What happens when someone grows up across multiple countries, works nearly every job inside a hotel, and then spends 30 years rising through one of the world’s biggest hospitality companies?

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline is joined by a true global citizen: Gonzalo Aguilar, CEO for Europe and the Americas at Minor Hotels.

Gonzalo shares how an international childhood—spanning Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Brazil, Spain, and the U.S.—gave him an early crash course in adaptability, culture, and human connection. He walks through his three decades at Marriott, including opening hotels in challenging markets, integrating the AC Hotels brand, and navigating the Starwood merger from the inside.

Katie and Gonzalo dig into the business differences between asset-light giants and Minor’s asset-heavy model, how ownership perspective changes decision-making, and why testing, speed, and control look completely different when you own 84% of your portfolio. Gonzalo also breaks down Minor’s multi-brand strategy—from Anantara and Tivoli to NH and NHOW—and what today’s travelers are actually looking for in experiential and urban stays.

They also touch on:

-How early exposure to every job in a hotel shaped Gonzalo’s leadership style

-Why curiosity, not a master plan, drove his career

-What he learned moving between the U.S., Caribbean, South America, and Europe

-Minor’s growth plans and the benefits (and pressures) of an asset-heavy model

-How loyalty is evolving under the consolidated Minor Discovery program

If you’re interested in the realities of global hospitality leadership, this conversation delivers an unfiltered look at the operational, cultural, and strategic decisions shaping hotels today.

Connect with Gonzalo:

Gonzalo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gonzalo-aguilar

Minor Hotels Website: https://www.minorhotels.com/

Thank you to this week's sponsors!

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