The Social Hotelier

In the competitive world of hotel brands, what truly matters – culture or strategy? Join us in this thought-provoking video as we delve into the importance of culture and strategy for hotel brands and discuss which one truly reigns supreme. Culture, often referred to as the heart and soul of a hotel brand, plays a vital role in shaping the guest experience. It encompasses the values, beliefs...

What are the Do’s and Don’ts of Influencer Marketing in Hospitality In this episode with my terrific guest Sarah Saffari, Founder of InfluencerNexus we dive into the Do’s and Don’ts of Influencer Marketing. Sarah shares a goldmine of ideas! Implementing these strategies thoughtfully can significantly impact your hotel’s success. We will cover the following topics: * The role of influencer ma...

We are discussing with AI trailblazer Tamina Wuerth, CEO and founder of Aivolution how artificial intelligence enables next-level guest personalization. Tamina shares how AI systems capture guest preferences to curate personalized stays across properties. We are discussing the challenges of balancing guest data collection with privacy. Tamina explains how AI can store guest details and empower sta...

Hotelier Learning Curve: Humility & Curiosity – Discussion with Marc Dardenne We are reflecting with my guest Marc Dardenne on our decades-long careers and sharing insights learned along the way. Starting as management trainees Marc with Hilton and me with Hyatt, we gained experience across multiple countries and cultures. Early challenges included adapting to new places, understanding c...

Stand Out in a Crowded Market – Hotel Branding Strategies Join me with my guest hospitality expert Marc Dardenne as he shares insider tips and anecdotes from career-launching iconic hotel brands, like Armani Hotels, The Address, and Patina Hotels. – Learn Marc’s perspective on what makes a successful brand, from identifying your market niche to crafting memorable experiences. – D...

Why Interior branding has the incredible ability to connect brands with their guests. Discussing with Bruna Rodrigues, Founder and principal designer of INPAR Hospitality Concepts, a boutique design studio specializing in the hospitality sector. Originally from Brazil, and based in Malaga, Spain, she is passionate about helping businesses realize the full potential of their interiors.   &#160...

2 Hospitality Events, 3 Takeaways with 5 Guests I attended IHIF ( International Hotel Investment Forum, Berlin and Eco Resort Network Event, in Montenegro. I thought it would be great to get some people who joined either or both events to share their views, in this way to give a balanced takeaway for you the listeners. Let me introduce my guests who made this episode possible. Dr. Willy Legrand is...

Discussion with Hylton Lipkin the General Manager for Garrya Mu Gang Chai and Homm Tu Le in Vietnam, part of The Banyan Tree Group. Speaking about his approach to operate a hotel sustainably with a focus on People,Planet and Profit. Hylton is passionate about Environmental Wellness and describes his approach.

Is there a real potential for generative AI in the Hotel industry? Discussing with Jaynath N Kolla, Head of Strategy for a Big Tech Firm, Building the new Internet of Health. Jayanth insight on emerging tech is invaluable and will surely leave you inspired. He is sharing his views about the Technologists, what happened to their Rock Star status, and the latest trends with Generative AI shaping the...

Critical Questions in Hospitality. My guest in this episode is Celine Vadam, Co-founder of Hospitality of the Future Think Tank contributed with the team from the Hospitality of the Future Think Tank to Prof. Dr. Willy Legrand’s book¨Critical Questions in Sustainability and Hospitality.¨ We will discuss with Celine Vadam how to make better choices and prioritize a more holistic commitment to...

The future hotel leadership – discussion with Aki Keskitalo, Hotel General Manager, Hotel Torni & Solo Sokos Helsinki Interesting discussion with Aki Keskitalo, besides his passion for hospitality, and empowering his colleagues, he is known to get out of his comfort zone. He is the contestant in the Finnish version of The Apprentice aka DIILI 2023. Learn more what drives him to excel in...

Michael Haddad: From Paralysed to World Record Breaker Discussion with endurance athlete Michael Haddad about his Awake Walk Svalbard Michael Haddad is a UNDP Arab States Goodwill Ambassador for Climate Action, an endurance athlete holding four record-breaking athletic feats, who overcame his disability and believes nothing is impossible. In April 2023 he will be mustering all his willpower to per...

Discussing with Yana Kaiser, Architect and passionate sauna aficionado. She moved to Finland recently and joined the Studio Puisto Architects.
While writing her thesis for the Masters Degree, and sitting long hours in front of computer she developed back pains and was also mentally stressed out. She found the sauna health benefits from sauna, both physically as a relaxant but also mentally.
As an...

With passion for pioneering ideas and new approaches to hospitality experiences my guest Ron Swidler created the Hotel of Tomorrow Project an industry leading-leading think tank. I will discuss with Ron about his journey that has lead him to bring together hundreds of companies to envision the future of hospitality, which has resulted in innovation that can be found in hotels and restaurants throu...

Creating a Wellness Ritual Around Cartoons and video games for Children improves their mental wellbeing with help of professional teachers. Cartoons and video games are a great way to get your children interested in wellness and exercise. The best way to do this is to create an exercise ritual around cartoons and video games. Discussing with Kushal Raju founder of Exar Fit of the development first...

In this episode I will discuss with Maria Antonia Velez about coffee, specifically about Colombian coffee and the forgotten heroes in coffee. Maria is from a family of coffee growers that have grown coffee for the past 200 years in Colombia. She is now based in Malta operating her own coffee house. She will share the unique story about the concept of her coffee house and the challenges of getting...

Digital era recruitment Treat the recruitment like modern marketing of your hotel. The Human Resources Manager position has been renamed by many companies to Director of Talent Acquisition. The Director of Talent Acquisition is in charge of the digital era recruitment, and onboarding Think like a marketer and consider the importance of selling the Destination and the Dream. Sell the Destination •...

Asked Daniel Green, Chef and Author, Michael Whiteman, President Baum & Whiteman International and TJ Delle Donne Assistant Dean College of Food Innovation at Johnson & Wales University, what they thought about Social Media usage by the hospitality industry. Listen what they have to say.

My guest Hylton Lipkin, is the General Manager of ALBA Wellness Valley by Fusion, Vietnam. He is an industry veteran in the Spa and Wellness , and the World Wellness Weekend Ambassador, Vietnam. We will hear about wellness trends and operating wellness facilities during COVID pandemic. We will discuss how the client’s needs and asks have changed. Also, what can individuals do to stay well pa...

I discussed with my guest Abid Butt about the current situation that effects our plans to travel during Christmas period. We covered Europe, USA markets and especially why Home Stay Sector is doing so well.

Restaurant owners have been forced to quickly come up with new adaptations on menus, points of service, hours, delivery, and takeout models that better serve their local communities just to keep the lights on. The new definition of dining has been for a while, STAYING HOME – Place an order for a meal with your restaurant- Have your food delivered home. Is this here to stay, and what do resta...

The use of robotics in tourism, travel, and hospitality is a controversial topic. Whenever we talk about robotics we do it with a certain degree of superstition and superficiality, Technology is never the end, but a means to improve internal processes, build branding, guest loyalty and increase profits. We will discuss with Lasse Rouhiainen, International Keynote Speaker and Best Seller Author on...

Almost overnight all over the world tourism came to point zero. It is a unique, even scary moment. Catastrophe or a chance to reset and build something new? Discussion with Jaka Godejša, Coordinator, about his journey in hospitality, and his passion To Build Tourism From Zero. He has seen the negative impact mass tourism can have, but also the alternative of creating sustainable hospitality soluti...

Discussion with Rudi Medved Team Leader of a startup ”LocalsFromZero”, which is an online marketplace for hidden, unshaped tourism experiences. They are helping local providers in Slovenia to become visible and at the same time building more responsible tourism. About  #LocalsFromZero mission is to connect people with unique local artisans, experts, associations, clubs, charities, and...

Welcome to the 3rd episode of 3 part series called The Why, What and How of digital marketing in tourism and hospitality I am with Juho Pesonen, Head of eTourism Research at University of Eastern Finland In this episodes we are discussing about • Where does digital marketing in tourism and hospitality start from? What are the first steps? • How to know whether or not you are doing good job in mark...