In this episode, David and Steve give their thoughts on some of the most notable trends and topics during the month of April in the Hospitality Industry. They cover: International Hospitality Institute Awards Hilton Acquiring Sydell Group Blackstone Pouncing on Hotel Real Estate State of the Union - April Summer Demand for US Hotels Tropicana Las V…

The Modern Hotelier Podcast and The Virtual GM Podcast come together for a special crossover episode hosted by Nick Horgan. This lively discussion brings together the hosts of the two popular hospitality podcasts - Steve Carran and David Millili from The Modern Hotelier, and Spencer Halford and Cody Adent from The Virtual GM Podcast. Nick puts the …

Seema Jain is the Founder and CEO of Seva Global – Growing Business Through Cultural Competency. She has years of experience helping companies become more culturally competent when engaging with people from different backgrounds. In her past role as Senior Director, Multicultural Affairs at Marriott International, Seema had responsibility for devel…

Eric Szymanski is an award winning American hospitality industry professional with extensive sales & marketing leadership experience including Hilton, Marriott, Starwood and Disney. Eric has demonstrated success in leading high-performing sales teams through planning, implementing and monitoring actionable sales and marketing plans at hotels and re…

Nikheel Advani is the COO and co-founder of Grace Bay Resorts and oversees overall operations, branding, sales, and marketing of resort development. He joined Grace Bay Club in August 2004 as the Managing Director, serving as the top operational executive in its expansion and renovation as it evolved from a $15 million, 22-room boutique hotel to a …

In this episode, the hosts, Steve Carran and David Millili, along with producer Jon Bumhoffer, bring a new segment called "Hospitality Hot Takes" where they analyze and provide their thoughts on the major stories that happened over the past month. They provide insights from both an independent hotel perspective as well as a branded chain viewpoint.…

Rachel Humphrey is a trailblazer in the hospitality industry, dedicated to advancing women in leadership roles. She is the Founder of the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance and serves as a Board Member, Principal, and Interview Host for DEI Advisors. Prior to her retirement in August 2021, Rachel served as the EVP & COO of AAHOA, the nation's…

Mercedes Blanco is a Corporate Leader Executive in Global Travel & Hospitality with a solid record in International Sales and Marketing Strategies. She has over fifteen years of experience in the hospitality industry, while volunteering at SITE, HSMAI, MPI, and teaching at several universities. Her impressive professional journey has taken her acro…

Emily Goldfischer is a London-based travel, food and culture reporter who founded and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Hertelier, an online platform for women in the hospitality industry. She has been living and reporting on UK and European travel trends since relocating from New York to London in 2010. Previously, Emily spent nearly twenty years worki…

Stuart Greif is a Global Travel and Hospitality Chief Executive Officer, Board Member, Advisor, Thought Leader, Speaker, Mentor and Investor. At Forbes Travel Guide, Greif drives strategy, innovation, and operations spanning over 80 countries and plays a leading role in Forbes Travel Guide’s Responsible Hospitality initiative. He previously served …

Born and raised in 1980s Brooklyn, Virginia Toledo took inspiration from abandoned buildings and her contractor father to launch a career in interior design. Today, as the creative director of Toledo Geller, Virginia uses her creativity to transform high-end residential and hospitality spaces. In this episode, Virginia shares tips on differentiatio…

Peter Ricci is the Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Hospitality & Tourism Management Program at Florida Atlantic University. His experience ranges from destination tourism to hotels to education. He joins us to talk about what he's seeing with labor trends in the hospitality industry and how we can inspire the next generation of hot…

Kevin Osterhaus is a storytelling expert with a wealth of experience working with renowned hotel groups such as The Standard, Bunkhouse, and Graduate Hotels. Since becoming President of Graduate Hotels in 2021, Kevin has focused on launching programs like the Graduate Academy for employee education and development. He discusses the importance of st…

Stephen Shedletzky —or “Shed” to his friends— helps leaders make it safe and worth it for people to speak up. He supports humble leaders—those who know they are both a part of the problems they experience and the solutions they can create— as they put their people and purpose first. After years on a corporate track, Shed was introduced to and inspi…

Jeremy Wells is the owner and partner of Ozarker Lodge, an independent hotel in Branson, Missouri. He is also a partner at Longitude, a hospitality branding and design agency, and co-founder of Flyover Development. Jeremy has authored two books, "Future Hospitality" in 2022, and his newest book, "Indie Hotel," was published earlier this year. David…

Anthony Melchiorri is the creator and host of Hotel Impossible, President of Argeo Hospitality, co-host of the No Vacancy Podcast, keynote speaker, and author of his new book, "Show Up: The Five Steps to Getting Out of Your Own Way." He joins us to share his inspiration behind writing the book and what it means to "Show Up" for yourself. Whether yo…

Aradhana Khowala is a global expert and one of the most influential leaders in the hospitality, travel, and tourism sector. Her career has spanned 20+ years, five continents, and more than 75 countries. Today, she is the CEO of Aptamind Partners, a strategic consultancy, which combines hard data and decades of experience to advise governments, emer…

Brian Monette is the CEO of Transition Path, a pioneering company that specializes in capturing and cataloging internal knowledge to prepare organizations for transitions and uncertainties. We'll explore how the sucessful transfer of knowledge can have a massive impact on employee happiness, retention, and performance In this episode, you'll learn:…

Today, our guest is Frank Reeves, the Co-Founder & CEO of Avvio, which recently merged with the SHR group. He is more than a tad obsessed with delivering innovative technologies and new distribution networks to grow direct bookings for hotels. Frank’s unwavering focus on innovation led him to build the hospitality industry's first fully guest-centr…

Are you ready to learn about the art of hospitality design with Longitude Branding? Jeremy Wells is an independent hotelier, brand strategist, investor, and author who believes that true hospitality, thoughtfully-crafted experiences, and humble attitudes can change the world. In this episode, we talk about his journey from creative director and des…

How can we use technology to help make travel easier? Jacqueline Nunley is a Travel & Hospitality Industry Advisor at Salesforce. She is an experienced world traveler and got into the Hospitality Industry because of her love for travel. She has dedicated her career to making it easier to travel using technology. In this episode, we dig into how hot…

Jessica Gillingham is a public relations expert in the hospitality and lodging space. She is the founder and CEO of Abode Worldwide, a public relations agency she launched in 2017 to focus on raising the profile of transformative technology solutions and enterprise operators in the global short-term rental, lodging, and living sectors. With over 20…

Jeanelle Johnson is a Principal, Lead Client Partner and Travel, Transportation and Hospitality (TTH) sector Co-Leader at PwC, focused on client service, industry perspective and research for the firm’s leading TTH clients. With nearly 25 years of experience at leading investment banking and consulting firms, Jeanelle’s passion is to help clients w…

Melinda Welch is a brand and experience strategy leader. She is the head of strategy at Brand Bureau, teaches branding at the School for Visual Arts and the Pratt Institute, and is the co-host of the BrandBox Podcast. Melinda is an expert in helping brands craft unique perspectives and connect deeply with their audience through design. Throughout t…

In today's episode, we speak with Nick Horgan, who is the CCO at Amaze Insights. We delve into the world of selling into hotels, technology adoption, and the importance of relationships in the hospitality industry. Nick shares his experiences, from working at NewMarket, to being a part of building a successful company and navigating acquisitions, t…

Welcome back to another episode of The Modern Hotelier! Today, we're diving into the fascinating world of cannabis-focued travel and the evolving cannabis travel trend. Our guest, Brian Applegarth, is here to shed light on this growing industry and share his expertise on creating enriching experiences for cannabis enthusiasts. From cannabis consump…

Welcome back to The Modern Hotelier podcast! In today's episode, we explore the challenges & opportunities in the vacation rental industry with Dale Smith. Dale is the Founder & CEO of the SDDE Smith Group, a family business forming multiple brands that provide end-to-end client services for the real estate sector, from legal, to design, constructi…

In this informative discussion, we have two guests joining us, John Fay and Kris Herrin from BirchStreet. Join us as we dive deep into the world of payment processing and uncover valuable insights to help you optimize your payment systems. Whether you're a business owner, financial professional, or simply interested in understanding the intricacies…

We're excited to bring you this special episode from HITEC 2023 in Toronto! During the week of HITEC, we sat down with hospitality professionals at GAIN's Night of Legends event at the Hockey Hall of Fame. We had a lot of fun with this one! In this episode you'll discover: The value of HITEC and why people keep coming back The most interesting and …

Do you want to gain insights into the latest trends and advancements in the hospitality industry, specifically focused on Vacation Rentals? In this episode, we have a special guest speaker, Michael Friedman, the COO of Onefinestay in the Americas. Michael will share invaluable career insights gained from his vast experience in the field. We will al…

HITEC is just around the corner, and this week we have the perfect guest... In this episode, we have a special guest speaker, Neil Foster, the President of HFTP (HITEC, USALI). Neil shares invaluable career insights gained from his vast experience in the field. We will also delve into his journey in tourism, hospitality technology, and what led him…

In today’s episode, we talk about the dynamic world of hotel ownership, fair franchising, and legal advocacy in the travel industry. We have an amazing guest speaker, Laura Lee Blake, as she shares her wealth of knowledge and expertise accumulated over her impressive 25-year career. Laura Lee Blake is the President & CEO of AAHOA, the leading resou…

In this episode, we speak with Dina Belon, the Chief Operating Officer at Staypineapple Hotels Inc. We dig into how StayPinapple's unique brand combines creativity, sustainability, and exceptional guest experiences to redefine hospitality. In this episode, you'll discover: • How StayPineapple is capitalizing on authenticity to create unique guest e…

In this episode, join us as we venture to the highly anticipated Independent Lodging Congress (ILC) in Denver. ILC is a gathering like no other, where owners and operators of independent hotels come together to discover, collaborate, and generate groundbreaking ideas. This is the place where industry leaders converge to shape the future of independ…

Have you ever wondered who represents and advocates for the Hospitality Industry to government leaders and policymakers? Today we get to meet the man who leads that organization. Our guest today is the President & CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Chip Rogers. In this episode, Chip shares his insights on the latest trends in the ho…

Hoteliers, what is your most valuable asset? Our guest this week strongly believes it's people (we agree). Ashok Patel is the Chief Development Officer at Jamsan Hotel Management and he joins the show to talk about why it's essential to protect your most valuable asset: your people. In this episode, you'll learn: The importance of strategically thi…

How can you help your staff focus on the most important tasks? Have you tried a hologram? Well... that might just be the answer. In this episode, Andre Smith & Marnix Lock, the Founders of Holoconnect, join us to talk about how they came up with Holoconnects, how holograms are being used in hospitality, and so much more! In this episode, you'll lea…

Can you eliminate all administrative tasks from hotels? That's the goal of Thomas Furulund and CIC Hospitality. They've even started implementing some new groundbreaking technology to help them in their mission. The new tech? Holographic front desk agents. Hear more about it in this episode! In this episode, you'll learn: How CIC Hospitality is usi…

We're kicking off our 2023 episodes by getting to know the team behind the Modern Hotelier a bit better. In this episode, David and Steve introduce our producer Jon, and they all ask each other questions. We hope you enjoy getting to know the team! Next week we'll be back to our normal schedule of sharing conversations with the best leaders, innova…

Being an independent hotelier is hard. Sometimes it can feel like you don't have the infrastructure, resources, and knowledge you need to stay afloat or keep growing. Preferred Hotels & Resorts is the world's largest independent hotel brand, representing more than 700 distinctive hotels, resorts, residences, and unique hotel groups across 80 countr…

Managing resort properties is a tall task. Our guest today, Tom Luersen, says it's like running a small town. Tom is currently the president of Coral Tree Hospitality and has over 20 years of experience in managing properties such as Kingsmill Resort, Woodland Resort, and overseeing multiple properties for Destination Hotels and Resorts In this epi…

This week on the podcast, we have Barak Hirschowitz who is the president of the International Luxury Hotel Association. We talk about his career and transition from being an award-winning chef in South Africa to focusing on luxury hospitality. In this episode, you'll learn: Why it's better to wash lettuce in the best restaurant than to be head chef…

Rupesh Patel has a wealth of knowledge in owning and operating hotels. It's in his blood. He grew up the son of a hotelier and eventually became the CEO and President of Zenique hotels. He is now a Partner at Verakin Capital and is putting his intimate knowledge of hotel operation and ownership to use investing in hotels and also investing in and a…

The emergence of Vacation Rentals has been one of the biggest disruptions to hotels and the travel industry in the last few decades. Steve Milo has grown VTrips from 1 property to over 7,000 properties. Find out why he believes vacation rentals are so popular and why there is still massive opportunity in this growing industry, In this episode, you'…

Most things in life are either memorable or forgettable. Which one is your hotel? How can you stand out from the crowd and be memorable? Bashar Wali, the Founder and CEO of This Assembly & Practice Hospitality, has some great insights on how independent Hoteliers can stand out. He joins the show to talk about: How a good internal culture is the key…

Peter Gould, CEO of RendezVerse, joins the show to talk about how the Metaverse will impact the future of hotels and events. In this episode you'll discover: The impact the metaverse can have on event planning How virtual reality can help make travel more green Why hotels won't have websites in 10 years Why finding great new places is a challenge f…

How do you up your game as a hotelier? Bruce Jordan is known as the MJ of hotels. He's the managing partner of Hotel Guest Management and specializes in turning around underperforming properties. This week he joins the show to share some of his insights with us. In this episode you'll discover: Why it's important to take every opportunity to learn …

What is the ONE thing that you need to focus on as a Josiah Mckenzie believes it's hotel operations. When you get the operations right... Marketing becomes easier Sales become easier Staffing becomes easier Josiah joins the show to talk about hotel operations as the holistic approach to running a successful hospitality business. In this episode you…

Are you telling a story with your hotel? Your brand? Your marketing? Humans are wired to understand and connect with stories. If you're not weaving storytelling into your messaging you may be missing out. Regitse Rosenvinge joins us from Denmark to talk about the importance of storytelling, how it attracts customers, makes them feel safe, and creat…

This week we talk marketing with Alan Young who is the President and Co-Founder of Puzzle Partner, who are experts in content marketing for B2B Hotel and Travel Tech companies. In this episode you'll discover: Why you need to focus on what you're good at, to provide value to your target The importance of simplifying your messaging, especially as ho…