Today’s guest is an expert in conducting the symphony of insanity of what it takes to open a hotel. He’s a hospitality leader in the Luxury, Full Service, Select Service, Branded, and Independent hotel spaces and is well-versed in the various needs and variables in all sectors. Scott Hammons is the President of Design and Construction of HEI. Scott joins the host Dan Ryan to share his journey through the hospitality industry and what it all means to him.

Takeaways: 

• The way the market is right now if a hotel is going to acquire that is because there is room to improve the hotel or reinvent it. This can happen when a branded hotel gets bought by another company or when it goes independent.
• First-party project management is a term that Scott has coined to describe his new company, Ground Floor Hospitality. It’s a subsidiary of HEI but he refers to it as “first-party project management” because he oversees the whole project rather than someone he is not affiliated with.
• The hospitality industry is such a dynamic industry. It evokes so many different emotions and uses all 5 senses in order to create an unforgettable experience.
• Being in an entrepreneurial environment allows for more flexibility for new operations and provides room for growth in process improvements.  
• Scott is excited about the diverse opportunities in the hospitality industry. There are many different aspects of hospitality that you can branch into and each project is its own experience. 
• You want to find a space where when you go to work every day, it doesn’t feel like a typical work day or feel draining. You want to work in a place where you find yourself being passionate about what you do. 
• If you are a mentor, you want to prepare your team leaders or other people in your company for a meeting they are about to walk into but still make them walk in the meeting. This will help them to prepare and feel more comfortable for what will happen during that time. 

Quote of the Show:

“There's no business like the hospitality business.” - Scott Hammons

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottkhammons/
• Website: https://www.heihotels.com/

Shout Outs:

0:51 Aaron Anderson

1:35 Josh Pearlman

15:02 Mohawk Mountain House

17:40 Kimpton

17:47 Schrager

19:35 Marriot

29:19 Mark Wilson

29:20 Yoko Ishihara

33:05 Clark Henrati

49:51 Christopher Nassetta

51:42 Avengers Infinity War

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/rnnG9aI3BY0