Sick of overcomplicated revenue strategies? Learn how simplicity and commercial leadership unlock profit for independent hotels.
Niek Kollau shows how to turn chain-level structure into practical wins for small properties.
Guest: Niek Kollau, commercial 'co-pilot' and revenue management consultant at Rev&U, former NH revenue manager and coffee-shop owner, with hands-on experience building commercial structure for independents.
Key takeaways
- Build a clear commercial structure to raise margins and stop reactive price moves
- Use guest profiles to target distribution, attract higher-yield segments and reduce OTA dependence
- Implement year planning and simple segmentation for predictable occupancy and smoother operations
- Add low-cost direct-channel benefits to drive more profitable direct bookings without price wars
Expect practical examples on OTA pricing, direct-channel add-ons and converting guest experience into pricing power.
Follow Revenue Management Playbook for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience.
Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality

Turn everyday interactions into lasting community impact.
Learn how small leadership choices build workforce pipelines for hospitality.
Stuart Brown, Executive Director of the Inspire Brands Foundation at Inspire Brands, leads youth empowerment, education and community impact initiatives and brings corporate, nonprofit, and startup experience.
- Create a steady pipeline of work-ready hires by adopting workforce readiness practices.
- Strengthen retention and culture so teams become sources of local influence and pride.
- Multiply community impact by converting grants into year-long accelerator support for nonprofits.
- Lead with agency and small wins to generate momentum across restaurants and regions.
Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience.
Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality

Double guest frequency and keep the vibe relaxed and profitable.
How an all-day brunch formula built 16 locations and loyal guests.
Guest: Michiel Huisman, co-founder of Teds, scaled an all-day brunch concept across 16 locations over 10 years, turning leisure moments into repeat revenue.
Key takeaways:
- Optimize menu for speed, profitability, and Instagrammable moments to raise average spend and table turns.
- Build a consistent yet localised brand experience so each venue feels authentic and repeatable.
- Train and retain intrinsically motivated staff with clear service plans to protect guest experience.
- Choose expansion sites with the right demographics, logistics, and terrace or corner exposure to succeed.
Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience.
Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality

Want to turn cocktails and small plates into your hotel's most profitable moment?
Learn how an apero-first experience builds loyalty, retail channels, and a signature vibe.
Guest: Jeroen de Pauw, TV chef and creator of Canape Abero, trained in Michelin-star kitchens and experienced touring with international artists and large-scale events, bringing hospitality, storytelling, and product partnerships to life.
- Increase guest spend and dwell time by designing apero-style small-plate flows that encourage sharing and repeat covers.
- Diversify revenue with supermarket-ready branded products, turning signature recipes into retail income and marketing reach.
- Create a consistent, human-focused guest vibe while streamlining operations so staff can deliver spontaneity reliably.
- Reduce costs and improve margins with practical zero-waste cooking techniques that protect quality and brand values.
Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience.
Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality

Replace plastic in your hotel rooms without changing your operations.
Discover how one reusable bottle can turn in-room water into a visible sustainability statement guests actually take home.

Guest: Bart Willems, Co-founder of Bottle Up. Bart left the media industry to challenge single-use bottled water and introduce a plant-based, reusable alternative for hospitality. Today, Bottle Up works with hotels across Europe to reduce waste and upgrade guest experience.

• Replace single-use plastic with a reusable, sugarcane-based bottle

• Reduce waste without adding operational complexity

• Turn a simple amenity into a brand and PR opportunity

• Meet growing guest expectations around sustainability

Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience.

Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality

Transform your team without big budgets: practical talent development that actually sticks.
Discover how frontline managers become the real multipliers of growth.
Guest: Marcel Petzold, Director of Talent Development and HR Shared Services at Marriott International, Fiji. Marcel brings operational and regional experience building human-centered L&D that reduces turnover and raises engagement.
- Turn training into measurable change by equipping managers to reinforce skills on the floor
- Create internal mobility paths that keep top talent in-house and accelerate careers
- Spot early warning signs and retain staff through short, purposeful one-on-ones
- Design development that balances practical daily coaching with scalable learning tools
Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience.
Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality

Stop guessing your next growth move in hospitality.
Hear how Tarji Carter turned a nontraditional hotel career into a franchise-building engine.
Tarji Carter, founder of The Franchise Player, brings 20+ years in hospitality and franchising and created the Franchise Game conference. She shares practical, actionable guidance for managers and leaders.
- Decide if franchise ownership fits your goals and avoid costly common mistakes.
- Use relationship-led sourcing to shorten deal timelines and accelerate development.
- Build the operational and wraparound team that drives real profitability.
- Protect your mental health and budgets while scaling your business.
Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience.
Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality

Handle high expectations without losing the team or the guest.
Yaron Jansen explains how to lead luxury operations so service stays exceptional under pressure.
Host Emma Wunderink speaks with Yaron Jansen, Director of Operations at De l'Europe, who brings nearly two decades of luxury hospitality experience and oversees a historic Amsterdam property recently awarded three Michelin keys. He rose through the ranks across food and beverage and senior leadership roles, shaping a solutions-first approach from the floor to the executive suite.
- Stay operationally grounded while expanding accountability and complexity so daily standards never slip.
- Manage occupancy and guest flow to protect service quality and maximize revenue.
- Build a leadership team that fills your gaps and keeps decisions practical and executable.
- Align standards with purpose to engage a multigenerational workforce and reduce pointless questioning.
Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience.
Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality

Front desk mistakes are costing you revenue and repeat guests. Learn practical fixes in one conversation.
Emma Wunderink reveals how to train receptionists, boost upsells, and turn every lobby into a competitive advantage.
Guest: Emma Wunderink, hospitality consultant at Cohesive Consultancy, with leadership experience at Sofitel Legend de Grand Amsterdam and Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam.
- Build front desk teams that deliver consistent luxury service and increase upsell revenue.
- Train receptionists to convert local knowledge into authentic recommendations guests trust.
- Empower every department to act on small guest cues that drive retention and positive reviews.
- Use automation and AI to remove admin work so staff can focus on emotional connection.
Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience.
Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality

Stop leaving revenue on the table: learn when to raise prices with confidence.
Practical steps for owner-operators to replace gut feeling with data-driven pricing.
Guest: Tim Boersma, Revenue Manager, RoomPriceGenie. Tim helps independent hoteliers shift from static pricing to timed, data-led decisions across Benelux owner-operated properties.
- Capture higher night rates for events and peak demand while keeping guests satisfied.
- Reduce pricing risk by using simple metrics and day-of-week analysis to optimize ADR and occupancy.
- Free up your time and retain control by adopting measured automation that you can monitor.
- Gain incremental wins and trust so you can safely test higher rates and increase profit.
Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience.
Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality