Hospitality Huddles

Most hotel restaurants fail for one simple reason. They try to please everyone. In this episode of Hospitality Reframed, Scot Turner sits down with Mark Hayton to discuss the transformation of The Manor House at Foxhills, one of the UK's most respected country club destinations. Together they unpack the thinking behind creating Lomri, why Foxhills chose to move away from a traditional hotel re...

Technology is no longer sitting behind hospitality. It’s shaping the space itself. Recorded live at the Hospitality Tech Expo 2026 at ExCeL London, this special episode of Hospitality Reframed in collaboration with the  @hoteliersvoice  podcast explores how technology, staffing pressures and digital behaviour are fundamentally changing how hospitality spaces are designed and operated. Hosted by Ry...

What does great hospitality design actually do? In this special live episode of Hospitality Reframed, recorded at the HRC 2026 Vision Stage at ExCeL London, Scot Turner hosts a panel of operators, designers and sustainability experts to explore one big question:Does design drive revenue — or should we really be talking about profitability? Joined by:Alex Chapman, CEO - DECONDavid Chenery, Director...

This is the first episode of Hospitality Reframed — and it starts with one of the most misunderstood topics in business: sustainability. In this conversation, Scot Turner sits down with David Chenery to strip sustainability back to its fundamentals. Not as a marketing message, but as a system of choices, constraints and long-term thinking. They explore why sustainability is less about saving the p...

Hotels keep softening their concepts — and it’s killing their identity. In this episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner and Bal Mahey dive into why bold F&B wins, why micro-niche strategy is the future, and why trying to please everyone leaves hotels with concepts that excite no one. Chapters: 00:00 – The frustration: hotels keep softening concepts 01:15 – Bold F&B explained: clarity o...

Hotel strategy starts with data — but it can’t end there. In this episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner and Bal Mahey discuss their recent trip to Dresden, Germany, and what it taught them about market research, data validation, and walking with purpose. They explore how real insights onlycome when you get out of spreadsheets and into the streets — talking to people, observing day parts, and...

Toolkits aren’t paperwork. They’re performance. In this episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner and Bal Mahey break down one of the most requested, yet most misunderstood, parts of hospitality operations: toolkits, SOPs, operational manuals, and digitised frameworks. Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome from Vorboss Studios in East London 00:56 – “Toolkits vs SOPs”: why language matters 02:01 – Why opera...

Luxury is undergoing a profound transformation — and the old rules no longer apply. In this episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner is joined by Professor Zi Wang, luxury branding academic, consultant, writer and coach, to explore how a new generation of consumers is reshaping the meaning of luxury. Zi reveals why today’s luxury is defined less by status and more by quietconfidence, emotional...

From Blackpool to Istanbul, via Kenya, Australia, Hong Kong, Vegas, Budapest, Kuwait and Dresden — this episode of Hospitality Huddles is our full 2025 Wrapped. Recorded in early December, Scot Turner and Bal Mahey reflect on a year of global travel, concept development, hotel openings, operational toolkits, market research and big learnings. It’s a relaxed, honest recap of where the year took us,...

AI can transform hospitality, but not in the way most people think. It’s not about shortcuts or replacing humans — it’s about efficiency, validation, and support. In this episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner and Bal Mahey share how they use ChatGPT and other AI tools to deliver projects faster and more accurately. From validating financial narratives to analysing competitor sets, they expla...

Hotels have a common problem, food & beverage profitability. So if we could give you a solution that provides you with market intelligence, people-less automation and takes care of the operation, it would sound too good to be true.   Wrong, you just haven't heard about Wundermart.  In this week's episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner sits with Wundermart Co-Founder, Laurens de Kl...

Why are hoteliers so afraid of failure? And what does risk really mean in hospitality today? In this bite-size episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner and Bal Mahey explore why risk aversion can hold hospitality back — and why measured risks, experimentation, and even failure are essential for progress. Expect insights on: - Why psychological fear stops leaders from trying new ideas - How to d...

This is a very special episode as we are joined by our Strategic Brand Expert, Richard Liverman, who has worked with our Founder, Scot Turner to shape the Auden brand to share some of the insights he has brought to our conversations over the last 18 months. This is a fantastic insight into how Richard helps brands be amazing including lessons learnt working with Nike, Godiva and Jack Daniels as we...

What do McDonald’s, Shake Shack, and Subway have to teach hoteliers about F&B? A lot more than you might think. In this bite-size episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner and Bal Mahey break down the key lessons hotels can take from the world of Quick Service Restaurants (QSR). From process design and automation to training and consistency, they explore how QSR thinking can transform hotel...

What does it take to go from employee to founder — and create a boutique hotel brandin Dubai? In this episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner sits down with Judit Toth, Founder of Inhabit Hotel, to explore her remarkable journey from wellness and sales to building her own hotel company. From the chaos of pre-opening tosustainability practices and financial discipline, Judit shares the entrepre...

Hotel food and beverage is never just a restaurant and a bar. It’s weddings, conferences, VIP dining, in-room service, and even that couple who want dinner in the middle of a meadow. In this bite-size episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner and Bal Mahey unpack why hotel F&B is uniquely complex — and what leaders must do to design, plan, and operate spaces that can adapt to constant demand...

How do you design hospitality spaces that truly stand out? And why is sameness the enemy of great experiences? In this episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner is joined by Jake Rynar , Co-Founder of No Wall Studio , to explore how brand, design, and community building intersect to create spaces people love. From experiential master planning to micro-niche concepts and residency programmes, Jak...

In this special launch edition of Hospitality Huddles, we take a deep dive into the brand-new Food & Beverage Report 2025. Moderated by Thomas Finn, Founder of Edwards & Finn, the conversation brings together Michael Grove (CEO, HotStats) and Scot Turner (Founder, Auden Hospitality) to dissect the numbers shaping hotel food and beverage performance.👉 What you’ll learn in this episode:Why...

What does luxury really mean in 2025? And how can hotels and restaurants design experiences that guests will never forget? In this episode of Hospitality Huddles , Scot Turner sits down with Oliver Corrin , Creative Director at EDG, to unpack how luxury hospitality is evolving. From autonomy and storytelling to the power of small moments, Oliver shares why guest-centric design, immersive experienc...

What really makes or breaks a restaurant opening? It’s not just the food, the marketing, or even the buzz on launch day — it’s how you manage recruitment, training, and reputation from day one. In this bite-size episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner and Bal Mahey reflect on their recent opening of Noreen in London’s St. Christopher’s Place. They share the lessons learned from a busy launch,...

How do you build a lasting network for F&B leaders in one of the toughest hospitality cities in the world? In this episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner is joined by Desiree Dills and Roy Sommer , Co-Founders of the Food & Beverage Managers Association (FBMA) London . Together, they share the story of how FBMA was born, why it matters, and what’s next for the association that’s been...

Hospitality Huddles is back! In this bite-size relaunch episode, Scot Turner and Bal Mahey share why we pressed pause, what’s changed behind the scenes, and why the future of hotel F&B strategy, thought leadership, and authentic contentmatters more than ever. From rethinking the role of boutique hoteliers to learning from content creators like Stephen Bartlett, this episode sets the tone for t...

Join Scot Turner for this week's Hospitality Huddles episode as he speaks with Jason E Brooks of HospIvation as they talk about leadership in hospitality and why say someone is a Manager isn’t a dirty word. Listen to the episiode as Jason shares his favourite five chapters of his book, Every Leader Needs Followers. Timestamp: 0:00 - Challenges in Professional Coaching and Management 2:22 - The...

Join Scot Turner as he sits with Chef Smokey & Sandra of the Homies on Donkeys to reflect on their first two years of running their own brick and mortar restaurant. This is a candid account of a founders journey to being on Time Out, Hardens and Infatuations places to visit let alone a great review from Grace Dent on opening night. To learn more about the Homies visit their website https://www...

Join Scot Turner for this week's Hospitality Huddles episode as he speaks with global award-winning chef, Jodi-Ann Palmer of The Food Design Agency about how she uses data mining and science to create fun and innovative food menus that make a difference. This episode is packed full of knowledge for F&B leaders and Executive Chefs globally. To learn more about Jodi-Ann follow her on socials...