Checking In

In this episode we speak to Jamie Power, general manager at The Great Southern Killarney. He spoke about his experience working at a major New York hotel and the lessons this taught him in leadership, the repositioning of The Great Southern, and how the history of the site was preserved and honoured whilst elevating it to a modern luxury experience, and how hospitality is now more than ever returning to its core values of connecting with and celebrating the people who make it.

This episode is sponsored by Scheidt & Bachmann Parking Solutions, which provides a scalable, AI-powered cloud platform solution for modern parking management. The solution enables centralised control of all parking operations through a single dashboard and is complemented by features such as online reservations, digital payment options, and self-service portals. Thanks to open interfaces, mobility providers can be easily integrated. Operators benefit from greater transparency, flexibility, and efficiency, while drivers enjoy a seamless and modern parking experience.

In this episode we speak to Caitlin Owens, managing director of Fowlescombe Farm, a Devon retreat that is shaped by the seasons. We explore what regenerative hospitality really means and how Fowlescombe puts this into practice in every sense, as well as its approach to provenance and the relationship between guests and the land. She discusses how the property combines farming, conservation, food and hospitality in an interconnected model, and allows guests to play their own part in its operations, as well as cultivating a team built on passion and respect.

In this episode we speak to Caroline Gregory, owner and manager of The Lovat in Loch Ness. Caroline spoke about how her hospitality journey began by working with her father, giving her an early insight into the industry and shaping the values that continue to influence her approach today. She also discussed the distinctive ‘Coftie’ philosophy that shapes the Lovat – which creates a sense of comfort and wellbeing that guests can take home with them, and why sustainability is much more than a list of operational initiatives –but a philosophy that should underpin the way a hotel thinks.

In this episode we're joined by John Harrington, head of Business Development UK & Ireland at Líbere Hospitality Group. John spoke about his role in launching the company's UK presence from the ground up, the deciding factors behind what makes a property the right fit for Líbere, how the company’s own technology-led operating model has allowed for the highest levels of automation and agility, and how digital innovation can enhance rather than replace great guest service.

In this episode we speak to Matthew Li, head chef at The Municipal Hotel Liverpool. We'll explore how Matthew’s culinary family helped inspire his own career journey, the lessons in leadership and respect that he has learned through his work with Andrew Green, what it takes to build and lead a high-performing kitchen and motivate your team, and the importance of strong mental health support and striking the right work/life balance when working in a fast-paced space.

In this episode we speak to Amber Pledge, co-founder of Kabn, Scotland's first luxury, regenerative, social hospitality brand. Originally a dual-qualified finance lawyer, Amber made the leap from a city career to hospitality entrepreneurship, bringing together analytical thinking and creative vision to build the business. We explore the journey behind Kabn, from the inspiration for the brand to the practical realities of developing and operating a design-led hospitality concept. Amber shares how her background in law and finance has helped the process, how sensory design and storytelling resonates with guests, and how Kabn celebrates the land around it.

In this episode we speak to Sinai Pedreschi, director of sales and marketing at Starhotels Collezione. Sinai shares how strong relationship-building with clients and team members has remained at the heart of her business approach, how smaller luxury hotels can compete with the marketing power of global brands, why boutique properties may have a unique advantage when it comes to creating memorable guest experiences and why strong storytelling is a cornerstone for your site’s success.

In this episode, we speak to Andrew Sanders, general manager of the recently reopened Grand Hotel Leicester, one of the city's most recognisable landmarks and a key part of its ongoing regeneration. Andrew spoke about the process of refurbishing the site and what this opening brings to Leicester, how to balance preserving heritage with catering to the modern guest, the ways in which the hotel celebrates its history and identity and creates special memories for its guests and his approach to leading a passionate team that is part of the hotel’s story.

In this episode we’re speaking to Philip Steiner, chief operating officer of Vertiq Hospitality Partners. He talks about his experience with the merger of Cycas Hospitality and Vertiq Capital, how his experience as a hotel general manager led him to a senior role in operations, and the surprising things he has had to unlearn during his career.

In this episode we're joined by Nicolas Leroy, co-founder of Toile Blanche, a hotel resort and contemporary art collection in St Paul de Vence in the South of France. Having started it as an artistic destination with his brothers, Nicolas will share what he has learned about hospitality from an artist’s perspective, how to make art feel intentional and interactive for guests, and the differences between French and British hotel getaways.