Checking In

In this episode we speak to Gareth Winebloom and Lewis Bound, general manager and deputy operations manager at Rowton Castle. They discussed how storytelling at the castle plays a key part in enhancing the guest experience, the key behind Rowton’s team loyalty and low turnover, and how their wedding teams are able to balance personal touches with spotless delivery.

This episode is sponsored by Rezcontrol. Running a hotel is complex — but your property management system shouldn't be. Rezcontrol is the next-generation, cloud-native PMS designed to put hoteliers in control.

With powerful automation, fully integrated booking and payment systems, and real-time reporting, as well as legendary UK-based customer service, Rezcontrol frees up your team to do what they do best — delight your guests. Easy to use, fast to deploy, and endlessly scalable — Rezcontrol is the PMS you can trust. Visit rezcontrol.com today.

In this episode we speak to Asja Samperi, rooms manager at Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill. Asja spoke about how her love of travel, languages and connection with people has shaped her career path, the key behind building a strong and enthusiastic team as rooms manager, and how AI is shaping the future of guest personalisation in the luxury market.

In this episode we speak to James B. Clarke, General Manager of the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge and chair of The Master Innholders. James spoke about the Master Innholders' latest conference and what its theme of ‘Distilling Excellence’ means for hoteliers in practice, the key drivers behind his site’s ongoing success, how the Master Innholders encourages connection and conversation within the industry, and the key to empowering your frontline staff through communication.

This episode is sponsored by Rezcontrol. Running a hotel is complex — but your property management system shouldn't be. Rezcontrol is the next-generation, cloud-native PMS designed to put hoteliers in control.

With powerful automation, fully integrated booking and payment systems, and real-time reporting, as well as legendary UK-based customer service, Rezcontrol frees up your team to do what they do best — delight your guests. Easy to use, fast to deploy, and endlessly scalable — Rezcontrol is the PMS you can trust. Visit rezcontrol.com today.

In this episode we speak to Graeme Green, Managing Director of Crossbasket Castle. We spoke about his time at The Point in New York and how American hospitality has influenced his leadership approach, what guests can expect from the Castle’s £20m refurb, and why creating ‘moments of magic’ for guests can in turn empower and energise your team.

This episode is sponsored by Rezcontrol. Running a hotel is complex — but your property management system shouldn't be. Rezcontrol is the next-generation, cloud-native PMS designed to put hoteliers in control.

With powerful automation, fully integrated booking and payment systems, and real-time reporting, as well as legendary UK-based customer service, Rezcontrol frees up your team to do what they do best — delight your guests. Easy to use, fast to deploy, and endlessly scalable — Rezcontrol is the PMS you can trust. Visit rezcontrol.com today.

In this episode we speak to Kathryn Wright, COO at customer loyalty platform Antavo. We discussed the rise of card-linking and gamification in loyalty programmes, and how hoteliers can capitalise on this, how to re-platform your loyalty system with agile, long-term thinking and why keeping loyalty in mind must underpin all facets of your operations.

This episode is sponsored by Rezcontrol. Running a hotel is complex — but your property management system shouldn't be. Rezcontrol is the next-generation, cloud-native PMS designed to put hoteliers in control.

With powerful automation, fully integrated booking and payment systems, and real-time reporting, as well as legendary UK-based customer service, Rezcontrol frees up your team to do what they do best — delight your guests. Easy to use, fast to deploy, and endlessly scalable — Rezcontrol is the PMS you can trust. Visit rezcontrol.com today.

In this episode we speak to Paul Brackley, the founder and CEO of Kinsfolk & Co. We discussed how Paul and his team built a purpose-led hospitality brand from the ground up, how thoughtfulness, community and collective ambition lie at the heart of Kinsfolk, and what can be expected from the brand’s first physical touchpoint, The Newman.

In this episode we welcome back Tim Davis MBE, Founder and Managing Director of PACE dimensions. We spoke about the evolution of the branded hotel space and how businesses can best capture their "unfair "share of the market, why ESG is a key investment for long-term, sustainable success, and how connectivity and cohesion across your operations is key to growth in a softening market.

In this episode we speak to Marc Finney, Head of Hotels & Resorts Consulting at Colliers. We discussed Colliers’ 2025 Hotel Market Index, which highlighted the strength and resilience of the Scottish market, the reasons behind rising investor activity in Birmingham and Cambridge and how investors and developers can best navigate rising costs in the industry in 2025 and beyond.

This episode is sponsored by Howden, the global insurance broker that knows the hotel business inside-out. https://www.howdengroup.com/hotel-insurance

This episode we are joined by Mark Lewis, CEO of UK-based benevolent charity Hospitality Action. We discussed all the ways the charity helps those in need, giving support to those in the sector who often have nowhere else left to turn, some of the reasons why 2024 was their most challenging ‘year yet’ and how operators can better support their workers and also help raise funds so the charity can continue its vital work.

In this episode we speak to Robert Bates, Executive Head Chef at The Belfry Hotel & Resort. Rob spoke about his experience working with Albert Roux, and the lessons learned from his time at Joel Robuchon and Le Gavroche, how respect and recognition is key to high morale and staff retention in the kitchen and his approach to seasonal menu creation.

This episode is sponsored by Howden, the global insurance broker that knows the hotel business inside-out. https://www.howdengroup.com/hotel-insurance