Hospitality Daily Podcast
Stay informed and inspired to delight people and grow your business with daily conversations with interesting people doing interesting things. Hosted by Josiah Mackenzie.
Episodes
AI-First Hotel Technology and the Art of Possibility - Kevin King, Shiji International
What does becoming an AI-first company make possible for hotels and their guests? Kevin King, CEO of Shiji International, shares how Shiji is building on years of investment in connected technology to develop AI with hotel companies, simplify complex workflows, and give teams more time with guests.We discuss why Shiji took time to establish the right foundations for AI, how it's changing the
Cornell Professor and Hotel Owner: What Changed for Me - Chris Anderson
In this episode, Chris Anderson, the Professor and Area Chair of Services Management at the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration, shares what he has learned as owner of a historic inn in Ithaca. You'll hear why owning a property where most guests return year after year gave him a different perspective on pricing than others, why the inn closes during its slower periods so his team can
What I've Learned About How Hotel Leaders Learn - Chris Anderson, Cornell
In this episode, Chris Anderson, the Professor and Area Chair of Services Management at the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration, shares what he's learned about how hotel leaders learn, from teaching both 20-year-old undergraduates and 65-year-old seasoned leaders. You'll hear how Chris keeps learning himself, why real learning is supposed to feel inefficient, and why AI is bring
Stewarding Little River Inn as a Fifth-Generation Innkeeper - Cally Coombs
In this episode, Cally Coombs, the fifth-generation innkeeper at Little River Inn, shares how her family's inn on California's Mendocino Coast keeps changing while remaining loved by locals and visitors alike. You'll hear why the bar stays exactly as it is while everything else is up for grabs, how a loyalty program for the rainy months brings guests back when the coast is quiet, an
Why Hotel Guest Satisfaction Is Rising - Andrea Stokes, J.D. Power
Hotel guest satisfaction increased across every segment in J.D. Power's 2026 North America study. Andrea Stokes, Practice Lead, Hospitality Intelligence, explains what guests are noticing in rooms and shared spaces, why responsive human service still matters alongside mobile check-in, and what operators can learn from food and beverage. We also discuss how J.D. Power benchmarks large third-pa
Research: The State of AI in the Hotel Industry - Josiah Mackenzie
Today in Washington, DC, I shared findings from the State of Hotel AI research I ran with Nazpari Aydin for Destination AI. We surveyed hotel company leaders about how they feel about AI, where it's paying off today, and what's holding them back. The researchState of Hotel AI: Fall 2026 findingsTake the survey to get the full benchmarking data setRelated episodesDestination AI: How I Bui
AI is the Tool. Mindset is the Operating System. Hospitality is the Outcome. (Danica Smith)
AI is the tool, mindset is the operating system, and hospitality is the outcome. In this episode, Danica Smith, Guest Experience Correspondent at Hospitality Daily and founder of MorningStar GX, shares what this framework means for hospitality leaders: giving people the time and support to use AI, keeping experimentation focused on useful outcomes, and considering operational efficiency alongside
Danica Smith and Josiah Mackenzie: Is AI Actually Improving Our Lives?
In this episode, Danica Smith, Guest Experience Correspondent at Hospitality Daily and founder of MorningStar GX, joins Josiah Mackenzie to share her read on AI in travel and hospitality, fresh from the main stage at AI Summit Barcelona, where not one person in the room said they would let an AI agent book their trip without approval. Danica and Josiah compare that hesitation with Josiah’s recent
AI That Works: How Hotel Leaders Move From Experimentation to Results - Steven Moore & Joseph Benjamin, Actabl [Sponsor Bonus]
In this episode, Steven Moore, CEO of Actabl, and Joseph Benjamin, Actabl's Chief Technology Officer, share a practical approach to using AI in hotel operations as leaders prepare for budget season. They explain why reliable operational AI depends on trusted data, how it can give hotel teams more time with guests, and how leaders can move from scattered experiments to a coherent architecture
How Loews Hotels Puts AI to Work for Guests and Teams - Dan Kornick, Loews Hotels
Dan Kornick, Chief Information Officer at Loews Hotels, explains how they decide where AI can improve hotel work and guest service. Dan also discusses working with technology partners, measuring results, and testing whether the value justifies the cost.Going to Destination AI? Hear Dan there: Destination AI Forum.Read my related HotelOperations.com article: Most Hotel AI is Stuck in “Pilot Purgato
How to Make Hotels More Profitable and More Human - Alex Cabañas
Alex Cabañas, founder and CEO of Astound Ventures and executive chairman of Pyramid Global Hospitality, shares how our industry can innovate to make hotels more profitable, working in hotels more rewarding, and stays in hotels more enjoyable.Learn more:Astound Ventures: launch announcement, net unit margin approach & portfolio companiesOperational examples: Base Power (home batteries) | Fox Fo
Why I'm Building an AI-Native Hotel Management Company - Sloan Dean, AI Hospitality Group
Sloan Dean introduces AI Hospitality Group and explains why he's building an AI-native hotel management company. He covers the pace, risks, and benefits of AI; the pressure on hotel owners; and how he's approaching recruiting, sales, and daily operations through hotel partnerships. Sloan also explains his profit-sharing management model and what he believes this approach could mean for h
Cornell's Chris Anderson: Why Hotels Can't Wait on AI
In this episode, Cornell professor Chris Anderson shares why hotels cannot afford to treat AI as a "wait-and-see" issue. Drawing on research he conducted about how different traveler segments use AI, he explains why hotel discovery is becoming more contextual and why reviews and trusted third-party information matter. We also discuss what hoteliers can test now, why integrated technology
Authentic Leadership and Why Kindness Wins - Charlotte Weatherall, Corinthia London
In this episode, hosted by our careers correspondent Emily Goldfischer, founder of hertelier, Charlotte Weatherall, General Manager of Corinthia London, shares what she has learned about building a career and leading as herself.Charlotte explains how her sales and marketing background prepared her to become a GM, why trusting her team shapes the guest experience, and how she balances ambition with
My Positive (and Negative) Experiences with AI in Hospitality - Jeff Wielgopolan, Meadowood Napa Valley
Jeff Wielgopolan, Service Director at Meadowood Napa Valley & The Napa Valley Reserve and former Senior Vice President of Learning & Development at Forbes Travel Guide, shares a recent experience with AI as a guest, and then what it's like providing service in a world where more and more people use AI as they travel.Previous episodes with Jeff:The Energy of ExcellenceThe Fundamentals
How to Train Your Teams for Excellence in Hospitality - Jeff Wielgopolan, Meadowood Napa Valley
Jeff Wielgopolan, Service Director at Meadowood Napa Valley & The Napa Valley Reserve and former Senior Vice President of Learning & Development at Forbes Travel Guide, shares a few thoughts on how to train your teams for excellence. Previous episodes with Jeff:The Energy of ExcellenceThe Fundamentals of Service in Luxury HospitalityThe Experience That Earned Us Michelin’s Three Key Distin
What Should Stay Consistent in Hospitality, and What Should Change? (Jeff Wielgopolan, Meadowood Napa Valley)
Jeff Wielgopolan of Meadowood Napa Valley explains what it means for a guest experience to be consistent within itself, with the setting, language, and service all fitting together. He shares how that coherence can look different across properties and individual guests, including a bellman in Johannesburg whose personal response met him exactly where he was after a long journey.More conversations
The Energy of Excellence - Jeff Wielgopolan, Meadowood Napa Valley
Jeff Wielgopolan, Service Director at Meadowood Napa Valley & The Napa Valley Reserve and former Senior Vice President of Learning & Development at Forbes Travel Guide, joins us to explore what excellence looks and feels like in hospitality. He explains why you often sense the quality of a hospitality experience within the first minutes, and how team energy, attentiveness, and simple acts
Summer Road Trip Reflections: What Stood Out Driving Coast to Coast - Josiah Mackenzie
This summer, Hospitality Daily founder Josiah Mackenzie did something he’d wanted to do for years: drive across the U.S. coast to coast. In this episode, he shares some of the experiences that stood out to him, what he appreciated as a guest, and how an evening gone wrong reminded him how important hospitality is.Mentioned in this episode: evo Hotel Salt Lake City Conversation with Kevin Masse of
The Hotel Investor The Wall Street Journal Spotlighted for Using AI to Listen to Guests - Drew Bridges, JMI Realty
In this episode, Drew Bridges, principal at JMI Realty, shares the process behind one of the hotel deals the Wall Street Journal recently covered, including how he uses AI to read thousands of guest reviews and understand what is actually broken in a hotel before buying it.You’ll hear how Drew uses guest feedback to identify investment opportunities, how the same analysis showed him that the eleva
How to Make Hotel Wellness Practical and Profitable - Emily Johnson, Erica Huss, and Jen Veralle
In this episode, Emily Johnson, founder of Elevate Hospitality Collective; Erica Huss, creator of All Too Well; and Jen Veralle, founder of Mindful Drinking Movement and Sauna and Sobriety, share a practical approach to hotel wellness that doesn't start with a big CapEx budget.They explore why the guest room may be the most powerful wellness facility on a property, how a thoughtful non-alcoho
How AI Is Changing My Work and Life as a Hotel Leader - Matt Schwartz, Sage Hospitality Group
What does AI adoption personally mean for a hospitality technology leader? In this episode, Sage Hospitality CTO Matt Schwartz explains how he is using AI to manage email, meetings, calendar demands, and other work so he can get back time for his company, family, and personal well-being.Matt also shares how he keeps building AI fluency by learning from peers inside and outside hospitality, followi
Planning for Profit: How to Budget for AI - Matt Schwartz, Sage Hospitality Group
In this episode, Sage Hospitality CTO Matt Schwartz explains how hospitality leaders can evaluate AI investment by connecting it to expense reductions, revenue, GOP, and NOI.Listen to our series with Matt:Part 1: The Weekend Class That Changed My CareerPart 2: How We’re Leading AI Adoption With a Human-First ApproachPart 3: Our 4-Layer AI Framework: Data, Reporting, Insights, ActionLearn more abou
How We Choose Technology Partners in the AI Era - Matt Schwartz, Sage Hospitality Group
Every technology partnership is a bet, especially when AI is changing what software can do and which providers may remain relevant. In this episode, Sage Hospitality CTO Matt Schwartz explains how he evaluates hotel technology partners -- and who he chooses to work with.Listen to the series:Part 1: The Weekend Class That Changed My CareerPart 2: How We’re Leading AI Adoption With a Human-First App
Our 4-Layer AI Framework: Data, Reporting, Insights, Action - Matt Schwartz, Sage Hospitality Group
Sage Hospitality CTO Matt Schwartz shares the four-layer framework guiding the company's AI strategy: data, reporting, insights, and action. He explains why hotel data must be brought together and normalized before AI can produce useful analysis or support operational decisions.The framework moves from a reliable data foundation toward a future in which AI agents can take action, with the ult
How We're Leading AI Adoption With a Human-First Approach - Matt Schwartz, Sage Hospitality Group
Giving people access to AI does not guarantee that they will use it or that your organization will benefit. Sage Hospitality CTO Matt Schwartz explains why he sees AI adoption as a change-management challenge and walks through how he and his team are helping both on-property and home-office leaders build AI fluency.Matt also shares how Sage measures progress toward its adoption goals, addresses fe
The Weekend Class That Changed My Career - Matt Schwartz, Sage Hospitality Group
Before Matt Schwartz became Chief Technology Officer at Sage Hospitality, a weekend HTML class changed the trajectory of his career. In the first episode of our six-part series with him, Matt shares how that unexpected experience led him from environmental economics into technology and ultimately hospitality technology leadership.Learn more about the Destination AI Forum in Washington, DC (where M
A Brand Builder Turned Baker on Building Community - Kevin Masse
Kevin Masse is the founder and owner of Small State Provisions (IG: @SmallState), a Connecticut bakery and café built around one simple idea: create a place where people want to gather. In this conversation, Kevin shares how a career in marketing, advertising, and food media shaped his approach to hospitality, why thoughtful design and local sourcing matter, and how he's navigating the transi
![FDEs: How Innovative Hotel Companies Are Building Better AI - Joseph McGroarty, Actabl [Sponsor Bonus]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/vjnbzn2cn50v1799rdswb153f1r2?.jpg)
FDEs: How Innovative Hotel Companies Are Building Better AI - Joseph McGroarty, Actabl [Sponsor Bonus]
In this sponsor bonus episode, Joseph McGroarty of Actabl shares what he learned working on site with a hotel company in the Forward Deployed Engineering model. He explains how observation and careful listening revealed the language, workflows, and operating knowledge needed to build AI around how hotel teams work and make decisions. You'll also hear how Actabl's Altitude product provide
Great Guest Experiences Start With Employee Wellbeing - Emily Johnson, Joli Barfield, and Kristi Ellingsworth
In this episode, Emily Johnson, the Founder and CEO of Elevate Hospitality Collective, brings together Joli Barfield, Corporate Director of Human Resources, and Kristi Ellingsworth, Director of Hospitality, both at Dartcor Enterprises, to explore why great guest experiences begin long before a guest arrives.Drawing on experience across hotels, restaurants, HR and operations, they explain why emplo
What I'm Learning From AI Companies as a Hotel Leader - Christina Poon, Detroit EDITION
In this episode, Christina Poon, the General Manager at the Detroit EDITION, shares what watching AI companies can teach hospitality leaders: continuous improvement as a way to win in a business that's "always done it this way," AI as a research tool, and rethinking how you communicate with the next generation joining your team. A few more resources:If you're new to Hospitality
Three Ways Hotels Strengthen Their Communities - Christina Poon, Detroit EDITION
In this episode, Christina Poon, the General Manager at the Detroit EDITION, shares the three layers of impact a hotel can make on its city: a gathering place, an economic engine, and a career catalyst that keeps talent home. You'll hear what she learned advocating for the neighborhood on the board of the Union Square Partnership, including the 14th Street mural painted by a couple hundred vo
The Guest Experience Begins Before the Hotel Opens - Christina Poon
In this episode, Christina Poon, the General Manager at the Detroit EDITION, shares how she's building a great hotel guest experience before the property opens. She talks about recruiting leaders in a place where she started with zero network, hiring for attitude plus operational readiness, and designing the guest experience while the building is still under construction. You'll hear why
How Vision Guides the Moves You Make - Christina Poon, Detroit EDITION
In this episode, Christina Poon, the General Manager at the Detroit EDITION, shares how vision guides the moves you make as a hotel leader and throughout your career.You'll hear how Christina builds a property vision with owners and the team, why she compares each hotel chapter to making a movie, and how her yearly personal review helped lead her from New York to a construction site in Detroi
The Unexpected Joy of a Career in Hospitality - Christina Poon
Christina Poon, General Manager of the soon-to-open Detroit EDITION, shares the story of how an unexpected career recommendation led her into hospitality and why she's never looked back. She reflects on the power of human connection, creating lasting guest experiences, and building a career aligned with your personal values. Christina also explains why she began documenting the realities of h
What an Imaginary Hotel Can Teach Us About Awe and Hospitality - Milou Neelen
In this episode, Milou Neelen, the Founder of Hôtel Magique, shares why so many beautifully designed hotels leave guests feeling nothing. You'll hear why she chases awe over polish, how imperfection makes a space feel more human, and why she believes an awe-inspired hotel moves guests from memorable to transformational. She also gets into the science of awe through the work of UC Berkeley&apo
Scaling Hospitality Without Losing What Makes You Special - Lily Wecker, Aethos
Scaling a hospitality brand is about more than adding new properties. The real challenge is preserving the culture, service, and sense of connection that made the brand successful in the first place.In this episode, Lily Wecker, CEO of Aethos, shares how the company approaches growth by investing in people first, choosing locations with intention, and expanding alongside the communities they serve
Hospitality Marketing Should Feel Human - Lily Wecker, Aethos
Creating a memorable hospitality experience is only part of the challenge. Communicating it in a way that feels just as human is what sets great brands apart.In this episode, Lily Wecker, CEO of Aethos, explains how the company's human-centered philosophy shapes its marketing and communication. She shares why Aethos prioritizes people over products, how its campaigns capture the spirit of the
The Dinner Game Aethos Uses to Build Connection - Lily Wecker, Aethos
In this episode, Lily Wecker, the CEO at Aethos, shares how the brand designs guest experiences around 360-degree wellbeing rather than entertainment alone. She walks through Aethos's mix of outward-facing programming, DJ nights, live sketching, listening sessions, and inward-focused rituals like a personal-question card game played after community dinners.You'll hear why Lily believes w
![Stop Guessing About AI. See What Hotel Leaders Are Actually Doing. (Nazpari Aydin, Destination AI) [Sponsor Bonus]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/8gu87jtbutlnk1fk51rrz7tfzmng?.jpg)
Stop Guessing About AI. See What Hotel Leaders Are Actually Doing. (Nazpari Aydin, Destination AI) [Sponsor Bonus]
In this special bonus episode, Josiah Mackenzie and Nazpari Aydin, Founder and Managing Director of Destination AI, introduce the State of Hotel AI survey, a study designed to reveal what's really happening with AI across the hotel industry, where it's delivering results, and where it still falls short. They discuss why an honest look at AI adoption matters, how the findings will help yo
Why We Break the Rules to Deliver a Feeling - Lily Wecker, Aethos
In this episode, Lily Wecker, CEO of Aethos, shares how her teams break hotel brand standards to deliver a feeling rather than a checklist. You'll hear why one property has no TVs in the rooms, why she tells front desk teams to observe guests instead of predicting what they want, and how a GM in Sardinia turned beach rocks into welcome-card holders.This conversation is hosted by our innovati
Human-to-Human: Rethinking Luxury Hospitality - Lily Wecker, Aethos
In this episode, Lily Wecker, CEO of Aethos, explains why she believes the future of luxury hospitality is shifting away from status and product, and toward genuine human connection. In conversation with our innovation correspondent Matthias Huettebraeuker, she shares how Aethos is redefining luxury through community, belonging, and a human-to-human approach to service. It's a fresh perspecti
Listening to Yourself: A Hotel CEO on the Setback That Reset Her Leadership - Lily Wecker, Aethos
This episode introduces our week-long series with Lily Wecker, CEO of Aethos, in conversation with our innovation correspondent Matthias Huettebraeuker. She reflects on her journey and a pivotal moment that changed how she thinks about success, leadership, and listening to yourself. A few more resources:If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questi
Where AI Actually Pays Off in Hospitality, and What Owners Should Demand - Ben Rafter, Hotel Equities
In this episode, Ben Rafter, CEO of Hotel Equities, shares where he believes AI is already delivering measurable results in hospitality and why operational applications are advancing faster than guest-facing experiences. He explains how Hotel Equities evaluates and tests new technology through HE Labs, the questions hotel owners should ask when selecting a management company, and where he sees AI
How AI Addresses the Biggest Cost in a Hotel: Labor (Ben Rafter, Hotel Equities)
In this episode, Ben Rafter, CEO of Hotel Equities, shares how his team is using AI, data, and real-time operational insights to improve labor management, often the largest controllable expense in a hotel. He explains how better scheduling and smarter decision-making create opportunities to improve efficiency while maintaining the guest experience. You'll also hear why data alone isn't e
Why Hotel Ownership Is Becoming Unsustainable, and What We're Doing About It - Ben Rafter, Hotel Equities
In this episode, Ben Rafter, CEO of Hotel Equities, shares why he believes today's hotel operating model is becoming increasingly unsustainable for owners. He explains the growing pressure from labor, insurance, and other operating costs, why healthy hotel ownership is essential for the entire industry, and how Hotel Equities is responding through its problem-first innovation initiative, HE L
How Hotel Companies Turn AI Into Competitive Advantage - Steven Moore & Joseph Benjamin, Actabl [Sponsor Bonus]
The use of AI is one of the biggest strategic questions in hospitality, and many hotel leaders face the same challenge: they believe in the potential, but need a clearer path from experimentation to measurable results.In this episode, Actabl CEO Steven Moore and CTO Joseph Benjamin explain Actabl's new forward-deployed engineering offering for the hotel industry. They discuss why data foundat
Hospitality's Perspective Problem - Martin Soler
Martin Soler shares one of the most common challenges in hospitality: seeing the industry only through your own perspective. Drawing on his experience as a hotel operator, technology leader, and advisor, Martin explains why great ideas often fail when we don't fully understand other viewpoints. He shares practical ways to adopt different viewpoints, make better decisions, and evaluate opportu
Personalization Is an Art - Martin Soler
Personalization is one of hospitality's most important goals, but is it really a technology problem? In this episode, hospitality advisor and former hotel general manager Martin Soler explains why guest preferences are far more contextual and dynamic than many systems assume. Drawing on examples from both hospitality and everyday consumer technology, Martin explores the limits of hyper-person
The PMS Wars: AI Changes the Interface, Not the Foundation - Martin Soler
Martin Soler returns to explore "The PMS Wars," his ongoing series examining one of the most important shifts in hotel technology. What started as a race from legacy systems to cloud-based PMS platforms is now evolving into a conversation about AI, data infrastructure, and the future of hotel operations.In this episode, Martin explains why hospitality adopts technology differently from o
The Paradox of Hospitality Innovation - Martin Soler
Hospitality is often criticized for lagging behind on technology. Martin Soler sees it differently. In this episode, he explores the paradox of hospitality innovation, arguing that hotels have frequently been ahead of other industries while also becoming burdened by technology that adds complexity rather than removing it. This conversation examines how AI could reverse that trend, freeing hospital
Where to Start with Hotel Technology - Martin Soler
In this episode, Martin Soler shares where hoteliers should focus as technology and AI reshape the industry. Recorded ahead of HITEC 2026, Martin explains why strong data foundations matter more than the latest AI tools, how to evaluate technology vendors through the lens of integrations and APIs, and what hotel leaders should prioritize today to prepare for what's next. If you're trying
![AI That Works for Hotel Leaders Is Finally Here: The Story Behind How Actabl Built Altitude to Turn Data Into Answers You Can Trust - Stephen German, Actabl [Sponsor Bonus]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/l95x4fbepyzf2lwk19zyhhp4vkc8?.jpg)
AI That Works for Hotel Leaders Is Finally Here: The Story Behind How Actabl Built Altitude to Turn Data Into Answers You Can Trust - Stephen German, Actabl [Sponsor Bonus]
This episode is sponsored by Actabl. Learn more about its new product, Altitude, here. For years now, AI has promised hotel leaders something it hasn't delivered: the ability to ask a question and get an answer you can actually trust. Today, that changes with the launch of Actabl Altitude.In this episode, I sit down with Stephen German, Actabl's SVP of Product, to tell the story behind i
The Best Leaders Create More Leaders - Dina Winder, Highgate
What separates good leaders from great ones? According to Dina Winder, the EVP of Asset Management at Highgate and President of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA), the answer is simple: great leaders create more leaders. In this conversation, Dina shares why she has dedicated so much of her time to mentoring future hospitality professionals through Highgate, HAMA, and AHLA's FO
What's Really Going On in the Hotel Industry Right Now? (Dina Winder, Highgate)
What's really going on in the hotel industry right now?In this episode, Dina Winder, EVP of Asset Management at Highgate and President of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA), shares her perspective on the forces shaping the hotel industry today. Drawing on conversations with owners and asset managers across the industry, she explains why demand has remained the top concern in mu
How to Show Up Well on Owner Calls - Dina Winder, Highgate
Monthly owner calls are often viewed as performance reviews, but Dina Winder sees them differently. As EVP of Asset Management at Highgate and President of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA), she believes the most productive conversations focus less on what happened last month and more on what happens next.In this episode, Dina shares how hotel leaders can prepare for owner calls mo
Hotel Success Still Comes Down to One Person - Dina Winder, Highgate
Hotels have more technology, data, and operational tools than ever before. Yet some properties consistently outperform while others struggle to execute.In this episode, Dina Winder, EVP of Asset Management at Highgate and President of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA), shares why she believes hotel performance still comes down to leadership. You'll hear why the GM remains the
Asset Management Is Hospitality's Most Misunderstood Career - Dina Winder, Highgate
Dina Winder is EVP of Asset Management at Highgate and President of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA). In this episode, she shares the unexpected path that led her into hospitality, from investment banking and real estate to one of the hotel industry's most influential roles: asset management.Dina explains what asset management means in a hotel context, how asset managers repr
Why We Use AI to Make Our Hotels More Human - Rob Smith, Stonebridge Companies
In this episode, Rob Smith, the CEO and President of Stonebridge Companies, shares an operator's view on how AI can be used to take mundane, repetitive work off people's hands so they can spend more time with guests.You'll hear his "find us a drive-through window" philosophy of letting the best ideas come from people on property, why he sees scheduling and forecasting as t
The Culture That Drives Our Outperformance - Rob Smith, Stonebridge Companies
In this episode, Rob Smith, the CEO and President of Stonebridge Companies, shares what he's found keeps people engaged and performing at their best. He also explains how culture is what underpins the outperformance that hotel owners care about. A few more resources:If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggesti
How We Grew While the Market Shrank - Rob Smith, Stonebridge Companies
In this episode, Rob Smith, the President and CEO at Stonebridge Companies, shares an operator's read on why top-line growth — not cost-cutting — is a sustainable path through today's environment of profit pressure. He explains how Stonebridge grew same-store revenue by 7.8% in 2024 while the market grew by 1.8%, why their revenue-management-first approach drives 41% direct bookings at t
How I Stopped Getting Through the Day and Learned to Think Strategically - Rob Smith, Stonebridge Companies
In this episode, Rob Smith, the CEO and President of Stonebridge Companies, shares the unlikely path that took him from an accounting degree to running his own hotel by 25 and then spending 17 years as a hospitality leader in the Caribbean.You'll hear how a Caribbean hotel owner taught him to stop just getting through the day and start thinking strategically, why working alongside people from
What a Founder Learns Inside a Big Hospitality Company - Tamara Lohan, Hyatt
In this episode, our career correspondent and hertelier founder Emily Goldfischer continues her conversation with Tamara Lohan, Global Brand Leader for Luxury at Hyatt.Tamara shares what it's like to step inside a large company after co-founding and building Mr. & Mrs. Smith for more than two decades. She gets into the difference between a mentor and a sponsor, why she wishes she'd b
Why Guests Hate Scripted Service - Tamara Lohan, Hyatt
In this episode, our career correspondent and hertelier founder Emily Goldfischer continues her conversation with Tamara Lohan, Global Brand Leader for Luxury at Hyatt,Tamara shares why today’s guests increasingly reject scripted hospitality experiences and what great service looks like instead. The conversation explores emotional intelligence in hospitality, the importance of “reading the room,”
Travelers Want Hotels With a Point of View - Tamara Lohan, Hyatt
What makes a luxury hotel memorable today?In this conversation, our career correspondent and hertelier founder Emily Goldfischer, sits down with Tamara Lohan, Global Brand Leader for Luxury at Hyatt, to discuss why travelers are increasingly drawn to hotels with a strong sense of place and identity. They also explore Hyatt’s luxury growth strategy, the role of storytelling in hospitality, and how
"The Anticipation Layer" and the Future of Hospitality - Arnold Amrhein
In this episode, Arnold Amrhein, VP of Investments at CREO Capital, shares the idea behind his widely discussed article "The Anticipation Layer." He explains why data is becoming an asset, what hoteliers lose every time a booking comes through an OTA, and how AI could eliminate the long-standing trade-off between scale and soul in hospitality. A thoughtful conversation on the future of h
Hospitality Works Best When Owners Think Like Operators - Arnold Amrhein
In this episode, Arnold Amrhein, Vice President of Investments at CREO Capital, shares what his career — from guest relations at Rosewood London to institutional hotel investment across Southern Europe to private equity in Latin America — taught him about the gap between operators and owners, and why closing that gap matters for everyone in the business. If you work in hotel operations and want to
The Soul Community Planet Playbook for Performance and Purpose - Pam & Ken Cruse, SCP Hotels
In this episode, Ken Cruse, Co-Founder and CEO at SCP Hotels, and Pam Cruse, Co-Founder and CMO at SCP Hotels, share their perspective on why values-led hotels are outperforming the broader industry on EBITDA, where guests are actually drawn now that a significant majority distrusts AI, and how vertical integration lets them move faster than chain-affiliated operators ever could.Mentioned in this
Bad AI: The Risks Too Many Hoteliers Are Missing - Chris McDowell & Justin Call, Actabl [Sponsor Bonus]
In this episode, Chris McDowell, Chief Information Security Officer at Actabl, and Justin Call, Chief Legal Officer at Actabl, unpack the growing AI risk that many hotel leaders still underestimate. They explain how people across hospitality are already uploading confidential guest and operational data into public AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, why privacy and compliance rules still apply once
"Speed Up to Slow Down": AI and the Luxury of Time - Burak Ipekci
In this episode, Burak Ipekci, the General Secretary of Les Clefs d'Or International and Head Concierge at London's Royal Horseguards Hotel, shares an operator's view of what AI can do in hospitality: take the mundane off your hands so your team has the freedom to sit in the lobby, learn a guest's name, and build the kind of relationship where a guest becomes a friend.If you&ap
The Concierge Mindset - Burak Ipekci
In this episode, Burak Ipekci, the Head Concierge at The Royal Horseguards Hotel and General Secretary of Les Clefs d'Or International, shares his case for why the hospitality industry is splitting into two distinct businesses, and why only one of them can justify calling itself a hotel. He explains the "concierge mindset" as a philosophy that should run through every role, why emot
What It Takes to Earn the Golden Keys - Burak Ipekci
In this episode, Burak Ipekci, Head Concierge at The Royal Horseguards Hotel and General Secretary of Les Clefs d'Or International, explains what the golden keys actually mean inside the concierge profession, and what it takes to earn them. He shares his journey from becoming a concierge in New York in 1999 to helping lead one of hospitality’s most respected global organizations across 85 cou
Pick Your Boss (And Other Career Advice) - Burak Ipekci
In this episode, Burak Ipekci, Head Concierge at The Royal Horseguards Hotel in London and Secretary General of Les Clefs d'Or International, shares a practical view of the decisions that shape a career in hospitality — why the boss matters more than the brand, how to read a leader's character in an interview, and why asking questions is the most underused skill in business.Watch our ful
Why Work in Hospitality - Burak Ipekci
In this episode, Burak Ipekci, the Head Concierge at The Royal Horseguards Hotel in London and General Secretary of Les Clefs d'Or International, makes the case for why working in hospitality is worth it. He shares why the instant gratification of hotel work is unlike anything in other industries, and why the world has changed but the energy hasn't. Watch our full conversation here on Yo
Energy Fit - Burak Ipekci
In this episode, Burak Ipekci, the Head Concierge at The Royal Horseguards Hotel and Secretary General of Les Clefs d'Or International, shares why hiring a great concierge isn't enough if the energy doesn't match the property. You'll hear how he advises hotel leaders opening new properties to think about the match between a person and a place, and why fit matters as much in hir
Hire For The Spark - Burak Ipekci
In this episode, Burak Ipekci, the Head Concierge at The Royal Horseguards Hotel and Secretary General of Les Clefs d'Or International, shares his view on hiring: why he decides in five minutes whether to spend 55, why great concierge careers start with someone spotting them first, and why caring for people is the one thing you cannot teach. A few more resources:If you're new to Hospital
Guests are Complex. Hospitality Needs to Catch Up. (Philippa Wagner)
In this episode, Philippa Wagner, the Founder of People Places Spaces, and former head of 23 Lab at Ennismore, shares why the hotel industry's segmentation habit is breaking down, what the solo traveler actually wants, and why community can't be manufactured.Learn more about The Future Guest Report A few more resources:If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me
Could Human “Messiness” Be Hospitality’s Biggest Advantage? - Philippa Wagner
In this episode, Philippa Wagner, the Founder of People Places Spaces, shares an honest perspective on AI and tech in hospitality, drawing on her Future Guest research. She explains why guests forgive people but not technology, where AI belongs in operations, and how the right tech finally lets you hire for personality instead of tech skills. If you've sat through one too many high-level AI p
Why Our Approach to Hotel Data Earned a Patent and Prepares Hotels for AI - Clark Brayton, Joseph McGroarty & Pritesh Patel, Actabl
In this episode, Joe McGroarty, Clark Brayton, and Pritesh Patel of Actabl share why hotel data has been broken for decades, how their team built the patented normalization layer that fixes it, and why getting this right matters more in an AI-enabled world. You'll hear what's actually happening when revenue isn't easy to report on across your portfolio, the three questions to bring
The Scorecard That Turns Hotels Into Meritocracies - Chris O'Donnell, Aimbridge Hospitality
In this episode, Chris O'Donnell, the President of Select Service Division at Aimbridge Hospitality, shares how the balanced scorecard turns hotel operations into a meritocracy. You'll hear how Aimbridge cascades five universal metrics from CEO Craig Smith down to every property, why turnaround success starts with quick wins, and the bias-for-action principle Chris carries into every pro
