The Modern Hotelier

In this episode, join us as we venture to the highly anticipated Independent Lodging Congress (ILC) in Denver. ILC is a gathering like no other, where owners and operators of independent hotels come together to discover, collaborate, and generate groundbreaking ideas. This is the place where industry leaders converge to shape the future of independent lodging. We'll provide you with an exclusive i...

Have you ever wondered who represents and advocates for the Hospitality Industry to government leaders and policymakers? Today we get to meet the man who leads that organization. Our guest today is the President & CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Chip Rogers. In this episode, Chip shares his insights on the latest trends in the hospitality industry, including the rise of sust...

Hoteliers, what is your most valuable asset? Our guest this week strongly believes it's people (we agree). Ashok Patel is the Chief Development Officer at Jamsan Hotel Management and he joins the show to talk about why it's essential to protect your most valuable asset: your people. In this episode, you'll learn: The importance of strategically thinking about the safety of your team Some of the wa...

How can you help your staff focus on the most important tasks? Have you tried a hologram? Well... that might just be the answer. In this episode, Andre Smith & Marnix Lock, the Founders of Holoconnect, join us to talk about how they came up with Holoconnects, how holograms are being used in hospitality, and so much more! In this episode, you'll learn: How holograms are being used to increase e...

Can you eliminate all administrative tasks from hotels? That's the goal of Thomas Furulund and CIC Hospitality. They've even started implementing some new groundbreaking technology to help them in their mission. The new tech? Holographic front desk agents. Hear more about it in this episode! In this episode, you'll learn: How CIC Hospitality is using holograms to reduce administrative tasks The im...

We're kicking off our 2023 episodes by getting to know the team behind the Modern Hotelier a bit better. In this episode, David and Steve introduce our producer Jon, and they all ask each other questions.  We hope you enjoy getting to know the team! Next week we'll be back to our normal schedule of sharing conversations with the best leaders, innovators, and influencers in the industry! Produced,...

Being an independent hotelier is hard.  Sometimes it can feel like you don't have the infrastructure, resources, and knowledge you need to stay afloat or keep growing.  Preferred Hotels & Resorts is the world's largest independent hotel brand, representing more than 700 distinctive hotels, resorts, residences, and unique hotel groups across 80 countries. So, they know a thing or two about supp...

Managing resort properties is a tall task. Our guest today, Tom Luersen, says it's like running a small town. Tom is currently the president of Coral Tree Hospitality and has over 20 years of experience in managing properties such as Kingsmill Resort, Woodland Resort, and overseeing multiple properties for Destination Hotels and Resorts In this episode, you'll learn: The benefits of operating as a...

This week on the podcast, we have Barak Hirschowitz who is the president of the International Luxury Hotel Association. We talk about his career and transition from being an award-winning chef in South Africa to focusing on luxury hospitality. In this episode, you'll learn: Why it's better to wash lettuce in the best restaurant than to be head chef at the worst What the International Luxury Hotel...

Rupesh Patel has a wealth of knowledge in owning and operating hotels. It's in his blood. He grew up the son of a hotelier and eventually became the CEO and President of Zenique hotels. He is now a Partner at Verakin Capital and is putting his intimate knowledge of hotel operation and ownership to use investing in hotels and also investing in and advising hospitality tech companies.  In this episo...

The emergence of Vacation Rentals has been one of the biggest disruptions to hotels and the travel industry in the last few decades.  Steve Milo has grown VTrips from 1 property to over 7,000 properties. Find out why he believes vacation rentals are so popular and why there is still massive opportunity in this growing industry, In this episode, you'll learn: How Steve got his start as an entrepren...

Most things in life are either memorable or forgettable.  Which one is your hotel? How can you stand out from the crowd and be memorable? Bashar Wali, the Founder and CEO of This Assembly & Practice Hospitality, has some great insights on how independent Hoteliers can stand out. He joins the show to talk about: How a good internal culture is the key to providing great guest experiences The imp...

Peter Gould, CEO of RendezVerse, joins the show to talk about how the Metaverse will impact the future of hotels and events. In this episode you'll discover: The impact the metaverse can have on event planning  How virtual reality can help make travel more green Why hotels won't have websites in 10 years Why finding great new places is a challenge facing hospitality The Modern Hotelier is presente...

How do you up your game as a hotelier? Bruce Jordan is known as the MJ of hotels. He's the managing partner of Hotel Guest Management and specializes in turning around underperforming properties. This week he joins the show to share some of his insights with us. In this episode you'll discover: Why it's important to take every opportunity to learn How you can set the standard for your employees So...

What is the ONE thing that you need to focus on as a Josiah Mckenzie believes it's hotel operations. When you get the operations right... Marketing becomes easier Sales become easier Staffing becomes easier Josiah joins the show to talk about hotel operations as the holistic approach to running a successful hospitality business.  In this episode you'll discover: Why there has never been a better t...

Are you telling a story with your hotel? Your brand? Your marketing?  Humans are wired to understand and connect with stories. If you're not weaving storytelling into your messaging you may be missing out. Regitse Rosenvinge joins us from Denmark to talk about the importance of storytelling, how it attracts customers, makes them feel safe, and creates brand loyalty. Regitse is communications and s...

This week we talk marketing with Alan Young who is the President and Co-Founder of Puzzle Partner , who are experts in content marketing for B2B Hotel and Travel Tech companies. In this episode you'll discover: Why you need to focus on what you're good at, to provide value to your target The importance of simplifying your messaging, especially as hospitality tech companies. People want personaliza...

Do you think data is "sexy"?  Do you know how to drive revenue through understanding the data and utilizing technology? Well, our guest today, Gaurav "GB" Sharma definitely does. GB is the Executive VP of EOS Hospitality , he's a self-proclaimed data nerd, and he has extensive experience driving revenue through technology for hotels. Previous to EOS, he was the CRO at The Impulsive Group and serve...

Like it or not online reviews are an important part of your properties' online presence.  But how do you make sure you get good reviews? And what do you do with negative reviews? Do you avoid them? Ignore them?  Or do you take that feedback and information to improve your guest experience? Our guest today says that feedback is a gift.  Adele Gutman is a Hospitality Culture, CX and Guest Experience...

The Independent Lodging Congress's Indie Cultivate helps to support innovation and start-ups in hospitality and travel. On this episode we announce and talk to the seed round winner. You ever wish you could control the weather? Make the rain hold off until after your beach trip? You might not be able to prevent bad weather, but one company believes that you shouldn't have to pay for it. The winner...

The Independent Lodging Congress's Indie Cultivate helps to support innovation and start-ups in hospitality and travel. On this episode we announce and talk to the seed round winner. Have you ever been traveling or in a new city and you just can't decide where you should eat? Or have you ever gotten a bad recommendation from a friend? Maybe it's their favorite spot, but it's just not really your v...

David and Steve recently took the show on the road to HITEC 2022 in Orlando, FL. Tune in for some live, in-person interviews from the show floor. Venkat Sakamuri, Ira Vouk, Joss Schaap and Yasmine Mustafa stop by to share their thoughts on HITEC 2022. The Modern Hotelier is presented by Stayflexi Produced, edited, and published by Make More Media For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotel...

Being an Independent Hotel is challenging on all fronts. You don't have the support or resources of the big brands and yet you're likely having to pay much more for your tech stacks and services. Curator wants to fix this. That's why we were so excited to have Jen Barnwell, the President of Curator , on the show. Curator's mission is to have independent hotels join forces and get the power of scal...

In this special episode Dr. Richie Karaburun, the director of the Tisch Center of Hospitality Innovation Hub Incubator, joins us to talk about NYU's Hospitality Innovation Hub Incubator Program and announce this season's winner.  The winner's co-founder, Andrea Garrido, also joins us. She talk about the idea that started Chixa and why she's passionate about it. She also shares their plans for brin...

What exactly is the MetaVerse? And how can it impact the hospitality and travel industry? Michael Cohen is an innovative tech leader and a MetaVerse advisor. Currently, he is the an advisor and board member at Ugo Virtual and an advisor for Messerschmitt Systems. He joins us to talk about what the MetaVerse is and how virtual reality and augmented reality can impact the hospitality & travel in...