Episodes

In this episode, Micah Solomon, author, speaker, and customer experience expert, shares insights on the importance of service in the hospitality industry and how businesses can stand out, drive word of mouth, and succeed. Examples of service excellence (01:06) - How companies like Ritz-Carlton and Audi of America use exceptional service as a competitive advantage. The impact of word of mouth (01:58) - How word of mouth and online reviews influence customer decisions and the importance of creat...

In this episode, Micah Solomon, a customer service expert and author, shares his insights on creating memorable customer experiences and elevating businesses to the highest level of customer service. Listeners will learn: The three levels of customer service and why businesses should aim for the top level (01:01) How Micah conducts idiosyncratic mystery shopping to assess a company's customer service (02:15) The importance of using appropriate language, greeting customers promptly, and handl...

In this episode, Dina Belon, president of Staypineapple Hotels, shares insights on the evolution of sustainability in the hospitality industry and how it's becoming a crucial factor in attracting guests and group business. Listeners will learn: The role of industry associations in providing a single, unified sustainability certification for hotels (01:47) Why sustainability isn't just about cost but about creativity and mental energy (02:49) How guest preferences, especially in the business ...

In this episode, Casey Barks, Vice President of Marketing at Staypineapple Hotels, shares his insights on how Staypineapple has digitized and streamlined its influencer management process. Listeners will learn: The tools and metrics Staypineapple uses to evaluate an influencer's true monetary value (03:52) Their innovative approach to influencer contracts, ensuring accountability and protecting the hotel's interests (06:50) Why influencer marketing is set to become even more significant in t...

In this episode, Dina Belon, President at Staypineapple Hotels, shares insights on their innovative approach to working with hotel owners and investors. Mike Hirschler, the company's Chief Growth Officer, discusses the challenges that have held back many in the industry and how Staypineapple is addressing them. Casey Barks, the company's VP of Marketing, explains how they're capturing the magic of their brand to drive demand and accelerate business growth. Listeners will learn: The challenges ...

This episode is part of our series with Staypineapple Hotels. Listen to episode 1, episode 2, and episode 3 if you missed them. In this episode, Dina Belon, President at Staypineapple Hotels, shares how they use technology, including AI, to enhance personalized service and create memorable guest experiences. Listeners will learn: How Staypineapple pushed its technology partners to align with their goal of delivering hyper-personalized service (01:34) The importance of collecting and using ac...

This episode is part of our series with Staypineapple Hotels. Listen to episode 1 and episode 2 if you missed them. In this episode, Dina Belon and Mike Hirschler at Staypineapple Hotels share insights into the company's unique approach to people and culture, which has earned them recognition as the "best place to work" by The Seattle Times. By listening, you'll learn: How Staypineapple refers to their frontline staff as "hoteliers" to reflect their company values (01:41) The "Surprise and D...

This episode is part of our series with Staypineapple Hotels. Listen to episode 1 here. In this episode, Dina Belon, President at Staypineapple Hotels, shares her company's unique vision for hospitality and what's behind their successful operations. Listeners will learn: How Staypineapple Hotels focuses on teaching the "why" to their employees, empowering them to solve problems using critical thinking (01:04) The importance of creating memories for guests and how it ties into Maslow's...

In this episode, Dina Belon, Mike Hirschler, and Casey Barks at Staypineapple Hotels share their stories. Here's what listeners will learn: Dina Belon (President): How her design background uniquely positions her to lead a hotel company (00:55) The concept of "elegant whimsy" in Staypineapple's brand aesthetic (03:12) Her leadership philosophy of combining kindness with efficiency (04:38) The importance of utilizing personal strengths in leadership roles (05:25) Mike Hirschle...

In this episode, Ana Atienza, Guest Relations Manager at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco, shares her journey from studying hotel and restaurant management in the Philippines to building a successful career in hospitality on the front lines of hospitality in San Francisco. Listeners will learn: How Ana decided between studying broadcasting or hospitality (02:04) Ana's experience working as a barista and management trainee at a popular coffee shop in the Philippines (03:47) The...

In this episode, Samantha Hardcastle, Founder & Creative Director at The Storied Experience, shares her insights on creating purposeful concepts and guest journeys that go beyond the traditional hotel stay. Listeners will learn: How Samantha's work focuses on creating experiences that align guests with their desired selves and open up new paths for them (02:57) The importance of understanding the deeper mission behind a hotel and helping hoteliers reconnect with their original purpose (05:16)...

In this episode, Melissa and Tanner Cummings, co-founders of Cypress Resort, share their vision for building a new kind of luxury nature resort and how they're inviting people to join them on the journey. Listeners will learn: How Tanner and Melissa are cultivating "thin spaces" through their new resort (03:30) Why they're focusing on luxury to provide quality, craftsmanship, and an opportunity to serve their team and guests better (06:11) How they're using crowdfunding to prove via...

In this episode, Ernest Lee, Chief Commercial Officer at citizenM, shares how partnerships and collaborations are crucial for creating unique experiences and engaging the people you want to reach. Listeners will learn: Why collaborations and partnerships are important for citizenM (01:13) How partnerships provide a shortcut to reaching target audiences and leveraging resources efficiently. (01:33) The impact of events and partnerships on creating the vibe you want and attracting like-minded ...

In this episode, Ernest Lee, Chief Commercial Officer at citizenM, shares his thoughts on what the hospitality industry should be paying more attention to in the face of increasingly frequent "black swan" events. Listeners will learn: The hospitality industry needs to think about how to set up their organizations to be more nimble and react to the increasing frequency of cataclysmic events (00:52) Hotel businesses should consider their exposure to constant violent corrections in terms of reve...

In this episode, Ernest Lee, Chief Commercial Officer at citizenM, shares how citizenM created a unique paid loyalty program called "mycitizenM+" that drives value for both customers and the company. Listeners will learn: The context and strategic thinking behind developing mycitizenM+, inspired by Amazon Prime's approach to delivering consistent value to drive long-term loyalty (00:37) How citizenM leveraged its position as an owner-operator to quickly implement physical benefits and per...

In this episode, Martin Soler, a former hotel general manager who is now a fractional CMO for large travel tech companies and the co-founder of 10minutes.news, shares a refreshing perspective inspired by Jeff Bezos on separating the signal from the noise when it comes to hospitality tech. By listening to this episode, you will learn: Why chasing every shiny new tech trend might be a distraction from what really matters in hospitality (00:54) How to apply the concept of focusing on what's not ...

In this episode, Martin Soler, a former hotel general manager who is now a fractional CMO for large travel tech companies and the co-founder of 10minutes.news, shares his insights on how hotels can use technology to provide personalized experiences for their guests at scale. Listeners will learn: Martin's bold prediction about a big tech shift coming to the hotel industry in the next 24 months (08:33) The importance of having a property management system (PMS) that is guest-centric rat...

In this episode, Katharine Ames, Chief Marketing Officer at the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, shares stories of hospitality that she's experienced from her teams and how it has impacted her personally and professionally. Listeners will learn: How the Indigo Road Hospitality Group takes its "Surprise and Delight" initiative seriously, going the extra mile to make guests feel special (01:14) Katharine's personal experience celebrating a milestone birthday at Oku Atlanta, where her team went al...

In this episode, Katharine Ames, Chief Marketing Officer at the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, shares her journey from studying communications and hospitality in college to becoming a CMO in the hospitality industry. Listeners will learn: How Katharine's passion for hospitality was inspired by her father and their family dinners (06:02) The importance of paying attention to details, as demonstrated by Katharine's internship interview (09:54) The differences between working on the agency side...

In this episode, Stuart Greif, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy, Innovation, and Operating Officer at Forbes Travel Guide, shares his thoughts on supporting women and underrepresented groups in the hospitality industry. Listeners will learn: Why leaders need to recognize and address the lack of opportunity for underrepresented groups in business (01:30) How diversity in teams leads to better business outcomes, backed by Harvard Business School studies (04:11) The responsibility of...

In this episode, Stuart Greif shares his experience attending the Modern Elder Academy and how it can help individuals reconnect with their true selves and find fulfillment in their personal and professional lives. Listeners will learn: How the Modern Elder Academy helps individuals from diverse backgrounds bond and reflect on their lives and careers (03:29) The importance of rediscovering one's natural essence and aligning with what truly gives fulfillment as we age (04:00) How tra...

In this episode, Martin Soler, a former hotel general manager who is now a fractional CMO for large travel tech companies and the co-founder of 10minutes.news, shares his observations and insights from the Paris Olympics and how they can be applied to the hospitality industry. Listeners will learn: How the Paris Olympics were surprisingly well-organized and created a fantastic vibe in the city, despite initial complaints and disruptions (01:42) The importance of training staff, from police to...

In this episode, Bashar Wali, founder and CEO of Practice Hospitality and This Assembly, shares his perspective on whether it is harder or easier than ever to build strong guest relationships in the hospitality industry. Listeners will learn: Why Bashar believes it is easier than ever to build guest relationships due to the availability of information on social media and the low bar for exceeding guest expectations (01:21) The importance of focusing on emotional intelligence, empathy, and cul...

In this episode, Katharine Ames, Chief Marketing Officer at the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, shares her insights on the opportunities for post-stay engagement in the hospitality industry. Listeners will learn: Why post-stay engagement is the most untapped opportunity in the hospitality industry (01:15) How the retail industry has excelled at following up with customers after a transaction (01:25) The importance of reaching out to guests to encourage them to return and share their experienc...