Best Marriott Hotels Podcasts (2024)

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#178: Spin Master – Yep, The Toy Company 19:17

9h ago19:17

19:17

Going from public domain toys to Spin Master Originals was a must. How did Harari, Rabi and Verity do it? It wasn’t with the devil sticks. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands. Stephen Simple is a marketing consultant, s…

1
#177: Lip Bar – All Natural Happy Place 23:08

7d ago23:08

23:08

This is how you go from not wanting to be unhappy to working your passion to Shark Tank to Lipstick Empire. Way to go, Melissa Butler. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom-and-pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story…

1
Wyndham's Optimism, Southwest's Strong Bookings and Malaga's STR Crackdown 2:44

5d ago2:44

2:44

Episode Notes Wyndham Hotels says it’s still seeing strong demand for leisure and business travel despite economic uncertainty, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. CEO Geoff Ballotti said on Thursday that the company believes it won’t see a decline in leisure travel demand during the fourth quarter and throughout 2025. Ballotti added a c…

1
AI-Powered Travel Agent, Hilton's Mixed Fortunes and Boeing's Struggles 2:55

6d ago2:55

2:55

Episode Notes Anthropic, a generative AI startup, has unveiled new tech that indicates how an AI-powered travel agent would look, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. Anthropic recently released three demonstrations of the tech, one of which was for making travel plans. A more advanced version of the tech could eliminate the friction of …

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#176: Mars – Part 2 – The Best Chocolate Union 16:01

7d ago16:01

16:01

When you need the chocolate you find creative ways to make the deal work. See the best of both worlds. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from Mom and Pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story collector and storyteller. I’m …

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NYC's New Tourism Chief, IHG’s Growth and Cathay's ‘Mindblowing’ Cabin 3:47

7d ago3:47

3:47

Episode Notes NYC Tourism + Conventions, the city’s destination marketing organization, announced on Tuesday it named Julie Coker as its next president and CEO, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Coker, who has held the same roles at the San Diego Tourism Authority since 2020, will assume her new position on December 9. She succeeds …

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Rental Supply Slows, Saudis' Chinese Push and Sustainable Travel Woes 3:37

8d ago3:37

3:37

Episode Notes The growth of U.S. vacation rental and short-term rental supply has been slowing down, a trend that will likely continue next year, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. Vacation rental and short-term rental supply in the U.S. has grown 10% in 2024 from last year, according to analytics firm Key Data. However, that’s down fr…

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Uber + Expedia, Japan's Record and Cathay's New Suite 3:13

22d ago3:13

3:13

Episode Notes Uber has explored buying the Expedia Group, according to a report this week in the Financial Times. It’s all speculation at this point, but the deal, if it were to happen, would bring about the biggest shakeup the travel industry has seen in years. Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes answers 10 questions about it. Dawes notes ther…

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Hotels' Optimism, Airbnb's Matchmaking and United's Earnings 3:17

13d ago3:17

3:17

Episode Notes Hotel executives gathered at The Lodging Conference recently to discuss emerging trends in the industry. Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill listed five key takeaways from the event as executives look forward to 2025. O’Neill notes hotel leaders are cautiously optimistic about the economic outlook for next year. Executives generall…

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#175: Mars – Part1 – Like Father Unlike Son 14:19

22d ago14:19

14:19

Franklyn Mars bails his son Forrest out of jail. Then Forrest decides to build a bigger company. Mars is an absolute empire. Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom-and-pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story collector…

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Florida's New Campaign, Abu Dhabi's Sphere and Uber's New Service 3:18

14d ago3:18

3:18

Episode Notes Visit Florida launched a new campaign this week to inform tourists much of the state is ready to welcome visitors after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Visit Florida will share images and videos of destinations largely unaffected by the hurricanes via social media over the next two weeks…

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Barcelona’s New Tourism Protests, Hotel Labor Strikes and Attracting Indian Tourists 3:25

25d ago3:25

3:25

Episode Notes Thousands of Barcelona residents took to the streets this past Sunday to demand the city stop hosting the America’s Cup sailing competition and other huge tourism events. It’s the latest of large-scale protests in Spain against mass tourism, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Habtemariam notes protestors burned a replic…

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United's New Destinations, Disneyland's Price Hikes and Dubai's Invisible Neighbor 3:06

22d ago3:06

3:06

Episode Notes United Airlines is adding eight new, off-the-beaten-path destinations to its summer 2025 schedule, betting that travelers will fly to less popular locations, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. United’s new destinations for summer 2025 include the capitals of Mongolia, Senegal and Greenland. Maharishi notes many of its new dest…

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Marriott Settlement, OTA Buybacks and Hyatt-American Air Loyalty Play 3:01

22d ago3:01

3:01

Episode Notes Marriott has reached an agreement with 49 states and Washington, D.C., to pay $52 million to settle charges related to data security, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. O’Neill notes the settlement with the states relates to a database security incident in 2018 in the guest reservations system of Starwood, a hotel group Ma…

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#174: Daniel Whittington – The Chancellor, The Myth, The Legend 21:30

29d ago21:30

21:30

Daniel Whittington spent 7 months crafting the perfect message and a mere 10 minutes on the the plan of attack. How did it turn out? Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom-and-pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story c…

1
Marriott’s New Brand, Middle East Airline CEOs and Wynn’s Casino Project 3:45

24d ago3:45

3:45

Episode Notes Marriott International announced on Tuesday that it’s expanding its City Express by Marriott brand into the U.S. and Canada, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. O’Neill reports the expansion represents Marriott’s foray into the “affordable midscale” category in the two countries. Marriott bought the City Express brand in M…

1
Hurricane Milton Prep, Mandarin Oriental’s Plans and Thriving Travel 3:21

24d ago3:21

3:21

Airlines and airports are getting ready for Hurricane Milton, a “potentially catastrophic” storm expected to hit southwest Florida on Wednesday, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. Tampa International Airport and Orlando International have announced they plan to suspend operations in anticipation of Hurricane Milton. Several airlines — inclu…

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Accor’s Ambitions, G Adventures’ New Brand and Morocco’s World Cup Prep 3:17

1M ago3:17

3:17

Episode Notes Accor CEO Sebastien Bazin said the Paris-based hotel group has 47 brands in its portfolio. And the company has plans to add more, writes Middle East Reporter Josh Corder. Bazin said at the Future Hospitality Summit in Dubai that Accor doesn’t have too many brands. He noted in the era of technology, customers have enough resources to d…

1
We Know Japan 37:38

28d ago37:38

37:38

In our latest episode, Yvette Broussard, Director of Product Development, and Danny Gomez Jr., Senior Manager of Training, dive deep into Classic Vacations’ Japan. Discover the top places to stay, not-to-miss experiences, and expert travel tips for exploring this fascinating destination. Travel Advisors can find information on hotels and packages b…

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Hotels’ Performance, Priceline’s New AI and Klook's Evolution 3:07

29d ago3:07

3:07

Episode Notes The global hotel industry has seen some markets thrive this year while some others have struggled, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill. A recent report by CBRE Hotels Research revealed U.S. revenue per available room would grow roughly 1% for the full year. That’s close to a 2 percentage point drop from its forecast in Febr…

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#173: Scrabble – Strategic Crossword Empire 16:43

28d ago16:43

16:43

Alfred Butts worked on this game from 1938 until 1949 and then gave up the rights to James Brunot for royalties. Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom-and-pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story collector, and storyt…

1
Moxy Turns 10, Amtrak’s New Campaign and Tourism Traffic in Croatia 3:33

1M ago3:33

3:33

Moxy Hotels, Marriott’s first brand aimed at travelers in their 20s, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill takes a look at how Moxy has looked to stay relevant in the marketplace throughout the years. O’Neill notes that Moxy doesn’t subscribe to the commonly held premise in the hotel industry that th…

1
Carnival’s Alaska Boom, Travel Startup Funding, and Singapore vs. Hong Kong 3:37

1M ago3:37

3:37

Episode Notes Carnival Corp. said demand for travel to Alaska is “off the charts,” writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Carnival CEO Josh Weinstein said Alaska has emerged as one of the cruise line’s top destinations in 2024, especially for first-time cruisegoers. Weinstein’s comments came as residents in the state capital Juneau are v…

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Hotels and AI, Mallorca's Visitor Boom and Southwest's Optimism 3:06

1M ago3:06

3:06

Episode Notes Hotel companies are trying to figure out how artificial intelligence will impact their businesses. Leaders in the industry aren’t quite sure yet, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill, who attended the Destination AI summit in Washington, D.C. Jess Petitt, an executive at Hilton, said the number of hotel bookings made using g…

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Meta's AI-Powered Update, Choice vs. Wyndham and Travel's New Initiative 3:13

1M ago3:13

3:13

Episode Notes Skift is taking another big step to shape the future of travel. We’ve launched Skift Elevate, an initiative that aims to empower underrepresented voices in the industry. Skift President Carolyn Kremins calls Elevate a movement to drive meaningful, collective action across the travel industry. Its inaugural event took place at the rece…

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#172: Marriott – Creating the Future of Hotels 17:28

1M ago17:28

17:28

J.W. Marriott had a gift for seeing what the public needed and made sure to give it to them. Marriott is the epitome of Entrepreneur to Empire. Dave Young: Welcome to The Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom and pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consulta…

1
Ship-Free Saturdays, Southwest's Special Meeting and Etihad's New Routes 3:02

1M ago3:02

3:02

Episode Notes Residents of Juneau, Alaska, are set to vote next Tuesday on a measure that would ban large cruise ships from docking in the city on Saturdays and July 4, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. The ban would apply to any large cruise ship with more than 250 passengers. The measure requires a simple majority to pass. Karla H…

1
Recession-Resistant Travelers, Hotel Worker Discontent and Air-Traffic Controllers 3:29

1M ago3:29

3:29

Episode Notes Concerns have grown in recent weeks about how a potential recession could impact travel. But while the travel industry isn’t recession-proof, it could be recession-resistant, reports Senior Research Analyst Pranavi Agarwal. There are signs of weakness. The Skift Travel 200 Stock Index is up only 3% since the start of the year, and tra…

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Expedia's Decreased Business, JetBlue's Challenges and Dubai Sphere 3:12

1M ago3:12

3:12

Episode Notes Expedia Group CEO Ariane Gorin said at the Skift Global Forum on Thursday that some of its brands took a hit during its recently completed tech migration, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes. But the new CEO said Expedia, which was the least disrupted of its core brands, has done well, with growth in room nights of 20% in t…

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