Culture Episodes

In this episode, Agnelo Fernandes , CEO of Cote Hospitality , shares his take on what will matter most for hospitality leaders in the year ahead. As technology and AI continue to accelerate, Agnelo argues that people and culture—not platforms or tools—will ultimately define the winners in the industry. He explores why the guest journey is becoming more complex, why labor challenges are structural rather than temporary, and why even the best technology fails without the right teams behind it. For...

In this episode, Rob Blood , Founder and Chairman of Lark , returns for a one-year check-in following Lark’s blockbuster deal with Life House. Rob reflects on what it actually takes to scale a hospitality company after the announcement—working through integration challenges, repairing trust, and intentionally building culture under pressure. The conversation explores how values are operationalized at scale, why storytelling and culture anchor identity, and what to look for in leaders when comple...

In this episode, Agnelo Fernandes , CEO of Cote Hospitality , takes us inside the thinking behind the company’s GUIDE mentorship program —designed to develop leaders from within while improving retention and strengthening culture. Agnelo explains why mentorship works best as a two-way relationship, how personal branding fits into leadership development, and why human connection—not hierarchy—is the foundation of meaningful growth. He also shares the tangible business outcomes Cote is seeing, fro...

In this episode, Eugene Leonard , General Manager of Hotel Café Royal in London , shares with our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith (founder of MorningStar GX ), how a 160-year-old landmark stays relevant to today’s luxury traveler. He explains his “zeitgeist” approach to guest experience, updating classic service touchpoints (yes, even shoe-shine) to match what modern, younger luxury guests actually use. Eugene also explains why arrival is the defining moment at Hotel Café Royal, how...

In this episode, Chris Green , President of Humanitarian Hotels , shares how his organization gives away 100% of its profits to charity -- while operating with world-class excellence. He explains how hospitality can become an engine for generosity, where every associate, guest, and community benefits -- and challenges us to rethink what it means to pursue what's good. Links to learn more: Humanitarian Hotels Founder's Story Business as a Force for Good: The Humanitarian Hotels Story (video with ...

Shanell Marinuzzi has been called in again and again to turn around underperforming hotels. In today’s episode, she shares how she did it: building culture, lifting morale, and driving performance without big budgets. Also see: This Is Where Hotel Teams Win or Lose Today - Shanell Marinuzzi 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 suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from ...

Scott Roby , President of Pacifica Hotels , joins us to share the keys to building a workplace culture that reduces turnover and boosts hotel performance. He reveals Pacifica's innovative approach, from personalized employee experiences and thoughtful leadership retreats to candid, empathetic communication that leads to true employee engagement. Hospitality leaders will gain actionable insights into creating an environment where employees feel valued, leading to stronger retention, happier teams...

In this episode, Shozib Khan , VP of Hotel Performance and Analytics at Spire Hospitality , shares what he calls "the people side of data" and his approach to freeing hoteliers from being overwhelmed by reports, empowering them to focus on their guests and support their teams. Learn more about ProfitSword by Actabl - the tool Shozib mentioned several times in the show. Also see: The Chemistry Major Who Makes Hotels Better, One Data Point at a Time: Shozib Khan, Spire Hospitality Episode Overview...

In this episode, Edward Mady shares what he has learned about creating a culture of welcome throughout every part of a hotel business. Read Edward's article on Harvard Business Review: How Luxury Brands Can Motivate Service Employees Learn more about Edward's new book, Honing the Human Edge . 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 suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights fro...

Hotel owner, leadership coach, and now flight attendant — Rachel Vandenberg returns to the show in a candid conversation with hertelier co-founder and Hospitality Daily career correspondent, Nancy Mendelson . They dive into what it really means to lead with empathy, why great service starts with your team, and how Rachel uses a coach approach to build stronger hospitality cultures. Plus, Rachel shares what inspired her to chase a lifelong dream: 30,000 feet in the air. A few more resources: If y...

In this episode of Hospitality Daily, Josiah Mackenzie interviews Walter Isenberg , Founder and CEO of Sage Hospitality Group . The discussion centers on building a people-first culture within the hospitality industry. Walter shares how Sage Hospitality's purpose of "enriching lives one experience at a time" is implemented across all levels of the organization, from housekeepers to executives. Key themes include the importance of investing in culture, leadership, and creating an environment wher...

In this episode, Sara Masterson , President of Olympia Hospitality , shares what she's learned about the value of tenure with our host and career correspondent, Nancy Mendelson . 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 suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free . Follow Hospitality Daily and join the co...

In this episode, citizenM co-founder Michael Levie shares insights into the innovative strategies and operating approach that has driven the company's success. If you liked this, you may also like these episodes: The citizenM Founding Story (And What It Teaches Us Today) The Moments That Made Me: citizenM's Michael Levie Shares His Story This episode is brought to you with support from Shiji Group , the global hospitality technology leader that helps hotels streamline operations and transform gu...

In this episode, Adele Gutman shares insights on effectively responding to hotel guest feedback to prevent future issues and improve guest satisfaction and team morale. Watch Us Build an AI Bot to Answer Hotel Reviews (YouTube) Take my State of Hotel Industry Survey now to get insights on challenges, priorities, and opportunities in hospitality today. 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 suggestio...

In this episode, Tim Harmon , founder and CEO of Palisades Hospitality Group , shares practical ways to build a company culture that prioritizes curiosity and creativity at every level. Listen to learn: How the Palisades office functions more like a studio than a traditional workspace The concept of a "learning board" to encourage fresh ideas The benefits of debriefing team members after travel Insights from Tim's travels to destinations like New Zealand, Iceland, and Japan How immersing in loca...

In this episode, Elizabeth Harlow , Chief Brand Officer at Sonesta Hotels , shares how she creatively partnered with Rolling Stone magazine to bring unique live music experiences to their guests and communities. Listen now to learn: How the collaboration between Sonesta Hotels and Rolling Stone began Rolling Stone's Musicians on Musicians series - and its activation at Sonesta Hotels Examples of live music events held in Chicago and Miami The potential for hotels to be "cultural conversation pla...

This week, we're learning from Jennifer Krapp , head of restaurant operations at The Indigo Road Hospitality Group . You can hear her career journey here and thoughts on mentorship here if you missed them. In this episode, she shares her insights on the importance of showing hospitality to your teams. New to Hospitality Daily? Start here . Want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day? Subscribe here for free . Follow Hospitality Daily and join...

In this episode, Micah Solomon shares advice for hospitality leaders on creating a culture that empowers employees to delight guests. Listeners will learn: The importance of proper employee selection, considering both technical skills and interpersonal abilities (00:50) How to create a culture where exceptional performance becomes "how it's done around here" (01:44) The impact of senior leadership and veteran employees on setting the tone for new hires (02:26) How Apple Stores learned from the h...

In this episode, Steve Palmer , founder and chief vision officer of The Indigo Road Hospitality Group , shares his insights on the importance of mentorship in building a powerful organizational culture. Listen now to learn about: Steve Palmer's Approach to Mentorship (01:00) - his views on the responsibility and privilege of mentoring, and how mentorship can turn a job into a lifelong, satisfying career in hospitality. Creating Roadmaps for Growth (01:47) - the benefits of a growing company and ...

In this episode, Steve Palmer , founder and chief vision officer of The Indigo Road Hospitality Group , shares insights on building and maintaining a great organizational culture that drives business success. Understanding Culture as a Business Model (01:21) - Steve explains how culture can be a dynamic and profitable business model, moving beyond superficial perks to create a meaningful work environment. Evaluating Organizational Culture (04:04) - Learn about the methods Indigo Road Hospitality...

Greg Früchtenicht is the Chief Operating Officer at Saira Hospitality , and in this episode, he shares what he's learned about evaluating culture in hospitality organizations - and the big problem automation poses in the hiring process. Thoughts, questions, suggestions? Send me a text message This episode is brought to you with support from Sojern . I teamed up with Sojern to study how hoteliers use data to drive revenue and build stronger guest relationships. You can see what we found in this r...

In this episode, we're joined by Bob Gilbert , the President and CEO of HSMAI , who shares his thoughts on one of the key trends covered in HSMAI's 2023 -2024 HSMAI State of Talent Report : leading a multigenerational workforce well. Listeners will learn about: Effective Leadership : Strategies for leading a workforce that includes Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Leveraging Experience : How to tap into the wisdom and expertise of older workers, particularly those aged 65 and above. ...

From a background in finance to executive leadership roles at Marriott, Seema Jain saw the power of cultural competency at work. Now the Founder and CEO of Seva Global , Seema teaches us in this episode what cultural competency is, how to develop it - and the power it has in any hospitality business. Let's connect! Engage with the Hospitality Daily community on LinkedIn Join The Huddle - Hospitality Daily's private membership community Send me a message if you'd like to appear on the show or if ...

Everyone wants to be innovative, create something remarkable, and provide memorable hospitality - but what does that take....really? Getting to know our guest today, Adam Wallace , over the past 15 years has shown me the answer to that question is culture . Early in his career, Adam worked at his family's hotel in New York, getting national media coverage for the innovative community building they were doing - and today runs Spherical , a hotel marketing agency with a client roster that's a who'...