BECK Hall in Malham has become the first hotel in Yorkshire to become a 'real living wage' employer.

It has become one of just 20 in the country to commit to paying its staff at least £8.75 per hour and the first in Yorkshire and the Humber to be accredited as a Living Wage employer.

It will mean all those who work for the hotel will receive more than the statutory minimum wage of £7.50 for over 25s, and is calculated and updated every year by the Living Wage Foundation, to reflect the real costs of living.

Andrew and Louise Macbeth, who bought Beck Hall in July 2014 – leaving behind careers in IT and hospitality journalism – before embarking on its renovation and rebranding, said they wanted to lead the way for others in the industry.

“Employees can make or break your hotel. The amazing service our staff provide comes from the heart. It comes from feeling happy and secure. We can’t expect our employees to go above and beyond to create fantastic guest experiences, only to be struggling to make ends meet at the end of the working week,” said Louise.

The UK hospitality industry has long been faced with costly recruitment and retention challenges, and skills shortages, something the Beck Hall owners believe can be helped by encouraging such ethical values within organisations.

“Valuing our employees by recognising them financially, embracing diversity and individuality, and offering career progression speaks for itself in our low rate of staff turnover, high productivity, excellent guest reviews and loyal customer base – we hope more hotels will follow suit,” she added.

The dog-friendly Yorkshire Dales hotel has received independent review site TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence every year since being taken over by the Macbeths. It is now ranked in the top five hotels in the Yorkshire Dales, and won the award for Best Accommodation in the Skipton Business Awards 2017. In the spring, the Macbeths plan to open a £500,000 restaurant extension opening onto the stream side, and two deluxe stream side rooms.

Living Wage Foundation director Katherine Chapman said: “We welcome Beck Hall Hotel to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer. Beck Hall is Yorkshire’s first accredited hotel, and we hope others now follow their lead. "

The foundation currently has more than 3,700 employers, including IKEA, Aviva and Chelsea Football Club.