In this episode, Chris Bowling, Head of Digital and Consumer Marketing at BWH Hotels Great Britain, shares insights on the importance of direct bookings, the role of OTAs, and the impact of AI on the hospitality industry.

Read Chris' newsletter, The Hotel Hype.

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, Sean Murphy, General Manager at The Bower, shares how technology like AI can optimize operations, free your team to elevate guest experiences, and deliver a strong ROI.

Hear more of Sean's story: From Pool Attendant to Achieving Forbes 5-Star Recognition

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, Sean Murphy, General Manager at The Bower, shares his inspiring career journey in hospitality, from his beginnings at Ritz-Carlton to leading an independent hotel to Forbes five-star recognition in Mexico.

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, Lou Zameryka, founder of Alively and partner at Ventures Hospitality, shares insights on integrating wellness into hospitality to drive guest loyalty, boost satisfaction, and unlock new revenue streams.

Check out these other episodes with Lou:

• Unlocking Human Potential: The Power of "Healthspan" in Hospitality - Lou Zameryka
• Building Booking.com: Lessons In Culture, Innovation, And Global Growth from Behind The Scenes - Lou Zameryka

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.
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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, Dylan Barahona shares his journey from building Lego hotels as a child to creating immersive VIP experiences at high-profile events like Coachella and Gary Vaynerchuk's VeeCon. He discusses his recent 50-day experiential hospitality challenge, where he used generative AI to visualize bold hospitality concepts, and offers insights into why brands should invest in experiential environments.

View Dylan's Experiential Hospitality Challenge on LinkedIn.

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.
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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, Ben Rafter, President and CEO of Springboard Hospitality, shares insights on how innovation and technology can empower hospitality providers and elevate the guest experience.

We cover:

• Springboard's dedicated department for innovation
• The importance of beta-testing technology
• What frustrates Ben about technology companies
• What it takes to successfully implement technology
• Enhancing guest interactions with technology
• Supporting emotional intelligence in hospitality
• Why Ben loves behind-the-scenes technology for operations

If you enjoyed this, you may also enjoy: 

• What Happens When a Tech CEO Leads a Hotel Company - Ben Rafter, Springboard Hospitality
• ChatGPT for Hotel Reviews: AI Lessons From Our 1 Hour, $20 Live Experiment - Josiah Mackenzie
• Hard Truths on Hotel Tech: Unfiltered Insider Advice - Josiah Mackenzie

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, Ben Rafter, President and CEO of Springboard Hospitality, shares his career journey from the tech industry to hospitality and his innovative approach to blending technology, transparency, and a guest-first mindset to turn challenges into opportunities.

We cover:

(01:08) Ben's start in hospitality

(04:09) Lessons from growing Aqua Hotels during the 2008 financial crisis

(06:01) Data and reports Ben focuses on

(08:16) Personal development and learning

(10:19) What's on Ben's mind these days

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.
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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, Rachel Roginski, Principal at Pinnacle Advisory Group, shares her take on our State of the Hotel Industry research.

You may also enjoy:

• The State of the Hotel Industry: 5 Things To Know for 2025 - Josiah Mackenzie
• Beyond Efficiency: How AI Can Help Hospitality Thrive in 2025 - Lou Zameryka

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, Lou Zameryka shares his take on the State of the Hotel Industry research discussed yesterday.

Article referenced: The AI Revolution in Hospitality: Transforming the Hotel Industry through Innovation and Employee Empowerment

You may also enjoy this from Lou: Creative but Practical Uses for AI Today in Hotel Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Management (Takeaways From HSMAI's Latest Event)

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, Josiah Mackenzie shares key insights about the state of the hotel industry for 2025, based on a comprehensive survey conducted on this topic.

View the research charts here on HotelOperations.com

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