Guest Experience Episodes

Sherry Villanueva is the Founder and Managing Partner of Acme Hospitality, which has three historic hotel properties – two in California’s Gold Country and one in Palm Springs. In this episode, you'll learn about the opportunity with historic properties, how to learn the history of a place, and how to re-interpret properties to be both authentic and timeless. If you liked this episode, check out our other episode with Sherry: How We Created An Award-Winning Collection of Restaurants from Scratc...

Philippe Zrihen is Head of Americas for Ennismore. In this episode, he shares how experience is central to both F&B and the wellness opportunity in hospitality today. Follow Philippe on LinkedIn Learn more about Ennismore Operating lifestyle hotel brands: Lessons from Philippe Zrihen at Ennismore (HotelOperations.com) Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Daily isn't just a podcast! Every morning - Tuesday through Friday - I summar...

The Madrona, a luxury boutique hotel in California's Sonoma County, has been named one of Travel + Leisure's "Best New Hotels of the Year" and Conde Nast Traveler called it one of the most exciting new hotel openings they've seen. Cory Schisler is a Partner at the hotel and in this episode, we get to hear the story behind how it all got started, how Cory and his partners think about hiring and team building, experience design and delivery, and much more. The Madrona Featured on Magnolia Net...

Bashar Wali is one of the most recognized names in hospitality because he's done it all - as a leading operator, investor, and hotel branding expert that 180,000 people follow on LinkedIn alone. While he's done it all, he's always on the hunt for how to improve - and today, he shares his latest observations on what makes great hospitality Follow Bashar on LinkedIn Follow Bashar on Twitter Follow Bashar on Instagram Follow Bashar on Facebook Follow Bashar on Tiktok Visit Bashar's website Joi...

Tom Wolfe is the Chief Concierge at the Fairmont San Francisco and was the first concierge in America. In this episode, you'll hear why he considers himself a "futurist," and what he learned about providing hospitality from working in some of the best hotels around the world. Follow Tom on LinkedIn He's America's First Concierge (YouTube) Learn more about the Fairmont San Francisco Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Daily isn't...

Andrea Stokes is the Practice Lead for Hospitality at J.D. Power, and in this episode, you'll learn about her career journey in research and why this matters, how J.D. Power has evolved its research methodologies, and what they learned in their recent study and its implications for you. Learn more about the 2023 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study Follow Andrea on LinkedIn Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Da...

Neil James is Chief Operating Officer at Shiji ReviewPro, and in this episode, shares insights from their recent research on global guest satisfaction. Follow Neil on LinkedIn Read the research: Guest Experience Benchmark Q1 2023 The man behind the operations for 60,000+ hotels worldwide [HotelOperations.com] Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Daily isn't just a podcast! Every morning - Tuesday through Friday - I summarize the st...

Today, we're learning from Brooke Sanchez, Director of Marketing and PR at Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. In this episode, you'll hear the story behind their Barbie activation, what it includes, the impact so far - and the opportunity for all hospitality providers to take advantage of cultural moments like these. Follow Brooke on LinkedIn Learn more about Circa Resort & Casino Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Daily isn't just...

Philippe Zrihen is Head of Americas for Ennismore. In this episode, you'll learn about how your local neighborhood can (and should) inform how you provide hospitality. Follow Philippe on LinkedIn Learn more about Ennismore Operating lifestyle hotel brands: Lessons from Philippe Zrihen at Ennismore (HotelOperations.com) Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Daily isn't just a podcast! Every morning - Tuesday through Friday - I summa...

Today we're learning from Denise Dupré, founder and managing partner of Champagne Hospitality, about what it takes to design and deliver remarkable hospitality experiences. Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Daily isn't just a podcast! Every morning - Tuesday through Friday - I summarize the stories you need to know as a hospitality professional in a short email. Read today's issue and subscribe here.

Today Tom Luersen, President of CoralTree Hospitality, shares the principles behind what he calls "The Innkeeper Mindset." Tom's back-to-the-basics approach emphasizes personalized service and thoughtful, impactful gestures, fostering deeper connections between hotels and their guests. This is not just about being welcoming; it's about understanding your guests, breaking down invisible barriers and fully immersing yourself in service. After all, isn't hospitality all about making people feel s...

Today we're learning from Regitse Rosenvinge about how hospitality providers can create spaces of belonging. Regitse offers a fresh perspective on how we can extend beyond our traditional roles to foster a sense of safety, belonging, and wellness for guests. Listen to her recount the inspiring story of a Copenhagen hotel that managed to create an inviting atmosphere through thoughtful design and a warm tone of voice. We also cover the changing notion of the 'home away from home' concept and how...

Ready to challenge everything you thought you knew about the hospitality industry? Our conversation with Richard Fertig, the founder and Chief Investment Officer at Stomp Capital, will change your perspective. We tackle the age-old practice of adding staff as a solution to hospitality challenges and examine how to add excitement in place of consistency. We invite you to join our debate as we put traditional hospitality methods under the microscope, weighing their value against the possibility o...

I love technology and we're coming off a big week of tradeshows and conferences about technology in hospitality. But our guest today says there's no such thing as "virtual hospitality," and I want you to hear why he says this and what he means because it's an important point to keep in mind as we think about providing hospitality today. David Kong is the founder and principal of DEI Advisors, a nonprofit focused on empowering others. Previously, he was the president and CEO of BWH Hotel Group, ...

Are you ready to upgrade your experience to delight your guests and grow your business? Then you need to hear from seasoned hospitality leader Martin Soler, as we explore the barriers to innovation in the hospitality technology sector. In this fascinating discussion, we uncover how hoteliers often overlook the importance of technology in shaping the guest experience and dive into the challenges faced in adopting new technology. Through Martin's personal experience as a general manager - and th...

Deanna Vollmer is the Director of Events and Customer Experience at Questex and shares what she’s learned along her journey so far. We discussed: Deanna's career path (2:25) Discovering the hospitality industry (2:41) First job in meeting planning (4:17) Importance of understanding customer needs in events (6:50) Staying inspired and up-to-date on industry trends (9:22) Incorporating theatrics and unique elements (11:46) Importance of networking and conversations (12:38) ...

Sara Osias is Head of Experiences at Auberge Resorts Collection. In this episode, you'll learn how Sara draws inspiration from a diverse range of experiences along her own career journey - from camp counselor to teacher to an early member of Airbnb's hospitality team with Chip Conley - to lead experience design at Auberge Resorts today. I want you to hear her story because it will show you how each of our career journeys - no matter how unconventional they are - can lead us to providing except...

Rafael Peña is a travel expert and contributing journalist for Travel Noire. In this episode, we talk about the best hospitality he's experienced, hotels vs short-term rentals, culture, storytelling and more. See Rafael's work: Meet the Two Black Hoteliers Changing the Hospitality Industry NBA Star Reggie Bullock Purchases Private Island In Belize First Look At The Four Seasons Private Residence In Los Angeles Connect with Rafael: LinkedIn Instagram Twitter Join the conversation on ...

Niki Wade is an experienced hotel sales professional as well as the co-host of the Don't Look Under the Bed podcast. In this episode, she shares a story of how she impressed a group of hotel guests by paying attention to the details. What could this look like for you? Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Daily isn't just a podcast! Every morning - Tuesday through Friday - I summarize the stories you need to know as a hospitality profess...

Tamara Mims is the President & CEO of Four Sisters Inns. In this episode, she shares how she thinks about balancing consistency across her portfolio with being unique and relevant in each location. Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Daily isn't just a podcast! Every morning - Tuesday through Friday - I summarize the stories you need to know as a hospitality professional in a short email. Read today's issue and subscribe here. Run a h...

Tamara Mims is the President & CEO of Four Sisters Inns. Whenever I stay at a Four Sisters property, I appreciate all the free amenities they provide and it increases my feeling of loyalty to the brand. In today's episode, Tamara explains why she does this. Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Daily isn't just a podcast! Every morning - Tuesday through Friday - I summarize the stories you need to know as a hospitality professional in a ...

Today Marlon Smith, General Manager of Hotel Enso, explains why he loves hospitality and engaging with his community. Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Daily isn't just a podcast! Every morning - Tuesday through Friday - I summarize the stories you need to know as a hospitality professional in a short email. Read today's issue and subscribe here. Run a hotel? Then check out my website HotelOperations.com. Every Sunday evening, I send ...

In this episode, Jeanne Hizon, Director of Sales, and Marlon Smith, General Manager at Kimpton's Hotel Enso in San Francisco, explain how they're engaging guests through community partnerships. Follow Jeanne on LinkedIn Follow Marlon on LinkedIn Learn more about Hotel Enso Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Daily isn't just a podcast! Every morning - Tuesday through Friday - I summarize the stories you need to know as a hospitality ...

Brian Proctor is a fun and insightful hotelier to follow on LinkedIn. He was formerly an operations leader at Starwood, Evolution Hospitality and then BridgeStreet - where he was Chief Operating Officer - before he founded Leeds Hospitality Group. In this episode, you'll hear what he's learned about getting the details right, as well as his recent hunt for the perfect hotel shower. Follow Brian on LinkedIn Listen to Brian's podcast, Tuesday's Thanks Join the conversation on today's episod...