Hoteliers’ Voice

RECORDED LIVE 9 June 2026 at The Other House, Kensington. In this episode, we unpack the stark reality facing the UK hotel sector in 2026: while business volume is up, profit margins are shrinking. As Q1 data reveals TRevPAR growth struggling to outpace rising labor costs, we examine how operators can adapt. Joined by Jonathon Liu (Verdi Hotels), Inna Nekrassova (Hotel Cafe Royal), and Jo Morgan (...

In this episode we look at how to build experience and tap into events in a large countryside resort - identifying opportunity for operational efficiency and revenue optimisations. Paul Wells from Studio Moren kicks us off by discussing the evolution of UK resort development. We examine how country house hotels are rethinking their extensive grounds to function more like modern resorts, touching o...

ROI in staff roundtable kent edition Interview with James McComas - GM, Champneys Eastwell Manor Another agile year unfolding Predicting demand Clashing of brands and audiences Why working together is needed in Kent Partner - HOSPA - Janel Clark, Succeeding at people Professional development, keeping hospitality a people business, making a career from a service industry. What courses are there? Wh...

Interview with Harpreet Saluja: A year in making Owner shares his personal experience of taking over Kings Court Hotel, as we dive into determining investment priorities, building out a tech change and deciphering today’s market challenges 20 years ago Harpreet Singh Saluja lands in the UK with a few quid to his name and takes on his first job in hospitality as a pot washer. Today, he owns several...

This Hoteliers' Voice podcast from the Stratford-Upon-Avon edition of the roundtable roadshow explores how independent hotels can become "future-ready" by embracing digital transformation. Celtic Collection discuss new technologies, cloud migration, and the role of digital strategy in achieving operational success. Featuring: Harpreet Saluja, owner of Kings Court Hotel shares his experience of tak...

What happened at Travelodge sent alarm bells ringing across the industry - how do we keep guests safe and provide clear protocols to all staff? Keystep Solutions' Andrew Evans kicks off a discussion on Non-negotiable guest security on ho w hotels can ensure that their teams don’t put their guests at risk. At the Stratford-Upon-Avon roundtable - hoteliers share their thoughts and approach to managi...

A trip to find out what is on the minds of hoteliers when it comes to marketing - here I grab a few quick interviews with hoteliers and sponsors on what to be thinking about. Featuring: Chloe Parry from Carden Park - key marketing considerations Harry Fielder, Hotel Marketing Association and UmiDigital - where tech plays a role Daniel Ohandjanian, UpHotel Agency - integrations and expanding the pr...

The front desk at Kenilworth was handling a high volume of guest requests that had nothing to do with hospitality. The cost was not just operational, it was cultural. Staff felt like a switchboard, not a team. Joined by Nick Rubin Chief Strategy Officer at BGAM Hospitality and Daniel Ojeme Co-founder, CEO and CTO of Eccobell Limited, in this episode we look at How to recognise pain points in team...

LIVE from Everyman Cinema Broadgate, HOSPA in partnership with Next Wave Hospitality. This panel session sponsored by Focus on Hospitality explores how AI has dominated hospitality conversations over the last 18 months. This session cuts through the hype and focuses on what actually drives performance. What are the real blockers inside hotels today? What foundations need to be in place before inno...

Design meets experience: Join a live recording of the Hoteliers’ Voice podcast from HT360 Hospitality Leaders Forum, exploring how hospitality spaces are being reshaped and reframed as a result of technology, digitalisation and staffing challenges to elevate guest experience while improving commercial performance. This session will dive into how technology is forcing a rethink on the approach to i...

Learn how independent hotels can increase direct bookings and reduce reliance on online travel agencies (OTAs) with Sleeping Bear Hotels and Formula. Discover actionable strategies that can help direct bookings thrive in a competitive market. In today’s competitive hotel landscape, many independent hotels struggle with high reliance on online travel agencies (OTAs) for bookings. This reliance cutz...

Recorded live from HOSPA edinburgh event Next Wave Hospitality: Tech Transformation that delivers sponsored by Focus on Hospitality with Mike Baxtor, House of Gods Barry Makin, GM, Cromlix Hotel Lorraine Garvie, Head of Commercial Operations, Crieff Hydro We get their take on the changes in hospitality and guest experiences, what it will take to stand out and how they’re addressing tech and digita...

We’re on Fistral Beach in Newquay for something special. In this episode of Hoteliers’ Voice, I get an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of The Headland Hotel with Kai Sinkevicius, Assistant Operations Manager, as we explore what five-star hospitality really looks like on the Cornish coast. From the grand lobby and recently refurbished restaurant to the cottages, spa and Aqua Club, this is a story...

We talk a lot about digital channels, distribution and pricing strategy, but what happens when the guest actually walks through the door? In this episode of Hoteliers’ Voice, I sit down with Gail Peters from the Q Hotels Collection and Geoffrey Toffetti from Frontline Performance Group to explore what they call “last mile revenue”. With 19 four-star hotels across Great Britain, Q Hotels had the sc...

At the HOSPA regional event in Manchester, hosted by Focus on Hospitality, we brought together three operators who are right at the sharp end of regulation, compliance and commercial pressure. With Rob McGlynn from Supercity Aparthotels, Kelly Cronin from Village Hotels and Matthew Bell from Mollie’s, we explore what it really takes to stay profitable, compliant and future-ready in a fast-shifting...

There’s something special about bringing hoteliers together in the room. For this third Roundtable Roadshow, we headed to The Headland Hotel in Cornwall. What followed was a series of honest, practical conversations about what it really takes to keep an independent hotel thriving. From ownership and reinvestment to digital performance, IT infrastructure and the next generation of talent, this epis...

Coming live from the UK Hotelier Roundtable Roadshow - this conversation comes from Whittlebury Park, with our hotel host Bradley Spillman, Senior Digital and Marketing Manager, alongside and a panel of experts. We look into how a family-run estate is using data, design and technology without losing that human, hospitality feel. Featuring David Ohanjanian from Up Hotel Agency, Sharon Cowler of Net...

I always enjoy getting out to properties like Whittlebury Park, discovering what they have to offer across an expansive multi amenity resort and how they package it up. This conversation with Bradley Spillman, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, gave me a real behind-the-scenes look at how they juggle three very different businesses under one roof. In a tour of their impressive golf, spa,...

I wrapped up my Madeira trip with a real highlight: touring the Santa Maria with Nicholas D'Souza, the General Manager who's been with PortoBay for 13 years and knows every inch of this place. We chat as we wander the property, diving into how tech keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes while the team focuses on that genuine, family-feel hospitality PortoBay is famous for. Nicholas shares...

I’ve been loving this mini-series on PortoBay, and in this second part, I get to chat with two people who really bring the magic to life behind the scenes. I sit down with Fiona Fontes, who’s been with PortoBay for 15 years and is now Marketing Coordinator (with a real passion for digital), and Alex Esneriaga, Resident Manager at Ilha Porto Mare, who’s grown up on Madeira and knows these resorts i...

How do we grow revenue, enhance experience and think about expansion when guest expectations are rising and operating pressure hasn’t eased? In  Part 2  of our New Forest Roundtable, recorded live at  New Park Manor Hotel  as part of the  Hospitality Discussions UK Roundtable Roadshow , we move the conversation forward - shifting focus from cost and pressure to  oppor...

I was thrilled to get invited to Madeira by PortoBay Hotels after chatting with André at IHTF Europe about their early AI adventures, and this first part of our mini-series captures why this island group feels so special. I catch up with André Dória, Head of Digital Empowerment, on the PortoBay story and Madeira's unique charm, then dive deep with Rui Alves, Head of IT, on the tech backbone poweri...

How do we run profitable hospitality businesses when costs keep rising, expectations keep shifting, and leadership can feel increasingly lonely? This episode was recorded live at New Park Manor Hotel in the New Forest as part of the Hospitality Discussions UK Roundtable Roadshow. We’re joined by hotel leaders, operators and suppliers from across the industry for an open, honest conversation about...

In this episode of Hotelier’s Voice, I’m in the heart of the New Forest at New Park Manor, part of the Luxury Family Hotels collection. As I walk through the grounds with hotel manager Byron Fiddler, I get a real sense of what it means to create a family-focused luxury experience - one where children, parents, and even dogs are part of the stay in equal measure. Together, we explore the property i...

What do you do when customer acquisition costs drop 19% in one breath… and digital media prices explode 20–40% in the next? In this episode of Travel Market Life, I bring together three incredible experts: Christina Lemme (Senior Director, Global Media at Sojern), Caryl Helsel (Founder & CEO, Dragonfly Strategists), and Lee Hawkins (Founder, InsideOut Solutions) to dissect the just-released 20...