Gender diversity training with the Hotel Grand Pacific

The Hotel Grand Pacific really does have a little bit of everything. They not only offer beautiful accommodation in the inner harbour, but also a full spa, a gym and pool at the Athletic Club, fantastic food offerings, as well as providing space for conferences, weddings, and many other community & business functions.

So it’s not surprising that when we started talking about gender diversity, the leadership team was keen to learn, and curious about how this would impact their roles specifically.

My favourite part was discussing how gender-neutral language would translate into a formal customer service setting. One idea that arose was to have additional options for honorifics on guest reservations. In addition to Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Miss (and Dr., Hon., Col., etc.), gender-neutral options such as Mx. (most commonly pronounced “mix”), or offering the option to be addressed by one’s first name could also be included.

While the dialogue in trainings often begins by exploring how changes like these can improve accessibility for transgender, non-binary, and two-spirit people, it doesn’t take long to realize that these changes may improve experiences for people who are cisgender as well. For example, I’ve talked with many cis women who would prefer not to be identified by their marital status, and know people across the gender spectrum who don’t connect to their surname for a wide variety of reasons. Having these neutral options would leave room for anyone of any a/gender to be addressed in a way that feels validating and respectful.

It all comes down to treating people with and dignity – the Hotel Grand Pacific has shown their commitment to learning and to continually evolving their services to ensure that all guests feel welcome and valued.