Episodes

Cassandra Costello is Executive Vice President and Chief Policy and External Affairs Officer at the San Francisco Travel Association. In this episode, we cover what's going on in San Francisco, if traveling here is safe, what's going on in the neighborhoods of this city, why tourism matters, and how hospitality providers can work together and get involved with local government to affect change. Follow Cassandra on LinkedIn Learn more about the San Francisco Travel Association Join the co...

Philippe Zrihen is Head of Americas for Ennismore. In this episode, you'll learn about how your local neighborhood can (and should) inform how you provide hospitality. Follow Philippe on LinkedIn Learn more about Ennismore Operating lifestyle hotel brands: Lessons from Philippe Zrihen at Ennismore (HotelOperations.com) 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 summa...

Philippe Zrihen is Head of Americas for Ennismore. In this episode, you'll learn about what it takes to create and cultivate strong brands in hospitality. Follow Philippe on LinkedIn Learn more about Ennismore Operating lifestyle hotel brands: Lessons from Philippe Zrihen at Ennismore (HotelOperations.com) 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 summarize the stor...

Philippe Zrihen is Head of Americas for Ennismore. In this episode, you'll learn about Philippe's career journey, the worlds of finance, mergers & acquisitions, working with Accor, assembling a collection of lifestyle hotel brands, leadership lessons, and building a strong organizational culture. Follow Philippe on LinkedIn Learn more about Ennismore Operating lifestyle hotel brands: Lessons from Philippe Zrihen at Ennismore (HotelOperations.com) Join the conversation on today's episode...

Today we're learning from Denise Dupré, founder and managing partner of Champagne Hospitality, about how she's developing new sustainable luxury hospitality properties. 👉 If you liked this, listen to our other episodes about sustainability. 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 summarize the stories you need to know as a hospitality professional in a short email. Read ...

Today we're learning from Denise Dupré, founder and managing partner of Champagne Hospitality, about hiring, retaining, and developing talented people. 🗣️ Join the conversation on today's episode on the Hospitality Daily LinkedIn page. 👉 If you liked this, listen to our other episodes about People. Hospitality Daily isn't just a podcast! Every morning - Tuesday through Friday - I summarize the stories you need to know as a hospitality professional in a short email. Read today's issue and ...

Today we're learning from Denise Dupré, founder and managing partner of Champagne Hospitality, about what it takes to design and deliver remarkable hospitality experiences. 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 summarize the stories you need to know as a hospitality professional in a short email. Read today's issue and subscribe here.

How might we reimagine hospitality careers in a way that helps us attract and retain the brightest and most caring people? To help us answer that question, today we're learning from CoralTree Hospitality President Tom Luersen. Tom shares how the pandemic has shifted his approach toward recruiting, the importance of creating an inviting atmosphere for those outside the hospitality industry, and why flexibility is the secret sauce to attracting and retaining great team members. Tom and I th...

Today Tom Luersen, President of CoralTree Hospitality, shares the principles behind what he calls "The Innkeeper Mindset." Tom's back-to-the-basics approach emphasizes personalized service and thoughtful, impactful gestures, fostering deeper connections between hotels and their guests. This is not just about being welcoming; it's about understanding your guests, breaking down invisible barriers and fully immersing yourself in service. After all, isn't hospitality all about making people feel s...

When David Kong retired from his role as the President and CEO of BWH Hotel Group, he was the longest-running CEO of any major hotel company. Today, he's focused on empowering others through DEI Advisors, and in this episode, you'll learn more about this, including lessons he's learned, advice for overcoming something he calls "head trash," making your organization a great place to work, and much more. Links: Learn more about DEI Advisors Follow David on LinkedIn Follow David on YouTube Subscr...

Today we're learning from Regitse Rosenvinge about how hospitality providers can create spaces of belonging. Regitse offers a fresh perspective on how we can extend beyond our traditional roles to foster a sense of safety, belonging, and wellness for guests. Listen to her recount the inspiring story of a Copenhagen hotel that managed to create an inviting atmosphere through thoughtful design and a warm tone of voice. We also cover the changing notion of the 'home away from home' concept and how...

Join us for an engaging chat with Richard Garcia of Remington Hospitality as we unearth the fascinating narrative of their innovative company project – a recipe book. But this is no ordinary recipe book; it is a window into the culinary treasures of their hotels. The second part of our conversation dives into the transformative power of this project within the Remington Hospitality team. Listen to how this book became a catalyst for uncovering hidden talents and boosting collective morale. Disc...

It's Independence Day in the US, and we're celebrating with some timeless wisdom from Richard Garcia, a US Marine Corps veteran, star chef, and the Senior Vice President of Beverage and Food at Remington Hospitality. In this episode, you'll hear why Richard believes there's no room for compromise when it comes to delivering a stellar guest experience, as he shares how he ensures this at Remington. Richard's inspiring talk takes us through the roller coaster of navigating obstacles like short s...

Ready to challenge everything you thought you knew about the hospitality industry? Our conversation with Richard Fertig, the founder and Chief Investment Officer at Stomp Capital, will change your perspective. We tackle the age-old practice of adding staff as a solution to hospitality challenges and examine how to add excitement in place of consistency. We invite you to join our debate as we put traditional hospitality methods under the microscope, weighing their value against the possibility o...

Today we're learning from Richard Fertig, founder and Chief Investment Officer at Stomp Capital, about the importance of staying inspired. Links: Follow Richard on LinkedIn Learn more about Stomp Capital How a former globe-trotting hedge fund manager now provides bespoke hospitality 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 summarize the stories you need to know as a h...

I love technology and we're coming off a big week of tradeshows and conferences about technology in hospitality. But our guest today says there's no such thing as "virtual hospitality," and I want you to hear why he says this and what he means because it's an important point to keep in mind as we think about providing hospitality today. David Kong is the founder and principal of DEI Advisors, a nonprofit focused on empowering others. Previously, he was the president and CEO of BWH Hotel Group, ...

Have you ever asked yourself, "How do I effectively guide my team through change?" If so, this episode is for you. Our guest, Rachel Vandenberg, is not just a hotel owner and operator but also happens to be a leadership coach. We talk about her past experiences and lessons learned from implementing new software in her hotel, making the episode full of insights for change management. Rachel emphasizes the need for communication, transparency, and explaining the 'why' behind changes, and this isn'...

Jay Hubbs is the VP of Advertising, Marketing, Innovation, and Analytics overseeing BWH Hotels’ consumer-facing marketing, advertising, and the award-winning Best Western Rewards program. Today, Jay Hubbs was awarded Marketing Professional of the Year by HSMAI, and in this conversation, we cover: Why marketing matters today What Jay is most proud of building over the past year What experiences have been most helpful in Jay's career journey to date The role of marketing in providing...

What happens when you combine journalism, technology, and the hospitality industry? You get an insightful conversation with our guest, Jason Freed, the Hospitality Data Evangelist at MDO. In this episode, Jason shares his journey from reporting to exploring the exciting intersection of technology and pricing in the hotel sector, emphasizing the importance of revenue management technology in creating memorable guest experiences and keeping businesses profitable. The COVID-19 pandemic has undoub...

Ready to discover how the world of travel and hospitality is being revolutionized by cutting-edge technology? Join us in an enlightening conversation with our special guest, Shane O'Flaherty, Microsoft's Global Director of Travel, Transportation, and Hospitality. Shane brings a wealth of experience, including his time at the helm of Forbes Travel Guide, and he offers valuable insights into the role of AI in personalizing the customer journey and empowering employees to work more efficiently. T...

Ready to master the art of upselling in the hospitality industry and create extraordinary guest experiences? Join us as we chat with Erik Tengen, co-founder and CEO of Oaky, an upselling software platform, who shares his wealth of knowledge on understanding what your guests want and offering it to them proactively, smoothly, and in a relevant way. Eric also provides valuable advice on evaluating and implementing technology in your hospitality business, emphasizing the need for a dedicated champ...

Imagine a world where transactions are so smooth that they become an afterthought, leaving more room for a seamless hospitality experience. In this episode, we sit down with James Lemon, the Global Lead for Travel & Leisure at Stripe, to unlock the secret to achieving this. With a background rooted in hospitality, James shares his insights on how Stripe is revolutionizing payments and financial infrastructure, both online and in-person. We take a closer look at how hospitality businesses can l...

Are you ready to upgrade your experience to delight your guests and grow your business? Then you need to hear from seasoned hospitality leader Martin Soler, as we explore the barriers to innovation in the hospitality technology sector. In this fascinating discussion, we uncover how hoteliers often overlook the importance of technology in shaping the guest experience and dive into the challenges faced in adopting new technology. Through Martin's personal experience as a general manager - and th...

Today we're learning from Actabl CEO Steven Moore about the power of data in hospitality, and how technology can unlock insights that give you an advantage. We cover: Hospitality's adoption of technology and how Covid changed it [00:43] Opportunity with housekeeping and engineering [01:58] Using technology to attract and retain a new generation of hoteliers [02:47] The importance of having visibility of what's going on through data [03:35] "Moneyball” and hospitality [04:49] ...