Situated in the heart of the Colmore Business District, this boutique hotel is renowned for its historic charm, exceptional dining, and personalised service. The team had a delightful stay and were pleased to interview their General Manager Arron Wincott, we learnt more about his career, the hospitality industry in Birmingham, Hotel Du Vin's sustainability visions and keeping on top of guest exspectations. 

Tell us about yourself and your experience in the hospitality industry.  

I’ve been in the hospitality industry since I was 16. I started out in a local pub in the village where I live, just on the outskirts of the city. From there, I went on to study hospitality at UCB, where I did a degree in Hospitality Management. 

During that time, I worked at a sports venue, Aston Villa Football Club, for about two and a half years, both while I was at university and after I’d finished. Then I made the decision to move into the hotel side of the hospitality industry. 

I spent four years at The Belfry Hotel, followed by two years helping to open Village Hotel Solihull. After that, I worked at a privately run hotel for another four years and then joined the Hotel du Vin and Malmaison portfolio. Apart from a two-year break, I’ve been here ever since, and I suppose the rest, as they say, is history. 

What led you into hospitality, and what’s been the most surprising part of the journey? 

What led me into hospitality was really my upbringing. My family ran their own business at one point and were responsible for all the catering at several sports venues across the city including Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion, and Moseley Rugby Club. So, from a very young age, I was taken along to all sorts of events, and I’ve just grown up with it. 

As for the most surprising part of the journey, I think in hospitality, no two days are ever the same. It’s difficult to pinpoint just one thing that’s been surprising because you're constantly facing different tasks, challenges, and hurdles to overcome. That’s been the case throughout my whole career, all in pursuit of delivering great service and guest satisfaction.  

What does a great customer experience look like at Hotel du Vin, and what makes it unique to other boutique hotels?   

One of Hotel du Vin’s core mottos is all about personal service. For example, our staff don’t wear name badges and one of the main reasons for that is to encourage genuine interaction.  

It’s all about the team taking ownership of the guest experience. At dinner, that could mean offering thoughtful recommendations, whether that’s suggesting the perfect side dish, pairing a wine with your starter, main, or dessert, or even helping you choose a cocktail in the bar. What makes the difference is the staff’s real experience and knowledge, which shines through in every part of the service. 

The friendly, attentive approach is a key part of what sets us apart. Another element is the time and effort that goes into our menu choices. For example, our new seasonal menu has been carefully designed in-house by our Head Chef, Greg Pryce, who has been with Hotel du Vin for over 21 years. A lot of thought goes into ensuring it reflects the Hotel du Vin identity, French-inspired dishes with a British twist, whilst also reflecting some incredible local artisan suppliers we have the privilege of working with. And of course, we back it all up with an incredible wine list  

How do you stay updated on evolving guest expectations and trends in the hospitality industry?  

First and foremost, guest feedback is key. It’s essential to understand what guests like, what they expect, and what they might have experienced elsewhere, whether that’s at other hotels or while travelling abroad. That kind of insight helps shape how we approach service and offerings. 

Secondly, I’d say personal experience plays a big role. What I see and experience myself when visiting other restaurants or hotels, even just when I’m away with my family, definitely influences my thinking. You pick up on little details, ideas, and service touches that can be brought back and adapted here. 

And third, there’s the input we receive from our central support teams. That includes everyone from the Food & Beverage Director and the Sales and Marketing teams, right through to Procurement and IT. They help keep us updated on broader industry trends, upcoming innovations, and new technologies, whether that’s changes in guest expectations, sustainability initiatives, or the latest systems and equipment being rolled out. 

With ESG becoming a major focus, can you share any current or upcoming sustainability initiatives at Hotel du Vin Birmingham? 

Absolutely. We have a dedicated sustainability team within the company, as you might expect. So now, everything we look at, from the products we use in the bedrooms to our overall energy consumption, is considered through a sustainability lens. 

Take something as simple as the slippers or the sugars and teas provided in the rooms. Every item is being reviewed to ensure we’re making the most sustainable choices possible. We’re also closely monitoring our utility usage. For example, we’ve fitted sensor-operated devices on fridges in the bars, when a bar isn’t in use the fridges automatically switch off, then come back on when they detect movement. It’s a smart way to reduce energy consumption. 

There are also ongoing projects looking at eliminating cling film in our kitchens, which would be a huge step, given how much is typically used in a professional kitchen. We’re even reviewing systems in our boiler room to improve efficiency and reduce energy use. 

Sustainability really underpins everything we do across the brand, not just here at Hotel du Vin Birmingham, but companywide. 

How do you tailor the Hotel du Vin brand to reflect the spirit of Birmingham while staying consistent with the group’s overall identity? 

You’ll definitely see some artwork around the hotel that reflects Birmingham’s spirit, particularly with references to Peaky Blinders. There’s some artwork down the corridor just past reception, and even in the pub area. It’s a nice touch that ties into the local culture. 

Additionally, we make a conscious effort to bring a local feel into the food and drink offering. For example, some of the ingredients used in our prix fixe menu are locally sourced, and we use Purity, a local brewery, in our pub. It’s about trying to bring in as much local flavour as we can. 

Of course, as part of a brand with a wide portfolio across the UK, we still need to maintain the consistency of the Hotel du Vin identity. But wherever possible, we try to make our Birmingham location feel unique and connected to its surroundings. 

Are there any exciting refurbishments, events, or new initiatives planned at the Birmingham property in the near future that guests should look forward to? 

We’ve got some exciting refurbishment plans coming up, which will tie into our sustainability efforts. These include upgrades to our air conditioning systems, the installation of a new roof, and some work in the boiler room. All of these improvements are aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and supporting our sustainability goals. 

In terms of events, one of the major highlights on the horizon, although it’s still a couple of years away, is the Invictus Games. Following the Commonwealth Games, the Invictus Games will be a big event for the city. We were heavily involved with the Commonwealth Games, providing exclusive use to the team between us and the hotel next door, and we hope to continue that partnership for upcoming events. 

The hotel has also built strong relationships with local sports teams in the city. For example, we work closely with Birmingham City FC and Edgbaston Cricket Ground to ensure we’re the hotel of choice for major events coming to the city. Aston Villa has been fantastic for business, with their journey through Europe with hosting visiting teams sponsors and VIP’s. 

The theme for Independent Hotel Show this October is ‘Redefining Luxury’ how do you think Hotel du Vin redefines luxury with its offering for guests?   

We’re constantly evolving, and I think a great example of this is in our menu and wine list development. We focus on quality over quantity, using high-class products and ingredients. The same philosophy applies to our wine selection. A lot of time and effort goes into curating the wines we offer, almost like handpicking the champagne producers we work with. For instance, we have our own label wines, such as our Malbec. We also collaborate with the Lombard Champagne producer for our Hotel du Vin-labelled champagne, including our Sauvage Rosé, and we’ve carefully chosen our House White as well. 

The wine list is structured thoughtfully, balancing old world and new world wines to offer a varied but carefully considered selection. Every bottle we feature is there for a reason, reflecting the care and attention we put into all our offerings. 

When it comes to our bedrooms, we’ve also thought carefully about the luxury experience. For our Deluxe Doubles and above, every room features a roll-top bath in the bathroom, along with a monsoon walk-in shower in some. It’s all about creating a high-quality, thoughtful experience for our guests, one that redefines luxury by focusing on the details. 

If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice when you started working in hospitality what would it be? 

I’d probably tell my younger self to always be focused on evolving. Times change so quickly, and customer needs shift just as fast. The world we live in requires constant adaptation and re-evaluation, whether that’s in terms of the product or service we offer at the hotel or keeping an eye on what competitors are doing. So, my advice would be to continually look for ways to evolve, improve, and keep pushing forward.  

We are looking forward to bringing the community together again at Independent Hotel Show 2025 on 6-7 October, add the dates to your diary and join us there.