Episodes

In this episode, Walter Isenberg, CEO and Co-Founder of Sage Hospitality Group, shares his reflections on 2025, the lessons he's bringing into 2026, and his perspective on the bifurcation in hospitality: commodity hotels moving toward automation and reduced staffing versus experience-driven hospitality, where people remain the competitive advantage. More from Walter: Walter's article in Hotel Management: "Hospitality Begins from Within" The Letter That Turned a Young Dishwasher into a Hospita...

In this episode, Jan Freitag, National Director, Hospitality Analytics at CoStar Group, shares why the national forecast should be your starting point -- and gives specific things you can do to find growth this year. Links: "Tell Me More" Podcast by Jan Freitag & Isaac Collazo: Apple Podcasts or Spotify Read Jan's latest articles for CoStar Video: Teague Talks with Jan Freitag of CoStar Group Our previous conversation: Tariffs, Travel Disruption, and What Hotel Leaders Must Do Now - Jan F...

Nazpari Aydin is the co-founder and managing director of Destination AI — the #1 hospitality AI event — which she built from scratch in just two years. In this episode, she shares why she created the conference, how she approached speaker selection and community building, and what she learned from bringing hospitality leaders, operators, and technologists into the same room. Register now for Destination AI 2026 You may also like: The Next Phase of AI Adoption Inside Hotel Companies - Stuart Gre...

In this episode, Janette Roush, the SVP of Innovation and Chief AI Officer at Brand USA, shares how her team moved past AI hype to real, working applications across the organization. She explains what agentic AI looks like in practice, how organizations shift from individual experimentation to true organizational upskilling, and why trust and verified data are becoming mission-critical as travelers rely more on AI for planning. You’ll hear concrete examples from RFP evaluation, internal workflow...

Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality, shares how art plays a direct role in how she leads and drives performance across her portfolio. She explains why her team invests in Artist in Residence programs, rotating galleries, and cultural programming as a way to create energy guests feel the moment they walk in. Sarah also talks about why she avoids standard hotel art packages and instead focuses on work with real meaning and local connection. Toward the end, she reveals an unexpected benefi...

Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality, shares how she thinks about growth through the lens of irreplaceability. She explains why historic hotels with emotional and cultural relevance often present stronger long-term opportunities than new builds, especially in today’s environment. The conversation explores stewardship as an operating and investment discipline, where thoughtful repositioning, branding, and revenue management unlock value without erasing identity. Hospitality leaders will t...

Josiah Mackenzie recaps his takeaways from ALIS 2026, including why some hotels continue to grow even as industry top-line performance plateaus and costs rise faster than inflation. You'll hear why operational discipline, service excellence, and clear plans for differentiation matter so much, and how pricing power is built through basics done exceptionally well. More: What I'm Looking For (At ALIS & Beyond) - Josiah Mackenzie How Luxury's Growth Is Reshaping Hospitality - Stuart Greif, Forbes ...

Stuart Greif, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Forbes Travel Guide, shares what he’s seeing as AI adoption inside hotel companies enters its next phase. Drawing on his involvement with Destination AI and insights from a panel he led with leaders from major global brands, Stuart explains how hotels are building on early efficiency gains and broadening their focus. He walks through concrete examples of how AI already supports revenue, sales velocity, staffing decisions, and the guest exper...

Stuart Greif, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Forbes Travel Guide, shares how luxury’s rapid growth is reshaping hospitality. Stuart breaks down the data behind luxury’s expansion, then explores the second- and third-order effects, including changes in the workforce, leadership readiness, training, and differentiation in an increasingly crowded market. The conversation also looks ahead, discussing how hospitality could play a larger role as other industries change and why human connecti...

Josiah Mackenzie shares what he's looking for at the ALIS conference this week -- a quick solo episode from the road! 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 conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you wa...

Stuart Greif, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Forbes Travel Guide, shares how he approaches industry conferences like ALIS with intention, curiosity, and care. He explains how he balances business goals with human connection, why he avoids over-scheduling meetings, and how leaving space for unplanned conversations leads to better relationships and ideas. The conversation also covers rotating events to stay exposed to new communities, avoiding transactional networking, and managing energ...

In this episode, Melissa Maher, a former travel and hospitality executive and author of Holding Your Own, unpacks the leadership skills many professionals never get taught on the job. Melissa shares why she wrote the book and how confidence, self-advocacy, executive presence, and communication shape career progress more than performance alone. The conversation explores practical ways to build trust, navigate feedback, strengthen personal brand, and adapt in a fast-changing, AI-influenced workpla...

In this episode, Matthias Huettebraeuker and Josiah Mackenzie unpack what innovation actually means in hospitality, and why most efforts start in the wrong place. This conversation moves past trends to focus on first principles, specifically how designing around human needs creates more resilient, relevant hospitality businesses. Matthias shares a clear framework for rethinking hotels through convergence, fluidity, and versatility, with real-world examples from hospitality and beyond. Listeners ...

In this episode, Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality, shares why having a clear point of view defines effective leadership. Drawing from her early career inside global fashion brands, she explains how leaders build trust by showing up with conviction, articulating rationale, and setting direction instead of reacting to others. See our earlier conversation: From 14-Year-Old Housekeeper to Ralph Lauren to CEO: What I've Learned in Hotel Management and Beyond - Sarah Eustis, Main Street H...

In this episode, Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality, shares how she leads with what she calls “the box and the wavy line.” She explains how disciplined operating systems, clear SOPs, and financial rigor create the stability teams need in a volatile market. Sarah also breaks down why structure does not limit creativity and how it creates room for innovation, new concepts, and thoughtful growth. This conversation offers a practical leadership framework for hospitality executives balancin...

In this episode, Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality, explains how the company earned an employee Net Promoter Score of 78 in an industry known for hiring and retention challenges. She breaks down the specific leadership behaviors, hiring philosophy, and feedback systems that shape engagement long before someone’s first day. The conversation focuses on interviewing for emotional intelligence, using 360-degree input, and treating development and feedback as daily operating disciplines. H...

In this episode, Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality, shares her perspective on leadership and alignment across a diverse, multi-property hotel portfolio. Sarah explains how she defines leadership, why inclusion and shared authorship matter, and how alignment holds culture together across teams, properties, and regions. She also walks through her approach to decision-making and change management. This conversation offers practical insight for hospitality leaders at any level who want to...

In this episode, Betsy Freeman joins Josiah Mackenzie to share her thinking behind creating Hospitality Daily’s first piece of merch: a special edition t-shirt. The conversation explores how art, feeling, and collaboration shape brand identity. Betsy breaks down her creative process, why emotion matters, and how collaboration leads to great outcomes. Watch on YouTube Get the shirt Learn more about Betsy's work A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You ...

In this episode, Jeremy Wells, principal at Longitude and partner at Flyover Developments, shares more on his LinkedIn post exploring hospitality through the lens of Christian faith. He explains how Christianity shapes his view of hospitality as love expressed through everyday actions at work, with guests, teams, and peers. The conversation focuses on integrating belief into professional life with humility, openness, and service. Read Jeremy's post on hospitality as an act of love Listen to our...

In this episode, Jeremy Wells, principal at Longitude and partner at Flyover Developments, shares more on his recent LinkedIn post where he reflects on his life and career and how it connects to a key shift he made. Jeremy shares how years of trying to look and act the part in creative circles pulled him away from the work he actually wanted to do. He explains how leaning into his roots and his real strengths changed the kinds of opportunities, partners, and projects that started finding him. Th...

In this episode, Jeremy Wells, principal at Longitude and partner at Flyover Developments, walks through his latest project in the Ozarks and then gets into what it might reveal about where lifestyle hospitality is headed. Jeremy's LinkedIn post with photo of fishing books Learn about The Ozarker Lodge (Jeremy's other hotel) Buy Jeremy's book -- INDIE HOTEL: Why Hoteliers Are Breaking Free from Chains and Choosing Independence Listen to our first recording: "Why I moved from tech to hospitalit...

Rob Blood, founder and chairman of Lark, and principal at Elder & Ash, joins the show to talk about what it looks like to put down roots in a place so projects can connect to each other. Drawing from recent work in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he explains how lodging, bars, bookstores, and cultural spaces create more value together -- when they encourage people to stay, linger, and build relationships. Rob shares why spending time in a community leads to deeper learning and better hospitality exper...

Rob Blood, founder and chairman of Lark, joins the show to reflect on the collapse of Sonder and what it revealed for owners, operators, brands, and technology companies. Drawing from firsthand experience working with properties affected, Rob explains where the master lease model broke down and why control and transparency matter when hotels operate at scale. The conversation explores the right role of technology in hospitality, the limits of venture-driven growth, and how strong partnerships he...

In this episode, Tony Roumph, Managing Director of Argonaut Hotel in San Francisco, shares a practical look at how his team balances timeless hospitality with modern operational realities. This episode includes a case study on how AI and workflow automation reduced front desk call volume by 80 percent, freeing teams to focus on the people in front of them. Technologies Tony mentions: EHVA AI Alice by Actabl Also see: "He Gave Me the Opportunity to Fail, and That Changed Everything" - Tony Rou...