The Modern Hotelier

What does the future of hospitality really look like? In this special Modern Hotelier Round Table, industry leaders come together for an honest conversation about leadership, technology, AI, hotel operations, employee engagement, and the future of guest experiences. Joining the discussion are Shannon McCallum, VP of Hotel Operations at Resorts World Las Vegas; Dmitry (Dima) Kroshka, CEO of Phunwar...

In this episode of The Modern Hotelier , David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with David Collyer , Global SVP of Aspire PreFlight Hospitality, to explore how hospitality principles are transforming the airport lounge experience. David shares his fascinating career journey—from studying design in London and working with global brands like IHG, British Airways, and Accor, to leading guest experie...

How can hotels use AI and location intelligence to attract new guests instead of spending marketing dollars on travelers who were already planning to book? In this special HITEC edition of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili sits down with Evan Saunders, who shares how Azira is helping hotels rethink marketing through AI-powered location intelligence and attribution. Rather than focusing on vanity...

How can hotels eliminate spreadsheets, improve financial transparency, and strengthen relationships with owners? In this special HITEC episode of The Modern Hotelier , David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Brian McGeown, General Manager of Owner Relations, to discuss how technology is transforming owner accounting and financial reporting in hospitality. Brian shares the biggest challenges h...

In this special HITEC episode of The Modern Hotelier , David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Kevin Bidner, Founder and CEO of HCN (Hotel Communication Network), to discuss how in-room tablets are reshaping the guest experience and driving new revenue opportunities for hotels. Kevin shares HCN's journey from startup to industry leader, explaining why guest room tablets are becoming an essent...

In this special HITEC edition of The Modern Hotelier , David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Chris Zach, Senior Director of Product Marketing at ServiceChannel, to explore how hotels can modernize facilities management, improve guest satisfaction, and reduce operational complexity. Chris shares how ServiceChannel helps hotel operators manage external vendors from start to finish, streamlini...

In this special HITEC edition of The Modern Hotelier , hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Jake Lewis, President of Jonas Hospitality Property Systems, to explore how technology is reshaping the hospitality industry. With over 25 years of experience, Jake shares insights on the shift from disconnected software systems to unified hospitality platforms, why seamless guest experiences...

In this episode, Steve Carran sits down with Mike Baldinger, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Evention, live from HITEC San Antonio, to uncover one of hospitality's most overlooked profit leaks: OTA revenue reconciliation. While most hoteliers understand OTA commission costs, Mike explains why the real financial risk lies beneath the surface. From virtual credit card errors and overpaid co...

How has hospitality technology evolved from the early days of CD-ROM site inspections to AI-powered sales intelligence? In this special HITEC edition of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili sits down with Michael Waltman, Founder of Interactive Sites, to explore his remarkable journey from hotel operations to building one of the industry's most trusted group sales technology companies. Michael share...

How can AI make hospitality more human instead of less?  In this special HITEC episode of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Noelani Schroy, VP of Global Sales at Onyx CenterSource, to explore the future of hospitality technology and why the industry's greatest competitive advantage will always be people. Noelani shares why hoteliers need to better understand the tra...

Today, we sit down with Shawn Tarter, CEO of RealTime Reservations, to discuss one of the biggest announcements at HITEC—the company's strategic acquisition and vision for transforming hotel technology. Shawn shares the story behind meeting Stay's founder at a previous HITEC, how that relationship evolved into a partnership spanning more than 2,600 hotel properties, and why creating a unified plat...

In this special HITEC edition of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Rodd Herron, Regional Sales Director at Sirma, to discuss how hotels can move beyond disconnected technology systems and prepare for the future of AI. Rodd explains why fragmented hotel tech stacks continue to challenge operators and how integrating data across PMS, POS, spa, golf, and other systems...

In this special HITEC edition of The Modern Hotelier , hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Apaleo co-founder Philip von Ditfurth and SVP Revenue Florian Montag to explore the future of hospitality technology, AI, and open platform architecture. The conversation dives into why Apaleo chose a composable, API-first approach long before it became an industry trend, how leading hotel bra...

In this episode, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Jesús Olivares Sánchez to explore how hospitality is being reshaped by AI, data, and rapidly evolving guest expectations. Jesús shares his journey from engineering and financial services into hospitality tech, eventually joining Amadeus, where he now focuses on connecting the hospitality ecosystem through data, distribution, perso...

In this special HITEC episode of The Modern Hotelier , hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Branigan Mulcahy, CEO and Co-founder of Virdee , to explore how AI and digital wallet technology are transforming the hotel guest experience. Branigan shares insights into Virdee’s partnership with Apple and Google to bring hotel room keys directly into mobile wallets, eliminating many of the...

Recorded live from HITEC, Steve Carran sits down with the Alliant leadership team—CEO Tristan Gadsby, SVP of Customer Experience Andrew Pirret, and CRO Alberto Santana—to explore how technology is transforming the guest experience while keeping hospitality at its human core. The conversation dives into Alliant's collaboration with Les Clefs d'Or, where concierge professionals are embracing AI and...

In this special HITEC edition of The Modern Hotelier , hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Jeff Bzdawka, CEO of Hapi and a Hall of Fame inductee in hospitality technology. Jeff shares his unique journey from aspiring dentist to hospitality technology leader, reflecting on the experiences that shaped his career across Hyatt, Pegasus, TravelClick, Noland, and now Hapi. The conversatio...

In this episode, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Anthony Vita, VP of Global Partnerships at Revenue Analytics, to explore how modern revenue management is becoming more accessible to independent hotels and boutique operators. Anthony shares his unconventional journey from e-commerce and luxury interiors into hospitality tech, and how that experience helped shape his perspective...

In this special episode, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Will Gilbert, Co-Founder of Bodhi, live from HITEC, to explore how hospitality technology is rapidly transforming hotel operations, guest experience, and revenue performance. Will shares how Bodhi has achieved 10X growth since last October, and why the company is positioning itself not just as a product vendor—but as a tru...

In this special HITEC edition of The Modern Hotelier , hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Tim Major, CEO of Operto, to explore how AI is transforming hotel marketing, direct bookings, and operational efficiency. Tim shares how Operto One's autonomous AI agents help hotels combat predatory OTAs, improve direct booking performance, and optimize visibility across both traditional sear...

In this special HITEC episode of The Modern Hotelier , hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Ryan King, SVP of the Americas at Shiji, live from the Shiji Cafe and Marketplace on the trade show floor. The conversation dives deep into how hospitality technology is evolving—and where it’s still falling short. Ryan shares insights from over a decade of attending HITEC and explores the ind...

In this episode, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Eric Ettlin, Senior Vice President of Brand, Marketing, and Digital at Aimbridge Hospitality, one of the largest hotel management companies in the world. Eric shares his journey from early digital marketing roles in finance to leading global brand and digital strategy across hundreds of hotels. He discusses what it takes to scale...

What role do uniforms really play in shaping a hotel’s brand experience, and why are they often overlooked despite being one of the first things guests notice? In this episode of The Modern Hotelier , hosts David Millili and Steve Carran are joined by Mia Liu, Creative Director of Drape & Stitch, a fashion-forward uniform brand redefining what hospitality teams wear and why it matters. Mia sha...

In this episode, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Ayesha Molino, Chief Operating Officer of MGM Resorts International, to explore the evolving landscape of hospitality, entertainment, and large-scale resort operations in Las Vegas. Ayesha shares her unconventional path from law and government into hospitality leadership, and how her experience in policy shaped her approach to dec...

What is the “post-booking black hole” in hospitality, and how can hotels eliminate it to transform the guest experience using AI, destination intelligence, and modern engagement tools?  In this episode, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Michael Gahan, CEO of Tongo, for a deep dive into how hotels can transform the guest journey by stepping into the “post-booking black hole.” Micha...