The Hospitality Mentor

Donald Mason, Chief Financial Officer at Four Seasons Yachts with Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings LTD, joins Steve on this episode. Donald's prior experience includes Chief Financial Officer at Fort Partners, Chief Financial Officer at Crystal Cruises, and Director of Hotel and Marine Finance & Administration at Celebrity Cruises. Throughout this conversation, Donald talks about moving from his hom...

Ludovica Rocchi and her family run an incredibly impressive portfolio of hotels in Italy. After starting her hospitality career as a concierge, Ludovica is now the Brand Director for R Collection Hotels. The heart of their portfolio is a property in Lake Como, where they offer exquisite views, Italian excursions, and top tier hospitality. Throughout this episode, Ludovica talks about the early day...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Kirk Peterson, President of Sightline Hospitality. Sightline’s mission is become the preferred third-party management company for properties whether they are soft-branded, big box, independent, boutique, and more. Throughout this conversation, Kirk shares his career background, what led him to hospitality, his career in hotel development and how Sightline was cr...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Mychal Millian, General Manager / Director of Complex Operations at Dania Pointe Marriott Hotels. Mychal's hospitality career spans over 13 years, throughout which he has held various leadership positions at tops brands such as Marriott & AC by Marriott, COMO Hotels and Resorts, HEI Hotels, Standard International, SBE, Highgate Hotels, and MEI Hotels. In thi...

In this episode, you will hear an inspirational compilation from some of the hospitality industry's top executives: Raul Leal, Thatcher Brown, Euan McGlashan, and Dawn Gallagher. Raul Leal, the Chief Executive Officer at SH Hotels & Resorts, describes the importance of sustainability in hospitality and what he's excited about for the future. Thatcher Brown, the Chief Commercial Officer & H...

[REPLAY] In honor of David Arraya being recently named the Global COO of Nomade People, this is a replay of his interview on The Hospitality Mentor podcast. Back when this episode released, David was the General Manager at Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas in Ibiza, Spain. Some of his former roles include Hotel Manager at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Hotel and Resorts Manager at the Four Seasons in Haw...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Said Haykal, the General Manager of Faena Hotel Miami Beach & District. Said is an experienced operations leader with a ultra-successful career of working in the luxury hospitality industry. He has been involved in opening some of the most prestigious properties in the world, including two properties that achieved Forbes Five Star & AAA Five Diamond Stat...

In this episode, you will hear from Brian Connors, the Founding Faculty Director of the Bacardi Center of Excellence at Florida International University. The Bacardi Center of Excellence is an educational partnership focused on teaching beverage management, fine spirits, industry innovation, sustainability, service excellence and entrepreneurship. Brian shares his experience earning his culinary d...

In this episode, you will hear from Carlos Macias, the newly appointed General Manager of La Playa Beach and Golf Resort in Naples, Florida. Carlos has formerly been Hotel Manager at Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, Resort Manager at Bakers Cay Resort in Key Largo, Director of Rooms at Two Roads Hospitality, Opening Manager at Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, and more. Throughout this conversation, Car...

In today's episode, Steve is joined by Evan Puchalsky. Evan is the Chief Operating Officer at The Lure Group, a nightlife and entertainment group based in New York City. Evan's resume is wildly impressive, with formers roles as Vice President of Operations at C3 by sbe, Director of Food and Beverage at TAO Group, Senior Director of Operation at The ONE Group, and more. Evan shares stories, lessons...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Javier Beneyto. Currently, Javier is the Regional General Manager UK COMO Hotels and Resorts. Javier’s career in hospitality has taken him around the world to incredible place and opportunities. He is passionate about leading from the front and supporting the efforts of his staff through their experience, technical ability and multicultural background. Throughou...

In this episode, Steve is joined by the mother-daughter duo Kathleen and Amy Smith, owners of Saratoga Arms. Originally built in 1870, Saratoga Arms is an award-winning historic boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs, New York. Throughout this conversation, Kathleen shares her journey in hospitality that led her to the iconic property, Amy gives her unique perspective being born...

In this episode, you will learn from some of the top leaders in the short term rental and vacation rental industry. Nick Falcone, CEO of Rentyl Resorts, which provides guests with a trusted platform to book homes that include resort services, amenities, and brand standards. Victor Feria, Steve's business partner, is the Managing Director of Tangy Management. Tangy manages luxury vacation homes and...

In this episode, you will hear from some of the top restaurateurs in Miami. Memphis Garrett talks about what he has learned from opening around 40 restaurants and nightclubs throughout his career. Matt Dinkell shares his journey to leading the Mandolin Aegean Bistro. Former Iron Chef Judge, Donatella Arpaia talks about launching Noma Beach at Redfish. Jennifer Kaminski dives into what inspired her...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Juan Webster. Juan is currently the General Manager and Corporate Director of Social Impact at the Montage International. His background in hospitality includes General Manager of Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, General Manager at Crescent Hotels and Resorts, General Manager at Baltimore Harbor Hotels, just to name a few. Juan dives into how he found his way int...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Geri Williams-Fitts, the Chief People Officer at Highgate. Highgate is a premier hospitality investment and management company that provides expert guidance throughout all stages of the hospitality property cycle. Highgate is the dominant player in U.S. gateway markets including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco, and Honolulu. Throughout this conversation,...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Dawn Gallagher, the Chief Commercial Officer at Crescent Hotels and Resorts. Dawn shares what led her to joining the hospitality industry, managing people that were older then her, leadership lessons she has learned, different roles she has had at various hotels, the owners and companies that she's enjoyed working with, and so much more. RealTime Reservation Off...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Norman Love. Norman is a founder, chocolatier, world pastry star, and producer, just to name a few of his impressive titles. Norman's company, Norman Love Confections, is a world-renowned confectionery shop serving exquisite chocolate creations. Throughout this conversation, Norman talks about his first job in hospitality, what attracted him to the dessert indus...

In this episode, you will hear the insights, advice, and lessons learned from some of the top General Managers in hospitality. Mary Rogers, General Manager of the Montage Laguna Beach, talks about how she navigated her career to get to the GM role. Amy Johnson, General Manager from Hyatt Hotels, talks about the differences in her multiple experiences as a GM. Gabriel Constantin, Managing Director...

In this episode, you will hear the highlights from Steve's interviews with top chefs. Past guests Chef David Burke, Chef Jorge Ramos, Chef Sean Bernal, Chef Frederic Delaire and Chef Gordon Maybury share timeless advice and great stories from their careers. You will hear about David's experience going to culinary school and working abroad, what Jorge learned about being a chef in luxury hotels, Se...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Nicolas Milo, the District Manager of New Development Properties. He has had a successful career with 25 years of experience in hotels, restaurants, and residences, in the markets of Dallas, Chicago, Miami and Miami Beach, New York City and The Hamptons. Throughout this conversation, Nicolas talks about moving roles between hotel and property management, what in...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Stephanie Farr, the CEO and founder of Maya Luxe. Maya Luxe was created in 2009, after Stephanie saw a much-needed niche for exclusive vacation villa and experiential travel services. Maya Luxe began with one luxury villa and has now expanded to 140+ villas for guests seeking elite vacation getaways in Mexico. Throughout this conversation, Stephanie talks about...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Steven Minor, the Corporate Director of Beverage at SH Hotels & Resorts. Throughout his career, Steven has had experience opening and working in key markets such as NYC, LA, Miami, Chicago, and more. He also has an impressive track record overseeing multiple themed freestanding restaurants and 5 star hotel F&B outlets including Michelin star, Banquets, P...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Ken Muskat, the Managing Director of Scenic Group USA for luxury cruises and tours. Throughout this episode, Ken talks about his career journey working in various VP roles for Royal Caribbean, transitioning to MSC Cruises, moving to Shanghai for two years to build the first small contemporary cruise line for the Chinese market, how he got to his role today as Ma...

In this episode, Steve is joined by Jeremy Gall, founder and CEO at Breezeway. Breezeway is a property operations platform that deliver the best service experience to both guests and homeowners through its combination of deep learning technology, robust property data, smart messaging, and mobile-first task management. Prior to founding Breezeway, Jeremy founded FlipKey which was acquired by TripAd...