This week, I sat down with Jacu Strauss, Architect, Designer and Creative Director of Lore Group - the team behind iconic hotels like Sea Containers London, Pulitzer Amsterdam, Riggs Washington DC, Lyle, and 100 Shoreditch.

Jacu’s journey is extraordinary

From growing up in the Kalahari Desert, dreaming up imaginary worlds, teaching himself to draw and paint, and spending Christmases in his grandfather’s 20 room desert hotel… to studying architecture at the Bartlett, landing a role with Tom Dixon, designing Sea Containers having never done a hotel before, and ultimately shaping some of the most distinctive hotels on the planet.

This is creativity, curiosity, and courage in its purest form.

In this episode, Jacu and I dive into…

• Growing up in the Kalahari and learning to “create his own world”
• How a childhood surrounded by nature, storms and stars shaped his visual imagination
• Becoming an architect… in the middle of the 2008 crash
• Joining Tom Dixon’s studio and learning the power of storytelling in design
• Winning the pitch for Sea Containers London without ever having designed a hotel before
• Why hospitality is the ultimate playground of art + science
• How he builds hotels where guests write their own stories
• The importance of imperfection in design (“interiors should be about people”)
• Why comfort beats everything — “great bed, great shower, great materials”
• The unseen touches behind Lore Group hotels
• His philosophy on reducing waste, reusing buildings, and designing sustainably
• How to design when everyone has an opinion - and why the question “Why are we doing this?” matters more than anything
• Creativity, boundaries, and the real joy of experimentation
• The culture required to make creative teams flourish rather than fear mistakes

Quotes from Jacu

“I grew up in the Kalahari Desert… I had to create my own world”

“Creativity is just problem solving”

"Attitude is everything”

“You can’t fool people in a hotel”

“It’s not just about the end product - it’s about the journey”

“Interiors should be about people. Imperfection is the most beautiful thing”

“Smell is sometimes the first impression… sometimes even before you walk into a space”

“I want guests to write their own story, not have an experience forced on them”

"If you skip the first step - experimentation - it’s difficult to complete a project successfully”

“There are no rules in design. You have to create your own rules all the time”

Why this episode is worth your time

If you’ve ever walked into a hotel and thought, “Why does this just… feel good?”

This conversation is the answer.

Jacu brings a rare blend of thoughtful philosophy, meticulous craft, and playful human insight. It’s a deep dive into the creative mind behind some of hospitality’s most beautiful spaces and a reminder that design is really about people, comfort, and emotion, not just aesthetics.

It’s poetic, practical, and properly inspiring

Show Partners

A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil

This week, I sat down with Dan Barnes, Managing Director of Flourish Hospitality, a learning and development consultancy built on one simple idea: that every moment in hospitality is a chance to help someone grow.

Dan’s story is one of those brilliant hospitality journeys that started with polishing cutlery and pretending to be a grown-up in a suit and somehow led to building learning cultures across hotels, restaurants and private members’ clubs.

From Marriott to Edwardian Hotels, Caprice Holdings and now Flourish, Dan’s career has been a masterclass in curiosity, creativity, and learning the hard (but hilarious) way.

In this episode, Dan and I dive into…

• How he went from dreaming of being a history teacher to becoming hospitality’s go-to L&D guru
• The lessons learned from Marriott’s graduate scheme (and a haggis-related feedback story you won’t forget)
• His time at Edwardian Hotels, where he built a Food & Beverage Academy and developed “The Service World to Stage” program
• Why L&D in hospitality is the only truly positive role in HR
• The realities of pre-opening a major hotel and the mantra that kept him sane
• The joy (and chaos) of opening Annabel’s and running training for 1,500 people at Caprice Holdings
• Why feedback hurts, but silence in a training room hurts more
• And the beautiful truth that great hospitality isn’t an act, it’s genuine human connection

“Learning and development is the one truly positive role where every interaction is positive.”

“It doesn’t have to be perfect for it to be wonderful.”

“If you’re good at L&D, you build rapport — which is essentially hospitality skills.”

“You can’t inspire people on day one with food safety. Orientation should be about joining the journey.”

“As long as you’re passionate about hospitality, you can find a career anywhere.”

Why this episode is worth your time

Dan embodies everything great about hospitality learning, heart, humour, and humility.

This episode is packed with wisdom for anyone who’s ever tried to train, lead, or inspire a team while the fire alarm’s going off.

It’s honest, it’s funny, and it’s full of lessons about resilience, storytelling, and why you should always leave space for people to find their own answers.

Show Partners

A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil

This week, I sat down in The Den at The Other House, South Kensington, with the wonderful Jo Morgan, owner of Meliora Consultancy Services, coach, advisor to Tech on Toast and all round powerhouse of positivity.

Jo’s journey is one of those you could never script. From becoming the youngest female GM in her company at 27, to running seven floating hotels for TUI Cruises, to heading up operations for The Other House and launching her own consultancy, Meliora (“the pursuit of the better”) her career reads like a masterclass in saying yes and figuring it out later.

And along the way, she’s seen it a lot! And I mean a lot

Double booked hotels. Reindeer “activity” on the 18th green. Soviet-style roadshows in Odeon cinemas. And more heart, humour, and hustle than most industries can handle.

In this episode, Jo and I dive into…

• The birth of Meliora Consultancy
• How she became the youngest female GM in the UK within her company
• Her adventures in cruise operations (running seven floating hotels on WhatsApp anyone?)
• What it was like to deliver holidays for guests with disabilities through Revitalise
• How COVID forced her to hit reset and rediscover her purpose
• The magic of The (multi award winning) Other House
• Why making someone’s day, no matter how small, is never wasted effort
• And yes… the tale of the double booked Hotel and the reindeer "Activity" on the golf course

Notable Quotes

“Everybody deserves a holiday.”

“I’m not scared of learning something. Maybe it’s just undying curiosity, but I’ll Google everything.”

“It’s not necessarily the mistake itself that’s the issue — it’s how you respond to it.”

“In hospitality, you get a lot of chance to make people’s day. Why wouldn’t you take it?”

Why this episode is worth your time

Jo brings the perfect mix of real talk and relentless optimism.

She’s the embodiment of why hospitality people are different, resourceful, human, endlessly curious, and full of stories that make you laugh one second and reflect the next.

If you’ve ever wondered what “leadership with heart” looks like in action this is it

Show Partners

A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil

This week, I sat down in person (yes, we went old school) with the brilliant Jakob Gowin, General Manager of the Meliá White House in London - and what a conversation this turned out to be.

From washing dishes at 13 to running a 581 bedroom hotel and 112 long-stay apartments (with residents who’ve lived there for 30+ years!), Jakob’s journey is packed with graft, heart, humility, and more than a few cracking stories - including the fact we recorded this episode in “The White House”. Sadly, neither of us bumped into the President… but we did fix some of the worlds problems

Jakob brings a refreshing, human first take on hospitality and leadership, rooted in care, curiosity, resilience and a healthy dose of humour. This episode is full of golden nuggets for anyone in the industry, regardless of where you sit on the org chart.

In this episode, Jakob and I get into…

• His spur of the moment entry into hospitality at age 13 (thanks to his brother bunking a shift)
• How a single 30 second conversation changed the entire course of his career
• The incredible history of the Meliá White House - from art deco elegance to WWII navigation point to Soviet spy HQ
• Balancing hospitality at scale with genuine personalisation (including when “positive stalking” is actually a great thing)
• Why unsung hero actions matter just as much as the big “hero moments”
• The responsibility leaders have around their first response
• Why communication isn’t a “soft skill” - it’s the skill
• The power of empathy, integrity and a well timed bit of humour in leadership
• AI in hotels: not a gimmick, not a cost-cutting exercise - a chance to give humans more time to be… well… human

“A bad manager is sometimes easier to learn from than a good one.”

“If that doesn’t bring a smile to your face as someone in hospitality… you’re in the wrong trade.”

“People will forgive an awful lot if they’re communicated to properly.”

“You can’t deliver hospitality if you’re not feeling right. It’s hard to paint on a smile forever.”

“Treat people how they want to be treated - not how you want to be treated.”

Why this episode is worth your ears

If you work in hospitality, lead people, want to lead people, or just need a little reminder of what true hospitality looks like, this one’s for you.

Jakob is the kind of leader who proves that kindness and high performance are not only compatible - they fuel each other. You’ll walk away with ideas you can implement today, whether you run a team of 2 or a hotel of 500+.

Show Partners

A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil

This week on Hospitality Meets, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the brilliant Edward Gallier (Edd), Head of Learning & Development at Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland and freshly minted Catey Award winner 2025

Edd’s career has been built on passion, purpose, and the odd bit of chaos (because what’s hospitality without it?). From wild award show mishaps to deep reflections on leadership and learning, this episode is a masterclass in how to stay grounded, laugh often, and never lose sight of what really matters.... people.

We talk about developing talent, the psychology of hospitality, resilience, and why laughter might just be the most underrated leadership skill there is.

It’s funny, thoughtful, and properly inspiring, everything you’d hope for from a conversation with one of hospitality’s brightest Learning & Development minds.

Key Takeaways

• Laughter Is a Leadership Tool: A good sense of humour builds connection faster than any training manual
• Learning Never Stops: The best leaders stay curious, and know how to make learning fun
• Resilience Is Everything: Success in hospitality means thriving through chaos, not avoiding it
• Culture Starts with Care: You don’t train people to leave, you train them to stay
• Hospitality Is Joy: Give it, share it, and receive it, that’s where the real magic is.

Memorable Quotes

"It’s a good job we’re not running something like a nuclear power station because, you know, let’s press that big green button, let’s see what that does” - Edd Gallier

“And you just saw this head rolling off the stage. It was saved, my colleague was quickly stuffing this head back on the mouse, just another day in Leonardo Awards evening life” - Edd Gallier

“To succeed in hospitality, the resilience, tenacity, the psychological and behavioural skills that you have to develop, not just to survive the shift, but to have an absolute blast, it’s a real skill.” - Edd Gallier

“You can put yourself into a position in this job where you’re just giving and receiving joy the whole time. I know that sounds whimsical, but I stand by the science behind it” - Phil Street

“You want to make sure that your team is super engaged and super passionate so you retain them as long as you can. You don’t train people to leave, you’re training and developing them to stay” - Edd Gallier

Final Thoughts

Edd's story is a celebration of humour, humanity, and heart. The very best of what hospitality can be.

From accidental comedy gold to leadership gold standards, his blend of warmth, wit, and wisdom makes this episode an instant favourite.

Show Partners

A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil

Episode Summary

This week on Hospitality Meets, I’m joined by the brilliant Philip Steiner, Chief Operating Officer at Cycas Hospitality a man who’s spent his whole career planning for spontaneity (yes, it’s a thing).

From cleaning rooms to the C-suite, Philip’s journey is a joyful mix of graft, grit, and glorious chaos, proving that great leadership often comes down to knowing when not to turn up.

Our chat is packed with laughs and we chat about BBC blunders, linen truck disasters, diversity done right, and the art of stepping back so others can shine. It’s a conversation full of laughs, insight, and those “oh, that’s so true” moments that hospitality people will feel deep in their bones.

If you’ve ever tried to organise fun or manage chaos (sometimes at the same time), this one’s for you.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership Is Letting Go: Sometimes the best leaders get their A+ by staying home
• Plan for Chaos: Hospitality works best when you leave space for the unpredictable
• Adversity Builds Culture: The toughest days often create the strongest teams
• Diversity Needs Allies: Progress happens when everyone leans in, not just those affected
• You Can’t Plan Fun: But you can create the conditions for it to happen

Memorable Quotes

• “I got an A+ for staying home, best course ever”
• "You can plan everything around fun, but you can’t plan people having a good time”
• “Sometimes the worst of times are actually the best of times, because you pulled together and made it happen”
• "Even though the department is running brilliantly, it’s mostly because you’re there. Your next step is learning to do that without you there”
• "Every committee needs a Phil”

Final Thoughts

Philip reminds us that leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about trusting your team, rolling with the madness, and laughing when plans inevitably go sideways.

He’s living proof that a little planning and a lot of humanity can turn chaos into culture.

Show Partners

A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil

This week on Hospitality Meets, I sit down with the brilliant Phil Shelley — Senior Operational Manager at NHS England and Chair of the NHS Food Review. Phil is an exceptional hospitality leader and human being and was crowned Outstanding Achievement Award winner at the 2025 Foodservice Cateys, only last Friday.

Phil’s career is a masterclass in purpose driven leadership. From his early days in hotel kitchens to shaping the future of hospital food, he’s proof that hospitality is about so much more than service, it’s about care.

We talk about how hospitality thinking is transforming the NHS, the power of teamwork in driving real change, and why good food and kindness go hand in hand.

It’s an episode packed with humour, heart, and hope and a well deserved celebration of a man who’s spent his life making food matter.

Key Takeaways

• Food Is Care: The NHS Food Review isn’t just about meals — it’s about dignity, wellbeing, and recovery.
• Hospitality Belongs Everywhere: Empathy, teamwork, and kindness are as crucial in hospitals as in hotels.
• Leadership Through Listening: Real change comes from empowering others, not instructing them.
• Progress Beats Perfection: Keep moving forward — the impact compounds.
• Celebrate the Wins: Recognition matters, especially when it shines a light on meaningful work.

Memorable Quotes

• “I’ve got to say, Phil, I love my job”
• “Always has time for people. And isn’t that the secret of success?”
• “Sometimes those challenges or the times where you really kind of hit a wall, they are the biggest learning areas”
• “You will find a solution, you will find a way together. And sometimes if you do it together, my goodness me, that is powerful”
• “I was thinking it must be Number 10 just down the road from me... and as the call went on, I suddenly realised, oh my gosh"

Final Thoughts

Phil is a living reminder that hospitality is everywhere and when it’s done with purpose, it can transform lives.

This conversation is equal parts inspiring and grounding, showing how leadership, food, and humanity can come together to make a real difference, one plate at a time.

Show Partners

A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil

Episode Summary

In this very special episode of Hospitality Meets, I sit down with the incredible Maya Gilbert, hospitality lifer, dog lover, and now… coastal legend!

Maya recently completed a jaw dropping walk around the entire English coastline, that’s over 2,700 miles, to raise funds and awareness for Hospitality Action. With a £10 a day budget, a dodgy tent, and a heart full of purpose, she set off from Liverpool armed with nothing but determination, humour, and (possibly) too much stuff in her backpack.

What follows is a funny, moving, and downright inspiring conversation about resilience, community, and the power of doing something “big and stupid” for all the right reasons.

Expect laughter, blisters, fake IDs, beagles, and life lessons by the bucketload.

Key Takeaways

• From Fake IDs to Front of House: Maya’s hospitality story starts with fake ID and evolves into a thriving management career
• Bin Area Epiphany: Sometimes career clarity arrives mid meltdown behind a pub.
• Dogs, Pasta, and Pandemic Pivots: From dog walking to a food truck business, Maya’s career has more twists than a Netflix drama
• Naïve Brilliance: She planned her 2,700-mile charity walk with roughly zero logistical planning and some rose tinted glasses... and that might have been the secret to finishing it
• The Kindness of Strangers: From pub gardens to spare rooms, the hospitality of Britain literally carried her around the coast
• Redefining Hospitality: It’s not just restaurants and hotels - it’s everywhere people show kindness
• From Anxiety to Adventure: Turning 30 meant closing one chapter and opening another on foot.

Memorable Quotes

“Tell me you’ve got ADHD without telling me you’ve got ADHD: I started a dog walking business”

“Everyone said, ‘That’s stupid.’ And I thought… yeah, but is it?”

“Hospitality doesn’t end when you leave a bar or a restaurant — it’s everywhere. Every day, someone showed me kindness”

“Sometimes you just need to do something big and stupid to remind yourself what you’re capable of”

Connect with Us

If you love stories of courage, chaos, and community, this one’s for you.

Support Maya and Hospitality Action - Maya Gilbert is fundraising for Hospitality Action

Learn about Hospitality Action here - https://www.hospitalityaction.org.uk/

And to sign up and support the walk for wellbeing, click here

Final Thoughts

Maya’s story is more than an epic walk — it’s a love letter to hospitality, human kindness, and the messy, beautiful art of saying “why not?” instead of “what if?”

Whether you’re in hospitality, need a reminder that good people are everywhere, or just fancy a laugh about fake IDs and too-heavy backpacks and soooo much more — this episode is the very definition of joy

In this heartwarming and hilariously honest episode of Hospitality Meets, I sit down with the brilliant Abigail Tan, CEO of St Giles Hotels — a woman who’s equal parts rock star, rebel, and real-deal leader.

From dreams of fronting a band to running an international hotel group, Abigail’s journey is a masterclass in following your heart (and occasionally your vacuum cleaner).

Expect laughter, leadership lessons, and the occasional toilet paper obsession as Abigail opens up about imposter syndrome, resilience, kindness, and turning hospitality into a true force for good.

We cover:

• Why failed rock careers make great hoteliers
• The Great Toilet Paper Stockpile of Penang
• Surviving New York’s wild hotel scene (and a run-in with angry union reps)
• Why happiness is the ultimate business metric
• How she turned lockdown hotels into safe havens for the homeless

It’s equal parts inspiring and ridiculous, the kind of episode that’ll make you laugh, think, and possibly re-evaluate your own toilet paper supply.

Key Takeaways

• Hospitality Is Performance: Every front desk shift is a show but one built on warmth, not fakery.
• Happiness Is a Strategy: Abigail leads with joy, proving business success can be measured in smiles.
• Fail Forward: Imposter syndrome never fully goes away but learning (and laughing) through it is key.
• Hotels Can Heal: Through her charity Hotels of Heart, Abigail’s using hospitality to change lives.
• Leadership with Soul: Real leadership isn’t about hierarchy — it’s about humanity, humility, and humour.

“What’s life without elegance, playfulness and quirkiness? It’s too short”

“You can have all the money in the world and still be lonely, happiness is the real success”

“Bullies have always irked me. If they say yes or no, I say give me a legal reason”

“Every hotel shift is a little performance, you’re there to make people feel something”

“We had to keep our staff employed and our rooms empty, so we filled them with purpose”

Final Thoughts

Abigail isn’t just running hotels, she’s redefining what hospitality means.

Her story is equal parts humility and hilarity, proving that success built with heart beats status built on ego any day.

If you want to be inspired, laugh, and believe in the good side of business again, this one’s a must listen.

The Guest

Abigail Tan is the CEO of St Giles Hotels, overseeing properties in London, Heathrow, Malaysia, and the Philippines. She’s the founder of Hotels of Heart, a charitable initiative connecting hospitality with social purpose. From housing the homeless to training young people for brighter futures.

Show Partners

A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil

In this inspiring episode of Hospitality Meets, I sit down with Billy Skelli-Cohen, CEO of Beaumier Hotels, a boutique group with 11 stunning properties across France, Switzerland, and Ibiza.

Billy’s story is not your standard hospitality tale. In fact, he jokes that he’s “a bit of a fraud” because he’s never actually worked in a hotel. From starting out in retail, to private equity, to leading some of Europe’s most iconic hotel projects, Billy’s journey is proof that there’s no single path to the top in hospitality.

Expect stories of bold ideas that paid off (a bike repair kit that became a PR sensation), bold mistakes (thinking Europe’s playbook would work in the US), and why listening twice as much as you talk might just be the best leadership hack out there (Must learn this, Phil)

• Employee Experience First – “It’s impossible to deliver great guest experiences without first delivering great employee experiences.”
• Boldness Pays Off – Sometimes the smallest left-field ideas (like a Dutch bike kit in a hotel room) create the biggest impact.
• Culture Matters – What works in one country doesn’t always work in another; leadership is an art, not a science.
• Stay Curious – Great leaders ask questions, observe, and never stop learning.
• People > Projects – The proudest achievements aren’t hotels or awards, but watching people around you grow and flourish.

• “Hotels are never finished. There’s always something to improve, evolve, or reimagine.”
• “It’s impossible to provide good guest experience without a good employee experience first.”
• “I’m not afraid to say I now only want to work with people who are smarter than me.”
• “Sometimes the small, silly ideas end up becoming the PR story everyone talks about.”
• “I don’t look back too much. I don’t look too far ahead either. I try to stay in the present.”

Billy’s journey is a reminder that hospitality isn’t just about hotels, it’s about people, culture, and curiosity. From repositioning icons like The Pulitzer in Amsterdam to building soulful luxury hotels in magical destinations, his leadership shows that staying bold, present, and people-first is the real key to growth.

A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil