Hospitality Daily Podcast What Western Hospitality Gets Wrong About Service (That Japan Gets Right) - Jannes Sörensen
Nov 25, 2025
Join Jannes Sörensen, founder of Kepler Hotel Group and educator in hospitality leadership, as he shares insights on the art of Japanese service. He contrasts Japan's omotenashi, which emphasizes preparation and human connection, with Western transactional models. Jannes highlights the significance of the tea ceremony in fostering relationships and shares techniques for making guests emotionally present. He advocates for shared responsibility between hosts and guests, underscoring the importance of setting expectations and treating staff as professionals.
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Craft Over Transaction
- Japanese hospitality focuses on the process and continuous mastery, not just the end result.
- Jannes Sörensen says preparation and craft create deeper human relationships in service.
Preparation Trumps Delivery
- In Japan much work happens before the guest arrives; delivery is the easiest part.
- Jannes Sörensen contrasts Western hotels that wait until arrival with Japanese emphasis on preparation.
Shared Responsibility For Experience
- Great hospitality is a shared responsibility between host and guest, not solely the staff's duty.
- Jannes Sörensen argues guests must bring knowledge and presence for the experience to work.