To understand the philosophy about the company’s new direction, we spoke with Bruce Haase, CEO and Mike Varner, SVP Brand Strategy and Marketing. The share all the info you need to know about why they made the big change, how it affects current hotels and the reason they feel this move is great for owners and customers.

And of course we learn about the genesis of their newest and more upscale brand Woodspring Suites Signature.

This is an amazing conversation about brand and consumer behavior evolution you don’t want to miss!

Glenn chats with Red Lion CEO Greg Mount and Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Bill Linehan about their just closed deal to buy the GuestHouse International and Settle Inn portfolio, which will add 73 hotels to the company’s portfolio. But more important transforms the company from a regional player to a national powerhouse.

They also discuss the new RL Hotel concept and many of the other exciting things going on throughout the organization.

So this week Glenn is chatting with HM Bookstore founder Rick Tomjenovic, who also happens to be a Partner in Tri-Star Hotel Group (http://www.tristarhotels.com) who’s in charge of operations and more. Rick is a guy who totally gets the importance of a well-trained team and wants to empower others to find new heights of success.

In fact, he started HM Bookstore (www.hmbookstore.com) to give hoteliers the tools they need for success. They have amazing materials hoteliers can use to make sure their employees are the best at what they do.

He’s joined by Pamela Barnhill, president and COO of InnSuites Hospitality Trust (NYSE: IHT) with 2 divisions, InnSuites Hotels & Suites which is her Owner/Operator group and InnDependent Boutique Collection (www.ibchotels.com), a group of 20,000 independent hotels. Pamela is not only a strong believer in training and customer service but also uses HM Bookstore with her team.

The two groups have a new partnership, which they discuss too.

He’s chatting with Rajiv Trivedi, La Quinta’s Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer all about the new Del Sol prototype, the first of which is about to open. And to share his thoughts on the opening we also have the owner of that very hotel Mike Patel on the show too.

He’s chatting with the legendary Bruce Ford, SVP Business Development with Lodging econometrics about pretty much everything hotel industry related. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and there is a possibility you will learn something.

The guys really get into and talk about the fundamental changes coming to a hotel near you. Using the new concept they created along with Red Lion, we get a deep dive into the future of lodging. From how guests will use a hotel to ways owners can make more money, it’s all part of one of the most fascinating interviews you’ll hear all year.

So far it’s just in New Jersey and Nevada so Glenn tracked down Lawrence Vaughan who runs the online gaming site Real Gaming. Born out of the locals favorite South Point Hotel in Las Vegas, the guys talk all about this interesting aspect of the hospitality industry.

Very educational and quite an interesting look at a facet of the industry that hasn’t been discussed much.

During the chat they break down $7.1 billion ski-industry and what that means for tourism in a top ski town. Additionally, Bill also shares his marketing expertise with us revealing how a city can come together as a collective to all find success.

Did you know that Park City is the biggest ski resort in the USA after Vail Resorts bought Park City Mountain Resorts (PCMR) for $182.5 million this Sept. and announced they’ll connect Canyons Resorts and PCMR to form a 7,000-acre+mega resort.

And did you know Park City is home to the Utah Olympic Park, the venue for several events during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and Sundance Film Festival. Approximately 45,000+ visitors spend on average a total of $63.9 million during this 10-day period (happening every January), making this world-renowned destination an expert in hosting major events in the tourism industry.

You are going to find inspiration here and how to make successes in your market too

But he is super happy because he had the chance to line up two great interviews with amazing Hilton executives.

First up is Jim Holthauser, EVP Global Brands for Hilton Worldwide. Jim also happens to be one of Glenn’s all-time favorite industry people and they have a great conversation on the state of travel today and how Hilton wants to overall up the experience quotient at its hotels through technology. It’s all about turning a transaction business into an experiential one.

Then Glenn speaks with Mark Nogal, Regional Head, Focused Service Brand Management Europe, Middle East & Africa about Hilton Garden Inn expanding around the world. But even cooler is they chat about cultural differences that must be recognized as brands like HGI expand around the world. Great lesson and a fun listen too.