Episodes

Before her role today at Actabl, Shanell Marinuzzi built a reputation as a hotel fixer, turning around underperforming properties. In this episode, she shares how relying on pen, paper, and spreadsheets became a limiting factor for her -- and how technology gave her time back to focus on guests and her teams. She also explains why adoption is the real key to results, and what leaders can do to make new tools stick. Also see: The Hotel Fixer: Turning Around Performance Through Leadership and Cu...

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 fr...

In this episode, we hear from Shanell Marinuzzi -- a hospitality leader known for turning around hotel performance and building strong teams -- who now helps hotel companies through her work at Actabl. She begins by recapping insights from a recent Hotel Investment Today webinar on labor strategies, and then shares why she believes it’s moments like these that make or break hotel teams. You’ll hear practical ways she led through tough times, empowered staff, and built a winning culture. Also s...

Podcasts are a powerful way for hospitality leaders to share stories and ideas, but being a great guest takes preparation. In this solo episode, Josiah Mackenzie shares lessons from 1,000+ interviews on how to prepare, communicate with confidence, and create value for listeners. 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 epis...

Claudio Meli, Virtuoso’s Hotelier of the Year and General Manager of THE PLACE Firenze, shares how he redefines luxury by connecting guests to the city’s artisans and cultural heritage. In this conversation, he explains the creation of The Place of Wonders, a foundation that supports Florence’s craftspeople while offering travelers rare access to workshops normally closed to the public. Meli also discusses the broader impact on community, sustainability, and overtourism, showing how longer, mor...

In this episode, Virtuoso’s Hotelier of the Year for 2025, Claudio Meli, General Manager of The Place Firenze, shares why true luxury begins at arrival, how "sartorial hospitality" creates unforgettable experiences, and what hospitality leaders everywhere can learn from rethinking the guest journey from the ground up. 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 summar...

In this episode, we get to know Virtuoso's "Hotelier of the Year" for 2025, Claudio Meli, General Manager of THE PLACE Firenze. 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 conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram...

Dina Belon, President of Staypineapple, returns for a conversation with our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith, to share the non-negotiable at the core of her leadership philosophy: caring deeply — or, as she puts it, "giving a ****." In this candid conversation, Dina explains how purpose-driven leadership connects personal values with guest experience, culture, and sustainability. She reflects on aligning her career with her ethos, creating spaces that enable meaningful memories, and ...

Dina Belon, President of Staypineapple, returns for a conversation with our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith, to share how she would approach the first 30 days of leading a new hotel. Instead of relying on a pre-set formula, Dina explains why she treats the city itself like a resort -- drawing on local culture, parks, and other businesses as amenities that elevate the guest experience. She also shares how engaging associates unlocks creative ideas and how win–win community partnershi...

Dina Belon, President of Staypineapple, returns for a conversation with our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith, to share how her team built “Chat Pineapple,” an in-house AI tool that connects guest insights across systems. More important than the technology, Dina says, is the culture that empowers teams to act creatively on that information -- turning surveys, reviews, and guest histories into memorable experiences. You’ll hear what surprised her most about pre-stay guest responses, ho...

In this episode, we continue our series with Dina Belon, President of Staypineapple, in a conversation hosted by our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith. Dina shares why kiosks don’t belong in her hotels, what that reveals about the role of technology in the guest experience for her company, and how independent hoteliers can compete with big brands by choosing the right tech partners. See our previous episodes with Dina: How Staypineapple Enables Every Employee to Surprise and Delight...

In this episode, we continue our series with Dina Belon, President of Staypineapple, in a conversation hosted by our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith. Building on yesterday’s discussion about empowerment, Dina shares the practical ways Staypineapple frees its teams to focus on people. You’ll hear how they eliminate SOPs and scripts, centralize administrative work to keep managers out on the floor teaching their teams, and use intuitive technology that supports rather than hinders hu...

In this episode, we welcome back Dina Belon, President of Staypineapple, for a conversation with our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith. Dina shares how Staypineapple empowers every team member to bring their full, authentic selves to work -- and how that translates into deeply personal guest experiences. From interviewing every employee to capture their passions, to connecting those passions with guest stories, Dina shows why empowerment, not SOPs, is the foundation of their culture. ...

In this episode, Barbara Muckermann, CEO of Kempinski Hotels, reflects on her journey to the top and how she’s working to elevate more women into leadership roles across the company. She shares how turning perceived weaknesses into advantages has helped her career, why she believes creating opportunities—not protections—is key for women leaders, and the importance of building trust and transparency as a CEO. Barbara also offers practical advice for aspiring executives on playing to strengths, pr...

In this episode, Hospitality Daily careers correspondent Emily Goldfischer, who is also founder and editor-in-chief of hertelier, sits down with Barbara Muckermann, CEO of Kempinski Hotels. Barbara reflects on her first year leading the world’s oldest luxury hotel brand, drawing on lessons from her career in the cruise industry. She shares insights on the “secret sauce” behind Kempinski’s culture of genuine hospitality, why an asset-heavy approach matters for growth, and how the brand is positio...

In this episode, Hospitality Daily careers correspondent Emily Goldfischer, founder and editor-in-chief of hertelier, sits down with Barbara Muckermann, CEO of Kempinski Hotels. As the first woman to lead the 162-year-old luxury hotel group, Barbara shares her remarkable career journey from shaping the cruise industry to steering one of hospitality’s most iconic brands. You’ll hear lessons from leading through crisis, navigating global scale, and balancing heritage with reinvention. Read on her...

In this episode, Leora Halpern Lanz, award-winning hospitality marketing leader and Associate Professor at Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration, shares how visibility can directly impact guest satisfaction. Using a real-world hotel case study, she shows why physical and digital visibility matter as much as the investments we make in renovations. Leora challenges hospitality leaders to think beyond promotion, asking whether we’re measuring the right things and whether our mar...

Episode Overview In this episode, we’re joined by Leora Halpern Lanz: author, hospitality marketing expert, and professor at Boston University’s School of Hospitality, with her new book, Developing Your Marketing Mindset. Drawing from decades of experience in hotels, tourism, and education, Leora explains why every hospitality professional, not just marketers, needs to adopt a marketing mindset. She shares lessons on critical and strategic thinking, the role of branding in enhancing the guest...

Parents of children with special needs rarely get the rest they need, and Jimmy Peña set out to change that. Drawing on his career in private estate leadership and luxury hospitality, he founded Jordan's House, a nonprofit bed and breakfast offering world-class food, spa experiences, and radical hospitality at no cost to caregiving parents. In this episode, Jimmy shares how Jordan’s House began and why “over-the-top” hospitality matters for exhausted families. Listeners will walk away with a pow...

In this episode, we learn from Jimmy Peña, Director of Estate Operations for a private, ultra-high-net-worth individual. Jimmy shares how private estate hospitality demands service that exceeds even the most elite hotels, with every meal treated "like the Super Bowl." He explains the nuances of serving at this level, the daily practices that drive excellence, and how lessons from private estates can be applied to any hospitality business. Listeners will come away with a rare inside look at hospi...

What does it take to select and lead people who can deliver authentic hospitality at the highest level? In this episode, we learn from Jimmy Peña, a private estate manager in Beverly Hills and a former member of the Ritz-Carlton quality audit team, who helped shape service excellence across Forbes 5-Star and AAA 5-Diamond properties. Jimmy shares why hiring for heart and hustle is non-negotiable, how he frames service recovery by training teams to see “opportunity guests” instead of “problem gu...

Jimmy Peña believes hospitality comes down to two essentials: heart and hustle. In this conversation, the Beverly Hills estate manager and former Ritz-Carlton quality auditor shares what he learned shaping service excellence across Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond properties. Jimmy reflects on the mentors who guided his career, the power of checklists and standards, and the stewardship mindset required to balance service and profit. Hospitality leaders will find practical lessons on creatin...

Jimmy Peña is a hospitality executive, best-selling author, and nonprofit leader whose career spans luxury hotels, estate operations, publishing, and ministry. A graduate of Baylor University and the University of Texas at Tyler, Jimmy began in the world of health and fitness — becoming Worldwide Fitness Editor for Muscle & Fitness and M&F Hers, co-writing the New York Times bestseller Extra Lean with Mario Lopez. But as he explains in this episode, a childhood experience of “radical hospitality...

In this episode, host Josiah Mackenzie speaks with Jan Freitag (CoStar) and Jamie Lane (AirDNA): two of the most respected analysts in hospitality today. Together, they explore the state of the industry, from the convergence of hotels and short-term rentals to the forces shaping demand, supply, and traveler behavior. Hospitality leaders will gain insight into demand bifurcation, supply shortages -- as well as opportunities in loyalty, multi-generational travel, and differentiated assets. 🔗 Re...