Grace in Service: Žana DeVine’s Mission to Humanize Hospitality

In a world where hospitality is often measured in stars and service scores, Žana DeVine brings something far more profound to the table, heart. With roots that stretch across Germany, Hungary, and Serbia, and a legacy born from a family steeped in culinary and housekeeping excellence, Žana’s journey into hospitality was less of a career choice and more of a calling.
Fluent in four languages and seasoned by a life lived across cultures, she doesn’t just train teams, she transforms them. Through her elegant yet deeply human approach, Žana is redefining what it means to lead in the service industry. Her philosophy blends attentiveness with emotional intelligence, strategy with soul, and etiquette with authenticity.
From partnering with hotel owners to mentoring frontline staff, from podcasting about personal growth to building bridges between cultures, Žana DeVine is on a mission: to return humanity to hospitality, one guest, one team, one story at a time.

Žana, you’ve been immersed in hospitality since the age of 14, and it runs through your family legacy. How has your early exposure to this world shaped your unique approach to service today?

Since I was a little girl, I was either at the hotel with my mom or in the restaurant with my dad, watching, listening, absorbing everything around me. I grew up in the heart of hospitality, observing how people interacted not only in the guest spaces but also behind the scenes, where the true magic quietly unfolds. Very early on, I understood that hospitality isn’t just about service, it’s about making people feel valued, seen, and cared for.

My greatest mentors were, without a doubt, my parents. I feel incredibly blessed to have had the privilege of seeing both worlds, front of the house and back of the house, through their eyes. My mom’s grace in leading her housekeeping team and my dad’s passion in the kitchen taught me more than any classroom ever could. From them, I learned the power of presence, the beauty of hard work, and the joy of creating unforgettable moments for others.

What fascinated me most was the energy, the laughter of guests, the clinking of glasses, the irresistible aroma of good food, and the warmth that filled the room when people came together to break bread. That atmosphere, that sense of connection and celebration, captivated me from the very first time I stepped into a hotel or a restaurant. And it’s stayed with me ever since.

You place a strong emphasis on emotional intelligence, attentiveness, and connection when training teams. What do you believe most hospitality leaders get wrong about team development?

It’s not that I believe people in leadership get it wrong; many hospitality owners, investors, and managers simply haven’t had the same privilege I had of growing up in this industry. I was immersed in it from the very beginning, and that gave me a deep, lived understanding of its heartbeat.

What I truly believe is often missing isn’t strategy or vision, it’s the human element. At the end of the day, we are all people first. We all deserve respect, encouragement, and the opportunity to feel valued. Hospitality is about connection, and that applies just as much to those behind the scenes as it does to our guests.

What we often overlook is that this industry is a shared effort. Owners couldn’t run their hotels, casinos, or resorts without dedicated staff, and staff wouldn’t have a place to serve without visionary owners. One cannot thrive without the other. It’s a partnership, a dance, a shared responsibility. But too often, the focus slips from collaboration to hierarchy, from encouragement to expectation.

That’s where I come in. My mission is to help bridge that gap, to remind leaders that when respect flows both ways, magic happens. When staff feel seen, heard, and supported, they bring that same energy to the guest experience. And that, ultimately, is the soul of hospitality.

In an age of digital check-ins and AI-driven experiences, what’s the human touch in hospitality that you believe should never be lost?

Human connection is the heart of everything. While AI is a powerful tool and can support many aspects of any industry, there’s one thing it will never replace, and that’s the warmth of a genuine human interaction.

The feeling of someone truly seeing you, serving you with care, paying close attention to your needs, and making you smile, that kind of presence can’t be programmed. It’s not just service; it’s a gift. Because love, in its purest form, can’t be generated by technology. Love is meant to be lived, shown, given, and received. It flows through eye contact, through kindness, through attentiveness, and that is what makes hospitality so timeless and so magical.

It’s in those little moments of connection where the true essence of hospitality comes alive, and that will never go out of style.

Your podcast R&R – Resilience and Rebirth is such a heartfelt project. What inspired you to turn your healing journey into a space for global storytelling and empowerment?

I felt called to do this. Deep down, I knew my life stories needed to be shared. But I won’t lie, at first, I wrestled with God. I questioned myself constantly… Who would want to listen to my podcast? What could I possibly say that would matter to anyone out there? The insecurity was real, and it almost stopped me.

But the Universe reminded me. There came a moment when I realized, it’s not just about what I’ve been through, but about what’s been placed within me.
As I stepped into my own healing and love, my doubts and insecurities began to fade.
What remained was the truth: our stories matter.
Sometimes, one honest story is all it takes to help someone feel seen, to hold on, or to believe in healing again.
That’s why I created R&R: Resilience and Rebirth, a bilingual podcast in English and German. It’s not just my platform, it’s ours.
A space for the collective to share raw, real stories of struggle, growth, healing, and triumph.
I’m opening my mic to guests who are ready to speak from the heart, whether in English or German, so we can remind others that even in the darkest moments, there’s light to be found, and strength to be shared.

Having worked across so many cultures, what are some universal truths about hospitality that transcend borders—and what are the subtle nuances that leaders should always pay attention to?

Hospitality teaches us some of life’s most powerful lessons: attentiveness, kindness, warmth. It’s the art of inviting someone into your space, whether it’s a restaurant, a hotel, a resort, a casino, or even a food truck, and creating an experience that touches the heart.

It’s about more than just serving a meal or offering a bed. It’s about the joy of food as an art form, the craft of a perfectly made cocktail, the thoughtful care behind preparing a room, knowing someone will rest their head there, and hopefully wake up feeling better, lighter, more at peace.

Hospitality is an industry of care and entertainment. It’s where small details create lasting memories. It reminds us that every role matters, no matter the position, no matter the title, no matter the country or culture we come from.

At the core of it all is love. And to me, love is the strongest force in the universe. It’s what makes a guest feel like family, what makes a moment unforgettable, and what turns service into something sacred.

You help others show up with presence and poise—what are some of your own daily rituals or mindset practices that keep you grounded, inspired, and connected to your purpose?

Simply said, God. He’s at the centre of everything for me. I pray and meditate every single day. I don’t leave my house without first taking a moment to ground myself in stillness and connection. Whether it’s placing my bare feet in the grass, the sand, or even on a bed of rocks, I make time to root myself in the present and in the divine.

I’ve learned to honor my inner needs, to care for my temple, my body, my thoughts, and my spirit. I listen closely to what I need, and I choose joy intentionally. I paint for fun, just me, some colors, and a blank canvas. I feel pure happiness watching my son play basketball. And I cherish the little things: a beautiful tree, a warm cup of coffee, the quiet power of a deep breath.

Gratitude is my daily practice. I carry it in my heart by remembering just how blessed I am, the incredible mentors who have poured into me, the amazing friends I get to walk through life with, and the profound privilege of living a life that aligns with my calling.

For me, that’s what wholeness looks like: being grounded in faith, in joy, in gratitude, and in the simple beauty of everyday moments.

If you could leave one lasting message for hospitality leaders and aspiring coaches worldwide, what would you want them to understand about the deeper meaning of service?

Service is so much more than just taking an order, making a reservation, or juggling tasks. True service is a privilege; it’s the opportunity to shift someone’s mood, to brighten their day, and to make them feel seen, valued, and cared for.

In hospitality, we are all artists in our own right. Whether we’re preparing a meal, setting a table, greeting a guest, or leading a team, we are creators of experience, of connection, of joy. Hospitality is a beautiful space to grow, to learn, to evolve, and to meet the most fascinating people from every corner of the world.

It’s an industry that transcends borders, cultures, and languages. No matter where you are, on what continent or in what country, hospitality has the power to bring people together. It reminds us that at the heart of it all, we are one human family. And that’s what makes this work so powerful, so fulfilling, and so deeply meaningful.