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Hotels & Resorts, says:“ If you add a worldwide audience to our Rainbow Nation, you end up with a whole lot of cultural diversity and diverse needs. Expectations are continuously evolving, and they are broader than ever.”
At Kruger Gate Hotel, CEO Anton Gillis emphasises the shift towards personalisation and immediacy.“ Today’ s guest is discerning and their expectations have shifted towards expecting both personalisation and immediacy. The guest is not a room number but an individual whose specific needs are recognised and catered for.” Meeting these evolving demands requires a high level of interpersonal skill, which is where soft skills come in.
Soft skills such as observational ability, active listening and problem-solving enable teams to meet guest expectations effectively.“ Hospitality professionals think on their feet and are able to improvise a solution at a moment’ s notice,” Gillis states.“ The ability to communicate calmly and with empathy is crucial, as is the capacity to connect authentically with a guest.” He also highlights the privileged role of hospitality staff in creating special moments:“ We’ re facilitating somebody’ s dream holiday or a bucket-list experience. It’ s a privilege to do that and is most reflected in our soft skills, not our technical abilities.”
The soft skills that make a difference
For both Campbell and Gillis, a real connection with guests starts with empathy.“ The ability to truly understand things from the guest’ s perspective is how we ensure the service feels authentic and human,” explains Gillis. As Campbell highlights:“ The soft skills the teams need are a mix of things. Confidence and mastery of what they do are essential, but when it comes to soft skills, it’ s about a genuine interest and curiosity in our guests.”
Alongside empathy, adaptability and flexibility are vital traits that allow hospitality professionals to thrive in constantly changing, fast-paced environments. As Gillis states,“ The team needs to be able to pivot instantly to a guest’ s mood, a sudden operational change( like weather) or an unusual request.” This adaptability helps staff handle unexpected challenges while still providing exceptional service.
Developing soft skills
Both Campbell and Gillis agree that developing soft skills requires practical, immersive training.“ Training works best when it is practical and handson, and one of the most effective approaches is role-playing,” says Campbell. This type of training enables staff to try out different responses in realtime scenarios, helping them to build both competence and confidence while also learning how to adapt.
At Kruger Gate Hotel, Gillis emphasises the importance of learning through example.
“ Managers themselves need to be proficient in and value soft skills, and thereby encourage a culture that values soft skills,” he says.“ Watching how others handle questions, respond to needs and manage different situations helps staff understand what good service looks like in practice.”
Challenges of soft-skill training
Despite the undeniable importance of soft skills, there are difficulties in assigning them equal priority alongside technical and operational training.“ Technical proficiency is easy to measure, while soft skills are harder to quantify, making it difficult to justify budget allocation against easily measurable operational ROI,” notes Gillis.“ Soft-skill training also isn’ t linear and needs to take into account the nuances of the role and even the personality of the individual.”
The training approach must be adaptable and responsive to these differences, enabling staff to nurture their innate talent for connecting with guests.
The role of soft skills in the age of technology
As technology becomes increasingly integrated into guest services, from mobile check-ins to AI-powered assistance, it is natural to question how soft skills will fit into the future of hospitality. Both Campbell and Gillis recognise a complementary relationship between technology and human interaction.
“ Hospitality is something unique to humans,” asserts Campbell.“ That human-to-human interaction is what we crave. We want somebody to understand what we need, when we need it and how to get it for us.” Technology may handle more transactional tasks, but empathy is still something that is very much human and at the heart of exceptional hospitality.
Gillis emphasises that human soft skills and technology are not mutually exclusive.“ Technology is not replacing the need for soft skills but rather enhancing them. For example, technology manages the mundane, transactional tasks, which allows staff to concentrate entirely on the human aspect of interactions: the emotional connection, genuine care and creative problemsolving.”
While technology continues to enhance operational efficiency, it is the ability to connect, empathise, and adapt to guest needs that creates lasting, memorable experiences.
As Gillis states:“ Ultimately, it’ s the human connection that makes all the difference.” TT
2026 / TRADE & TASTE 109