The Independent Lodging Congress's Indie Cultivate helps to support innovation and start-ups in hospitality and travel. On this episode we announce and talk to the seed round winner.

Have you ever been traveling or in a new city and you just can't decide where you should eat? Or have you ever gotten a bad recommendation from a friend? Maybe it's their favorite spot, but it's just not really your vibe?

Sure, you can check the google reviews and ratings, but how can you be sure to find a place that you will actually enjoy?

What if there was an app our there that took your personal preferences, taste tests, and reviews into consideration to recommend places it knows you'll enjoy? Maybe even help you find your new favorite place?

Well, good news! The winner of Indie Cultivate's seed round is the Course Restaurant Guide. The founder and CEO, Josh Sapienza joins us to tell us how they have designed the app and taken more time to make sure they can serve you better, hopefully guiding you to your new favorite spot.

In this episode you'll discover:

• The idea behind the Course Restaurant Guide
• The importance of taking time to get to know your guest
• Why you need to get a mentor
• The experiences and failures of launching companies and apps

The Modern Hotelier is presented by Stayflexi

Produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/13

David and Steve recently took the show on the road to HITEC 2022 in Orlando, FL. Tune in for some live, in-person interviews from the show floor.

Venkat Sakamuri, Ira Vouk, Joss Schaap and Yasmine Mustafa stop by to share their thoughts on HITEC 2022.

The Modern Hotelier is presented by Stayflexi

Produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/12

Being an Independent Hotel is challenging on all fronts. You don't have the support or resources of the big brands and yet you're likely having to pay much more for your tech stacks and services.

Curator wants to fix this. That's why we were so excited to have Jen Barnwell, the President of Curator, on the show.

Curator's mission is to have independent hotels join forces and get the power of scale without sacrificing the spirit of independence. They get all the tools to help make hotels run their best, without all the rules that make big brand hotels the same everywhere you go. That means freedom to keep focusing on guests and their experience above all else.

Jen also shares her advice that got her where she is today: take in as much as you possibly can. She wanted to be in every meeting and a part of every new project. 

Whether you're an independent hotelier or just getting starting in hospitality, there is something in this episode for you.

In this episode you'll discover:

• What makes independent hotels so special
• How independent hotels can be stronger together
• Why it's import to take in as much as you can
• The importance of empathy in leadership

The Modern Hotelier is presented by Stayflexi

Produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

For Full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/11

In this special episode Dr. Richie Karaburun, the director of the Tisch Center of Hospitality Innovation Hub Incubator, joins us to talk about NYU's Hospitality Innovation Hub Incubator Program and announce this season's winner. 

The winner's co-founder, Andrea Garrido, also joins us. She talk about the idea that started Chixa and why she's passionate about it. She also shares their plans for bringing Chixa to the market.

In this episode you'll discover:

• What the NYU Hospitality Innovation Hub Incubator is
• The winner of this season's incubator
• The family recipe that sparked the idea for Chixa
• Why commitment, passion, and the ability to use resources well is essential for any start-up.

The Modern Hotelier is presented by Stayflexi

Produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/10

What exactly is the MetaVerse? And how can it impact the hospitality and travel industry?

Michael Cohen is an innovative tech leader and a MetaVerse advisor. Currently, he is the an advisor and board member at Ugo Virtual and an advisor for Messerschmitt Systems. He joins us to talk about what the MetaVerse is and how virtual reality and augmented reality can impact the hospitality & travel industry. 

In this episode you'll discover:

• What the MetaVerse is
• Why you need to have the virtual reality & augmented reality tools in your toolbox
• How hotels can start implementing this technology
• The benefit of using virtual & augmented reality for training and staff retention
• Why implementing this technology is a slam dunk for the hospitality industry

The Modern Hotelier is presented by Stayflexi

Produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/9

Our first ever in-person episode! And in Las Vegas, no less! We're very excited to share our conversation with Judy Chen, who is the VP of Development at Dream Hotel Group.

Judy has experience in architectural design and real estate development and a focus on luxury lifestyle hotels, food & beverage, nightlife, and private members club. She joins us to share her insights on developing a property in Las Vegas, being creative when dealing with challenges, and the importance of being well-read. 

In this episode you'll discover:

• How every experience we have is relevant for the next step.
• The importance of being well-read.
• How to be creative when faced with issues and limitations

The Modern Hotelier is presented by Stayflexi

Produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

For full show notes head here: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/8

Why should hoteliers embrace technology? How can it help provide a better guest experience? And what are the most essential technologies for modern hoteliers to implement today?

Sarah Eustis started out as a housekeeper in her family's hotel. Now, she is the CEO of Main Street Hospitality which operates over 10 fantastic independent hotels located in the North East. In between, Sarah held leadership roles in the fashion industry working on operations, marketing, design, and development for brands like Ralph Lauren, Gap, and Limited Brands. With that background she is very focused on design and how spaces are designed to foster connection with guests and between guests. We're excited to share this conversation with Sarah Eustis!

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why it's important to surround yourself with people smarter than you
• How to foster connections
• Why you might need to look in the mirror if you're having a hard time finding and keeping staff
• How what you do impacts how guest feel

The Modern Hotelier is presented by Stayflexi

Produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/7

Have you ever had an experience that completely blew you away? That left you thinking, "it can't possibly be this good"? Where the service was just sublime?

CEO, Dr. Jeffrey O, and St. Justine Hotels and Residences are aiming to provide this level of service. They are building modern luxury on the cornerstones of beauty and consistency. Dr. Jeffrey O is an author, educator, motivational speaker, as well as a self proclaimed service evangelist and he joins us to share his experience in building St. Justine Hotels and Residences, his insights on providing exceptional services, his writing, and so much more!

In this episode you'll discover:

• Where Dr. Jeffrey finds inspiration for his writing
• Why consistency is so important
• How training staff well is essential
• The power of recognize people and their work

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/6

The Modern Hotelier is presented by Stayflexi

Produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

What is independent hospitality? What does it mean to be an indie hotel? And what are the things you need to do to succeed as an independent hotelier?

Andrew Benioff is the the Founder and Chairman of the Independent Lodging Congress, Founder and Chairman of the Philadelphia Real Estate Council, and an advisory board member of the Hotel of Tomorrow. He has unique cross-section of experience in hospitality, real estate, and investment banking and is a forward thinking voice in independent hospitality. He joins us to talk about what independent hospitality means and how you can succeed as an indie hotelier.

In this episode you'll discover:

• What it means to be independent in hospitality
• The importance of understanding the community you're in
• How can you succeed as an independent hotelier
• Why some of the bigger luxury brands are losing their way
• Where true hospitality comes from
• What makes ILC events unique 

The Modern Hotelier is presented by Stayflexi

Produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

How can you provide a better guest experience? What does it take to be an award winning concierge? And what is groove theory??

Sarah Dandashy joins the show to share her expertise. Sarah was an award winning concierge, but now as a content creator travel expert and hospitality, author and consultant. Sarah has worked in some of the best hotels in the country, including The Peninsula, Four Seasons and Fairmont hotels and was the head concierge at London west Hollywood.

Sarah has grown Ask a Concierge from a vlog to a multimedia platform with over 200,000 followers. She also has her own podcast called Say Yes To Travel and released her first book this past November called "Hospitality From Within".

In this episode you'll discover:

• How to provide a better guest experience
• How an award winning concierge approaches tough requests
• Why serving in the hospitality industry can be such a joy
• Sarah's advice for those getting started in hospitality

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/4

The Modern Hotelier is presented by Stayflexi

Produced, edited, and published by Make More Media