Michael Butler
Owner & Corporate Advisor, Sustainability Fellow (FISEP)
I spent more than 25 years in hotel and hospitality operations, including as a hotel General Manager, before founding Captivate. As Corporate Director of Food & Beverage for Hyatt across Europe and India, I managed multi-million pound revenue streams, restructured underperforming venues and built teams that delivered consistently above-benchmark results.
My approach is straightforward. I help hotels grow profitability by making sustainability part of the business model, not a cost centre. Every recommendation comes from having personally run the same operations, managed the same P&Ls and faced the same challenges that hotel leaders deal with daily.
As a trained ISO 14001 Lead Auditor and Fellow of the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals, I bring deep operational knowledge across rooms, restaurants and bars, combined with a systems-based understanding of environmental performance.
Career Path
25+ Years in Hospitality
Early Career
Hotel F&B Operations
Started on the operations floor. Worked through every F&B role from restaurant supervisor to F&B Director across UK, European and Middle Eastern properties.
Hotel Leadership
General Manager, Manchester
Three years as General Manager of a 200-bedroom hotel in Manchester, running the whole property and its P&L.
Corporate Leadership
Corporate Director of F&B, Hyatt
Led food and beverage strategy across multiple Hyatt properties in Europe and India. Managed P&Ls, restructured underperforming venues and established operational standards.
VP / COO Level
Senior Executive Leadership
VP and COO level leadership focusing on uniting profitability, ESG strategy and responsible hotel growth. Led turnaround projects across resort and city properties.
Present
Founder, Captivate
Founded Captivate to help hotel owners and operators recover lost revenue and margin through operational improvement, procurement optimisation and sustainability integration.
Core Services
How Michael Works With Hotels
F&B Profit Recovery
Full diagnostic and operational fix for underperforming hotel F&B departments. Menu engineering, cost control, procurement optimisation.
Procurement Optimisation
Supplier contract review, specification standardisation, centralised purchasing frameworks. Potential savings depend on the operation, purchasing structure and current cost base.
Sustainability & ESG Integration
Embedding environmental practices that reduce cost: waste programmes, local sourcing, ESG reporting, practical sustainability advice.
Hotel Leadership Development
Training and coaching for General Managers, executive committees, F&B directors and executive chefs. Building commercial capability across hotel teams.
Speaking
Industry Panels
Michael spoke on two panels at The Hotel Show Dubai 2025, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 27 to 29 May 2025.
From Rapid Growth to Responsible Growth: Embedding Sustainability in UAE's Hospitality Sector
Executive think tank panel, The Hospitality Leadership and F&B Forum
Sustainable & Ethical Procurement: Is GCC Ready for the Green Shift?
Fireside chat, The Hospitality Procurement Forum
He has also spoken on panels in Europe and India.
Ready to Recover Lost Hotel Profit?
A 30-minute diagnostic call. No commitment. Direct with Michael.
Discuss Your Hotel or Project