In this episode, Eugene Leonard, General Manager of Hotel Café Royal in London, shares with our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith (founder of MorningStar GX), how a 160-year-old landmark stays relevant to today’s luxury traveler. He explains his “zeitgeist” approach to guest experience, updating classic service touchpoints (yes, even shoe-shine) to match what modern, younger luxury guests actually use. Eugene also explains why arrival is the defining moment at Hotel Café Royal, how he builds a guest-first culture across front and back of house, and what it takes to compete in London’s ultra-competitive five-star market. 

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Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Eugene Leonard, General Manager of Hotel Café Royal in London, shares with our guest experience correspondent, Danica Smith (founder of MorningStar GX), his perspective on how technology is changing hospitality now in real ways. From managing 90 disconnected systems to creating one unified guest experience, Eugene explains how better integration and AI tools can help hoteliers make faster, better decisions -- without losing the human touch that is the bedrock of great service.

He also explores how personalization starts with listening, and how his team turns small, intentional moments into powerful guest insights. For anyone curious about where hotel tech is headed (and how to keep it authentically human) this conversation offers a grounded, forward-looking view from one of luxury hospitality’s most credible voices.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, you'll hear an excerpt of Josiah Mackenzie's conversation with Sloan Dean on the Not Done podcast, where he talks about the state of hospitality technology from his perspective as head of marketing at Actabl: what’s working, what’s not, and what leaders can do right now to drive change.

They explore why tech adoption in hotels has often lagged, how poor rollouts can backfire, and what it takes to align innovation with the realities of operations and profitability. Josiah shares his personal motivation for working in hotel technology -- empowering the people who power hospitality -- and outlines where he sees opportunity today: in digitization, better processes, and technology that actually saves time and improves profit margins.

Want more? Listen to Josiah's full conversation with Sloan on Not Done here

Learn more about Actabl here, and their Digital Night Audit technology here.

More related episodes:

• The Magic Wand Question: Building Digital Night Audit (and Hotel Tech That Matters) - Brian Blanda & Stephen German, Actabl
• More conversations about hospitality technology with Actabl's team
• More conversations with Sloan Dean

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
• Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Abigail Tan, CEO of St Giles Hotel Group, joins our correspondent and hertelier founder Emily Goldfisher to share the story behind Hotels with Heart, a program using hospitality to provide housing, training, and new opportunities for people experiencing homelessness. Started during the pandemic, the initiative has grown into a full-fledged Hospitality Academy that equips participants with skills, confidence, and pathways to employment. Abigail’s vision shows how hotels can go beyond business to become platforms for community and compassion.

Also see:

• Offering Hope Through Hospitality: How We Worked with St. Giles Hotels to Create Opportunities for our Community - Greg Früchtenicht, Saira Hospitality
• Herstory: Abigail Tan on Leading St Giles and Building Hotels with Heart

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
• Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, St Giles Hotel Group CEO Abigail Tan shares how her approach to leadership has evolved from self-discovery to creating a culture people can feel. Speaking with our career correspondent and hertelier founder Emily Goldfisher, Abigail reflects on the values that guide her decisions, the lessons she’s learned as both a CEO and mother, and why authentic leadership and organizational behavior matter more than ever in hospitality.

She discusses how she’s built a loyal team—many with decades of tenure—by leading with empathy, clarity, and purpose, and how redefining risk as “adventure learning” continues to shape her growth. Listeners will take away actionable insights on building strong cultures and leading with humanity in an evolving industry.

Also see:

• Offering Hope Through Hospitality: How We Worked with St. Giles Hotels to Create Opportunities for our Community - Greg Früchtenicht, Saira Hospitality
• Herstory: Abigail Tan on Leading St Giles and Building Hotels with Heart

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
• Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Gregory Day, President of Hospitality for Mani Brothers Real Estate Group and Managing Director of the Malibu Beach Inn, shares how hospitality can play a powerful role in rebuilding a community after crisis.

Following two devastating wildfires and months of road closures that cut local business revenue by up to 90%, Gregory has become a leading advocate for why hospitality matters — not only for travelers, but for the people and small businesses who depend on it. He discusses Malibu’s path to recovery, the importance of local collaboration, and how hotels can help re-energize entire communities through connection, care, and leadership.

This episode offers a hopeful look at how hospitality leaders can help communities recover — and thrive — in the face of disruption.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
• Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Gregory Day, President of Hospitality for Mani Brothers Real Estate Group and Managing Director of the Malibu Beach Inn, shares what it was like to lead his team and guests through two devastating wildfires that struck Malibu just 30 days apart.

Gregory recounts how preparation, calm leadership, and a deeply rooted service culture guided every decision, from midnight evacuations to supporting displaced residents and first responders. He explains how an “inverted org chart” approach empowered his team to act quickly under pressure and why culture and readiness are the true foundations of resilience.

This conversation offers a firsthand look at crisis leadership in hospitality and what it takes to stay grounded, decisive, and human when everything around you is in chaos.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
• Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Gregory Day, President of Hospitality for Mani Brothers Real Estate Group and Managing Director of the Malibu Beach Inn, shares how listening attentively to guests and empowering staff to act with autonomy define his approach to five-star hospitality. Building on yesterday’s discussion about the Malibu Beach Inn’s turnaround, Gregory explains how a culture of trust and responsiveness enables his team to deliver deeply personal guest experiences. You’ll also hear a story from Josiah’s own stay that illustrates how this philosophy comes to life in practice.

For hospitality professionals aiming to elevate service and strengthen guest relationships, this episode offers a practical look at what world-class hospitality really looks like today.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Gregory Day, President of Hospitality for Mani Brothers Real Estate Group and Managing Director of the Malibu Beach Inn, shares how he led a complete turnaround of this stunning oceanfront property in just two years -- a journey that took it to the top of luxury hospitality.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
• Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Gregory Day, President of Hospitality for Mani Brothers Real Estate Group and Managing Director of the Malibu Beach Inn, reflects on how formality and luxury have evolved across different hospitality environments.

Gregory shares formative lessons from his early career, from discovering true luxury at Pebble Beach Resorts to being mentored by industry leaders and later managing at Fairmont, where excellence took on a different meaning.

He discusses how definitions of formality and guest expectations vary by culture and region, and how today’s leaders can balance tradition with authenticity to create memorable guest experiences.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
• Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands