SMACK Hospitality

Traveling under the rainbow flag During the recent pridemonth, Phil sat down at TSH Berlin with Simon Mayle Event Director at Reed Exhibitions, for, among others, PROUD Experiences and ILTM Cannes. At PROUD Experiences he connects hotels, travel advisors, and LGBTQ+ travel trailblazers and helps them to customize their offers to the community’s needs and wishes. Simon and Phil had a jolly exchange...

Pat had a chat with Chris Nader, Co-Founder and CEO of ENVI Lodges, who is on a mission to revolutionize outdoorhospitality and combine it with sustainableluxury. Chris and his team find themselves facing the challenge of meeting sustainability standards while satisfying the demanding needs of #luxurytravelers. But there’s no doubt that the soon-to-open boutique properties immersed in nature will...

Fahad Abdulrahim Kazim, CEO of Millennium Hotels & Resorts MEA, joined Fritz at the FHS in Riyadh for a chat about Saudi Arabia’s booming travel market, the plans of Millennium Hotels & Resorts in the middleeast and African region, and the future of brand evolution. Fahad found his true calling in hospitality through numbers. He went from accounting to real estate and landed in hospitality with a...

A business affair of data and sustainability. Meet Caroline Tiveus, Senior Vice President of Sustainable Business at Pandox - one of the forefront players in bringing the #hopsitalityindustry to the next level sustainability-wise. Caroline and Flo discussed the work she is doing to help hotels reduce their CO2 emissions, along with how different standards throughout the EU affect business decision...

Let’s say 2023 was not quite the year of deal-making within the industry. Then what does the future have in stock for #hospitality and #realestate? Alexi Khajavi President Hospitality, Travel and Wellness at Questex set down with Flo at last week’s IHIF to discuss trends, the role of technology and his personal “meandering” career journey. Alexi and his team are deeply embedded in the #hospitality...

Have you ever wondered what grows in the desert? We have. So we sent Phil to talk to someone who knows - Atul Chopra, Founder and CEO of FreshOn Table, who supplies restaurants and hotels in UAE with fresh greens and other edibles. Minimum emissions, maximum nutrition is his motto and led him to create a company that connects farmers to #chefs - so close, that they can harvest on demand. Atul has...

This is real, luxurious, family business! We had not only one but two guests on the show! Sir Rocco Forte, Chairman and Lydia Forte, Group Director of F&B at Rocco Forte Hotels brought some great topics and giggles to this episode with Fritz, recorded at the famous The Browns Hotel in London on Sir Rocco’s birthday. The #RoccoForte vibe isn't just a concept, it's a way of life and you can hear thi...

This was a first! As you might know by now, we had the pleasure of teaming up with YHS and hosting the very first SMACK Live! #podcast event with Patrick Mendes, CEO at ACCOR for Premium, Midscale & Economy in Europe and North Africa. Patrick shared a lot of insights with Fritz and the students at EHL about his career path (which he actually started off by quitting #hospitality and the #hotelbusin...

𝐎𝐡 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲! From the toast and marmalade mise en place at her parent's hotel on the Scottish coast to creating a female-influenced, bar- & restaurant empire with multiple locations in London is a very short version of describing Jillian MacLean’s career path. Jillian, founder of Drake & Morgan, and Pat had an inspiring chat about how hospitality is the ultimate playground to dream big...

Who has united 530 hotels, resorts, and eight kick-ass brands under one roof? 🏩 William Heinecke, aka Bill, Founder & Chairman of Minor Hotels and Fritz broke down the evolving world of hospitality at last year's FHS in Abu Dhabi. They talked about newly rising #traveldestinations like Saudi Arabia, bucket list trips, and the growing importance of the #foodindustry. 🥗 Bill’s mission: Authentic #...

Josiah Mackenzie, Host of Hospitality Daily, and Florian held a Double Trouble Super Trooper podcast episode, co-hosting and exchanging their passion and inspiration for hospitality. They are telling stories about the early beginnings of SMACK and the Hospitality Daily podcast. Inspired by the many conversations they have had with some of the greatest minds in the industry, they explored the lates...

Yes, you can do things differently! Even in the hotel business. Listen to 2024’s first smack episode and learn from YOTEL CEO Hubert Viriot how the brand has established a new status quo in the travel business over the past decade. YOTEL has been rocking its own way from the beginning, by focusing on highly tech-savvy customers and the future of traveling, instead of sticking to beaten paths. Some...

Winter wonderland vibes coming your way! 🏰 🌟 Gabriela Schmidle, Founder and CEO of mts vienna (Marketing Tourism Synergy Vienna) and organizer of the Schloss Schönbrunn Christmas Market in Vienna, joined Pat for a jolly chat about the business side of these unique events.

What happens when Airbnb meets hotel management? Well, confessions were made by Dr. Ellen Madeker Head of Public Policy for Germany, Austria & Switzerland (DACH) & Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) at Airbnb and Phil during a live podcast recording at the Berlin Travel Festival. A lot has changed in the apartment rental business and sharing economy in the last couple of years and some of that is th...

Attention please: “Hospitality Rising” That’s the title of Mark McCulloch’s campaign, which is addressing the painful topic of #staffshortage in the UK hospitality scene in an unseen way. And one thing is for sure: This is a game-changer in how employment in #hospitality is seen, not just in the UK, but potentially everywhere. If you want to know how to convert one in three GenZlers to potential h...

This episode will leave you hungry for more! 😋 Emma Banks Vice President, F&B Strategy & Development Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Hilton joined us for an episode of SMACK at the recent Future Hospitality Summit in Abu Dhabi hosted by the Bench to tell us her story. Fritz and Emma discussed the gourmet plate of all hospitality topics: F&D. Wait, F&D?! Yes, Food & Drinks as Emma rightfully ca...

Do you ever run out of battery? This man surely doesn’t! We are proud to welcome Dr. Jeffrey O - Chairman of the Directors Board at St. Justine, President of the International Hospitality Institute, coach, mentor, writer, and simply put: One of the most influential people in #hospitality.

Have you ever been to a large arena and thought to yourself, “Damn – this place is huge.”?!   John Langford, the COO of Anschutz Entertainment Group for Europe, knows all about that feeling as he is responsible for the operations of some of the largest arenas in Europe, including The o2 in London, Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin and the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg. We are beyond proud that he took...

Welcome Tao Tao, co-founder and COO of GetYourGuide, the revolutionary of travel experiences and one of the best people to hang out with if you need top travel advice in any city on this planet. For the opening of SMACK's fifth season, Florian had the honor of hosting Tao Tao and discussing his founder story, the tough times GetYourGuide had to face during the past couple of years, and what experi...

Hey there, Hospitality Fans! We missed you… and didn’t want to wait until Season 5 starts in September, so we sat our 4 hosts down together and sent them on a trip down memory lane. It’s been 4 years already – yeah, that’s right: 4 years since SMACK first started. Pat, Flo, Phil, and Fritz reminisced in a bit of nostalgia and a lot of laughter going through the past 4 seasons of their favorite SMA...

Back with another podcast episode you simply don’t want to miss. Join us on a heartfelt journey as Phil sits down with Ronisha Goodwin, the Director of Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Hyatt Corporation, at the Proud Experience conference in Los Angeles. Prepare to be moved by Ronisha's inspiring story of discovering her passion for hospitality through a TV show and her mission to foste...

Here’s one very inspiring SMACK podcast episode. Pat had the chance to chat with Jeremy McCarthy, Group Director of Spa & Wellness at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and they cruised through a bunch of topics, that will make you feel well - from innovation in Spas to #positivepsychology and general life advice. What does a day at work of someone look like, who is responsible for all the good stuff?...

Donald Leadbetter, the Tourism Program Manager at the National Park Service (NPS) based in Washington D.C. joined us on the show and talked us through his passion for national parks, tourism and nature. Patrizia and Donald dove into the specific tasks that Donald carries out as a Tourism Program Manager, which include researching and creating memorable experiences for visitors, as well as making s...

Take a deep dive into the world of hospitality with Dimitris Manikis, the President & Managing Director for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as he shares his insights on the future of business and corporate travel, sustainability, and building brands that leave a lasting legacy. From his personal story of falling in love with the industry to his vision for uniting p...

Have you ever been on a cruise ship? No?! If you need some convincing, this podcast episode featuring @Wybcke Meier, the CEO of @TUI Cruises, will tell you all you want to know about the cruise world. Wybcke spoke to @Philip about how TUI cruises came together and told us how traveling on a #cruise works with the incredible size of the ships and the number of passengers on board. She also explaine...