Today, I’m thrilled to share a conversation with someone I’ve admired from afar for quite some time — Bashar Wali.

If you’ve spent any time in the hospitality space, chances are you’ve come across Bashar’s work — or at least his words. He’s the former President and CEO of Provenance Hotels, and today he leads two companies he founded: Practice Hospitality, a management company focused on culturally resonant independent hotels, and This Assembly, a hospitality think tank and incubator building what's next for the industry.

What I love most about Bashar is that he’s refreshingly candid, wildly insightful, and deeply passionate about this space — not just because it’s his career, but because it’s in his DNA.

In this episode, we get into:

Why hospitality is not the same as service — and how even a roadside motel can deliver deeply human moments that a five-star hotel might miss.

Why Bashar believes loyalty programs are really just bribery, and what real loyalty actually looks like.

How he went from having visited just two countries by age 20 to now traveling like a true nomad — and how that wanderlust has shaped his worldview.

Why the world’s best operators are not just spreadsheet wizards, but curators of culture who know how to feel what's cool — and create spaces where others can feel it too.

And why the soft brand strategy has lost its edge — not because the concept is broken, but because the execution rarely matches the promise.

Bashar and I also talk about the role that AI should play in hospitality, the difference between trend-chasing and trend-observing, and what it takes for hotels to stop being sterile, beige boxes and become — in his words — merchants of cool again.

This is one of those episodes that had me nodding, laughing, and taking notes at the same time. Bashar is equal parts philosopher and practitioner — and I think you’re going to get a ton out of this.

Let’s dive in.

Learn more about Bashar

Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more.

Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.