In this actionable webinar episode of Hotel Moment, Anisha Yadav, Vice President of Customer & Product Marketing at Revinate, and Melissa McMullen, Product Marketing Manager at Revinate, welcome Angela Berkley, Senior Director of Reservation Sales and CRM at CoralTree Hospitality, for a deep dive into strategies that convert during the competitive holiday booking season. Drawing from CoralTree's success across their portfolio, Angela shares specific campaigns, team motivation tactics, and segmentation approaches that drive measurable results.


What you'll learn:

• Industry trends shaping holiday strategy: McKinsey data shows personalization is no longer optional, with hoteliers investing in technologies that activate guest data. Deloitte reports guests are taking longer trips focused on experiences rather than destinations, while CoStar reveals food and beverage revenue is growing 20% faster than rooms revenue, creating new opportunities for total revenue optimization.
• Strategic repeat guest targeting: Rather than treating all guests equally during busy seasons, Angela advocates calling previous year's guests to offer courtesy booking before inventory sells out, creating recognition and preferred access that drives loyalty while filling peak periods at optimal rates.
• High-value guest segmentation for cyber sales: The most successful approach treats top spenders differently through exclusive early access before public sales launch, personalized communication that acknowledges their value, and tailored packages that match their historical preferences and spend patterns.
• Post-stay communication using NPS data: With Revinate's CDP integration, CoralTree now varies outreach based on satisfaction scores, potentially calling detractors personally while crafting different marketing messages for promoters, turning feedback into relationship-building opportunities.
• Team incentive programs that work: Angela shares lessons learned about building profitable incentive programs with proper gatekeepers including inbound conversion goals and call result audits to prevent gaming, understanding what motivates different team members beyond money such as PTO days or schedule flexibility, and creating recognition approaches that match individual preferences for public versus private acknowledgment.
• Gamification tactics: From front desk upsell bingo to reservation Monopoly boards to spinning wheels for gift cards, Angela provides creative examples of making outbound fun while maintaining accountability and driving consistent performance.
• Attribute-based upselling tactics: Melissa outlines practical approaches including targeting families with interconnecting room offers, leveraging mountain or ocean view inventory for upgrade campaigns, offering early check-in to guests with early flights, and creating pet packages for guests booking pet-friendly rooms.
• Experience-driven packages: Beyond rooms, properties should bundle spa treatments, golf course access, restaurant reservations, and adventure activities, creating compelling offers that drive total revenue per guest while enhancing the stay experience.
• Real campaign success: Angela shares their current three-phase campaign where personalized postcards to loyal summer guests followed by agent phone calls, generated nearly six figures in phase one alone, demonstrating the power of combining traditional mail with personal outreach.
  
  

The webinar also provides preparation tactics, including giving reservation teams advance access to offer details for valuable feedback, creating campaign-specific phone numbers with URLs in Revinate's platform for seamless team access, and launching early access sales to stand out before Black Friday inbox clutter overwhelms guest attention.


Links mentioned in show:
● Black Friday/Cyber Monday Landing Page
● BFCM webinar series
● Attend NAVIGATE

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

Connect with Anisha Yadav here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Connect with Melissa McMullin here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Connect with Angela Berkley here:

• LinkedIn
• CoralTree Hospitality

Follow the podcast here:

• LinkedIn

Episode Highlights:
[03:15] Experiential travel trend - Anisha shares critical market data: "Customers are taking longer trips, so guests are booking longer stays, and it's the experiences that are moving the needle. It's not so much about the destination, but that one coffee shop in Spain that was trending on TikTok, that's driving the demand to that city."
[12:25] Segmenting high-value guests - Angela explains CoralTree's cyber sales approach: "Are we segmenting out our highest value guests? And do we treat them differently? This can be a great opportunity to do an outbound initiative before a cyber sale goes public. How are we leaning into that highest value guest? That can be a good success strategy."

[14:00] Building effective incentives - Angela shares hard-won lessons: "Not everybody is a salesperson. Outbound sales just doesn't come naturally for a big percentage of humans. So really leaning into a profitable incentive program for our team is important. Making sure there's some gatekeepers in there, making sure we're auditing those, is really key here."

[18:00] Attribute-based upselling - Melissa provides practical tactics: "You've already got the reservation, so think through how you can maximize that revenue. Maybe you have some room types available for upgrade, or you have an open room with a mountainside view or oceanside view. These are great ways to upsell to current reservations through email or through your reservations team."

[26:40] Standing out from the crowd - Angela emphasizes timing: "We don't want to be another email on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. When you are segmenting, does your strategy look different for highest value guests? We've already launched many of our properties. We want to stand out from the crowd."


Chapters
00:00 - Intro 
03:15 - Experiential travel and F&B revenue growth 
06:17 - Everyday outbound fundamentals 
09:34 - Targeting repeat guests strategically 
12:13 - Segmenting high-value guests for cyber sales 
14:00 - Building team incentive programs 
18:00 - Attribute-based upselling tactics 
20:13 - Experience-driven package creation 
23:17 - Preparing teams for Black Friday 
25:48 - Real campaign success story
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.
Hotel Moment Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Previous guests include: Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Patrick Norton of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, Shawn Jereb of Montage International, Carlo Del Mistro, Chief Digital Officer of Ennismore, Jason Pirock of Springboard Hospitality, and many more.

Are you a hospitality industry leader with insights to share? We're always looking for innovative voices to join our conversation about the future of hospitality technology.
If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Hotel Moment, we'd love to hear from you! Our podcast reaches thousands of hospitality professionals worldwide, and we're particularly interested in perspectives on:

• Innovation in hospitality technology
• Guest experience transformation
• Revenue optimization strategies
• Emerging industry trends

Express your interest in being a guest →
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:

• Revinate’s new CEO — on a mission to empower hoteliers with data-driven technology | with Bryson Koehler 
• Guests define what luxury means today | with Shannon Knapp
• Your commercial strategy as an evolution and not a revolution | with Jennifer Hill
  
  

In this episode of Hotel Moment, Karen Stephens, CMO of Revinate, sits down with Geoffrey Toffetti, CEO of Frontline Performance Group, whose journey from hotel valet to technology CEO uniquely positions him to solve one of hospitality's most overlooked opportunities. After working his way through front desk, night audit, and hotel management at TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida, Geoffrey spent over a decade in technology startups before bringing his dual expertise to hospitality in 2011. Today, his company serves nearly 3,000 hotels across every major brand, transforming how frontline teams drive revenue while enhancing guest experiences.

What you'll learn: 

• The service-sales connection: How reframing upselling as service rather than sales helps front desk agents see they're solving guest problems, not pushing products, leading to simultaneous increases in both revenue and service scores.
• TRevPAR over RevPAR: Why measuring total revenue per available room instead of just rooms revenue provides owners with better insights for integrating food and beverage, front desk, and reservations into one cohesive ancillary revenue strategy.
• Incremental daily revenue benchmarking: How Geoffrey's proprietary IDR metric normalizes for price and occupancy, allowing luxury resorts and mid-scale airport hotels to be compared fairly, helping portfolios identify which properties sell most effectively for their opportunity.
• Closing the training loop: Why most hotel training fails because companies check a box without measuring if learning actually improved performance, and how connecting learning management systems directly to revenue analytics solves this problem.
• The discretionary effort framework: How recognition, financial reward, and accountability unlock the difference between doing just enough to avoid being fired and giving maximum effort as the best possible employee.
• Agentic AI for personalized coaching: How artificial intelligence diagnoses specific skill deficits across dozens of dimensions, then prescribes tailored video training and manager actions for each employee's unique performance gaps at scale.
• From order takers to revenue makers: Why front desk agents earning $100,000 annually through incentive-based upselling elevates the role from entry-level to mid-level, reducing turnover and creating virtuous cycles of engagement and performance.
• Service beyond conversations: Why exceptional guest experience encompasses everything from parking lot cleanliness to website functionality, not just the people directly speaking with guests, and how this holistic view transforms operations.
  
  

Together, Karen and Geoffrey discuss expanding into food and beverage across 8,000 restaurants in their hotel portfolio, why frontline employees are the future leaders of your company, and how in markets with RevPAR headwinds, your people become your true differentiator over decor and amenities.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

Connect with Geoffrey Toffetti here:

• LinkedIn
• Frontline Performance Group

Connect with Karen Stephens here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Follow the podcast here:

• LinkedIn

Episode Highlights
[06:44] Sales and service as two sides of the same coin - Geoffrey explains his philosophy: "When you're selling something and you're trying to sell them something they don't need, that's sales. If you're trying to provide a solution to a problem they have, that's service." He describes how a family with teenagers trailing behind them, checking into a double room, genuinely benefits from a suite or adjoining rooms, making the upsell an act of service, not manipulation.

[11:06] Why TRevPAR beats RevPAR - "RevPAR stands for revenue per available room. We actually don't prefer RevPAR. We prefer TRevPAR, total revenue per available room," Geoffrey explains. By measuring all hotel revenue instead of just rooms, properties can integrate front desk, food and beverage, and other revenue centers into one strategic approach, similar to how theme parks measure per capita guest spending.
[14:01] Agentic AI diagnosing performance gaps - Geoffrey describes their breakthrough technology: "If you're a front desk agent and you have a lot of upsells but your average rate is $30, and you have someone else that doesn't do very many but their average rate is $200, you can infer what's wrong. One is selling a one-tier product they're comfortable with. The other is only selling the highest-end suites." The AI diagnoses these opposite problems and prescribes different training for each employee at scale.
[17:13] The training paradox solved - "Most companies struggle to evaluate whether training worked or not," Geoffrey notes. Because their platform combines learning management and performance analytics in the same data structure, they close the loop that most training programs leave open, monitoring whether recommended videos actually improve specific skill deficits.

[22:02] The 42-year transformation story - Geoffrey shares how a cynical front desk veteran at an iconic New York luxury hotel crossed his arms during their first session until realizing upselling was actually service: "He said, 'For 42 years I've been doing a disservice to my guests because I haven't been educating them on what their alternatives are.' He became the number one seller in the hotel and more than doubled his income." This story captures the mindset shift that drives results.

Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:47 - Geoffrey's journey from valet to technology CEO05:07 - Sales as a service philosophy11:06 - TRevPAR and new revenue measurement metrics14:01 - Agentic AI and closing the training loop19:03 - The discretionary effort framework22:02 - The 42-year veteran's transformation story24:12 - Expanding into food and beverage26:05 - Service as a holistic guest experience28:00 - Why frontline staff are your brand differentiator
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.
Hotel Moment Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Previous guests include: Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Patrick Norton of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, Shawn Jereb of Montage International, Carlo Del Mistro, Chief Digital Officer of Ennismore, Jason Pirock of Springboard Hospitality, and many more.

Are you a hospitality industry leader with insights to share? We're always looking for innovative voices to join our conversation about the future of hospitality technology.
If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Hotel Moment, we'd love to hear from you! Our podcast reaches thousands of hospitality professionals worldwide, and we're particularly interested in perspectives on:

• Innovation in hospitality technology
• Guest experience transformation
• Revenue optimization strategies
• Emerging industry trends

Express your interest in being a guest →
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:

• Revinate’s new CEO — on a mission to empower hoteliers with data-driven technology | with Bryson Koehler 
• Guests define what luxury means today | with Shannon Knapp
• Your commercial strategy as an evolution and not a revolution | with Jennifer Hill
  
  

In this episode of Hotel Moment, Brenna Turpin, Marketing Coordinator at Revinate, challenges the conventional view of lead nurturing as simply automated emails and phone calls. Instead, she reveals how effective lead nurturing serves as "the bridge between a potential guest's curiosity and your hotel's next direct booking — a multi-channel effort that builds trust and value at every stage of the guest journey.”

What you'll learn: 

• Why lead nurturing goes beyond automated follow-ups to building trust before guests click "book now" 
• JC Thompson's insights on human emotional connection vs. criteria-driven sales training and QA scorecards 
• How executive coaching and one-on-one agent engagement drives revenue better than secret shops 
• Why hotels using automated nurture workflows see up to 50% higher conversion rates on direct booking campaigns 
• The Ranch at Rock Creek's storytelling approach: showcasing experiences (horseback riding, fly fishing, culinary events) without discounts 
• The power of triggered sends: how warm/cold lead classification triggers automated emails within one hour to create urgency 
• Holiday strategy shift: why hotels engaging leads early with inspiring content see 8x more engagement than last-minute discount promotions 
• Travel Tuesday opportunity: hotel bookings jumped 28% last year — how to warm up databases before big sales hit 
• Evermore Resort's remarkable results: 36% of total monthly revenue from outbound call center nurturing and 92% reduction in call abandonment 
• The omnichannel approach: combining automated email flows with agent-led outbound call strategies 
• How personalization breeds trust and trust drives bookings through data-driven nurture campaigns
• Practical frameworks for measuring ROI beyond open rates and building sustainable direct booking engines
  
  

Learn why JC Thompson emphasizes "the customer wants a human connection" and discover how properties like The Ranch at Rock Creek and Evermore Resort prove that storytelling, timing, and genuine engagement convert warm leads far more effectively than price slashing ever could.

Sign up for the Direct Booking Mastery Certification here.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

Connect with Brenna Turpin here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Follow the podcast here:

• LinkedIn

Episode Highlights:
[01:32] Replace rigid QA metrics with one-on-one coaching to drive conversions - JC Thompson shares how strict QA scoring creates “human robots” instead of genuine hospitality. His coaching model replaces secret shops with hands-on leadership training, where managers review data and coach agents one-on-one. Evermore Resort used this approach to reduce call abandonment by 92% and generate 36% of monthly revenue through authentic, relationship-driven conversations.

[02:58] Implement triggered urgency emails within one hour of failed calls - The Ranch at Rock Creek built a “triggered send” system that automatically emails guests one hour after a failed booking call — timed while interest is still high. By classifying leads as warm or cold and tailoring the message, they drove higher click-throughs and repeat stays without discounts. Urgency plus personalization keeps guests engaged and ready to book.
[04:12] Use storytelling and brand immersion instead of discounts to drive 8x more engagement - Instead of flash sales, The Ranch at Rock Creek leaned into storytelling — inviting guests to imagine experiences like fly fishing and horseback riding. Hotels that use experience-led campaigns see up to eight times more engagement than discount blasts. Emotional storytelling builds brand value and long-term loyalty that price cuts can’t match.

[05:30] Segment and personalize your lead database to build trust and drive direct bookings - Lead nurturing works when every message feels personal. Segment leads by intent, purpose, and engagement, then tailor communication around real guest interests. Evermore Resort proved this by personalizing follow-ups with abandoned bookers, converting them into high-value stays that made up 36% of monthly revenue.

[06:42] Extend lead nurturing beyond email with proactive outbound calls - Evermore also integrated voice with digital touchpoints — training agents to follow up on high-intent leads through outbound calls. That human connection turned interest into confirmed bookings and dropped call abandonment by 92%. Voice-driven nurturing transforms data into dialogue, driving both trust and conversion.

[08:00]Build segmented campaigns before peak seasons to capture top-of-mind positioning - Don’t wait for Black Friday or Travel Tuesday. Warm up your database early with inspiring, segmented campaigns that tell your brand story. Hotels that engage leads in advance see up to eight times more engagement and book from strength — not from discount-driven competition.

Chapters:00:00 - Intro 
01:32 - Human connection over criteria-driven sales 
02:58 - What active lead nurturing looks like 
04:30 - The Ranch at Rock Creek success story 
05:45 - Holiday strategies beyond discounting 
06:30 - Evermore Resort: 36% revenue from outbound nurturing 
07:07 - Direct Booking Mastery Certification
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.
Hotel Moment Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Previous guests include: Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Patrick Norton of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, Shawn Jereb of Montage International, Carlo Del Mistro, Chief Digital Officer of Ennismore, Jason Pirock of Springboard Hospitality, and many more.

Are you a hospitality industry leader with insights to share? We're always looking for innovative voices to join our conversation about the future of hospitality technology.
If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Hotel Moment, we'd love to hear from you! Our podcast reaches thousands of hospitality professionals worldwide, and we're particularly interested in perspectives on:

• Innovation in hospitality technology
• Guest experience transformation
• Revenue optimization strategies
• Emerging industry trends

Express your interest in being a guest →
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:

• Revinate’s new CEO — on a mission to empower hoteliers with data-driven technology | with Bryson Koehler 
• Guests define what luxury means today | with Shannon Knapp
• Your commercial strategy as an evolution and not a revolution | with Jennifer Hill
  
  

In this episode of Hotel Moment, Karen Stephens, CMO of Revinate, sits down with Steven Rubin, CEO of Collared Martin Hospitality and adjunct professor at NYU, to explore how boutique hotels can merge innovation with empathy to bring back the soul of hospitality. With nearly three decades of experience across hospitality, technology, and strategy, Rubin leads a growing portfolio of distinctive properties in destinations like Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Jackson Hole, all grounded in his belief that technology should empower, not replace, human connection. 

What you'll learn: 

• The voice channel advantage: How personally calling guests — both dissatisfied and loyal — helps recover relationships, inspire trust, and turn service failures into opportunities for brand advocacy
• Data-driven personalization: How Collared Martin Hospitality uses CRM insights to craft bespoke experiences, from curated in-room surprises to destination-inspired storytelling
• Technology as an enabler: Why AI and automation should enhance, not replace, genuine human connection in boutique hospitality
• Creative use of guest data: Real examples of using Revinate insights to tailor guest experiences beyond standard amenities — like placing a guest’s favorite U2 record in their room or arranging a personalized local experience
• Building a culture of empathy: How cultivating open communication, listening, and curiosity empowers staff to deliver authentic, heartfelt service
• Integrating technology effectively: Why transparent communication between hoteliers and tech vendors is key to successful system integration and data unification
• AI for smaller hotel groups: How emerging tools now allow boutique operators to access data analytics and dashboards once reserved for large hotel brands
• Purpose and storytelling in brand culture: How the symbolism behind the “Collared Martin” swallow — representing homecoming and exploration — grounds the company’s mission: Dream to explore, live to inspire
  
  

Together, Karen and Steven discuss how hoteliers can leverage AI and CRM data to deliver personalized service at scale, why authentic voice communication remains essential for guest recovery, and how strong culture, storytelling, and purpose-driven leadership create memorable experiences that inspire loyalty and trust in the digital age.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

Connect with Steven Rubin here:

• LinkedIn
• Collared Martin Hospitality

Connect with Karen Stephens here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Follow the podcast here:

• LinkedIn

[08:05] Pick up the phone - Steven emphasizes the importance of direct, personal communication with guests: “Service failures recovered with sincerity and excellence can turn a dissatisfied guest into a loyal advocate.” He personally calls guests identified through Revinate reviews — both those with negative experiences and top advocates — to listen, learn, and rebuild trust. It’s a powerful reminder that the voice channel remains the heart of hospitality.

[10:55] Recovering with sincerity - When a hotel faced an overbooking issue, Steven personally contacted affected guests, listened to their frustrations, and turned a potential failure into a memorable experience. “We got them front-row seats at a brewery concert — they said they felt like rock stars. The cost to us was picking up the phone.” This story captures how genuine empathy and creativity can turn setbacks into brand-defining moments.

[13:28] Personalization beyond the standard amenity - Steven shares how his team used CRM insights to deliver a personalized surprise for a VIP guest: “We found out this guest loved U2’s favorite song and had that record waiting on the Victrola player in their room.” That small detail, inspired by the hotel’s Faraway brand muse, led to the guest personally thanking the GM and declaring they’d “call Bono.” It’s personalization elevated through storytelling.

[15:54] Culture, symbolism, and mission-driven leadership - Steven explains how his company culture is rooted in open communication, empathy, and symbolism: “We have a strong mission and vision — Dream to explore, live to inspire — that connects every property and team member.” This grounding in purpose, he says, ensures consistency across locations while fostering a sense of belonging and pride among staff.
[19:58] The ‘Homecoming’ principle - “The Collared Martin swallow symbolizes homecoming — sailors knew they were close to land when they saw one.” Steven reveals the inspiration behind his company’s name and brand identity, representing exploration, return, and connection — the essence of true hospitality.

[20:18] The future of boutique hotels - Looking ahead, Steven predicts a new era of democratized data and AI-driven empowerment:“ AI now allows boutique hotels to build data dashboards once reserved for major brands — but the key is using it to enhance human connection.” He reminds hoteliers that the future of hospitality belongs to those who pair smart technology with authentic service.

Chapters:00:00 - The call to bring back the soul of hospitality03:36 - Teaching technology at NYU04:37 - Launching Collared Martin Hospitality06:08 - Boutique hotels and destination storytelling08:05 - Picking up the phone: human connection through voice10:55 - Recovering service failures with sincerity13:28 - Personalization beyond standard amenities15:24 - How AI enhances human service15:54 - Building culture rooted in mission and symbolism19:58 - The “Homecoming” story of Collared Martin20:18 - The future of boutique hotels and data empowerment
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.
Hotel Moment Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Previous guests include: Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Patrick Norton of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, Shawn Jereb of Montage International, Carlo Del Mistro, Chief Digital Officer of Ennismore, Jason Pirock of Springboard Hospitality, and many more.

Are you a hospitality industry leader with insights to share? We're always looking for innovative voices to join our conversation about the future of hospitality technology.
If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Hotel Moment, we'd love to hear from you! Our podcast reaches thousands of hospitality professionals worldwide, and we're particularly interested in perspectives on:

• Innovation in hospitality technology
• Guest experience transformation
• Revenue optimization strategies
• Emerging industry trends

Express your interest in being a guest →
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:

• Revinate’s new CEO — on a mission to empower hoteliers with data-driven technology | with Bryson Koehler 
• Guests define what luxury means today | with Shannon Knapp
• Your commercial strategy as an evolution and not a revolution | with Jennifer Hill
  
  

In this strategic Hotel Moment webinar, three Revinate experts come together to tackle the biggest challenge facing hotels during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Travel Tuesday: how to stand out in the crowded holiday inbox and ensure your campaigns actually reach guests. With deep experience in both hospitality technology and customer-driven marketing, Anisha, Melissa and Freya break down the essentials of email deliverability, strategic campaign planning, and innovative new tools for hotels looking to maximize their holiday performance.
What you'll learn:

• Email deliverability fundamentals: How authentication protocols—SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—are now mandatory for inbox placement across Gmail, Yahoo, Apple, and Microsoft, and the consequences hotels face for non-compliance.

• Sender reputation management: Why consistent sender identity and monitoring with Google Postmaster are vital to keeping your communications out of spam folders, especially during high-volume holiday sending.

• Segmentation tactics for higher revenue: The direct link between using four to seven targeted guest filters and generating up to 4x more direct revenue and 2x higher engagement, illustrated with examples from Revinate’s own customer data.

• List hygiene best practices: Golden rules such as never purchasing contact lists, maintaining proof of opt-in for GDPR compliance, and using double opt-in to reduce spam complaints and improve deliverability.

• Peak and post-peak strategy: When and how to start teasing holiday campaigns (hint: October is ideal), plus actionable re-engagement and nurture strategies to convert warm leads and past guests well after Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

• Personalization at scale: Leveraging booking history, spend thresholds, survey NPS, and point-of-sale data to personalize offers—from high-value packages to spa or restaurant deals—mapped out in Revinate's segmentation tool.

• Leveraging cutting-edge tools: How hoteliers can now use AI-powered headline, text, and image generation, embedded countdown timers (which boost click-through rates by 65%), and enhanced inbox previews to streamline campaign creation and optimize email engagement.

• Creating urgency and exclusivity: Proven tactics like early-access offers, time-limited deals, and subject line strategies that consistently increase direct bookings during the holidays.

• Surprising social proof and experiences: Examples of hotels using awards and guest reviews in subject lines, and why selling experiences—not just rooms—drives greater conversion, including restaurant, golf, and wellness offerings.

Beyond deliverability and email strategy, Melissa, Freya, Anisha, and Brenna also touch on measuring engagement trends, optimizing suppression windows, and capturing lessons learned for future campaigns. You’ll walk away with a robust, actionable toolkit for navigating holiday marketing—with plenty of insight into what actually works for hospitality properties worldwide.
Links mentioned in show: 

• Revinate inspirations page
• Direct booking mastery certification program 
• Black Friday/Cyber Monday Landing Page
• BFCM webinar series
• Why hoteliers need to master email deliverability

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

Connect with Anisha Yadav here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Connect with Melissa Hsu here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Connect with Freya Craig here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Follow the podcast here:

• LinkedIn

Episode Highlights:
[00:04] Deliverability is no longer optional – Melissa outlines the new industry landscape for hotel email marketing: "Microsoft has now joined Gmail, Yahoo and Apple in requiring them. So I want to reiterate here, authentication is no longer optional. It's an industry requirement for inbox placement." This sets the stage for why every hotel marketer must address technical compliance to reach guests.
[00:07] Clean lists drive revenue and engagement – Melissa breaks down the critical rules of list hygiene: "Never purchase contact lists. Not only is it a poor practice, but it also violates GDPR regulations. Using purchase lists exposes you to legal risks, potential fines, and can severely harm your email strategy in the long term." Maintaining a healthy database is foundational for both compliance and campaign success.

[00:13] Personalization multiplies performance – Anisha reveals data-backed outcomes of granular segmentation: "So what we've seen with our study is the more segmentation filters that you add, so say in the range of between four to seven, we are seeing higher conversion in terms of direct revenue. So about 4x more revenue and about 2x more engagement with these segmented campaigns." This highlights how targeted messaging can dramatically boost ROI.
[00:18] Post-holiday nurturing turns interest into bookings – Freya shares proven strategies for maintaining momentum after the holiday rush: "So these follow ups are really important to help convert those almost bookers and re-engage past guests to drive more revenue." Nurture emails and personalized reminders ensure hotels keep their brand top-of-mind and maximize campaign value.
[00:21] Small content improvements, big operational wins – Freya introduces new Revinate Marketing tools designed for efficiency and quality: "We've added a content audit to the email composer so this will flag any missing links, any empty CTA's images without alt text before their campaign goes out. So it really helps you catch those mistakes early and protect your brand and keep it looking polished." These upgrades empower hoteliers to run professional, high-impact campaigns at scale.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:58 - The impact of deliverability on holiday campaigns
02:20 - Webinar overview and guest introductions
04:13 - Foundations for email deliverability success
07:24 - Sender reputation and authentication protocols explained
09:23 - Best practices for maintaining list hygiene
10:56 - Practical segmentation strategies for hotel email marketing
13:01 - Using guest behavior and spend data for campaigns
14:47 - Planning timelines for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
16:38 - Post-holiday campaign nurturing strategies
18:19 - New AI and design tools in Revinate Marketing
21:39 - Top performing tactics for seasonal hotel emails
24:56 - Key takeaways and closing thoughts
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.
Hotel Moment Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Previous guests include: Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Patrick Norton of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, Shawn Jereb of Montage International, Carlo Del Mistro, Chief Digital Officer of Ennismore, Jason Pirock of Springboard Hospitality, and many more.

Are you a hospitality industry leader with insights to share? We're always looking for innovative voices to join our conversation about the future of hospitality technology.
If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Hotel Moment, we'd love to hear from you! Our podcast reaches thousands of hospitality professionals worldwide, and we're particularly interested in perspectives on:

• Innovation in hospitality technology
• Guest experience transformation
• Revenue optimization strategies
• Emerging industry trends

Express your interest in being a guest →
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:

• Revinate’s new CEO — on a mission to empower hoteliers with data-driven technology | with Bryson Koehler 
• Guests define what luxury means today | with Shannon Knapp
• Your commercial strategy as an evolution and not a revolution | with Jennifer Hill
  
  

In this episode of Hotel Moment, Karen Stephens welcomes Sarah Stephens, Room Reservations Manager at The Broadmoor, for an inspiring conversation about the power of personal connection in luxury hospitality. Managing a Forbes Five-Star property's reservations team for 14 years, Sarah brings unique insights into how the voice channel creates memorable experiences that begin long before guests arrive on property.

What you'll learn: 

• The voice channel advantage: Why phone conversations enable special touches and memory-making moments that email and online bookings cannot replicate, illustrated through heartwarming guest stories 
• Technology evolution in reservations: How Sarah's team transitioned from manual Excel tracking to real-time dashboards that empower agents to see their impact on revenue and conversions
• Training for five-star service: The month-long training process that includes dining experiences and property tours to ensure agents authentically share The Broadmoor's offerings
• Outbound call strategy success: How Sarah's team generates nearly $1 million in revenue over three months through strategic follow-up calls, turning conversations into bookings 
•  Listening as a superpower: Real examples of how agents pick up on guest comments (like Doritos or Melissa Manchester) and create personalized surprises that cost little but mean everything 
•  Quality assurance practices: How self-scoring, monthly coaching sessions, and call reviews maintain Forbes Five-Star standards while building team accountability 
•  AI and luxury hospitality: Sarah's perspective on why five-star properties may be among the last to fully embrace AI due to the irreplaceable value of human connection 
•  Career inspiration: Sarah's journey from a family Disney trip to studying in Croatia, discovering The Broadmoor, and building a 19-year career in luxury hospitality
  
  

Sarah also discusses The Broadmoor's 65-year Forbes Five-Star history, training agents to upsell ancillary services authentically, and why service excellence will remain the competitive differentiator as guests become increasingly price-conscious.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

Connect with Sarah Stephens here:

• LinkedIn
• The Broadmoor

Connect with Karen Stephens here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Follow the podcast here:

• LinkedIn

Episode Highlights:
[01:23] The five-star service mindset - Sarah establishes The Broadmoor's approach from the outset: "Something that we always have top of mind are the guest interactions. How can we make it special for our guests? What little clues can we pick up on that they're sharing with us in the calls to go above and beyond for our guests?" This philosophy drives every reservation conversation.

[06:33] Technology empowering team engagement - Sarah describes the transformation: "When I first started, it was a task every day to plug in an Excel sheet of what our abandonment rate was. Now those things are at my fingertips with Revinate, but the team has access too. They never knew how many calls they were taking or how much revenue they were producing. Now it's a tool they have on their screen every day. The buy-in really allows a team to feel like they're a part of something."
[08:04] The Doritos story - Sarah shares an unforgettable example of voice channel magic: "A guest called, saying this was their second stay. The first time they saved every penny and ate Doritos in their room to save money. This time, they could afford to dine in our restaurants. We made them a bag with a handwritten note saying, 'I know you've moved up in the world, but just in case you want a trip down memory lane,' with a few bags of Doritos. Those special touches you can only find when you have a great conversation are truly what make memories that last a lifetime."

[16:43] Million-dollar outbound strategy - Sarah reveals impressive results: "We started using Revinate almost 13 years ago. Outbound revenue was something we weren't tracking — we'd just let callers call us back. When that was presented as a tool, we really dug in and said, when you have a great conversation with a guest, ask to follow up. In the last three months, we were almost close to a million dollars in revenue just in outbound with the team making those calls."
[22:47] The future is service - Sarah looks ahead: "Voice is not going away anytime soon, and with people price-conscious of where they spend their money, it's going to come down to the service. Service is going to be the way forward, and if you want to be the best, you have to have that personalized service."

Chapters:
00:00 - Special touches through conversation 
01:41 - The Broadmoor introduction and Forbes Five-Star legacy 
02:40 - Sarah's role managing the reservations team 
04:09 - Career journey from Disney inspiration to Croatia to Colorado 
06:24 - Technology evolution in reservations management 
07:40 - Why the voice channel creates unique connections 
08:04 - The Doritos story: Listening leads to magic 
10:21 - Training agents to authentically sell experiences 
11:51 - AI's role in luxury hospitality 
13:21 - Maintaining Forbes Five-Star standards through coaching 
15:36 - Outbound call strategy generating $1M in revenue 
17:27 - The NAVIGATE conference community 
18:46 - Memorable guest interactions and surprise moments 
20:52 - The future of reservations: Service-first approach
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.
Hotel Moment Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Previous guests include: Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Patrick Norton of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, Shawn Jereb of Montage International, Carlo Del Mistro, Chief Digital Officer of Ennismore, Jason Pirock of Springboard Hospitality, and many more.

Are you a hospitality industry leader with insights to share? We're always looking for innovative voices to join our conversation about the future of hospitality technology.
If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Hotel Moment, we'd love to hear from you! Our podcast reaches thousands of hospitality professionals worldwide, and we're particularly interested in perspectives on:

• Innovation in hospitality technology
• Guest experience transformation
• Revenue optimization strategies
• Emerging industry trends

Express your interest in being a guest →
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:

• Revinate’s new CEO — on a mission to empower hoteliers with data-driven technology | with Bryson Koehler 
• Guests define what luxury means today | with Shannon Knapp
• Your commercial strategy as an evolution and not a revolution | with Jennifer Hill
  
  

In this tactical episode of Hotel Moment, Brenna Turpin, Marketing Coordinator at Revinate, reveals why personalization has become non-negotiable for successful hotel upselling. With 91% of guests now expecting personalized offers, the days of generic promotions are over. Hotels must master the art of delivering the right offer to the right guest at precisely the right time.

What you'll learn: 

• The "right guest, right message, right time" strategy that makes or breaks upsell success 
• Why emotional intelligence is crucial for upselling 
• How attribute-based selling builds property value better than deep discounting during holidays 
• The power of timing: why check-in is prime time for upsells and booking confirmations that generate $83 average revenue 
• How to leverage guest data to identify behavioral patterns and predict which amenities guests will use 
• Practical omnichannel tactics using both email and voice for pre-arrival upsells 
• Real success story: How Andronis in Greece increased upsell revenue by 600% year-over-year with personalized campaigns 
• Why loyal guests are more likely to convert on personalized upsell offers (91% expect them) 
• Strategies for building a property-wide upsell culture across marketing and reservations teams 
• How to avoid common upselling mistakes that waste guests' time and damage relationships

Learn why Bashar Wali emphasizes "the biggest luxury is time" and discover how emotional intelligence combined with guest data creates upselling that enhances rather than interrupts the guest experience.

Sign up for the Direct Booking Mastery Certification here.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

Connect with Brenna Turpin here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Follow the podcast here:

• LinkedIn

Episode Highlights:
[01:06] Emotional intelligence in upselling - Bashar Wali delivers a masterclass in what NOT to do: "When I show up at 11 pm to check-in for a one night stay, you know I'm leaving at seven. Why are you telling me about the spa? Does it look like I care about your spa or your gym?" Effective upselling requires understanding context, timing, and guest needs.

[02:54] Attribute-based selling over discounting - Anisha Yadav, VP of Customer and Product Marketing from Revinate explains why value-building beats price-cutting: "It's not about deep discounting. It's about how do you build that value for your asset for those rooms that you have." From higher room types to better views to interconnecting rooms, attribute-based selling monetizes what you already have.
[05:30] Andronis 600% revenue increase - The Greek luxury hospitality group achieved remarkable results by sending personalized automated emails before, during, and after guest stays. Their pre-arrival and on-property campaigns highlighting spa, restaurants, and curated experiences averaged €34,600 in direct revenue per one-time campaign.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro 
01:06 - Emotional intelligence in upselling 
02:54 - Attribute-based selling vs. discounting 
03:39 - Timing and placement of upsells 
05:30 - Andronis success story: 600% revenue increase 
06:45 - Direct Booking Mastery Certification overview
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.
Hotel Moment Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Previous guests include: Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Patrick Norton of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, Shawn Jereb of Montage International, Carlo Del Mistro, Chief Digital Officer of Ennismore, Jason Pirock of Springboard Hospitality, and many more.

Are you a hospitality industry leader with insights to share? We're always looking for innovative voices to join our conversation about the future of hospitality technology.
If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Hotel Moment, we'd love to hear from you! Our podcast reaches thousands of hospitality professionals worldwide, and we're particularly interested in perspectives on:

• Innovation in hospitality technology
• Guest experience transformation
• Revenue optimization strategies
• Emerging industry trends

Express your interest in being a guest →
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:

• Revinate’s new CEO — on a mission to empower hoteliers with data-driven technology | with Bryson Koehler 
• Guests define what luxury means today | with Shannon Knapp
• Your commercial strategy as an evolution and not a revolution | with Jennifer Hill
  
  

In this captivating episode of Hotel Moment, Karen Stephens welcomes Matthias Winkler, CEO of Sacher Hotels, for an illuminating conversation about balancing tradition with innovation in luxury hospitality. Leading the family-owned group that includes the legendary Hotel Sacher in Vienna and Salzburg, Matthias brings unique perspectives on competing with international brands while maintaining authentic Austrian hospitality heritage.

What you'll learn:
● Family business advantages: How being the only family-owned five-star hotels in Vienna and Salzburg creates authentic local experiences that international chains cannot replicate 

● Strategic technology adoption: Matthias's philosophy of "evolution without revolution" - implementing technology only when it serves clear business goals and enhances guest experience 

● Competing with global brands: How family-owned luxury hotels compete by focusing on quality, authenticity, and personalized service rather than marketing budgets 

● Omnichannel guest experience: Creating seamless experiences across all touchpoints, from AI chatbots to in-person concierge services, allowing guests to choose their preferred interaction method 

● Cultural authenticity through technology: Using QR codes for multilingual menus with recipes, historical galleries, and local stories that connect guests to Austrian culture 
● Navigating uncertainty: How family businesses can thrive by focusing on controllable factors like quality and guest experience while adapting quickly to global changes 

● The future of luxury travel: Why experience trumps product, and how the next generation's desire to "conquer the world" benefits authentic hospitality providers


Matthias also discusses his unique journey to CEO, the importance of the Leading Hotels of the World partnership, and why uncertainty has become "a member of our board" in today's fast-paced world.


If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

Connect with Matthias Winkler here:

• LinkedIn
• Sacher Hotels

Connect with Karen Stephens here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Follow the podcast here:

• LinkedIn

Episode Highlights:
[08:01] Evolution without revolution philosophy - Matthias establishes his approach to change management: "How can we make evolution happen without revolution? Because if you're too fast, if you're too quick, it might be as harmful as if you are too slow or too steady. So that's for me a question of finding the right speed for change." This principle guides all strategic decisions at Sacher Hotels.


[10:11] Purpose-driven technology adoption - Matthias explains their selective approach: "We don't use technology for technological reasons. We always have business reasons. We always have ideas. What do we want to provide as a guest experience? Is technology there to help us? Then we implement it." Technology serves guest experience goals, not the other way around.


[20:25] Authenticity as competitive advantage - Matthias highlights what family hotels offer: "People try to get the most authentic experience they could probably get. You literally come to our place where we live. You come to our home, and whatever your experience at the Sacher will be local, with local experience, local expertise." This personal connection differentiates from international chains.


[23:53] Future of luxury hospitality - Matthias identifies key trends: "Experience is more important than product. The next generations are hungry to conquer the world. People are very carefully looking at what they get for their money. Quality, quality, quality." The focus shifts from amenities to authentic, high-quality experiences.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro 
02:31 - Sacher Hotels portfolio overview 
03:36 - Family ownership since 1876 
04:11 - Matthias's unique journey to CEO 
05:31 - Competing with international brands 
06:45 - Leading Hotels of the World partnership 
09:09 - Balancing tradition with technology evolution 
10:27 - Technology integration philosophy 
11:57 - Creating omnichannel guest experiences 
13:57 - On-property technology and sustainability 
16:31 - Navigating global uncertainty as a family business 
19:11 - Austrian hospitality and family culture 
22:05 - Vision for the next decade


If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.
Hotel Moment Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Previous guests include: Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Patrick Norton of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, Shawn Jereb of Montage International, Carlo Del Mistro, Chief Digital Officer of Ennismore, Jason Pirock of Springboard Hospitality, and many more.

Are you a hospitality industry leader with insights to share? We're always looking for innovative voices to join our conversation about the future of hospitality technology.
If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Hotel Moment, we'd love to hear from you! Our podcast reaches thousands of hospitality professionals worldwide, and we're particularly interested in perspectives on:

• Innovation in hospitality technology
• Guest experience transformation
• Revenue optimization strategies
• Emerging industry trends

Express your interest in being a guest →
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:

• Revinate’s new CEO — on a mission to empower hoteliers with data-driven technology | with Bryson Koehler 
• Guests define what luxury means today | with Shannon Knapp
• Your commercial strategy as an evolution and not a revolution | with Jennifer Hill
  
  

In this strategic Hotel Moment webinar, three Revinate experts come together to decode the holiday rush and share winning strategies for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Travel Tuesday success.

What you'll learn:

• Industry trend insights: How declining international visitors create opportunities for North American hotels to capitalize on domestic demand, plus the impact of major events like FIFA 2026 and LA Olympics 2028 
• Avoiding panic discounting: Why "heads and beds" mentality damages long-term brand value and smart alternatives that focus on value-adds rather than price cuts 
• Data-driven personalization: Using guest spend patterns, booking behavior, and RFM models (recency, frequency, monetary value) to create targeted offers that drive conversions 
• Proven revenue tactics: Four key themes generating $69M in revenue for Revinate customers - attribute-based selling, booking behavior optimization, experience packaging, and location-based marketing 
•  Real campaign examples: Five successful customer campaigns from properties like AutoCamp ($1.6M in bookings), Tides Inn (300+ room nights), and others that demonstrate effective segmentation and messaging 
•  Strategic timing: Why starting early access campaigns in October and using countdown timers, geo-targeting, and omnichannel consistency drives better results than waiting for the actual holiday weekend 
•  Experience-driven revenue: How experiential dining and on-property amenities are becoming crucial differentiators for upper-tier luxury travelers
  
  

The webinar also covers cart abandonment recovery, the importance of user-generated content in AI-driven search, and practical subject line examples that convert high-intent audiences into bookings.

Links mentioned in show: 

• Revinate inspirations page
• Direct booking mastery certification program 
• Upcoming BFCM webinar series (parts 2 and 3)
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

Connect with Anisha Yadav here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Connect with Sara Green here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Connect with Freya Craig here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Follow the podcast here:

• LinkedIn

Episode Highlights:
[14:01] The dangers of panic discounting - Sara Green warns against the common mistake: "The gut reaction for many hotels is just to slash prices. We know the phrase 'heads and beds.' Yes, it's a short-term burst in occupancy, but it comes with some serious long-term consequences. It devalues your brand. When you compete on price alone, you're telling your guest that your hotel is a commodity and not a unique experience."

[09:19] Domestic demand opportunity - Anisha Yadav identifies the silver lining in declining international travel: "There is a huge opportunity for hotels in North America to capitalize on domestic demand. People are not going abroad, but they want to travel and take road trips. Segment that audience and focus on the drive market area."

[23:12] Value over discounting - Anisha emphasizes the strategic approach: "It's not about deep discounting. It's about how you build that value for your asset and for the rooms that you have." This principle guides successful revenue optimization during competitive periods.
[20:00] Personal touch differentiator - Sara highlights an often-overlooked tactic: "One thing that always stands out is an outbound call strategy. If you do have a res team on-site, imagine your staff calling a past guest to personally thank them for that stay. You can absolutely set that up with an email, but an outbound call is so much more personalized."

Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome and introductions
03:45 - Industry trends and consumer preferences
06:30 - Market data and forecasting insights
08:45 - Domestic travel opportunities
12:55 - Learning from past market uncertainties
14:15 - Avoiding panic discounting mistakes
16:45 - Cost-cutting consequences
18:30 - Attracting guests based on value
20:45 - Implementing value-add strategies
21:56 - Data-driven revenue tactics
25:43 - Real customer campaign examples
39:55 - Key takeaways and planning ahead
32:28 - Q&A and upcoming sessions
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.
Hotel Moment Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Previous guests include: Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Patrick Norton of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, Shawn Jereb of Montage International, Carlo Del Mistro, Chief Digital Officer of Ennismore, Jason Pirock of Springboard Hospitality, and many more.

Are you a hospitality industry leader with insights to share? We're always looking for innovative voices to join our conversation about the future of hospitality technology.
If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Hotel Moment, we'd love to hear from you! Our podcast reaches thousands of hospitality professionals worldwide, and we're particularly interested in perspectives on:

• Innovation in hospitality technology
• Guest experience transformation
• Revenue optimization strategies
• Emerging industry trends

Express your interest in being a guest →
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:

• Revinate’s new CEO — on a mission to empower hoteliers with data-driven technology | with Bryson Koehler 
• Guests define what luxury means today | with Shannon Knapp
• Your commercial strategy as an evolution and not a revolution | with Jennifer Hill
  
  

In this insightful episode of Hotel Moment, Karen Stephens welcomes Wilhelm Luxem, a seasoned luxury hospitality leader with an impressive 50-year career spanning iconic properties and industry leadership roles. As head of quality commission at Swiss Deluxe Hotels and former GM of the legendary Baur Au Lac, Wilhelm brings unique perspectives on technology adoption in luxury hospitality.

What you'll learn: 

• Technology philosophy for luxury hotels: How technology should complement service DNA and stay in the background, freeing up time for genuine human connections with guests 
• Strategic tech adoption filters: Wilhelm's framework for evaluating technology choices, including compatibility with existing infrastructure, evolution potential, and staff implementation ease 
• Staff training best practices: Why intuitive systems that don't require more than two weeks of training are essential for successful technology adoption
• Evolving guest expectations: The shift from materialistic luxury (marble and gold fixtures) toward personalized experiences and authentic human connections 
• The future of luxury hospitality: Why Wilhelm believes the greatest time for hospitality is ahead, as hotels become "bubbles of analog connection" in an increasingly digital world
• Quality assurance in luxury hotels: How Swiss Deluxe Hotels maintains standards across 43 five-star superior properties through investment monitoring, mystery shopping, and guest feedback analysis 
• Industry networking and mentorship: Wilhelm's involvement with the European Hotel Managers Association and efforts to connect experienced hoteliers with emerging talent

Wilhelm also discusses the remarkable history of Baur Au Lac (seven generations of family ownership since 1844) and how luxury hotels have always evolved with technology while maintaining core service excellence.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.

Connect with Wilhelm Luxem here:

• LinkedIn
• Swiss Deluxe Hotels

Connect with Karen Stephens here:

• LinkedIn
• Revinate

Follow the podcast here:

• LinkedIn

Episode Highlights:
[05:01] Technology as service enabler - Wilhelm establishes his core philosophy: "The key element of those choices is always how can technology complement, first of all, our DNA, our service philosophy, and how can it improve our efficiency as an organization? Technology should always be in the background. It should not move in between our clients and us." This principle guides all technology decisions at luxury properties.

[08:15] The two-week training rule - Wilhelm emphasizes the importance of intuitive systems: "If it takes more than two weeks to train staff, you've picked the wrong product. You have to excite people about systems." He advocates for technology that people can learn through exploration rather than extensive classroom training.
[12:57] The luxury experience evolution - Wilhelm identifies a crucial shift in guest expectations: "People are shifting away from a materialistic approach — the glitzy marble and golden water taps — towards more of an experience, personalized service, of a very strong recognition and respect for the guests." This trend shapes how luxury hotels must adapt their offerings.
[14:27] The future of hospitality optimism - Wilhelm shares his forward-looking perspective: "I'm very optimistic that the greatest time of hospitality is actually ahead of us because we are a sort of a bubble, kind of a land of real analog connections." As society becomes more digital, hotels offer irreplaceable human experiences.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro 
01:59 - Wilhelm's 50-year passion for hospitality 
02:40 - Swiss Deluxe Hotels overview 
03:10 - The iconic Baur Au Lac and seven generations of ownership 
05:23 - Technology adoption philosophy in luxury hotels 
06:38 - Filtering framework for tech choices 
08:07 - Staff training and system implementation 
09:55 - Hiring for tech-forward hospitality roles 
12:26 - Evolution of luxury guest expectations 
17:09 - European Hotel Managers Association involvement 
18:37 - EHL (École Hôtelière de Lausanne) connections 
21:44 - Advice for exceptional guest experiences
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.
Hotel Moment Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Previous guests include: Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Patrick Norton of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, Shawn Jereb of Montage International, Carlo Del Mistro, Chief Digital Officer of Ennismore, Jason Pirock of Springboard Hospitality, and many more.

Are you a hospitality industry leader with insights to share? We're always looking for innovative voices to join our conversation about the future of hospitality technology.
If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Hotel Moment, we'd love to hear from you! Our podcast reaches thousands of hospitality professionals worldwide, and we're particularly interested in perspectives on:

• Innovation in hospitality technology
• Guest experience transformation
• Revenue optimization strategies
• Emerging industry trends

Express your interest in being a guest →
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:

• Revinate’s new CEO — on a mission to empower hoteliers with data-driven technology | with Bryson Koehler 
• Guests define what luxury means today | with Shannon Knapp
• Your commercial strategy as an evolution and not a revolution | with Jennifer Hill