Hospitality Daily Podcast

In this episode, Martin Soler, a former hotel general manager who is now a fractional CMO for large travel tech companies and the co-founder of 10minutes.news, shares a refreshing perspective inspired by Jeff Bezos on separating the signal from the noise when it comes to hospitality tech.By listening to this episode, you will learn:Why chasing every shiny new tech trend might be a distraction from what really matters in hospitality (00:54)How to apply the concept of focusing on what's not going to change, as people will have more connected gadgets and will want more personalization, less waiting, and more services (02:21)Why adapting to the evolving needs of guests is more important than trying to figure out how to use AI or other specific technologies in your hotel (03:27)The importance of zooming out and looking at the big picture as a leader in the hospitality industry (03:51) A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together. If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Martin Soler, a former hotel general manager who is now a fractional CMO for large travel tech companies and the co-founder of 10minutes.news, shares his insights on how hotels can use technology to provide personalized experiences for their guests at scale.Listeners will learn:Why only 9% of most hotels' guests are likely to return (12:51)How to gather meaningful guest information to surprise and delight them without being annoying (14:23)Martin's bold prediction about a big tech shift coming to the hotel industry in the next 24 months (08:33)The importance of having a property management system (PMS) that is guest-centric rather than room-centric (05:25)How hotels can prepare for a future of hyper-personalization, even if they can't change their PMS right now (10:05)The significance of cleaning up existing guest data and collecting the right information to create personalized experiences (11:58)Subscribe to Martin's personal newsletter, Tell, here A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together. If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Katharine Ames, Chief Marketing Officer at the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, shares stories of hospitality that she's experienced from her teams and how it has impacted her personally and professionally.Listeners will learn:How the Indigo Road Hospitality Group takes its "Surprise and Delight" initiative seriously, going the extra mile to make guests feel special (01:14)Katharine's personal experience celebrating a milestone birthday at Oku Atlanta, where her team went all out with personalized menus, decor, and cocktails (02:05)How Katharine's colleagues at the Indigo Road's home office in Charleston welcomed her children with thoughtful gift bags and activities during a work trip (03:40)The significant impact that experiencing hospitality from colleagues can have on people's experiences (05:22)How the culture of hospitality is ingrained in the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, with colleagues sharing their "Surprise and Delight" experiences on a company-wide private Instagram feed (06:05) A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together. If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Katharine Ames, Chief Marketing Officer at the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, shares her journey from studying communications and hospitality in college to becoming a CMO in the hospitality industry.Listeners will learn:How Katharine's passion for hospitality was inspired by her father and their family dinners (06:02)The importance of paying attention to details, as demonstrated by Katharine's internship interview (09:54)The differences between working on the agency side versus in-house in the hospitality industry (11:38)Katharine's thoughts on the importance of personal connection in marketing, even with the rise of AI and tools like ChatGPT (13:11)How Katharine finds inspiration for new ideas by stepping away from her desk, meeting with other creatives and entrepreneurs, and spending time at the hotels and restaurants (14:56) A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together. If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Stuart Greif, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy, Innovation, and Operating Officer at Forbes Travel Guide, shares his thoughts on supporting women and underrepresented groups in the hospitality industry.Listeners will learn:Why leaders need to recognize and address the lack of opportunity for underrepresented groups in business (01:30)How diversity in teams leads to better business outcomes, backed by Harvard Business School studies (04:11)The responsibility of executives to pursue diversity for the best outcomes in their businesses (05:16)How the younger generation is more open to diversity and will bring positive change, but current leaders still need to act now (08:31)The story behind Stuart's support of a book project on the history of Black and African American hoteliers (10:47)The gratification that comes from helping others and making connections to support projects and people in the industry (14:46) A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together. If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Stuart Greif shares his experience attending the Modern Elder Academy and how it can help individuals reconnect with their true selves and find fulfillment in their personal and professional lives.Listeners will learn:How the Modern Elder Academy helps individuals from diverse backgrounds bond and reflect on their lives and careers (03:29)The importance of rediscovering one's natural essence and aligning with what truly gives fulfillment as we age (04:00)How travel allows us to lose and find ourselves, with the greatest adventure being within (05:07)The value of slowing down and appreciating the present moment to facilitate human connection, which is often lost in today's busy world (08:23)If you enjoyed this, you may also enjoy Chip Conley: Learning to Love Midlife - Insights for Hospitality or watching Ben Pundole talk about his experiences here on our YouTube channel. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together. If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Martin Soler, a former hotel general manager who is now a fractional CMO for large travel tech companies and the co-founder of 10minutes.news, shares his observations and insights from the Paris Olympics and how they can be applied to the hospitality industry.Listeners will learn:How the Paris Olympics were surprisingly well-organized and created a fantastic vibe in the city, despite initial complaints and disruptions (01:42)The importance of training staff, from police to subway operators, to create a welcoming experience for visitors (03:43)The trend of hotels setting outrageous rates for big events, leading to lower occupancy and missed opportunities (04:31)The significance of consistent branding across uniforms, signage, and the overall experience, similar to what hotels strive for (07:27)The role of technology in creating a seamless experience, such as integrating metro tickets into mobile phones (09:38)The shift in luxury brands, like LVMH, moving towards sports and casual wear, reflecting a change in culture and the importance of performance (11:51)Subscribe to Martin's personal newsletter, Tell, here A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together. If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

Bashar Wali, founder and CEO of Practice Hospitality and This Assembly, explores the evolving dynamics of guest relationships in hospitality. He argues that social media has made it easier to connect with guests meaningfully. The conversation highlights the value of emotional intelligence over transactional interactions. A heartwarming story about a simple welcoming gesture shows its profound impact on guests. Wali also emphasizes the need for a supportive culture that rewards staff for fostering exceptional experiences, creating a magical escape for visitors.

In this episode, Katharine Ames, Chief Marketing Officer at the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, shares her insights on the opportunities for post-stay engagement in the hospitality industry.Listeners will learn:Why post-stay engagement is the most untapped opportunity in the hospitality industry (01:15)How the retail industry has excelled at following up with customers after a transaction (01:25)The importance of reaching out to guests to encourage them to return and share their experiences (02:07)How real loyalty is about creating an affinity for a hotel, company, or restaurant, rather than just offering rewards programs (02:45)Examples of how Indigo Road Hospitality Group engages with guests post-stay, including personalized phone calls and social media interactions (03:55) A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together. If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

Johann Moonesinghe, co-founder and CEO of inKind, discusses empowering restaurants through capital and technology. He shares insights from his journey in restaurant investing and the launch of a restaurant incubator. Johann outlines the evolution of inKind into a consumer marketplace and highlights challenges restaurant owners face. He emphasizes the importance of owning and operating restaurants to better serve clients and shares how partnerships, particularly with Michael Mina, enhance support for independent eateries, especially those from diverse backgrounds.