Accent Inns Inc. recognized as one of ‘Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures’

The hospitality group, which includes Accent Inns, Hotel Zed and ROAR restaurant, has found success driven by their crusade for happier workplaces within the hospitality and the company’s “Leading with Love” philosophy, according to a release from Accent Inns.

This is the second time the B.C. local chain has been honoured by award organizers, Waterstone Human Capital, for best-in-class cultures that have helped Canadian organizations enhance performance and sustain a competitive advantage. The first time Accent Inns was named to the list was in 2021.

“Our priority has always been to create a workplace where the most important metric is the happiness of stayour staff,” says CEO Mandy Farmer. “We’ve seen over the past few years how our Leading with Love philosophy has been essential for staff retention, community engagement and overall business.”

Farmer’s “Leading with Love” approach not only aims to support a positive working culture, but to  provided unique benefits including family scholarships and a funding program designed to help employees going through hard times, including paying for family emergencies and reuniting overseas families.

In Canada, staff shortage continues to be a significant issue in the industry. Forty-three per cent of members of the Hotel Association of Canada reported experiencing a workforce shortage in 2024 according to reports.

As CEO of Accent Inns Inc., Farmer oversees a group of eight hotels spanning two brands and a restaurant. By nurturing a connected work environment, she wishes to set her business apart in recruitment and retention, ensuring operational success and continued growth.

Farmer also reportedly has her own happiness index which she surveys regularly amongst staff, with the most recent finding 90 per cent of respondents saying they were happy at work.

Accent Inns Inc. “is dedicated to its core values ensuring people can be real, have fun, be empowered to make everything better and have each other’s backs. The effectiveness of this approach can be seen in the company’s 83 per cent retention rate, which is almost double the industry average of 42 per cent,” says a spokesperson for the hotel group.