From Sales Guy to Hospitality Media Mogul: The Modern Hotelier Story with Steve Carran

Steve Carran never set out to become one of the most recognized voices in hospitality media. But what started as a scrappy experiment to engage hoteliers during his time in sales has now blossomed into The Modern Hotelier — one of the industry’s most beloved podcasts and a new video media brand that’s putting a fresh lens on hospitality storytelling.

In this episode, you’ll hear the fascinating backstory behind how Steve and his co-host David Millili launched the podcast, how they bought it back from a startup, and how it has completely reshaped Steve’s career. We also dive into the biggest trends he’s seeing across the hotel industry — from how AI and design are converging to address labor shortages, to the rise of "bleisure" lobbies, to why apartment-style hotels like Mint House are quietly winning the loyalty of the next generation of travelers.

Plus:

- Why hotel lobbies are becoming the new coworking spaces
- How podcasts have become the secret weapon for hospitality networking
- Why giving guests a choice in how they interact with your brand is the future of service
- Steve’s vision for the Modern Hotelier Media group — including their "MTV Cribs"-style hotel video tours

If you’re building a hospitality brand or just love geeking out on where the industry is headed, this episode is for you.

Connect with Steve on LinkedIn
Listen to The Modern Hotelier

Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more.

Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.