‘Best Places to Work is a backbone of the Dakota strategy’: How the hotel group keeps winning awards for its employee culture

Dakota is certainly on an impressive run. The boutique hotel group took home People Team of the Year at the 2022 Hotel Cateys, has celebrated five Acorn Award winners in the past five years and in May it was announced as a top six employer out of the 30 finalists in The Caterer’s Best Place to Work in Hospitality.

Dakota was founded 20 years ago by Glaswegian hotelier Ken McCulloch. The company spent its early years establishing a stronghold in Scotland, with hotels in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and a third hotel, its second in Glasgow, followed nearly a decade later in 2016. A pipeline of new sites was in motion in 2019, but the pandemic temporarily put expansion plans on hold.

Dakota is now growing again, adding three properties in just three years: the Dakota Newcastle, which opened in March 2025 will be followed by Manchester Airport next summer, and plans for Dakota York were formally approved by City of York Council in September. Once open, these additions will bring the brand’s portfolio to eight.

But how does it keep people front and centre while expanding so quickly? Samantha Hamilton-Green, people and brand director, says its success lies in its “boutique group feel”, which ensures employees have “many roots to grow”.

Employees have clear access to development opportunities through a strong focus on internal promotion, the in-house Dakota Academy training programme, strong support “at board level with our resourcing from a people perspective”, and a growing pipeline of new openings.

Alongside its rapid growth, Dakota is determined to keep its finger firmly on the employee pulse. Industry accolades, such as The Caterer’s Cateys, Hotel Cateys, Acorn Awards and, most recently the Best Places to Work in Hospitality award, form “a backbone of the Dakota strategy”, she says. They provide opportunities to celebrate success with the team, listen to employee feedback and strengthen the hotel’s employer brand. “It’s been a key part of our journey throughout expansion,” she adds.

Here are Dakota’s strategies for businesses that are expanding at pace but are eager to maintain a strong, people-centred culture.