Episodes

Do you want to be a more confident, effective leader? In this episode, Mariana Safer and Sara O'Brien share what they've found effective in their career journeys. You'll learn how to become great at leading others by leading yourself first. Follow Mariana on LinkedIn Follow Sara on LinkedIn Visit Sara's website Listen to Sara's podcast: Lead Easy Join in the conversation on this episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page here. This episode is brought to you with support from Sojern. Fi...

I'm hosting an event this Friday at Manny's in San Francisco with Ali Wunderman! Click here to learn more and register. Join in the conversation on this episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page here. This episode is brought to you with support from Cloudbeds and their Global Hotelier Conference, Passport. Created for independently-minded hoteliers, this event will explore today’s top hospitality trends, best practices for running a modern lodging business, and personal stories from hotel...

Are you listening to this exhausted, burned-out, and wondering how to best recharge? In this episode, you'll hear from Margaret Lefton, Creative Director at Yours Truly, a hotel in Washington, DC, about how she's been thinking about this and what she's found useful for staying energized and creative. Join in the conversation on this episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page here. This episode is brought to you with support from Cloudbeds and their Global Hotelier Conference, Passport. Cre...

The role of the concierge represents many of the best parts of hospitality - but what would happen if the entire hotel staff acted as one? Today we're learning from the owners of a property they call a "concierge hotel" - Kathleen Smith and Amy Smith - about why they operate the Saratoga Arms Hotel this way and what it allows them to do. Learn more about the Saratoga Arms Hotel Follow the Saratoga Arms Hotel on Facebook Follow the Saratoga Arms Hotel on Instagram Follow the Saratoga Arms Hotel ...

What does it mean to provide hospitality in the age of AI? In this special sponsor bonus episode, Adam Harris, CEO of Cloudbeds - a company that has been using AI in its technology for years - explains the opportunity he sees for all of us. Follow Adam on LinkedIn Learn more about Cloudbeds Register for the (free) Passport conference Listen to The Turndown Podcast Join in the conversation on this episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page here. This episode is brought to you with suppo...

What does it take to design a new hospitality brand or concept from scratch? Today we're learning from Bashar Wali, 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. In this episode, you'll learn where he starts, who he's thinking about, the role of real estate, and more. Follow Bashar on LinkedIn Follow Bashar on Twitter Follow Bashar on Instagram Follow Bashar o...

We first heard about The Eddy Taproom & Hotel from Tom Luersen, President of Coraltree Hospitality in the episode "Embedding Your Brand In The Community," and today we're doing a deep dive into how they do this in Golden, Colorado by speaking with The Eddy's General Manager, Chris Luersen. We cover: Background on The Eddy [0:27] What we miss when we look at metro areas as one monolith [4:29] A gathering place for the community [5:31] Just a marketing thing? [7:32] Hosting life m...

In this episode, we hear from Jen Barnwell, President at Curator Hotel and Resort Collection, about why and how they did a big reposition and relaunch of their website to lead with experiences. We cover: Jen's journey to independent hospitality [0:56] Why double down on experiences? [3:11] Challenges hotels face in providing experiences [5:25] The opportunity to reframe the travel buying process [8:39] How they decided what to offer [12:43] What data points Jen and her team a...

Could select service hotels be an underrated opportunity in hospitality today? In this episode, Mission Hill Hospitality CEO Greg Kennealey makes the case for select service hotels both as a way of providing hospitality and as an investment. We cover: How Greg became interested in select service hotels [0:47] How to create a better guest experience and add value in your investments [2:30] Renovating hotels [4:00] A people-first approach [6:15] Opportunities for hotel brands [8...

"Think like an owner!" I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase before - and maybe even used it yourself. It’s a powerful guiding principle - but in practice, it’s hard to make others feel unless they actually have an ownership stake. In this episode, you’ll hear how Mission Hill Hospitality CEO Greg Kennealey does this at his investment firm. Follow Greg on LinkedIn Learn more about Mission Hill Hospitality Join in the conversation on this episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page here. Thi...

How do you balance optimism and realism as a hospitality provider - both leading a company and as you think about your own career? I had the chance to catchup with Mission Hill Hospitality CEO Greg Kennealey to talk about this - and what else he saw at the Lodging Conference this week. Follow Greg on LinkedIn Learn more about Mission Hill Hospitality Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Hospitality Daily isn't just a podcast! Every morning - Tue...

Victoria Taylor is an experience consultant and designer who works with hospitality, luxury, travel, and entertainment brands to become what she calls "The Only.” In this episode, you’ll learn what she means by that … as well as lessons she learned from working with Lamborghini and other luxury clients that any of us can use in how we provide hospitality. Follow Victoria on LinkedIn Visit Victoria's website Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. Ho...

Appellation is a new culinary-forward luxury hotel company co-founded by chef Charlie Palmer and Christopher Hunsberger, the former president of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. In this episode, we're speaking with Ed Skapinok, the company's chief commercial officer - about how they have designed a modern approach to technology that supports their brand. Ed is on the board of directors for HSMAI, and he previously led sales, marketing, and revenue at Aqua-Aston Hospitality - an award-winning ho...

Michelle Jensen Session is co-owner of Kensington Investment Group, a family company that owns, renovates, and manages a mix of commercial and hotel properties. On top of that, she is co-founder of Aquarius Hospitality Solutions - and in this episode, you’ll learn what sustainability really is and why it matters, the top misconceptions about sustainability, and the surprising place to begin your journey. Resources mentioned in the podcast: 7 Common Objections to Sustainable Practices in the...

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...

Del Ross is a longtime industry expert, innovator, and leader who currently serves as Senior Advisor with McKinsey & Company, the top global strategy consulting firm. Before that, he led sales and marketing for IHG in the Americas, delivering $12 billion dollars in annual revenue for IHG worldwide - drawing from his earlier experiences at IHG leading e-commerce and distribution. On top of that, he's investing in hotels personally now, so he understands the industry from so many perspectives. Fr...

Over the past few weeks, we've been running a series called San Francisco Sundays - and the series wouldn't be complete without diving into what's going on with hotel investments in California these days. To help us understand this, Craig Sullivan, Founder and President of the California Lodging Investment Conference is joining us to walk us through what he's seeing. Follow Craig on LinkedIn Learn more about the California Lodging Investment Conference Join the conversation on today's epis...

Why invest in hotels? One of the biggest hotel investment conferences in the world, The Lodging Conference is coming up next week, I wanted to explore the answer to that question. Of course, this show is not investment advice - you should speak with your financial advisor on how to manage your money - but I want us all to talk more about the reasons for participating in the hospitality industry not just as a brand designer or operator but as an owner. To help us learn about hospitality investm...

How can you tell stories and create content that gets you attention and media coverage? In this episode, you'll learn from someone who has cracked the code on this to earn hundreds of thousands of social media followers and is an in-demand guest expert on shows such as the Kelly Clarkson Show and GoodDay LA and networks from ABC to CBS to NBC and has been featured everywhere from The New York Times to Readers Digest. Sarah Dandashy started her hospitality career as a concierge - work that she ...

In the hospitality industry, the phrase "people matter" is often thrown around. However, this sentiment frequently falls flat when it comes to the everyday experiences of front-line employees. So, how can we move beyond platitudes to genuinely care for our team members? Today, we're learning from Anthony Pellegrino, Head of Hotels at Ash, an award-winning company involved in the design, development, ownership, and operation of hotels from Detroit to Providence, Rhode Island. In this episode, ...

Extended-stay hotels are one of the hottest segments of hospitality today, and My Place Hotels stands out as a leader in this space. Today, President & CEO Ryan Rivett explains what led him to start the company and what he’s learned over the past 10 years building My Place into the powerhouse it is today. We’ll learn what Ryan and his team did differently that has worked so well for them, why he focuses on new construction, how he draws from his early childhood experiences of family hospitality...

David Kong is the founder and principal of DEI Advisors, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering personal success. Previously, he was president and chief executive officer of BWH Hotel Group – comprised of Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Sure Stay Hotels, and WorldHotels – a role he retired from as the longest-running CEO of any major hotel company. In this episode, David talks about removing inefficiency and empowering others. Links: Learn more about DEI Advisors Follow David on L...

Sherry Villanueva is the Founder and Managing Partner of Acme Hospitality, an award-winning collection of restaurants and hotels based in Santa Barbara, California. In this episode, Sherry shares her journey of how she accidentally got into the restaurant business and the lessons she learned along the way. From designing and opening her first restaurant to the success of her eclectic collection of properties, Sherry's story is both inspiring and informative for anyone who either works in hospita...

David Lund is The Hotel Financial Coach and in this episode, you'll hear his advice on how to navigate budget season with confidence this year. Follow David on LinkedIn Visit David's website (articles on budgets here) Learn more about David's book, The Prosperous Hotelier Read my article with David, the hotel budget guide 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 sum...