Checking In

In this episode we speak to Joe Henry, general manager of Holmes Hotel London. Joe spoke about his people-first mindset when it comes to leading at Holmes, how the hotel connects to and supports the community around it, why modern leadership means being visible and relational and how building a culture rooted in empathy and transparency fosters trust in your teams.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elavon, a global leader in payment solutions for over 30 years.

Whether you run a five-star hotel franchise or an independent guesthouse, Elavon makes it easy to pay for every stay. Through the rush and the respite, for the front of house and the out of sight, get payments that can keep up with anything. With Elavon, there’s a smarter way to take payments. Visit Elavon.co.uk for more.

This episode is brought to you by Howden, the global insurance broker.

Whether you run a boutique hotel, independent B&B, or international hotel group, there are 101 reasons why Howden’s great for you. From tailored policies to true peace of mind, Howden is here to back your business every step of the way, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional guest experiences.

In this episode we’re joined by Richard Candey, head of Hotel Development and Consulting at Colliers. We dive into the current state of the UK hotel sector in 2026 - unpacking the challenges of rising construction costs, shifting investor appetite, and the evolving role of office-to-hotel conversions. Richard offers valuable insights into shifting deal structures, brand partnerships in today’s market, and where future opportunities may lie in an increasingly dynamic and competitive landscape.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elavon, a global leader in payment solutions for over 30 years.

Whether you run a five-star hotel franchise or an independent guesthouse, Elavon makes it easy to pay for every stay. Through the rush and the respite, for the front of house and the out of sight, get payments that can keep up with anything. With Elavon, there’s a smarter way to take payments. Visit Elavon.co.uk for more.

This episode is brought to you by Howden, the global insurance broker.

Whether you run a boutique hotel, independent B&B, or international hotel group, there are 101 reasons why Howden’s great for you. From tailored policies to true peace of mind, Howden is here to back your business every step of the way, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional guest experiences.

In this episode we speak to Anthony Hunt, partner and co-head of Corporate Real Estate at law firm Howard Kennedy. We discuss why 2026 may be seen as a pivotal year for boutique hotels, unpack the rise of global nomadism and how this is shaping demand and trends across hospitality, and how a strong team and clear, consistent messaging and offerings are key to securing investment.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elavon, a global leader in payment solutions for over 30 years.

Whether you run a five-star hotel franchise or an independent guesthouse, Elavon makes it easy to pay for every stay. Through the rush and the respite, for the front of house and the out of sight, get payments that can keep up with anything. With Elavon, there’s a smarter way to take payments. Visit Elavon.co.uk for more.

This episode is brought to you by Howden, the global insurance broker.

Whether you run a boutique hotel, independent B&B, or international hotel group, there are 101 reasons why Howden’s great for you. From tailored policies to true peace of mind, Howden is here to back your business every step of the way, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional guest experiences.

In this episode we speak to Candice Pressinger, Director of Customer Data Security at Elavon Europe. We explore how hoteliers can strike the right balance between robust security and a frictionless guest experience, why even small payment inefficiencies can lead to huge lost revenue (and how to avoid them), and why security should no longer be treated as background infrastructure, but instead embraced as a core driver of growth, trust, and long-term success.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elavon, a global leader in payment solutions for over 30 years.

Whether you run a five-star hotel franchise or an independent guesthouse, Elavon makes it easy to pay for every stay. Through the rush and the respite, for the front of house and the out of sight, get payments that can keep up with anything.

With Elavon, there’s a smarter way to take payments. Visit Elavon.co.uk for more.

In this episode we speak to David Taylor, CEO of Kew Green Hotels. David spoke about Kew Green’s strategic priorities as it looks to expand, and the pillars of its new five-year strategy, the key behind building trust and strong partnerships with hotel brands and owners, and the importance of strengthening the foundations of a group through clear communication and a strong brand story.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Elavon, a global leader in payment solutions for over 30 years.

Whether you run a five-star hotel franchise or an independent guesthouse, Elavon makes it easy to pay for every stay. Through the rush and the respite, for the front of house and the out of sight, get payments that can keep up with anything.

With Elavon, there’s a smarter way to take payments. Visit Elavon.co.uk for more.

This episode is brought to you by Howden, the global insurance broker.

Whether you run a boutique hotel, independent B&B, or international hotel group, there are 101 reasons why Howden’s great for you. From tailored policies to true peace of mind, Howden is here to back your business every step of the way, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional guest experiences.

In this episode we speak to Ed Burrows, co-founder of The Wildhive Collection. Ed spoke about his career foundations and the road to founding Wildhive, the process of launching their first site at Callow Hall, and what lessons from this have shaped the opening of their second site, Eshott Hall, what Wildhive’s people-first culture and Nature-Led hospitality looks like in practice, and the importance of communicating a strong brand identity from day one.

This episode is brought to you by Howden, the global insurance broker.

Whether you run a boutique hotel, independent B&B, or international hotel group, there are 101 reasons why Howden’s great for you. From tailored policies to true peace of mind, Howden is here to back your business every step of the way, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional guest experiences.

In this episode we speak to Claire Good, chief operating officer at Travelodge. She spoke about Travelodge’s approach to enacting operational change across its wide portfolio, the importance of clear communication and understanding the needs of frontline colleagues and how this in turn impacts guest experience, and how Travelodge’s great managers make for great teams.

This episode is brought to you by Howden, the global insurance broker.

Whether you run a boutique hotel, independent B&B, or international hotel group, there are 101 reasons why Howden’s great for you. From tailored policies to true peace of mind, Howden is here to back your business every step of the way, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional guest experiences.

In this episode we speak to Tim Rumney, CEO of BWH Hotels GB. We spoke about BWH’s distinctive business model, and how individual hotels can benefit from the group’s framework whilst retaining their individual identity, the importance of understanding your USP and capitalising on what makes your hotel unique to guests, and how BWH Hotels GB's strong community is the key to long-lasting hotel partnerships.

This episode is brought to you by Howden, the global insurance broker.

Whether you run a boutique hotel, independent B&B, or international hotel group, there are 101 reasons why Howden’s great for you. From tailored policies to true peace of mind, Howden is here to back your business every step of the way, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional guest experiences.

In this episode we speak to Gemma Jones, hotel operations manager at The Feathers in Oxfordshire. Gemma told us about the lessons learned through her varied career, including her time as cabin crew, how leading from the front and by example is the key to team motivation, what makes The Feathers a unique and experiential Cotswolds getaway, and how the little details have the biggest impact on guests.

This episode is brought to you by Howden, the global insurance broker.

Whether you run a boutique hotel, independent B&B, or international hotel group, there are 101 reasons why Howden’s great for you. From tailored policies to true peace of mind, Howden is here to back your business every step of the way, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional guest experiences.

In this episode we’re joined by Christian Masters, the general manager of art’otel London Hoxton, who delves into his experience with hotel pre-openings, the culture and art that defines the art’otel brand, and the many things the property has in store two years after launching.

This episode is brought to you by Howden, the global insurance broker.

Whether you run a boutique hotel, independent B&B, or international hotel group, there are 101 reasons why Howden’s great for you. From tailored policies to true peace of mind, Howden is here to back your business every step of the way, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional guest experiences.