Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Marco DiDomizio, hospitality strategist, real estate broker, consultant, and coach at InnAdvisors. Before advising hotel owners across the country, Marco spent nearly a decade transforming the Candleberry Inn on Cape Cod from a dated bed and breakfast into the #1 inn in the United States according to both Travel + Leisure and TripAd...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Bob Beach, fourth-generation steward of Basin Harbor, one of America’s last great family-owned resorts. Now celebrating its 140th season, the lakeside Vermont property has remained in the same family since 1886—a remarkable feat in an industry increasingly dominated by global hotel brands. Bob shares the incredible history of the re...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Omer Acar, CEO of Raffles and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Throughout his remarkable career, Omer has held leadership roles at Four Seasons, Harrods, The Ritz Paris, and more, while living and working everywhere from Hawaii and California to Egypt, London, Paris, and now New York. Together, they explore how luxury hospitality has evol...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, to explore the data-driven strategy behind one of the world’s fastest-growing luxury destinations. Over the past decade, Los Cabos has achieved nearly 130% growth in visitation while simultaneously strengthening its luxury positioning, protecting its natural environm...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline takes listeners inside the 2026 NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum (NYU IHIF), one of the most influential gatherings in global hospitality, travel, and hotel real estate. Featuring exclusive conversations with Alexi Khajavi, Group President of Hospitality and Operational Real Estate at Questex; Robert O'Leary, Deputy Assistant Secreta...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews John Cohlan, CEO and Co-Founder of Margaritaville, to explore how a single Jimmy Buffett song evolved into a global lifestyle brand spanning hotels, resorts, cruises, active adult communities, restaurants, consumer products, and more. John shares the unlikely story of how a Princeton graduate and Georgetown-trained lawyer who never prac...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with entrepreneur and boutique fitness executive Adam Shane for a conversation about hospitality, wellness, entrepreneurship, and the power of immersive experiences. Adam is the owner of Yoga Joint New York, a premier chain of infrared-heated fitness and hot yoga studios.  Adam started his career in investment banking and corporate finan...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Grace Gudenkauf and Amelia McGee, co-founders of WIIRE (Women Invest in Real Estate), the fast-growing community helping women pursue financial and time freedom through real estate investing and entrepreneurship. What started with a cold Instagram DM between two strangers in Iowa has since grown into a movement serving thousands of...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Marina Efraimoglou, the founder of Euphoria Retreat, to uncover the deeply personal story behind one of the world’s most unique wellness destinations. Before founding Euphoria Retreat, Marina built a powerful career in finance, becoming the first chairwoman of a Greek bank. But everything changed when she was diagnosed with non-Hodg...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Davonne Reaves—hotel owner, asset manager, and founder of The Vonne Group—to break down how hotel deals actually get done. From her start at the front desk to managing over $1 billion in hotel assets, Davonne has built a career rooted in understanding both the operational and financial sides of the business. Today, she’s focused on...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Jim Nagle, owner and managing partner of the Drake Oak Brook, an Autograph Collection Hotel, to unpack one of the most unconventional paths into hotel ownership. From starting as a Chicago attorney and bus driver to acquiring a legacy hotel with no money down, Jim’s story challenges everything we think we know about risk, experience...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Dieter Schmitz, an original cast member of Laguna Beach who has since built a distinguished career in hospitality. From starting as a beach attendant to becoming a General Manager at just 25 years old, Schmitz has opened and repositioned nine hotels throughout his career across brands including Accor, IHG, Marriott and more. Now, as Gen...

What does it really take to break into one of the most exclusive industries in the world? On this episode of Suite Success, Katie sits down with Kolin Jones, Founder and CEO of Amalfi Jets—a $120M private aviation company he started at just 19 years old with no planes, no capital, and no connections. On the heels of Masters Weekend, now one of the biggest private aviation events in the world, Koli...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline is joined by Fran Maier—entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of Match.com. After helping build one of the most iconic companies of the internet era (and selling it far earlier than she would have liked), Fran went on to do what most people don’t: she started again. Her next company, BabyQuip, is now the leading baby gear rental platform in the w...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline is joined by architect and hospitality design expert David Shove-Brown, co-founder of the award-winning firm //3877. With a portfolio spanning hotels, restaurants, and mixed-use spaces across the country, David brings a rare perspective on how design, operations, and human behavior intersect to shape the guest experience. In this conversation, Dav...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Gary Sherwin, President and CEO of Visit Newport Beach, to unpack the strategy behind building a destination people don’t just visit but aspire to be part of. Gary shares why most destinations get branding wrong, the surprising shift from selling hotel rooms to telling holistic stories, and how a single, well-defined brand promise can i...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Carlotta Carabba Tettamanti, owner of Tenuta di Murlo, an 18,000-acre Umbrian estate in Italy that has been in her husband’s family for 300+ years. What began as a castle, working farmland, and a collection of abandoned stone farmhouses has, over the past 18 years, been thoughtfully restored into a luxury hospitality concept featuring p...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline speaks with Barry Collymore, a prominent Barbadian-born hotelier, developer, and tourism leader based in Grenada. His work spans multiple facets of the Caribbean tourism industry—he’s the Owner and Executive Chairman of Mount Cinnamon Beach & Wellness Resort, as well as the Director and Partner of the West Indies Management Company. He also co-fou...

What does it really take to deliver true five-star service? On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Sarah Dandashy, world-class concierge, TEDx speaker, and bestselling author. She unpacks the mindset that separates good service from a truly unforgettable experience. From her early days working at the Four Seasons in Washington, DC to refining luxury standards at The Peni...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Nicole Robinson, Chief Marketing Officer of andBeyond, the luxury adventure company operating in some of the world’s most rare and irreplaceable places. Nicole’s career path is anything but traditional. She began her journey with the company as an auditor more than 25 years ago and has since held roles across finance, risk, commercial s...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with journalist-turned-founder Samantha Shankman to explore how an eight-year obsession with farm hotels evolved into a global hospitality movement. What started as a simple Google Doc—tracking the most compelling farm stays around the world—became the foundation for something much bigger. After years reporting for Skift, Travel + Leisur...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline is joined by Netflix stars and owners of The June Motel, April Brown and Sarah Sklash. April and Sarah are best friends who left careers in PR and government to pursue something entirely different: hospitality. In 2016, they purchased a rundown motel in Prince Edward County, Canada, rolled up their sleeves, and reimagined what a modern roadside st...

In this episode of Suite Success, Katie Cline sits down with Steph Weber, founder and CEO of The Weber Co. and co-owner of Cabins on the Cumberland — a 12-cabin micro-resort on the river in Kentucky. Steph’s journey is anything but linear. She began her career in fashion, became a full-time influencer, lost access to her entire business overnight when she was locked out of Instagram, and used that...

On this episode of Suite Success, Katie Cline sits down with Peter Greenberg—Emmy Award–winning journalist, CBS News travel editor, and one of the most trusted voices in global travel. Together, they explore a wide-ranging, unfiltered conversation about journalism, hospitality and curiosity. From covering campus riots as a college student with a gas mask, to becoming the youngest correspondent in...

We’re sharing a preview of a new podcast from Skift called Skift Take Sessions. Skift Take Sessions is a weekly, journalist-led podcast built from the most important conversations shaping the global travel industry. Each episode features candid interviews with CEOs and senior leaders across airlines, hotels, and travel platforms, recorded live at Skift events and expanded with context around why t...