As we close out the year, this special episode of Check-In with Bryan is a moment to pause, reflect, and say thank you.

This episode is a curated recap of some of the most impactful moments, insights, and ideas shared on the podcast throughout 2025 — a year filled with thoughtful conversations around leadership, growth, brand, culture, and the evolving business of hospitality.

First and foremost, we want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who has listened, shared episodes, reached out, and stayed with us throughout the year. Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or discovered the show somewhere along the way, your support is what allows these conversations to continue.

Throughout this recap, you’ll hear highlights from conversations with industry leaders including Scott Clary, Sarah Dandashy, Scott Eddy, Jenn Parks, Tom Busch, Ryan Rivett, and Ryan Bodine — each offering unique perspectives on what it takes to build meaningful, resilient, and forward-thinking hospitality brands.

Whether you’re heading into the new year looking for inspiration, clarity, validation, or simply a reminder of why this industry is so special, this episode is designed to carry you into 2026 with intention and momentum.

We’re incredibly excited to continue bringing you thoughtful conversations, real-world insights, and diverse voices from across hospitality in the year ahead. Thank you for being part of this journey — and here’s to what’s next.

#HospitalityLeadership
#HotelIndustry
#HospitalityPodcast
#HospitalityProfessionals
#HotelDevelopment

This week on Checkout Fridays, Bryan and Tyler keep it unfiltered.

From a 47-minute drive-thru nightmare at a fast-casual restaurant to firsthand stories of bad management, burnout, and leadership failures, this episode turns into an honest, sometimes hilarious, and very real conversation about what happens when people at the top stop supporting their teams.

Along the way, they dive into:

• Why poor leadership destroys employee morale
• Real hospitality war stories from restaurants and hotels
• End-of-year exhaustion and holiday stress
• Why empathy still matters in service businesses
• And how not to run a restaurant (or any operation)

It’s a laid-back Friday conversation with real lessons for operators, managers, and anyone who’s ever worked in hospitality — especially heading into the holidays.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly hospitality insights

💬 Drop a comment with your own service-industry horror story

📆 New episodes every Tuesday + Friday

#Hospitality

#Leadership

#Management

#RestaurantLife

#CheckoutFridays

Hotel development isn’t just about picking a brand. It’s about relationships, market truth, and knowing when to say no.

In this episode of Check-In with Bryan, Bryan Fish sits down with Tom Busch, a seasoned hotel development executive with decades of experience across major hospitality brands. Tom shares an unfiltered look at how hotel deals really get done—from franchise selection and site viability to owner expectations, lender confidence, and navigating economic cycles.

This conversation goes deep into the realities behind hotel development decisions and why long-term success depends on honesty, experience, and trust.

In this episode, we cover:

• How relationships drive hotel development more than brand names
• Why not every project should move forward—and who needs to say it
• The role brands play in financing, risk reduction, and performance
• Market cycles, overbuilding vs. “under-demolishing,” and timing projects right
• Why owners, guests, and brands often want different things
• The real cost of bad assumptions in hotel design, location, and positioning

If you’re a hotel owner, developer, operator, or investor—or considering entering hospitality—this episode offers a grounded, real-world perspective you won’t hear in a pitch deck.

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of hospitality, travel, and real estate.

#HospitalityLeadership #HotelDevelopment #HospitalityIndustry #HotelInvestment #CheckInWithBryan

It’s a laid-back Check-Out Friday as Bryan and Tyler unwind, reflect, and let the conversation go wherever it wants.

In this episode, the guys dive into holiday traditions, Christmas movies, music debates (Mariah, Cher, Kelly Clarkson, and more), chaotic holiday crowds, and the very real energy shift that comes with the end of the year. From Broadway studios and recording spaces to Times Square madness and an unexpectedly wholesome McDonald’s experience, this one is full of candid moments and off-the-cuff laughs.

Check-Out Fridays are our casual companion episodes to the main Check-In with Bryan interviews. No formal agenda, just industry friends decompressing, sharing stories, and talking life, travel, hospitality, and whatever else comes up.

If you enjoy behind-the-scenes conversations, real talk, and unfiltered industry perspective, make sure to subscribe and tune in every week.

🎧 New full-length Check-In with Bryan interviews drop Tuesdays

🍻 Check-Out Fridays drop at the end of the week

#Hospitality #CheckOutFridays #PodcastLife #HolidaySeason #TravelIndustry

What happens when you walk away from a mapped-out life and bet everything on curiosity, connection, and a one-way ticket to Bangkok? In this episode of Check-In with Bryan, host Bryan Fish sits down with global travel personality Scott Eddy — a former stockbroker turned digital pioneer — whose career has reshaped how the world experiences travel through storytelling.

From launching one of the first digital agencies in Southeast Asia to becoming a go-to partner for tourism boards, luxury brands, cruise lines, and hotels, Scott has built a life across continents rooted in one core belief: relationships, not algorithms, are what truly open doors.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How Scott went from a future in law enforcement to 10 years in finance — and then walked away to build a new life in Thailand
• The origin story of one of Asia’s first digital agencies and how it unlocked campaigns with hotels, casinos, airlines, and destinations around the world
• Why Southeast Asia (and especially Thailand) is, in Scott’s view, the greatest hospitality classroom on earth
• How social media evolved from vanity metrics to authentic, raw storytelling — and why “shaky iPhone videos” often outperform polished productions
• Why LinkedIn is the most underrated platform in hospitality right now (and how Scott is closing real client deals there)
• The difference between “influencers” chasing attention and true creators who bring credibility, experience, and genuine passion
• How hoteliers can work with creators without losing their brand voice — and why your employees should be the heroes of your content
• Why authenticity is the new currency and how brands can move beyond “4th night free” promos to real, human storytelling
• How AI can actually make hospitality more human by removing friction and freeing teams to focus on genuine guest connection

About Our Guest – Scott Eddy

Scott Eddy is a globally recognized travel storyteller, creator, and consultant who has lived across Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Spain, Portugal, London, and beyond. He’s hosted the first travel series on Lifetime, led campaigns for major airlines, F1, hotels, tourism boards, and luxury brands, and today spends his life living full-time in hotels and on cruise ships — using social media as a global megaphone for human connection and hospitality done right.

Follow Scott: @MrScottEddy on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and more.

Connect with Check-In with Bryan

If this conversation inspired you to rethink how you tell your brand’s story, subscribe to the channel so you never miss a new episode of Check-In with Bryan.

We dive into candid conversations with the leaders, creators, and disruptors shaping the future of hospitality, travel, and guest experience.

#Hospitality #TravelIndustry #HotelMarketing #DigitalStorytelling

#InfluencerMarketing #CheckInWithBryan #ScottEddy #HotelLeadership

Christmas is sneaking up fast and we are very much in the thick of it. In this week’s Check-Out Friday, Bryan and Tyler talk last-minute holiday shopping, shipping chaos, brutally cold weather, and of course—Christmas movies (yes, including the eternal “Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?” debate).

In this episode, we chat about:

• Holiday gifting, delayed Amazon orders, and surprise customs fees
• Traveling, blizzards, and wild “I probably shouldn’t be driving in this” stories
• Our go-to Christmas movie lineup: Elf, Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, and more
• The very serious question of whether Gremlins and Die Hard count as Christmas movies
• A shoutout to recent and upcoming episodes with Jill Szmanda (Forward Tilt) and Scott Eddy (live from Bangkok, Thailand)
• Bryan’s upcoming 2026 Hotel Owners Growth Lab workshops in Phoenix, Houston, and Chicago

Check-Out Fridays are our fast, no-fluff weekly episodes where Bryan and Tyler talk hospitality headlines, travel stories, industry happenings, and whatever else comes up while closing out the week. Think of it as a fun end-of-week debrief with your hospitality nerd friends.

If you enjoy this episode, make sure to:

• Subscribe for more Tuesday interviews + Friday Check-Outs
• Drop a comment with your all-time favorite Christmas movie
• Share this with someone in hospitality who loves the holidays as much as we do

#CheckOutFridays

#CheckInWithBryan

#HospitalityPodcast

#ChristmasMovies

#TravelAndHospitality

#HolidaySeason

What happens when you bring true hospitality thinking into offices, schools, hospitals, and corporate HQs—not just hotels? In this episode of Check-In with Bryan, Bryan sits down with Jill Szmanda, Director of Sales at Forward Tilt, a Scottsdale-based full-service workspace design and commercial furniture firm that’s helping companies turn “just an office” into experience-driven spaces people actually want to be in.

From Dutch Bros’ HQ to NextSpace’s three-story showroom, Jill has spent her career bridging the gap between design vision and operational reality—making sure what looks gorgeous on paper actually works in real life (and doesn’t fall apart like a Wayfair sofa in a hotel lobby).

Along the way, you’ll hear about:
•How Forward Tilt approaches offices as a “magnet, not a mandate” to bring people back to work after years of remote culture
•Why hospitality isn’t just for hotels anymore—and how it’s shaping offices, healthcare, schools, and even vet clinics
•The biggest design mistakes owners and developers make (hello, white sofas and angry yellow walls)
•How to create spaces that reflect a company’s identity and culture without feeling over-designed or cookie-cutter
•The rise of color, pattern, and custom pieces (like Dutch Bros’ peace-sign conference table) and why “millennial grey” is officially over
•Practical tips for balancing budget vs. experience—where to splurge, where to save, and why that $14k coffee table might not be the flex you think it is
•The importance of experience design: scent, music, lighting, art, furniture placement, and even the way power outlets are planned
•The connection between how people live at home and how they show up in shared workspaces (plus some hilarious real-life stories)

If you’re an owner, developer, asset manager, or leader trying to:
•Refresh an office or workspace
•Design a new hotel, amenity space, or shared lobby
•Make your workplace feel more like an experience than a cubicle farm

…this conversation will give you a ton of practical insight, a few “oh no, we did that” moments, and some fresh ideas you can bring straight to your next project.


Check-In with Bryan is hosted by Bryan Fish, CEO of Reliance Hospitality, where he sits down with industry leaders, designers, owners, and innovators reshaping the future of hospitality, travel, and experience-driven spaces.

This episode was recorded at NextSpace in partnership with Immedia.

Enjoyed this episode?
•👍 Like the video if you got value from the conversation
•💬 Drop a comment with your favorite takeaway—or the worst design choice you’ve ever seen in a hotel or office
•🔔 Subscribe to Check-In with Bryan for new episodes and our Friday Checkout mini-episodes

Black Friday isn’t just about TVs and gadgets—this week we’re talking travel deals, Hilton’s huge sale, and what the Sonder–Marriott mess really means for guests.

In this Check-Out Friday episode of Check-In with Bryan, host Bryan Fish and producer Tyler Alexander catch up post-Thanksgiving and cover everything from Black Friday software buys to why airlines are in the business of service, not hospitality—a callback to a powerful analogy from recent guest Sarah Dandashy (@askaconcierge).

They also unpack highlights from this week’s long-form conversation with hospitality attorney and professor Stephen Barth (HospitalityLawyer.com), including:

• The Sonder–Marriott case study and why it’s such a big deal for the industry
• Who actually owns your hotel, who really has your money, and why that matters
• Why travel insurance might be worth it—especially when you’re dropping $10K+ on a trip
• How loyalty points, third-party ownership, and franchise structures can leave guests confused and frustrated

Then Bryan shifts gears into practical Black Friday and holiday travel tips, including:

• Details on Hilton’s major Black Friday sale and how to maximize the promo window
• Why you should avoid third-party booking sites like Expedia/Booking.com for “deals”
• How to use airline vacation packages (like AA Vacations, Delta Vacations, etc.) to bundle flights + hotels for better value
• How advanced pricing algorithms and AI-driven revenue systems changed the old “book on Tuesday” travel hacks

Along the way, Bryan and Tyler riff on:

• Overhead bin drama, basic economy, and the eternal carry-on battle
• Why some airline staff feel firmly “service only” while hotels lean into hospitality
• Holiday chaos, family dinners, and the golden rule of returning the Tupperware

If you’re in hospitality, hotel ownership, or just a frequent traveler trying to protect your wallet and your sanity during peak travel season, this Check-Out Friday is for you.

🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to Check-In with Bryan for more candid hospitality conversations every Tuesday, plus our lighter, fast-hit Check-Out Fridays with Bryan & Tyler.

When a brand implodes overnight, is it just a contract dispute—or a hospitality failure?

In this episode of Check-In with Bryan, host Bryan Fish sits down with Stephen Barth—founder of HospitalityLawyer.com, longtime professor at the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College, and one of Global Gurus’ Top 30 hospitality professionals—to unpack what really happened in the Sonder–Marriott breakup and what it means for owners, operators, and guests.

They dig into:

• Why your brand is defined less by the crisis itself and more by how you respond
• What a “default” in a license/franchise agreement typically looks like
• Why so many guests were left stranded and who actually holds the legal responsibility
• How the asset-light, franchise model confuses consumers who think they’re “staying with Marriott or Hilton”
• Practical steps guests can take after a collapse like this (travel insurance, credit card disputes, understanding terms & conditions)

From there, Bryan and Stephen zoom out and tackle the big legal minefields facing hospitality leaders heading into 2026, including:

• Hiring, training, and building a culture of safety, empathy, and compliance
• Human trafficking risk and why daily room entry and awareness matter
• Cybersecurity and why hotel owners can’t assume the brand “handles all the tech”
• Alcohol service, dram shop liability, and the dangerous myth that “guests will just go upstairs and sleep it off”
• The often-overlooked protections of EPLI and other targeted insurance coverages

If you own, operate, or advise hotels—or you just want to better understand your rights and risks as a traveler—this conversation will change the way you think about hospitality law, crisis management, and guest care.

This episode is presented by Reliance Hospitality Global—where hospitality meets strategy. From development and operations to profitability and outsourced services, Reliance helps owners, investors, and partners unlock value at every stage of the hotel lifecycle. Learn more at reliancehospitality.com.

👉 If you enjoy conversations at the intersection of hospitality, leadership, and law, make sure you:

• Subscribe to Check-In with Bryan on your favorite podcast platform
• Follow so you don’t miss this week’s Friday “Checkout” episode
• Share this episode with a fellow hotel owner, asset manager, or hospitality leader

Thanks for checking in—and remember: in a crisis, guests may forgive the mistake, but they won’t forget your reaction.

Happy Friday and welcome back to Check-Out Fridays on Check-In with Bryan 

This week, Bryan is coming to you from New York City, catching up with Executive Producer Tyler Alexander for an end-of-week debrief that’s equal parts travel diary, holiday preview, and behind-the-scenes hospitality talk.

In this Check-Out Fridays episode, Bryan recaps a whirlwind stretch that took him from Phoenix → Houston → Sarasota → New York City, with plenty of hospitality touchpoints along the way:

In this episode, Bryan & Tyler chat about:

🛎️ Hotel highlights in Sarasota & NYC

• A stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota and what made the service stand out
• A shout-out to the Holiday Inn on 26th Street in Chelsea and front desk star Rovina, plus thoughts on IHG’s new H5 design and why “New York nice” hits differently

🎄 QVC Holiday House & TikTok Shop

• Bryan’s experience at QVC’s Holiday House activation in NYC
• Meeting Kathy Hilton, hanging with Lara  (@prettyconnected) and her dog Wink
• How TikTok Shop and affiliate-style shopping are reshaping how brands reach guests and consumers

❄️ Somewhere Nowhere’s Winter Wonderland igloo experience

• Rooftop vibes, holiday season energy, and why immersive experiences still matter in a city full of options

🎁 Holiday shopping, QVC gift sets & the Hulken bag

• Bryan & Tyler’s honest thoughts on Black Friday, “fake discounts,” and thoughtful vs. throwaway gifting
• The Hulken bag as a surprisingly practical city accessory

👨‍👩‍👦 Holidays, money, and what really matters

• Why time together often beats expensive gifts
• Stories from family holidays, QVC over-shopping, and how financial realities shape how we celebrate

🚢 Looking ahead: travel & episodes to come

• Bryan’s upcoming Virgin Voyages New Year’s cruise to the Caribbean
• Teasing upcoming Check-In with Bryan guests including Sarah Dandashy, Stephen Barth (hospitalitylaw.com), Scott Eddy, and more
• Plans for a festive New York holiday episode with Laura / Pretty Connected and friends

Throughout the conversation, Bryan and Tyler keep bringing it back to what hospitality really is:

not just five-star brands, but how you make people feel—at the front desk, at a rooftop igloo, online in a TikTok shop, or sitting around the table during the holidays.

👉 Don’t miss this week’s main episode!

If you haven’t already, go check out our Season 4 kickoff with Sarah Dandashy (@askaconcierge), where we dig into the difference between service and hospitality and why it matters more than ever in today’s travel landscape.

💌 Stay connected with Check-In with Bryan & Check-Out Fridays

If you’re a hotelier, hospitality leader, or travel-obsessed operator, make sure to:

• Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
• Share this episode with a colleague who loves NYC, QVC, or holiday-season hotel stories
• Follow along for upcoming interviews on law, operations, branding, tech, and storytelling in hospitality

See you next week—and enjoy your weekend.