Episodes

Ryan Bukstein has spent his career shaping people-driven brands, from his early work at Ace Hotel to leading marketing at Vacation, and now as a consultant. In this conversation, he shares how collaboration, contrarian thinking, and a love of Japan are coming together in his latest project: a curated travel experience with the founders of clean beauty brand Dam Dam. More episodes with Ryan: Ace Hotel’s Early Days: Punk Spirit and Hospitality Innovation The Art of Turning Curiosity into Brand E...

Independent hospitality is quickly growing in popularity, but discovery remains a big challenge for both travelers and operators. In this conversation, Brett McManus, owner of Après Inn in Killington, Vermont, and founder of Inndependent Stays, explains how he’s addressing this gap. We discuss the costs of relying on OTAs, the power of people-first storytelling, and how AI-driven matching could reshape how travelers discover independent hospitality experiences. Learn more about Inndependent Sta...

A year ago, Brett and Casey McManus went viral for transforming a rundown Vermont roadside motel into a thriving new hospitality concept: Après Inn in Killington, Vermont. In this follow-up conversation, Brett reflects on what he’s learned as a first-time innkeeper: the highs and lows of running a seasonal business, what technology actually enables, and why guest conversations drive reviews and revenue. He also shares lessons from expanding to a second property, the efficiencies that come with s...

In this episode, Ryan Magnon, Chief Operating Officer of Ithaka Hospitality Partners, shares a valuable lesson from his experience leading training at Chick-fil-A. While speed, accuracy, and consistency mattered in the drive-thru, the real differentiator was hospitality: how team members made guests feel in just 60 seconds. Ryan explains how Chick-fil-A trains frontline employees, many of whom are just 17 or 18 years old, to view each guest not as an order, but as a person with challenges and o...

Hospitality excellence doesn’t happen without leadership excellence, and in this episode, we hear why from two senior leaders at Ithaka Hospitality Partners. Scott Rohm, Chief Development Officer, and Ryan Magnon, Chief Operating Officer, both built their careers under Horst Schulze at The Ritz-Carlton before their current roles at Ithaka. They share how leadership becomes the real "insurance policy" for hotel owners, why the best companies focus on selecting and developing the right leaders, a...

In this conversation, you’ll hear from Scott Rohm, Chief Development Officer, and Ryan Magnon, Chief Operating Officer of Ithaka Hospitality Partners, about how they’ve turned vision into reality across teaching hotels, culinary projects, food halls, and independent hospitality developments. We discuss how Ithaka’s roots at Auburn University shaped their approach, what they’ve learned about partnering with owners to create distinctive projects, and why independent hospitality (with the right op...

Budget season can be stressful for hotel leaders, but in this episode, Stephen German, SVP of Product at Actabl, shares how technology is helping hoteliers move from spreadsheets and guesswork to smarter, data-driven decisions. Stephen explains how ProfitSword provides hotel leaders with real-time visibility, alignment across properties, and powerful comparison tools, making budgeting faster and more accurate. He also highlights how recent product investments are streamlining workflows, reducin...

In this episode, The Hotel Financial Coach, David Lund, shares how to survive and thrive with proactive planning for 2025 and 2026. Also see: David's book, The Prosperous Hotelier David's blog Advice for Budget Season (earlier episode with David) Elevating Your Career through Financial Education (earlier episode with David) 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 ...

In this episode, Steven Hesketh, CEO of Savvy Hotel Group and founder of Hospitality Hero, shares why recognition and kindness are essential in hospitality. From award-winning stories to everyday acts of appreciation, Steven explains how recognition transforms careers and builds stronger team cultures. 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...

In this episode, Steven Hesketh, CEO of Savvy Hotel Group, founder of Hospitality Hero, and author of the upcoming book Bee Our Guest, shares why hospitality matters now more than ever. He talks about inspiring the next generation to see hospitality as a meaningful career, and why kindness is central to our lives and work. 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 s...

Jonathan Tisch, Executive Chairman of Loews Hotels, closes our series with reflections on what defines truly great hospitality executives. In this conversation with our careers correspondent, Emily Goldfischer -- also founder and editor-in-chief of hertelier -- Tisch shares leadership lessons shaped by decades of experience. You’ll hear why he believes every job provides valuable knowledge, how responsibility extends far beyond “giving back,” and why the details of communication and design matt...

Jonathan Tisch, Executive Chairman of Loews Hotels, shares how his leadership philosophy of always hiring the right person for the job often led to women rising into senior roles. Drawing on the influence of his family and the leaders he worked with throughout his career, Tisch reflects on how strong, talented women helped shape the growth and success of Loews Hotels. This conversation is hosted by Emily Goldfischer, founder and editor-in-chief of hertelier. A few more resources: If you're ne...

In this episode, Jonathan Tisch, Executive Chairman of Loews Hotels, goes beyond hotels to examine travel and tourism as one of America’s most powerful—but often overlooked—economic engines. Drawing on decades of advocacy, Tisch shares stories from his roots at the Regency’s "power breakfasts" to lobbying Congress after 9/11. He explains how travel creates more jobs than industries like manufacturing, why lawmakers consistently underestimate its impact, and what hospitality leaders must do to c...

Jonathan Tisch, Executive Chairman of Loews Hotels, reflects on 45 years in hospitality and what he learned leading the company in this conversation with Emily Goldfischer, founder and editor-in-chief of hertelier. Tisch shares how he redefined the guest experience, why team members create loyalty, and the culture shifts that helped Loews Hotels stand out. Also see on hertelier: Mr. August: Jonathan Tisch — The Original Ally See Jon's book, Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing th...

What does it really take to get things done as a leader? In this conversation, Amy Yip—executive coach and two-time TEDx speaker—shares her insights on leading high-performing teams. She explains why purpose drives productivity, how communication expectations prevent breakdowns, and why conflict isn’t something to avoid but a catalyst for innovation. Amy also highlights Google’s research on psychological safety and why trust is the single biggest factor in team effectiveness. Hospitality leaders...

In this episode, we hear from Amy Yip, a former leader in Google’s global food program and now a sought-after leadership coach for companies including Amazon and Verizon. Amy shares her own career-defining shift from management to leadership—moving beyond titles and task lists to authenticity, trust, and inspiring others. She reflects on lessons from mentors, including a VP at Google who pushed her to step into uncomfortable opportunities that ultimately shaped her into the leader she is today. ...

When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC, the eyes of the world turned to a small Welsh community. For Steven Hesketh—CEO of Savvy Hotel Group, founder of The Hospitality Hero, and co-owner of Devafest—it was the beginning of something bigger. In this episode, Steven shares how local hospitality operators came together, why collaboration beat competition, and the creative ways they turned global attention into regional growth. Listeners will take away practical lessons on placema...

In this episode, Sloan Dean returns to share a new perspective on artificial intelligence in hospitality. While AI is often framed around efficiency and cost-cutting, Sloan points to lessons from outside the industry -- like his experience with Waymo -- that show how AI can actually enhance the customer experience and create pricing power. He explores what this could mean for hotel operations, guest interactions, and the future of luxury hospitality. Listeners will come away with a new way of th...

In this episode, Michael Escalante, former Global Vice President of Hilton’s Center of Operational Excellence, shares how his team delivered 6–12% savings on labor across more than 600 hotels, while improving both guest service and employee satisfaction. Michael explains the methodology behind Hilton’s approach: observing processes instead of people, quantifying human behavior, and modeling work as a function of volume. He also shares how Hilton overcame the hardest part -- change management -- ...

Michael Escalante took an unexpected path from aerospace engineering to hospitality, eventually serving as Hilton’s Global VP for the Center of Operational Excellence and the President of Operational Effectiveness at Hotel Asset Value Enhancement (hotelAVE). Today, he's the CEO and founder of R5 Hospitality Solutions. In this conversation, he shares how scientific thinking and people-first leadership helped him uncover hidden value, improve service, and deliver millions in labor savings across h...

In this episode, Josiah Mackenzie and Sloan Dean explore the concept of "AI psychosis" - how people's over-reliance on AI tools can cause them to lose touch with reality and critical thinking skills. They discuss the evolution of leadership from physical strength to IQ to emotional intelligence, and examine how the hospitality industry has a unique opportunity to preserve human connection and counter the isolating effects of our increasingly digital world. Sloan shares his concerns as both a ...

In this episode, Sloan Dean shares why he stepped down as CEO of Remington Hospitality after eight transformative years, walking away to bet on himself as a founder and disruptor. He discusses enrolling in MIT AI courses, his philosophy on taking calculated risks, and why becoming CEO was never meant to be his "summit." Resources mentioned: Not Done with Sloan Dean Culture Creates Room To Thrive At Remington Hotels More episodes with Sloan Resource from Actabl: The Future of Hotel Labor ...

In this episode, Sloan Dean shares why curiosity and the willingness to keep learning might be the most important leadership trait in hospitality today. In a candid conversation, Sloan shares his view on the flat state of RevPAR, the generational gap slowing AI adoption, and why the industry risks falling behind if it only experiments on the fringes. Drawing on his own deep dive into AI education and lessons from other industries, he offers a challenge to rethink how we grow, lead, and adapt. ...

In this episode, STR President Amanda Hite shares how she’s thinking about the role artificial intelligence could play in the future of hospitality forecasting. Recorded at the 2025 Hotel Data Conference, this conversation explores why STR’s 40 years of proprietary hotel data remain its greatest advantage, how her team is cautiously testing AI tools without risking data integrity, and the opportunities AI presents for improving data onboarding and analysis. Amanda also explains why human judgmen...