A Room with a View Podcast

Room 70 | Greg Maguire – Powerhouse Hotels From humble beginnings to regional hotel icon, Greg Maguire has spent a lifetime quietly transforming what great hospitality looks like in country Australia. In this episode, Greg shares the story behind Powerhouse Hotels, the risks and resilience that shaped his journey, and the leadership lessons he’s picked up along the way. It’s a warm, generous chat...

In Room 69 of A Room With A View*, Grant and Scott take things back to where it all began. It’s a relaxed, straight-up chat about how life's journey—both here at home and abroad—and what’s on the horizon for the rest of the year. No script, no spin, just two mates reflecting on the road so far and the opportunities ahead. Grab a coffee, settle in, and enjoy this open and honest conversation

In Room 68 of A Room With A View, we sit down with landscape architect and creative mind Daniel Baffsky — a man whose story is as much about family as it is about design. Daniel opens up about the values he learned from his father, the energy that family life brings to his work, and the evolving passion that’s shaped his career. It’s a thoughtful and honest conversation about legacy, purpose, and...

Welcome back to A Room With A View, the final episode for what has been a fantastic year together. Today we’ve got a very special guest in the Room With A View studio: Michael Johnson. Hall of Famer, proud dad, hotel professional and an absolute legend of our industry, Michael has been recognised in both the HM Awards and AHA Hall of Fame – and for good reason. In this episode, we dive into anothe...

There are few names more recognisable – or more genuinely loved – in Australian television than Larry Emdur. From early mornings on The Morning Show to game shows and everything in between, Larry’s career has spanned decades, making him a constant presence in Australian living rooms. But what’s most interesting isn’t just what he’s done – it’s where he’s going next. In this episode, Larry joins us...

On this Room 65 of A Room With A View, we sit down with the brilliant Richard Crawford from Marriott Hotels. Richard’s journey from growing up in Tasmania and working in the family business, to building one of Australia’s finest boutique hotels, The Henry Jones, is nothing short of inspiring. He’s a true hotelier — passionate, creative, and deeply connected to place and people. We loved hearing hi...

Welcome to A Room With A View, the podcast where we dive into the stories behind the people shaping our industry. In this episode, we sit down with Paul Hutton from Hilton – a true hotelier at heart, and a family man who has dedicated his life to hospitality. Paul’s journey is as inspiring as it is fascinating. We talk about where it all began, from his early steps into hotels, to the extraordinar...

Welcome to A Room With A View, coming to you live from No Vacancy 2025. Today we’re diving into the world of European sun beds with Sophia from Dolce Capri — a young start-up that’s redefining the way we relax poolside. It’s a story of passion, design innovation, and creating comfort in a whole new way. We hope you enjoy this inspiring conversation, and if you do, don’t forget to like and subscrib...

Welcome back to A Room With A View, coming to you live from NoVacancy. In this episode, we’re joined by Kay Goodman, a passionate hotelier and leader who has just taken the bold step of starting her own company. Kay’s story is full of energy and inspiration, showing what it takes to turn experience into opportunity and vision into action. We dive into her journey, her perspective on the future of...

Welcome to Room with a View, coming to you live from No Vacancy 2025. We’ve got a bit of déjà vu today, because almost exactly one year ago we had these two legends on the podcast together. By complete coincidence, here we are again — one year later, same show, but with a whole lot that’s changed. We're joined by Ramzy De Silva and Declan Mimnagh, and what a year it has been for both of them. We’r...

Welcome to A Room With A View, live from Room With A View 2025. Our special guest is none other than Caper Schmidt, and we're thrilled to have you with us as we explore the ideas, people, and stories shaping the future of our industry. This podcast is about more than just conversation—it’s a chance to open the window a little wider, to challenge perspectives, and to share insights you won’t find a...

Welcome to another live edition of Room With A View, coming to you from the heart of NoVacancy 2025. Today we’re recording from the HR Stage, where conversations about people, culture, and the future of hospitality are at the forefront. A big thank you to Nicole Downs for inviting us onto the stage and for her warm introductions — it’s always a pleasure to be part of this community. Joining us tod...

Welcome back to A Room With A View, live from No Vacancy 2025. Today we’ve got a truly exciting conversation lined up with Ryan and Alyssa from Aetheron - Booking Boost. They’re at the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation, and together we’ll explore how AI is being applied to the hotel industry in ways that are transforming guest experience, streamlining operations, and unlocking new va...

Welcome to A Room With A View Live from No Vacancy. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Michael Donnelly — a man who’s lived more lives than most of us could dream of. From fronting rock ’n’ roll bands to building stages for some of the biggest acts in the world, Michael now leads the charge in one of the hospitality industry’s most exciting niches: Japanese sleeping pods. It’s a wide-ranging conver...

Welcome to A Room With A View, coming to you live from No Vacancy, where we explore the stories shaping hospitality and beyond. Today, we’re joined by someone who has taken the spirit of hospitality far outside the walls of hotels and into communities, literally changing lives. Craig Rodgers is a former hotelier whose career journey has led him to extraordinary impact through his work with ReLove,...

Welcome to A Room With A View, coming to you live from NoVacancy 2025. We are thrilled to be surrounded by the people shaping the future of our industry. A special thank you to Gabriel Eytan for introducing us to the world of TEA on this episode – in this episode you will learn there is so much more to Tea than you know - it could quite literally change your life. And of course, thank you to all o...

Welcome to A Room With A View, coming to you live from No Vacancy 2025. Today, we’re diving into a conversation that goes beyond hotels and hospitality, exploring how business can be a platform for real change. Our guest is Vinita Baravkar, the founder of Bhumi, a pioneering brand transforming the way the world thinks about textiles, sustainability, and conscious living. From humble beginnings to...

Welcome to A Room With A View Live from No Vacancy 2025— broadcasting straight from ICC Sydney! Today’s episode features a special guest: Gianni Domenicone, talented Hotel Manager at Quest Sydney Olympic Park. This session explores Gianni’s story—his career from Western Sydney student to leading a team amid today’s industry challenges, including guest expectations, operational innovation, and the...

Welcome to A Room With A View LIVE, the podcast where we dive into the people, places, and perspectives shaping today’s hotel world. In this episode, we’re joined by James Blanchett — a hotelier, owner of Quest Hotels, and, in another life, a rockstar lead guitarist. James takes us on the journey from working as a Night Porter at Quay West, sharing how he made the leap from managing hotels to owni...

Welcome to A Room With A View, coming to you live from No Vacancy 2025. Today we’re joined by the incredible Melinda Lampier for a conversation that dives deep into reputation, leadership, hotel career journeys, and the relationships that shape them all. To our listeners, thank you for being part of this community — your support means everything. If you enjoy these conversations, please remember t...

Welcome to A Room With a View, the podcast where we dive into the stories, strategies, and people shaping hotels, business, sport, and culture across Australia. Today is a very special occasion for us – Episode 50. Hitting this milestone has only been possible because of you, our listeners, who’ve tuned in, shared your feedback, and helped us grow this community of big-picture thinkers and curious...

In this Room 49 - Grant and Scott go back to where it all began for a wide ranging chat about many things, Val Kilmer, The Doors, Hotel Markets, Revenue Management Psychology and more. We are sorry for the length of time between drinks and will ensure you don't have to wait as long for the next episode. Thank you so much for listening to a A Room With A View.

In Room 48, we are joined by Steve Cox, former CEO of Destination NSW. Steve is a wonderful person with a great story to tell. Steve talks about the power of connection and shares some wonderful stories or his move from retail into tourism. This is a link to the Harvard study Steve mentioned. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-...

Room 47 and Erin Pickering from Holy Stone drops by the Room Without A View studio. Erin has a background in service delivery and has started a company to change the service world in Australia. Holystone is there to offer practical advice to companies so they can improve the service offered to their customers. Erin has some good practical advice on good service and how to get there. We hope you en...

In Room 46, Grant shares a deeply personal story of his time in Fiji. Grant left Sydney for the adventure of a lifetime, where he discovered the importance of living and belonging. An excellent story for budding hoteliers as they consider opportunities and which ones to take. It also proves the theory that hotels change lives.