Young Australians with disabilities aspiring to work in the hospitality sector will soon have unprecedented opportunities, thanks to a groundbreaking collaboration between leading hotel, education, and social enterprise organisations.
At the heart of this initiative is Hotel Etico, Australia’s first social enterprise hotel, founded in 2020 to train people with disabilities for meaningful careers in hospitality. Based in the historic Mount Victoria Manor in the Blue Mountains, the hotel has provided real-world training to dozens of young adults before helping them secure jobs across New South Wales.
Now, Hotel Etico’s impact is set to grow dramatically. The project will relocate to the prestigious Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS) site in Leura, following its acquisition by entrepreneur and hotel owner Dr Jerry Schwartz. The move will see Hotel Etico’s Academy of Independence and Head Office join BMIHMS and the neighbouring Leura Gardens Resort, creating a unique integrated hospitality training and employment hub.
Dr Schwartz’s vision is to develop an “integrated resort village” where hospitality education, inclusive employment, and live hotel operations seamlessly intersect. The relocation, planned for mid-October 2025, will provide trainees with access to world-class facilities and hands-on learning in an operational hotel environment, while directly addressing the industry’s talent shortages.
“This partnership shows that disability is not a limitation but a strength,” said Dr Schwartz. “We’re creating pathways that deliver passionate, skilled, and motivated graduates into a sector that needs them.”
Trilogy Hotels, which manages Leura Gardens Hotel and the Fairmont Resort, will offer direct recruitment pipelines for graduates from both Hotel Etico and BMIHMS. The model integrates vocational training, higher education, and employment on one campus — the first of its kind in Australia.
Hotel Etico CEO Andrea Comastri described the move as “a bold step for inclusion in the Australian hospitality industry”, while Trilogy Hotels CEO Scott Boyes called it “a beacon of social enterprise, education excellence, and real-world learning.”
Plans are also underway for a second Hotel Etico campus in Canberra, in partnership with the Schwartz Family Company and Trilogy Hotels, using the Mercure Hotel Canberra as a training venue.
By combining education, enterprise, and inclusion, this partnership is set to redefine hospitality training in Australia — and provide young people with disabilities the career opportunities they deserve.
