on hands-on mentorship. Through his consulting firm, he works directly with hotel owners, general managers, and team leads-often shadowing night staff to understand the real culture of an operation.
"That's where the truth lives," he says. "Not in spreadsheets, but in how your night team feels at 2 a.m. That's when leadership-or the lack of it-shows up."
From Check-In Desk to Industry Advisor
Meeuwsen's own journey began humbly in guest services at a Miami Beach luxury hotel in the 1990s. Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, he earned his Hospitality Management degree from Florida International University before rising through the ranks at resorts across Florida and the Caribbean.
In 2018, he launched Meeuwsen Hospitality Consulting to help properties improve guest experience, staff performance, and operational flow. His consulting is marked by close collaboration and a "boots-on-the-ground" mindset.
"I'm not the kind of consultant who emails you a checklist and disappears," he says. "I'm in the lobby. I'm in the kitchen. I'm with the front desk staff learning what's really happening."
Giving Back to Future Leaders
In addition to consulting, Meeuwsen volunteers with the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and regularly speaks at local colleges to mentor up-and-coming hospitality professionals.
"One of my proudest moments isn't about revenue or rankings," he says. "It's when someone I mentored becomes a general manager. That's legacy."
He's encouraging others in the industry-especially those in leadership-to take mentorship seriously. He believes it doesn't take a formal title or a big budget to make a difference.
"Mentorship isn't a program," Meeuwsen explains. "It's a posture. It's deciding that when someone's learning, you show up."
The Heart Behind the Business
Outside of work, Meeuwsen remains deeply engaged in his Palm Beach community. He and his wife, Melissa, support environmental and youth development causes in South Florida. A self-described outdoorsman, Eric starts his days fishing at sunrise and biking the Lake Trail.
"This industry gave me a life," he says. "The least I can do is help build it for others."
Meeuwsen's message is simple: Support the people who power the guest experience. Whether you manage a hotel or work in another industry, consider:
Mentoring a junior colleague
Offering to guest speak at a local hospitality school
Spending a shift alongside your frontline team
Simply asking someone new, "How can I help you grow?"
"Hospitality isn't something you do," Meeuwsen says. "It's who you are. If you lead with care, everything else follows."
To read the full interview, click here.
Contact: info@ericmeeuwsen.com
SOURCE: Eric David Meeuwsen
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