Nxt Gen Hotels

We say this every time, but this episode really isn’t one to miss. A slightly different format than usual, where we step away from the hospitality industry and dive into the world of travel and experience; the craft of curiosity; discovering our purpose and what it takes to build a brand from the ground up. With a whole ton of insights in between. Our guest, Augusto Valverde, Creator & Host of...

Thomas Greggory, Directeur Général at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas joins Mark to discuss the role technology plays in creating a seamless experience within hospitality. Thomas shares a wealth of knowledge, outlining the importance of investing in your team and how this translates into the hospitality guests will receive. Thomas’ hospitality journey started by accident back in 1999, wher...

This week on Your Next Generation Hotel podcast we sat down with Pascal, Director and General Manager of the amazing Paramount hotel Dubai, a flagship property and extension of the iconic Paramount Studios. Pascal shares insight into the properties’ link to the cinematic era and how this is reflected throughout.  Falling in love with the industry at just 12 years old, Pascal shares a wealth o...

Another episode for all young hospitality professionals! Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast is delighted to welcome Mads Wolff into the hot seat for this week's episode. Mads, who served as Hotel Manager since 2019, now sits at the helm as General Manager for 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central. Mads joins Mark to discuss his journey from trainee chef in a Michelin Star restaurant in Denmark; to now o...

Calling all young hospitality professionals! This week’s guest Recep Pamukcu shares his philosophy and expertise on the key behind creating an amazing guest experience and getting the best out of your team. Recep, General Manager of the breathtaking Ajman Hotel has a wealth of experience across all areas of the hospitality industry, and also happens to share some Irish roots having previously work...

Recorded at the breathtaking oasis, ZOYA Health & Wellbeing Resort, in this week's episode of YNGH podcast Mark is joined by ZOYA’s VP of Business Development, Salem al Said. Salem, son of founder Ameer Said, gives us an inside look at the UAE’s first fully-integrated health resort and its unique and holistic approach to mind and body rejuvenation. Discover more about ZOYA's incredible treatme...

In this episode of Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast, Tolga Lacin - Area General Manager of Marriott International, sits down with Mark to chat all things sustainability and the wave of innovation sweeping across Dubai. Tolga has 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry and tells his story along with fascinating insights into their sustainable initiatives to reduce the environmental imp...

This week on Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast we sit down with yet another inspiring leader in the industry, Laura Eggleton, General Manager at Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown. Laura chats about her career so far, transitioning from UK hospitality to the Middle East and the importance self belief has had in her career so far! Laura discusses her thoughts on the importance of work life balance and ho...

We are back with another episode of Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast and we promise this is one of the best yet! This week we sit down with Jaime Simpson General Manager at Jumeirah Group / Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts to discuss balancing motherhood with career progression, the misconceptions that impact female leaders in the industry and both the challenges and learnings Jaime has had over th...

This week, Mark chats to Casper Schonfeldt, General Manager of Trump International Golf Club, on what sparked his interest in the hospitality sector and his journey to getting to where he is today. Casper offers advice to aspiring hoteliers and emphasises the importance of guiding and investing in talent.  Casper now oversees the iconic and award-winning Trump Interna...

This week Mark sits down with Samuel Njoroge, Quality Assurance Manager at JA Resorts and Hotels to discuss all things business excellence and sustainability. Samuel discusses his path in the industry so far, giving an insight to his passion for sustainability and the journey in becoming Dubai’s most sustainable 5 star resort hotel.

In this week's episode Mark sits down with Najee Syriani, Corporate Vice President of Projects at Rotana Hotels to chat about everything from culture to hotel design. Najee highlights the importance of staying agile to keep up with the ever evolving guest expectation and shares how Rotana collaborates with the local community to enrich a strong culture for their travellers. After 18 years in the A...

We are back with Series 3 of Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast, this season Mark heads to the Middle East to chat all things Hospitality, with some of the industries best leaders 🚀 Our first guest this season is one you won’t want to miss 👀 We sit down with Nathalie Cockayne , General Manager at Meliá Desert Palm, to discuss the highlights of her career thus far, inspiring future talent in the...

Jon Davis is the CTO of Village Hotels. Village Hotels operates 31 hotels in the United Kingdom, with a plan to open 50 by 2025. The company was founded in 1995, and is now owned by Denver-based private equity firm KSL Capital Partners. Jon has a fascinating background from the operations side as hotel manager to running his own hotel technology consultancy business to his current role with Villag...

Jane Pendlebury is the CEO of The Hospitality Professionals Association (HOSPA). HOSPA is the Association that helps hospitality’s professionals to develop their careers, network with colleagues and keep up-to-date with industry trends and developments. They also have a crisis support page on their website hospa.org that gives super valuable advice around COVID with help on re-opening being one ex...

Chitra Stern is the recipient of the prestigious Deloitte Institute “Accomplished Entrepreneur Award” at the London Business School, “Person of the Year” Award by the international Family Travel Association and the “Family Traveler Award” for special contribution to the Family Travel Market. She is an Electronic Engineer, Chartered Accountant and MBA (London Business School). Between 2017 and 2019...

Constance Hotels & Resorts is a collection of luxury hotels in authentic destinations across the Indian Ocean. Beautiful Mauritius, Magical Maldives, True Seychelles & Authentic Madagascar. Don't they sound wonderful.  We were delighted to be joined by Roshan Koonja who is the Chief Information Officer at Constance Hotels. We discussed all things technology on a luxury resort and how...

Jan Hejny is the CEO of HotelTime Solutions, a company that provides cloud-based systems to hospitality industry in the EMEA region. They develop, distribute and support 4 main products - HotelTime (online property management system), Vento (ePOS system), Libero (PMS for wellness&spa centers) and Confero (Conferencing&Events system) and currently serve more than 500 customers in 11 countri...

Michael Bonsor is the Managing Director of the Rosewood London. An iconic hotel, an iconic brand and an exciting future.  We discussed it all from keeping the team positive to tackling covid. Michael joined the Rosewood in 2013 as Hotel Manager before taking up the position of Managing Director in 2017. During this time, he has led the hotel to Forbes 5-star rating and Conde Nast #1 Hotel in...

Welcome back to "Your Next Generation Hotel" podcast. Season 2 kicks off with Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality.  UKHospitality is the powerful voice representing the broad hospitality sector – covering everything from bars, coffee shops, contract catering, hotels, nightclubs, visitor attractions and other leisure venues. Kate is facing the toughest challenge the industry has ever encounter...

When brilliant, committed people come together, anything is possible. At a time when the governments' recent immigration policy announcement has understandably caused concern, it has been an absolute pleasure for us to welcome Louise Phelps, Robert Richardson and Chad Smith to collaborate on this episode to help the hospitality industry stand together and face our recruitment challenges constructi...

Elaina Fitzgerald Kane is the 38th President of the Irish Hotels Federation, succeeding Michael Lennon. She is Sales Director of the Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel & Spa, a family-owned, four star hotel at Adare, Co Limerick. The 89 bedroom hotel, which currently employs 200 people, was established by her parents, Mary and Dick Fitzgerald in 1983. Mary Fitzgerald is a former President of t...

Robin has worked in hospitality ever since he graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 1977, with his background prior to Bespoke consisting of a range of General Manager positions across the country, including the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews and the Royal Berkshire in Ascot, before becoming a Regional Operations Director for Forte Hotels, based primarily in Bath. Bespoke Hotels has grown to...

Nassar Khalil FIH MBIFM has just been named an industry giant by Boutique Hotelier. Even by only looking at the list of roles he currently occupies it's hard not to see why. Nassar is the Owner & Chief Exec of Rogue City Hotel Group, Director of Hotels and Leisure at Henley PLC, CEO of his own independent hotel and hospitality consultancy, a Managing Director at no less than three hotels and a...

Janice Gault is the CEO of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation. On a positive day for hotels in Northern Ireland where the re opening date has been brought forward to July 3rd, we spoke to Janice about her time with the NIHF, how Covid has impacted hotels but more importantly how hotels will manage their way through this crisis.  The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation is a not-for-profit l...