Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Lori Mukoyama, Principal and Global Hospitality Leader at Gensler, to get a first look at Gensler’s 2026 Design Forecast. Lori shares the macro trends influencing design overall, and zooms in on the four biggest shifts set to shape hotels, resorts, and guest expectations in 2026 and beyond. With real-world examples from her more tha...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Rafat Ali, CEO and Founder of Skift, to unpack the forces quietly reshaping travel right now, and why the most consequential shift has far less to do with technology than most people think. Rafat traces the unconventional path that led him from journalism to building Skift into the world’s leading travel intelligence platform, sharing t...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes back Chris Sanderson, co-founder of The Future Laboratory, to discuss the transformative role of AI in luxury hospitality in 2026. The conversation reveals key insights from a new report- New Codes of Luxury: Elevating the Hospitality Guest Experience with AI, produced in partnership with Together Group. Chris explains how AI can close th...

Rather than approaching the new year with generic goal-setting, this episode revisits the conversations that defined Suite Success in 2025. The moments that lingered. The insights that challenged conventional ideas of success. The lessons that revealed themselves not as sound bites, but as lived experience. Drawing from a year of interviews with founders, CEOs, editors-in-chief, and hospitality di...

On this special holiday episode of Suite Success, Katie Cline hosts a roundtable discussion with some of the leading voices in the hospitality industry, including Josiah Mackenzie of Hospitality Daily; Zach Busekrus from Behind the Stays; David Millili and Steve Carran from The Modern Hotelier; and Glenn Haussman of No Vacancy. The discussion reflects on the pivotal stories and trends of 2025, suc...

What if the best hotels weren’t designed to keep you inside—but to get you out into the world? On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Mike Weiss, co-founder and co-CEO of Trailborn Hotels and Resorts, to unpack how he’s building a boutique hospitality brand around nature, experience, and intentional growth. Mike’s path to hospitality wasn’t linear. From investment bankin...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Richie Khandelwal, Co-Founder of PriceLabs, the dynamic pricing and revenue management platform transforming how short-term rentals and independent hotels optimize revenue. Long before AI became mainstream, Richie was already building an AI-driven product to solve one of the most persistent challenges in hospitality: how to price intellig...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Mark Andrus, the co-founder of Stacy’s Pita Chips, whose career path is one of the most unexpected and compelling stories in hospitality and entrepreneurship. Mark never set out to build a beloved consumer packaged goods brand. His original plan was far simpler: run a small food cart in Boston with his partner Stacy and, if everything wen...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Dr. Brittany Conners, founder and CEO of Optimistic Theory, who has pioneered in-home silent retreats. Dr. Brittany shares the benefits of incorporating silence into daily life, especially during the hectic holiday season. The conversation explores practical, guilt-free methods to build quiet time into busy schedules, manage stress, and a...

What happens when someone grows up across multiple countries, works nearly every job inside a hotel, and then spends 30 years rising through one of the world’s biggest hospitality companies? On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline is joined by a true global citizen: Gonzalo Aguilar, CEO for Europe and the Americas at Minor Hotels. Gonzalo shares how an international childhood—spanning S...

What really happens when an independent brand gets acquired by a global hotel company—and can it stay “boutique” after the buyout? On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Vicki Poulos, Vice President of Luxury and Lifestyle Brands at IHG Hotels & Resorts, for an honest look at growth, scale, and authenticity in modern hospitality. With over two decades of experience, Vick...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline speaks with Diana Ossa and Josh Dobken, two professional architects turned passionate hoteliers. When they stumbled upon a 13-room, half-demolished motel in Palm Springs, most first time investors would’ve ran the other way. But where others saw risk, they saw potential. Drawing on their backgrounds in architecture and design, they transformed the...

When most people go into the delivery room, they’re focused on diapers and nap schedules. But Haley Brosa was buying a house. What started as an idea to reclaim her sense of self evolved into a creative outlet—and a serious business. Four months after the birth of her second child, what became known as Holly House went live on Airbnb. Within ten days, the home was booked solid for six months and w...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Shana Stephenson, Chief Brand Officer of the New York Liberty, to explore how culture, fashion, and hospitality can redefine not only a brand, but an entire fan experience. From reimagining game day as a full-sensory event to positioning the NY Liberty as a lifestyle brand, Shana shares how she infused elements of design, community,...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Julie Frank, Vice President of Design at Aspen Hospitality Group. Originally from South Africa, Julie started her career as an architect in New York before transitioning into broader hospitality design. Having worked for notable companies and brands such as Rockwell Group, Nobu, W Hotels, Le Meridien, St. Regis, AvroKO, and more, Julie no...

On this special one year anniversary episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline reflects on the podcast's journey over the past year. Tune in for heartfelt stories of personal hardship and behind the scenes tales of the creation of the show, culminating in its acquisition by Skift. Katie also debuts the top five most-loved episodes from the year featuring insightful conversations with industry lea...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Agnelo Fernandes, CEO of Cote Hospitality, to explore how he harnessed the power of mentorship to modernize a company with a 100+ year heritage. Having led teams across multiple regions and industries, Agnelo shares how investing in people and nurturing talent can transform both careers and organizations. In this conversation, they...

On this episode of Suite Success, Katie Cline sits down with Phil McAveety, CEO of Iberostar Hotels and Resorts, together in New York City at Skift Global Forum. From advertising to sports, retail, and hospitality, Phil’s career demonstrates how transferable skills and storytelling drive exceptional guest experiences. Having lived in seven countries across four continents, he brings a global persp...

On this episode of Suite Success, Katie Cline chats with Bella and Levi Linchenko, the powerhouse couple who co-founded co-founders of Let's Go Design Co. As married real estate investors and coworkers, Bella and Levi have managed to merge love, strategy, and design into a thriving business and partnership. From their Hallmark level meet-cute to running a boutique short-term rental and design firm...

What does it take to lead one of the world’s most iconic travel magazines in a time when travel is constantly evolving? On this episode of Suite Success, Katie Cline sits down with Jacqui Gifford, Editor in Chief of Travel + Leisure. The two talk about how Jacqui’s global upbringing influenced her love for travel, her dynamic journey from studying English at Princeton to becoming a prominent figur...

What’s the real difference between being rich and being wealthy? And is investing really just a fancier name for gambling? On this episode of Suite Success, Katie Cline sits down with Caleb Silver, Editor-in-Chief of Investopedia and host of The Investopedia Express. Caleb shares his remarkable path from producing wildlife documentaries in Central and South America to leading one of the world’s mo...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Kassidy Warren—hotel investor and host of the For Your Own Good podcast. Kassidy shares his journey from a disillusioned corporate engineer to a successful real estate investor, specializing in hotels and short-term rentals worth $13 million. From walking away from burnout, to taking up van life, to buying short-term rentals and ultimatel...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Richard Brekelmans, a seasoned hospitality executive with more than three decades of experience at Marriott International and Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and now the founder of RICHMANS Hospitality Advisory. Katie and Richard dive into his unique perspective on the hospitality industry, having worked on every side of it—from being the Ge...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Emily Lethgo, founder of Match Point Socials and a seasoned social media strategist specializing in short-term rentals and hospitality. Emily pulls back the curtain on the ever-evolving world of social media marketing, revealing the biggest mistake hosts make to hold back bookings. From the power of authentic engagement to the secre...

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes two of her longtime colleagues and friends: Yamil Errasti, the Founder of Everything Now, a marketing studio that helps brands find their voice and cut through the noise; and Pelayo Pintado, the CEO and Founder of Idónea Comunicación, one of the top PR and communications agencies in Spain. They also happen to be married — and Katie takes...