Checking In by Hotel Owner

In this episode we’re joined by Bev King, Founder and CEO of Z Hotels. Bev tells us about how he created and scaled Z Hotels, the brand’s ‘compact luxury’ concept, its strong company culture and his three wishes for how the government can improve the fortunes of hospitality. This episode is sponsored by Hop Software: https://www.hopsoftware.com/

This week we speak to Joanne Taylor-Stagg, General Manager of the Athenaeum Hotel & Residences in Mayfair. Joanne told us about meeting Nelson Mandela in one of her earliest roles, being GM of the Crowne Plaza London Docklands during the London 2012 Olympics, revamping and repositioning The Trafalgar St James, and steering The Athenaeum through Covid and beyond. This episode is sponsored by Hop So...

In this episode we’re joined by Robin Chiang, Senior Vice President of Growth at OpenTable. Robin discusses the ways in which the platform helps hotels drive revenue growth, how hoteliers can leverage guest data to fully optimise their restaurant dining experience and the importance of attracting local guests to your hotel’s F&B sites. This episode was sponsored by Hop Software. Visit hopsoftware....

In this episode we speak to Tommie Eaton, Director of Clean the World UK. He spoke about how he first became an advocate for sustainability, the ways in which Clean the World helps hotels revolutionise their plastic recycling, the importance of a circular economy, and why it could be the future of hotels.

This week we're joined by James McGinn, Managing Director of Hastings Hotels in Northern Ireland. We spoke about how and why he pivoted away from accounting to hospitality, his multi-decade career with Hastings Hotels, how being Managing Director differs from his time as General Manager of the Europa Hotel, and his thoughts on how to attract and nurture the next generation of hospitality professio...

This week we are joined by Julie White - CCO Europe & North Africa at Accor. Julie discusses how her previous experience in the airline industry helped her prepare for her future roles, the complexities of managing and implementing strategies across such a large portfolio, and her advice to women who want to pursue leadership roles.

This week we speak to Andrea Signanini, Food & Beverage Director at Pan Pacific London. Andrea spoke to us about his journey from footballer to F&B Director, how to remain competitive in the luxury hotel space, and the key ingredients for creating a memorable luxury dining experience in hotels.

This week we are joined by Mark Lewis, CEO of hotel distribution consortia HotelREZ. We discussed how fostering good relationships with hoteliers is key to HotelREZ's success, how AI will help shape the hospitality space in the future and why people are truly what makes this industry so unique.

In this episode we’re joined by Scott Brown, the UK Director of Sales for Meliá Hotels International. Scott tells us about the importance of believing in your own offering when it comes to selling, what makes for a successful and strong sales team, and the ways in which Meliá ensures its hotels stand out from the crowd.

This week we’re joined by Lionel Benjamin, the co-founder of AGO Hotels. We discuss the launch of AGO Hotels, the company’s hybrid profit lease business model and the challenges of launching a new venture in the midst of a pandemic.

This week we spoke to Will Davies, Director at HBD Partners and co-founder of Checking-IN, the inter hotel LGBTQ+ network. He spoke about his transition from hands-on hospitality to recruitment, how the industry has evolved in its approach to talent acquisition and the work Checking-IN does to support the LGBTQ+ community within hospitality.

This week we are joined by Jim Cockell, the owner of the boutique hotel The Old Stocks Inn. We discussed Jim’s decision to acquire the hotel back in 2014 and what he learned during the significant renovation project that followed, what skills he thinks are needed to create a successful revenue management strategy and why hoteliers should always look out for opportunities to diversify their revenue...

This week we spoke to Eljesa Saciri, General Manager of The Zetter Marylebone. Eljesa spoke about her strong advocacy for equality within the industry, what can be done to break down barriers for other women in hospitality, how to encourage young people to begin their own career journeys, and the importance of having difficult conversations to further progress.

This week we are joined by Giles Fuchs, owner of the iconic Burgh Island Hotel. We spoke about how it has been brought up to date with renovations, the new hotel-like staff accommodation that's just opened, and how it's intended to attract and retain staff in a tough recruitment environment, and why Giles feels it's time to sell and get back to full-time on his existing serviced office business.

This week we’re joined by Neil Taylor, the General Manager of YOTEL Glasgow. In this episode, Neil explains how his passion for hospitality developed at a young age, the importance of strong communication with your team as a General Manager, and how the industry can best attract and retain employees.

This week we’re joined by Martin Terry, Director of Sales at Stapleford Park. Martin talks to us about the ins and outs of targeting sales and staying competitive, the importance of connecting with customers to better understand your business, and what we can expect to see in the hotel events market this coming year.

On this episode we are joined by Emlyn Brown, Global Senior Vice President of Wellbeing at Accor. We discussed the challenges of overseeing a wellness and wellbeing strategy across multiple brands, his tips for independent hoteliers and what he calls the 'me to we' revolution.

This week we are joined by Marc Roeberson, the new COO of Clink Hostels. He tells us about the sixth instalment of Clink’s property portfolio, the importance of a strong CSR programme, and what he thinks the accommodation market will look like in the coming months.

This week we speak to Lee Pickersgill, Energy Manager at Valor Hospitality. Lee talks about what he learned during his time with the Royal Engineers, how he helps Valor reduce its energy usage across its portfolio, and what sustainable initiatives are set to emerge in the industry.

This week we’re joined by Chris Eigelaar, Resort Director at The Belfry Hotel & Resort. Chris talks to us about his career beginnings in South Africa, his current role as Resort Director, and how best to attract and retain talent in the industry, and foster a positive people culture.

This week we spoke to Michael Mason-Shaw, general manager at Hyatt Place London City East. We spoke about his career, starting as an art graduate, becoming Accor’s food and beverage country manager, and onward to GM roles working with Cycas Hospitality Management. We touched on his passion for sustainability and how to bring it into hospitality, and how technology is the key change the industry ha...

In this week's special episode we are joined by Hotel Owner’s very own reporter Corina Duma. Corina recently attended Hospa’s annual conference so we have brought her in to discuss who was in attendance and delve into some of the major talking points presented at one of the industry's marquee events.

This week we’re joined by James Horn, F&B Director at The Cumberland in London. James talks about his early career in New York City, what it’s like to work alongside hospitality legends such as Wolfgang Puck, his experience of revamping F&B offerings for hotels and what makes for a successful F&B offering for your site.

This week we are joined by Barbara Van Teeffelen, the owner of exclusive stay country house hotel, Keythorpe Hall. We discussed how Barbara and her partner Giles acquired the property, the benefits of the exclusive stay model and how sustainability is key to their offering.

This week we’re joined by Joe Fox, Head Concierge at Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill. Joe talks about his varied concierge roles over the years, including his time as chief concierge on a cruise ship, the benefits of being a member of Les Clefs d’Or and the most unusual requests he’s received from guests.