Episodes

In this episode, Steven Marais, Vice President of Rooms at Noble House Hotels & Resorts, shares insights on simplifying hotel tech stacks, the challenges of integrations, and the journey towards a more unified, cloud-based technology foundation. We cover: (00:56) Steven's role and responsibilities (02:08) The importance of interfacing in hospitality tech (03:52) Challenges with legacy systems and new tech (05:01) Preparing for a future with more AI (05:56) Standardizing the tech stack acro...

In this episode, Steven Marais, Vice President of Rooms at Noble House Hotels & Resorts, shares insights on challenges and strategies for recruiting and retaining talent in the hospitality industry, including the importance of creating career paths and a fun work environment. 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...

In this episode, Steven Marais, Vice President of Rooms at Noble House Hotels & Resorts, shares the most valuable lesson he's learned in his career: that execution is everything. He discusses the importance of follow-through in hospitality, the role of training and preparation, and how to handle high-pressure events. 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...

In this episode, Steven Marais, Vice President of Rooms at Noble House Hotels & Resorts, shares his journey from bellman to VP, the importance of culture and opportunity in career growth, and insights into leading through change in the hospitality industry. (00:00) Introduction (00:32) Steven's career journey from Bellman to VP (01:47) How Steven got started in hospitality (02:33) Career opportunities in the hospitality industry (03:09) Steven's current role as VP of Rooms (04:04) The inte...

In this episode, Anna Blue shares insights on the current state of the hospitality industry, including DEI, women's empowerment programs, and practical steps leaders can take to drive positive change. We cover: (01:16) Current chaos and volatility in the industry (02:07) Industry's silence and its impact (03:11) Importance of transparency (05:06) DEI discussions behind closed doors (07:08) Disconnect between C-suite and staff (08:25) Effectiveness of DEI programs (09:09) Programs for wom...

In this episode, Samantha Hardcastle, Founder & Creative Director at The Storied Experience, shares lessons every hospitality provider can learn from White Lotus. Also see: Official White Lotus Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Story-Driven Hospitality - Samantha Hardcastle These Slovenian River Guides Showed Me "Experience" Doesn't Have to Cost Anything - Samantha Hardcastle The Two Chemicals Behind The Best Hospitality Experiences - Samantha Hardcastle A few more resources: If ...

In this episode, Vance Morris, a former Disney leader and founder of Deliver Service Now, shares how hospitality businesses can create extraordinary guest experiences—and significantly increase revenue—by implementing the proven systems behind Disney’s magic. 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 deliver...

In this episode, Kathy Sue McGuire, President and CEO of Sustainable Hospitality Solutions, shares how sustainability initiatives can create cost savings, engage teams, and drive revenue growth through a story of her work with Soul Community Planet Hotels. Also check out: Soul Community Planet: Creating a Healthier, Happier Future for Hospitality - Pam & Ken Cruse, SCP Hotels Sustainability That Pays: How One Hotel Saved Tens of Thousands on Trash Bags - Kathy Sue McGuire A few more resources:...

In this episode, Kathy Sue McGuire, President and CEO of Sustainable Hospitality Solutions, shares insights on how sustainability can be a smart business strategy for hotels, helping them cut costs, grow revenue, and engage their teams. (00:00) Introduction to Kathy Sue McGuire (01:18) Kathy's journey into sustainability (03:21) Current challenges in the hotel industry (04:31) Case study: Saving on trash bags (05:44) Case study: Switching to toiletries dispensers (07:10) Kathy...

In this episode, Josiah Mackenzie, founder of Hospitality Daily and Head of Marketing at Actabl, shares more takeaways from the recent Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, highlighting the opportunity in hotel operations today. Also check out: Control What You Can: How Top Hoteliers Are Navigating Chaos in 2025 (Hunter Hotel Investment Conference Insights) 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 sug...

In this episode, Josiah Mackenzie, founder of Hospitality Daily and Head of Marketing at Actabl, shares takeaways from the recent Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, with insights on the economic environment in 2025 and strategies for hotel owners and operators to thrive: (00:00) Introduction and conference overview (00:21) Changes in hotel investment conversations over the years (00:42) Economic uncertainty in 2025 (01:04) Chaos and volatility in the market (01:47) Key takeaways from the o...

In this episode, Sara Masterson, President of Olympia Hospitality, shares what photography taught her with our host, Nancy Mendelson. More with Sara: Learning, Leading, and Letting Go: Sara Masterson’s Approach to Hospitality Leadership Why Staying in One Company Can Actually Accelerate Your Hospitality Career Mastering Hotel Onboarding: Olympia’s People-First Strategy for Seamless Transitions A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message her...

In this episode, Sara Masterson, President of Olympia Hospitality, shares what we can all learn about campus hospitality with our host, Nancy Mendelson. More with Sara: Learning, Leading, and Letting Go: Sara Masterson’s Approach to Hospitality Leadership Why Staying in One Company Can Actually Accelerate Your Hospitality Career Mastering Hotel Onboarding: Olympia’s People-First Strategy for Seamless Transitions A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can se...

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 a...

In this episode, Sara Masterson, President of Olympia Hospitality, shares her insights on growth and leadership 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 conversat...

In this episode, Sara Masterson, President of Olympia Hospitality, shares insights into the process of onboarding new hotels and the importance of culture in hotel management with our host, 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. ...

In this episode, Josiah Mackenzie and Wil Slickers discuss the major shifts happening in the hotel industry now, the importance of real-time data, and innovative strategies for improving operations and profitability. (00:31) Josiah's recent career change (02:00) Building Hospitality Daily and market research (03:03) Challenges in the hotel industry (04:25) The shift towards operational efficiency (05:07) Future of the hotel and hospitality landscape (06:02) Moving beyond traditional metric...

In this episode, Susie Arnett, a hospitality leader with deep expertise in wellness, shares insights on the historical and social significance of spas and how modern wellness practices can benefit from these ancient traditions. (00:20) Susie's recent hospitality experience (00:44) The roots of spa in Istanbul (01:16) Ancient Greece bathhouses (02:01) Modern U.S. spa culture (02:43) History of relaxation (03:16) Emergence of "alone time" (03:59) The shift from social to solitary (04:22) E...

In this episode, Eva Klausner, Director of Guest Experience at Numa, shares her thoughts on the future of guest experience. This episode is hosted by our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith, founder of MorningStar GX. 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...

Today is World Sleep Day, and we're diving deep into the business and science of sleep and wellness by re-broadcasting a special event hertelier co-founders Emily Goldfischer and Nancy Mendelson hosted this week with Amanda Al-Masri, VP of Wellness at Hilton, and Emilie Hoyt, CEO of Lather. In this episode, you'll hear them discuss the importance of sleep in hospitality, how hotels create optimal sleep environments, and share their best tips for achieving better sleep. In this, we cover: ...

In this episode, Eva Klausner, Director of Guest Experience at Numa, shares how any hotelier can think about innovation -- wherever they are working. This episode is hosted by our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith, founder of MorningStar GX. 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 inbo...

In this sponsored episode, Christine Lising, Director of the Solutions Engineering Team at Shiji, shares practical insights on leveraging technology to enhance food and beverage operations in the hospitality industry. Learn more about Infrasys POS: The trusted POS for the world’s top hotels. In this episode, we cover: (01:56) Christine's role at Shiji Group (03:19) Understanding client challenges (04:45) Key questions for identifying business problems (06:10) Evaluating the gu...

In this episode, Eva Klausner, Director of Guest Experience at Numa, shares how she and her company pushed through tough times to succeed. This episode is hosted by our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith, founder of MorningStar GX. 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,...

In this episode, Eva Klausner, Director of Guest Experience at Numa, shares how Numa creates and sustains a truly guest-focused culture. This episode is hosted by our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith, founder of MorningStar GX. 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, s...