Episodi
-
Orlie Benjamin is the founder and CEO of Lasoh, a hospitality technology platform helping vacation rental and boutique lodging operators strengthen guest relationships through marketing automation, guest experience tools, and AI-powered workflows. After building her career with brands like American Airlines, NetJets, Disney, and Victoria's Secret, she traded corporate life for entrepreneurship, launching both a vacation rental business and a hospitality tech startup. Susan and Orlie talk about guests, growth, and the great hospitality convergence.
***
What You'll Learn
• Why one or two vacation rentals can still be profitable in today's market
• How to turn a side project into a startup opportunity
• Why Orlie's research strategy included outreach to 800+ operators
• How hospitality companies obsess over properties and overlook guests
• What surprising NetJets lesson reshaped Orlie's view of hospitality
• How to unlock the overlooked value of the booking-to-arrival window
• When to use guest context to create memorable moments at scale
• What underused guest data is hiding in plain sight
• How drive-to and fly-to guests should be marketed differently
• What hospitality can learn from retail's customer data playbook
• Where AI will genuinely transform hospitality operations
• How to reduce dependence on Airbnb, Vrbo, and other OTAs
• Why experiential lodging is positioned to win the next decade
• Why guests should be treated like assets, not transactions***
The Takeaway:
The future belongs to hospitality brands that treat guests as valuable assets, not just bookings, by combining memorable experiences, smart marketing, and personalized relationships that drive loyalty beyond the stay.
Orlie Benjamin on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/orliebenjamin/Lasoh
https://lasoh.io/Join the Top Floor Mail Club
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club -
Brian Quinn is Chief Development Officer for Rivett Group and My Place Hotels, bringing decades of experience spanning hotel operations, development, franchising, acquisitions, and brand growth. From starting as a bellman to leading nearly 800 hotel development deals, Brian has built a career around scaling businesses and developing people. Susan and Brian talk about playbooks, partnerships, and property performance.
***
What You'll Learn:
***
• Why learning beyond your job description to accelerates growth
• How to build relationships that pay dividends years later
• When to create a "living playbook" for navigating major business changes
• Why transparency matters during mergers, acquisitions, and transformations
• What cultural shifts are driving long-term demand for extended stay accommodations
• How to pressure-test hotel deals before committing capital
• Why diverse demand generators create stronger hotel investments
• How operational experience builds instant credibility with owners and investors
• When to make deposits before withdrawals in professional relationships
• How to find opportunity by talking to the quietest person in the room
• Why upper-upscale extended stay may be the industry's next frontier
• Why hospitality still delivers on the promise of career growth***
The Takeaway:
Long-term success in hospitality comes from continuously expanding your knowledge, investing in relationships before you need them, and staying adaptable when opportunities (or disruptions) inevitably arise.
Brian Quinn on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-quinn-778b9018/My Place Hotels
https://www.myplacehotels.comJoin the Top Floor Mail Club
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club -
Episodi mancanti?
-
Guest Bio
Michelle Davis is the General Manager of the SpringHill Suites Orange Beach at The Wharf and a recognized leader known for building high-performing teams and delivering standout guest experiences. Jason Kern is the General Manager of Embassy Suites St. Augustine Beach Oceanfront Resort, where he combines servant leadership with a deep passion for hospitality and team development. Together, these award-winning leaders share lessons on culture, coaching, and customer care.
***
What You'll Learn:
***
• Why great GMs are leaders first and operators second
• How delegation creates stronger managers and better hotels
• How to stop taking guest complaints personally
• The power of "unreasonable hospitality"
• How empathy can defuse even the toughest guest situations
• Small leadership habits that create big guest impressions
• Why communication norms matter more than communication tools
• The surprising value of daily team huddles
• Why recognition from guests means more than you think
• Why successful leaders love seeing others surpass them
• Practical ways to spend less time behind a desk
• Why the best GMs constantly change their routines
• How building the right management team changes everything
• The balance between profitability and genuine hospitality
• Hilarious "only in hotels" stories you'll never forget***
The Takeaway:
The best GMs don't create great hotels. They create great teams that create great guest experiences.
Michelle Davis on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-davis-4037b86/Jason Kern on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-kern-70b6496/Sign up to record at HITEC
https://forms.gle/hZCJfZXbz2vSnetD6Top Floor Mail Club
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club -
Susan Barry is a marketer, podcaster, consultant, speaker, bird influencer, and serial starter of delightfully unconventional side projects, all connected by a deep belief in the power of creativity. In this solo episode, she explores why hospitality may be optimizing itself out of its most human advantage and what that means for education, recruitment, and guest experience.
***
What You'll Learn:
***
• Why hospitality is still an apprenticeship business and the hidden cost of that reality
• The growing disconnect between hospitality education and operational experience
• Why "borrow a fortune and hope for the best" isn't a workforce strategy
• The surprising recruiting lesson hospitality can learn from Below Deck
• How a storytelling shortage may be fueling a labor shortage
• How etiquette can create belonging—or reinforce barriers
• Why great hospitality professionals know when to break the rules
• The connection between creativity, problem-solving, and memorable experiences
• What inspired the launch of a travel-themed snail mail club in a digital-first world
• How anticipation, discovery, and delight extend far beyond hotels
• Why creating meaning may be hospitality's most valuable skill
• The common thread connecting education, recruitment, service, marketing, and innovation***
The Takeaway:
Hospitality is not primarily an operations business, a real estate business, or a finance business—it's a meaning-making business. The people and organizations that thrive will be the ones that create experiences, stories, anticipation, and emotional connections that make people feel something.
Susan Barry on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susandbarry/Top Floor Mail Club
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/mail-club -
Anna Blue is the founder and CEO of Blue Moss Group, where she helps organizations connect growth with purpose. With leadership experience spanning hospitality, nonprofits, advocacy, and media, Anna brings a unique perspective to hospitality through her work at the intersection of business strategy, social impact, and influence. Susan and Anna talk about creator culture, corporate authenticity, and hospitality's people problem.
***
What You'll Learn:
***
• Why imposter syndrome is a systems problem, not a confidence problem
• What makes hospitality feel cult-like in the best possible way
• Why social impact strategies fail when employees are treated like line items
• Why consumers can spot performative culture messaging instantly
• Why business influencers now matter as much as traditional trade media
• How podcasts and creators helped Anna build credibility in hospitality
• Why great company cultures never need to brag about themselves
• Why trying to talk to everyone online usually backfires
• Why hospitality's biggest issue is still how it treats its people***
The Takeaway:
Hospitality brands can't fake culture, purpose, or influence, because people can tell the difference instantly. The future belongs to companies that treat their employees well, embrace authentic storytelling, and understand the growing power of creators in shaping the industry.
Anna Blue on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-blue/Hospitality Creator Summit
https://thehospitalitycreators.com/ -
Zack Gharib is the President of Red Roof, bringing decades of leadership experience across Marriott, Wyndham, Vacasa, and beyond. From a chance encounter with a hotel GM in Athens to leading one of hospitality's biggest tech transformations, Zack shares what it really takes to succeed in today's lodging landscape. Susan and Zack talk about AI automation, franchisee profitability, and vacation-rental versatility.
What You'll Learn:
• What vacation rentals taught him about operational chaos
• How AI is reshaping economy and mid-scale hotels
• Why hotel websites suddenly matter way more
• How ChatGPT is changing hotel booking behavior
• What hotels can learn from Airbnb-style personalization
• Why internal communication systems still fail teams
• Learning when to say "no" to shiny new tech
• Why smiles and room inspections still win
• Predictions for the future of non-luxury hotels
• The franchisee-brand relationship problem nobody solves
• What real alignment between brands and owners should look like***
The Takeaway:
Hospitality fundamentals still matter most, but the operators who win will use technology and AI to make those fundamentals faster, cheaper, and more personalized.
Zack Gharib on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zack-gharib/Red Roof
https://www.redroof.com/ -
Lucy Lieberman is a longtime digital innovator who has spent her career jumping into emerging technology before the rest of the market catches up — from early websites and streaming to loyalty platforms and AI-powered travel. She's led digital transformation for brands like IHG, Amex, and FAO Schwartz, and she most recently served as CEO of Michelin Guide Hotels during one of the toughest moments in travel history. In this episode, recorded live at the Female Founders in Hospitality Summit in early March 2026, Susan and Lucy talk about positioning, pivots, and future-proofing.
What You'll Learn:
• How to spot market shifts before everyone else
• How to tell the difference between "too early" and "bad idea"
• Why great tech still fails without behavior change
• When to build products people don't know to ask for yet
• Why features and amenities never create loyalty
• How to turn a crowded category into a category of one
• Why to focus on problems instead of preferences
• What it's like to lead a travel company through a crisis
• How to create a North Star teams can actually rally around
• Why luxury travel exploded after COVID
• Why authenticity keeps getting more valuable & the surprising comeback of analog
• Why you have to keep asking "why"
• How to become the kind of founder who can run through walls
***The Takeaway:
Breakthrough companies win by obsessing over friction, unmet needs, emotional connection, and the "why" behind customer behavior — not by chasing technology, features, or trends for their own sake. Being early only matters if you're solving a real problem people genuinely care about.
Lucy Lieberman on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucylieberman/ -
Emily Goldfischer is a hospitality PR veteran turned media entrepreneur and co-founder of hertelier, a platform amplifying women's voices in the hotel industry. After a decade shaping brand narratives at Loews Hotels and a pivot into journalism in London, she uncovered a glaring gap in female representation at the top. Susan and Emily talk about advocacy, research, and storytelling.
What You'll Learn:
• Why personalized pitches outperform mass outreach
• How to align your story with the right audience
• Spotting trends like a PR pro (and why it matters)
• Leadership lessons from working under iconic industry women
• The "where are the women?" moment that sparked hertelier
• Building a media brand from scratch during a pandemic
• Why audience growth is harder than content creation
• What 19% female leadership really reveals about hotels
• The myth of motherhood as the main career barrier
• How bias shows up—regardless of life choices
• Why hospitality's pipeline leaks at the top
• Simple ways to advocate for yourself at work
• How companies can fix broken promotion pipelines
• Why flexibility beats performative policies***
The Takeaway:
The lack of women in leadership isn't caused by one issue (like motherhood). It's the result of systemic bias and structural barriers, and fixing it requires intentional, measurable change.
Emily Goldfischer on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilygoldfischer/hertelier
https://www.hertelier.com/ -
Jelani Millard is the founder of the Wapechi Collection, a travel-focused investment platform blending hospitality, real estate, and emerging tech ventures. With roots in finance, he's carved a unique lane exploring how travel really works—from boutique hotels in Ghana to "Pay Me in Plane Tickets." Susan and Jelani talk about unpacking travel's hidden truths through stories, systems, and sacrifices.
What You'll Learn:
How a Ghana hotel project turned into a community-powered success story
What travel influencers aren't telling you about their lifestyles
Why building a media brand takes patience before profit
What separates forgettable content from truly resonant storytelling
Why facts—not fluff—win in modern media
How involving your audience sharpens your voice and vision
Why travel media is shifting from "pretty pictures" to deeper truths
Why hospitality storytelling needs more transparency and less gloss***
Our Top Three Takeaways
1. The "travel influencer dream" is far less glamorous than it looks.
Behind the curated images is a reality defined by hustle, financial instability, and trade-offs. Many creators are making conscious sacrifices—like forgoing traditional milestones or relying on inconsistent income streams—to sustain that lifestyle, which is very different from the effortless image presented online.2. The future of travel media is shifting from "where to go" to "why it exists."
Jelani sees a growing appetite for deeper, more analytical storytelling that examines the history, economics, and power dynamics behind travel experiences. Instead of just highlighting beautiful destinations, the next wave of media will unpack questions like who benefits, who is excluded, and how these systems came to be.3. Building a meaningful media brand requires patience, clarity, and truth.
Jelani has intentionally delayed monetization to allow the platform to evolve organically and better understand its audience and identity. His core philosophy is to lead with facts, tell honest stories, involve the audience, and offer perspective or solutions, because that's what creates content that actually resonates and endures.Jelani Millard on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jelani-m-8935a973/Pay Me in Plane Tickets
https://www.paymeinplanetickets.com/Wapechi Collection
https://www.wapechi.com/ -
Tim Leffel is a veteran travel writer and editor who left the music industry to explore the world, building a location-independent career along the way. He's reviewed over 1,500 hotels across dozens of countries and now publishes insights on remote work and global living. Susan and Tim talk about fear, freedom, and finding value in travel.
Why travel fears are overblown (and what's actually risky)
What it really takes to become a digital nomad
Why remote work is easier now—and maybe lonelier
What 1,500 hotel reviews teach you about quality
How to spot a great hotel before booking
Why aggregator sites are just the starting point
Where to find hidden hotels not on major platforms
Why digital nomads aren't ruining entire cities
How governments are incentivizing relocation globally
Why hotels fail when they try to "do everything"
Why lighting, outlets, and alarms matter more than luxury***
Our Top Three Takeaways
1. Perception often distorts reality in travel, especially around hot topics like safety and overtourism.
Fear of international travel is largely driven by media amplification and unfamiliarity, not actual risk, with many destinations objectively safer than the U.S. At the same time, overtourism is real but highly localized to specific neighborhoods, not entire cities or countries, and can often be addressed through policy and distribution.2. The digital nomad shift is real, but hotels haven't figured out how to serve it well.
Technology has made location-independent work mainstream, but hotels struggle to compete with short-term rentals that offer space, kitchens, and livability. The opportunity exists for hotels to stop trying to serve everyone and instead design specifically for a targeted segment, such as solo, long-stay remote workers.3. Small, practical details define the guest experience more than big concepts.
After reviewing 1,500+ hotels, Tim emphasizes that the basics (functional lighting, clear labeling, comfortable workspaces, and eliminating small annoyances) have an outsized impact on satisfaction. Many of these issues persist because hotel teams don't regularly experience their own product as guests.
Tim Leffel on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/timleffel/Tim's Website
https://timleffel.com/Nomadico Newsletter
https://nomadico.substack.com/Luxury Latin America
https://www.luxurylatinamerica.com/ -
Scott Webb is a longtime leader at Kolter Hospitality who turned a condo crisis into a thriving hotel portfolio spanning major brands. With over three decades of experience, he blends real estate discipline with hands-on hotel operations to drive smart growth. Susan and Scott talk about leadership lessons and share insights on people, performance, and property strategy.
What You'll Learn
• Why investing in team training beats cutting visible guest perks
• When growth forces you to level up your leadership bench
• How to spot risky revenue that won't repeat
• What sellers "clean up" before a deal, and how to catch it
• Why labor assumptions can quietly wreck your underwriting
• How to evaluate real revenue streams beyond surface metrics
• Why owner-operators outperform third-party managers
• How vertical integration saves money and speeds decisions
• How poor facilities hurt employees as much as guests
• Why frontline staff need the strongest support systems
• What owners miss when they outsource management
• How to "go to school" on your own hotel operations
• How global trends, inflation, and AI are reshaping hospitality
• How karma plays out in high-stakes real estate deals
***Our Top Three Takeaways
1. Hotels are not real estate plays
Hotels require a fundamentally different approach than traditional real estate because performance depends on operations rather than just the asset. Success comes from understanding revenue sources at a granular level and identifying what is repeatable vs. one-time noise. Without that due diligence, it's easy to misprice deals and inherit hidden surprises.2. Ownership mindset drives better performance than third-party management
Owners manage assets better than third-party operators because they are fully accountable for the outcome. That alignment allows for faster decision-making, better cost control, and a more complete view of profitability. At scale, bringing management in-house can also unlock significant financial upside.3. Talent investment is the real competitive advantage
The one expense Scott would never cut is investment in people, because team members ultimately define the guest experience. Training, internal mobility, and trust create stronger performance and long-term loyalty, while neglecting them creates visible cracks for both employees and guests. The operators who win are the ones who consistently reinvest in both their teams and their assets.Scott Webb on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-webb-1aa84b163/Kolter Hospitality
https://www.kolterhospitality.com/ -
Chris Russell is a hospitality executive and CEO of Spire Hospitality, known for building and scaling hotel management companies from the ground up. A Culinary Institute of America graduate who pivoted from the kitchen to operations, he's spent decades shaping teams, launching platforms, and leading growth across the industry. Susan and Chris talk about career choices, company building, and culture shifts.
What You'll Learn
• How a potato-peeling job sparked a career pivot
• Why "builders vs. maintainers" think differently about growth
• Why chasing knowledge beats chasing money
• How hospitality offers unmatched upward mobility
• How tech is reshaping hiring (and what's getting lost)
• Why attitude still matters more than experience
• How to balance hustle with real work-life boundaries
• Why job-hopping too early can stall your growth
• How to ask for more without sounding entitled
• Why self-promotion is a skill you can't ignore
• How success is shifting from hours worked to impact made
• Why the future requires both tech skills and human touch
***Our Top Three Takeaways
1. Build for Learning, Not Just Advancement
Chris's career wasn't driven by titles or salary bumps, but by what each role could teach him. He intentionally chose opportunities that expanded his skill set, even when they paid less. That mindset compounded over time into leadership readiness and ultimately a CEO role.
2. Hospitality's Biggest Problem Is a Perception Gap
The industry offers massive upward mobility and diverse career paths, but it does a poor job of selling that story. Long hours and outdated perceptions overshadow the reality that hospitality includes roles across finance, tech, HR, sales, and more. The result is a talent pipeline problem that needs attention.
3. The Future Requires Balancing Tech with Humanity
Technology and AI will play a bigger role in hiring and operations, but they risk stripping out the human qualities that define hospitality. Chris highlights a growing tension: efficiency vs. connection. The winners will be those who embrace tech while preserving attitude-driven hiring and genuine guest experience.
Chris Russell on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisrussellspire/Spire Hospitality
https://spirehotels.com/ -
This is probably the weirdest episode yet. For seven minutes, Susan talks about not being a team player and why personal development is suspect. Then, she joins Calvin Tilokee for a joke-off of Spring-themed pick-up lines for hoteliers. Are you scratching your head in confusion? Good!
***Susan Barry on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susandbarry/Top Floor on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/top-floor-podcastCalvin Tilokee on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvintilokee/
UN 2026 World Inequality Report - Gender Inequality
https://wir2026.wid.world/insight/gender-inequality/The Leadership Reset: Why Women in Hospitality Are Done With Endurance as a Career Strategy by Emily Goldfischer
https://www.hertelier.com/post/women-hospitality-leadership-reportBenchmarking Diversity 2025: Representation in Hotel Leadership from Penn State
https://hhd.psu.edu/sites/default/files/hospitality-management-hm/shm/hospitality-management-hmshm-representationinhotelcompanyleadership2025pdf.pdf -
Mark Wayman is a longtime executive recruiter and former tech-to-gaming industry insider known for building one of the most powerful networks in Las Vegas. He unpacks how careers evolve across industries and why relationships, not resumes, drive success. Susan and Mark talk about networking nuance, hiring honesty, and hospitality hustle.
• Why relationships beat talent in hiring decisions
• Why hosting beats attending networking events
• How casinos decide who gets VIP treatment
• Why casinos prioritize marketing over technology
• The real reason Vegas hasn't modernized like hotels
• Why gaming careers depend on integrity and loyalty
• What makes Las Vegas a "small town in disguise"
• The biggest lies candidates tell (and why it matters)
• Why high-paying jobs are getting harder to land
• The origin story behind "Godfather of Las Vegas"
• How giving back builds long-term influence
***Our Top Three Takeaways
1. Relationships drive everything
Mark is unequivocal: careers are built through relationships, not résumés. He notes that 85% of jobs come through professional networks and even hiring decisions at the highest levels often favor familiarity over pure qualifications.2. Discipline and positioning matter more than perfect timing
From building a 6–12 month emergency fund to being selective about roles, Mark emphasizes control over your circumstances. His philosophy: financial discipline creates career freedom, and career freedom allows better decision-making.3. The gaming industry runs on yield, not sentiment
Casinos operate with ruthless clarity: customers are segmented by value, and resources are allocated accordingly. High-value players get everything; low-value ones are ignored. This highlights a broader business truth: not all customers (or opportunities) are equal. The smartest operators understand where value is created and focus their energy there.
Mark Wayman on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwaymanlv/Cayuga Hospitality Consultants
https://cayugahospitality.com/ -
Jascha Kaykas-Wolff is the CEO of Visiting Media and a longtime tech leader who has helped shape digital marketing at companies like Yahoo, Microsoft, BitTorrent, and Mozilla. Raised in a socialist collective outside Eugene, Oregon, by a pioneering rock concert promoter, he grew up thinking deeply about systems, autonomy, and how teams work together. Susan and Jascha talk about AI acceleration, authentic leadership, and agile innovation.
What You'll Learn
• Breaking into hospitality tech by showing up, meeting operators, and building real relationships
• How growing up in a collective shaped a leadership philosophy of autonomy and accountability
• The difference between meritocracy and psychological safety in organizations
• How data and conviction helped pitch Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer
• The surprising leadership lesson hidden in a mustard stain
• Why curiosity—not credentials—is the most valuable career skill today
• Practical ways hospitality professionals can start experimenting with AI immediately
• Using AI to research guests, build microsites, and automate everyday work
• How Visiting Media uses real-world capture plus AI to power hospitality sales
• The importance of "trust but verify" in an AI-generated world
• Why the next five years may bring a renaissance of independent hospitality businesses
***Our Top Three Takeaways
1. Great leaders create environments where ideas feel safe to share
Jascha argues that true meritocracy rarely exists in organizations, but leaders can still create conditions that allow good ideas to surface. The key is psychological safety: team members must feel comfortable proposing ideas, even imperfect ones, without fear of ridicule or punishment. When people feel safe to contribute, ideas improve through collaboration, and organizations ultimately make better decisions.
2. AI is today's version of the early internet—curiosity is the most important skill
Jascha draws a strong parallel between the current AI moment and the late-1990s internet boom. Just as many experts dismissed the internet back then, many companies today restrict or underestimate AI. His advice is simple: start experimenting now, whether you're a front desk agent researching VIP guests or a marketer building quick microsites, because the professionals who develop AI fluency early will have a major advantage in the next five to ten years.
3. AI may level the playing field between independent hotels and large brands
One of Jascha's predictions for hospitality is that AI will enable a renaissance of independent operators. Historically, large brands and management companies had an advantage because they controlled marketing resources and technology. AI tools are lowering those barriers, enabling smaller properties to build software, marketing assets, and digital experiences quickly and cheaply.
Jascha Kaykas-Wolff on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaykas/Visiting Media
https://visitingmedia.com/Cayuga Hospitality Consultants
https://cayugahospitality.com/ -
Lori Mukoyama is a Design Principal and Global Hospitality Leader at Gensler, shaping hotel experiences across cities from Chicago to Tokyo. With a background in boutique retail and large-scale hospitality design, she focuses on the tactile and emotional details that shape guests' experience of a space. Susan and Lori talk about design details, destination differences, and the future of guest experience.
What You'll Learn
• What designers actually control in a hotel, from doorknobs to pillows
• Why "15 feet and down" shapes the entire guest experience
• When hotel design should feel nothing like your own home
• How hospitality design differs across the U.S., Latin America, and Japan
• Why historic hotel renovations are booming right now
• Smart ways brands balance global standards with local culture
• How remote work is changing the layout of hotel rooms
• Why giving designers time to create a concept story matters
• How designing for a "guest muse" transforms spaces and furniture choices
• The coming shift toward multi-generational hotel room design
• Why sustainability innovation is the hospitality industry's next big challenge
***Our Top Three Takeaways
Great hotel design happens "15 feet and down."
While architecture shapes the overall building, the details closest to the guest create the emotional experience. Designers focus on the elements people physically interact with — floors, furniture, materials, lighting, and textures — because those are what guests touch, hear, and notice as they move through the space. These tactile details ultimately shape the hotel's feel.Global hotel brands succeed when they combine standards with local culture.
Brand standards provide a framework, but the most compelling hotels interpret those standards through local context. Designers use local materials, cultural references, and regional inspiration to create spaces that feel authentic rather than generic. The goal is to keep the brand direction while ensuring each hotel reflects its city and community.Hotel design is evolving around new ways people travel and work.
Remote work and blended travel have changed how guest rooms are designed. Desks are increasingly positioned to face the room instead of the wall, with lighting and acoustics designed to support video calls and longer stays. Hotels are also expanding into experience-driven spaces like wellness areas and social saunas, reflecting the idea that "offline" experiences are becoming a new form of luxury.
Lori Mukoyama on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-mukoyama-4a71a57/Gensler
https://www.gensler.com/expertise/hospitalityGensler's annual Design Forecast identifies the top trends shaping the future of the built environment in the age of rapid technological and environmental transformation. You can learn more and download this year's report here. [https://www.gensler.com/publications/design-forecast/2026]
Cayuga Hospitality Consultants
https://cayugahospitality.com/Hive Marketing
https://www.hive-marketing.com/ -
Kurt Oleson is the Chief Operating Officer and co-owner of Custom Channels, a Denver-based company delivering fully licensed, human-curated music solutions for hotels and restaurants. A classically trained pianist turned music technologist, he helped build early music-recommendation algorithms before joining his company. Susan and Kurt talk about licensing landmines and algorithmic ethics.
What You'll Learn:
• Why playing Spotify in your restaurant could cost you $10,000 per song
• How performance and composition licenses protect artists
• How following "passion-adjacent opportunities" can shape an unexpected career
• The upside and ethical gray areas of algorithm-driven music discovery
• Why human-curated playlists still outperform AI in hospitality settings
• How tempo, energy, and traffic patterns should shape your daily music flow
• How many songs you actually need to avoid repetition
• Why commoditizing music undermines its impact on your brand
***Our Top Three Takeaways
Music isn't background noise—it's a business tool.
When aligned with traffic patterns, brand identity, and desired guest behavior, audio can increase dwell time, improve turnover, and even become a profit center.Playing unlicensed music is a massive legal and financial risk.
One audit could mean fines of up to $10,000 per song, making proper licensing non-negotiable for hospitality operators.Human-curated music is still a competitive advantage.
AI can assist with scheduling and context triggers, but brand-aligned, emotionally intelligent curation drives better guest experiences.
Kurt Oleson on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtoleson1/Custom Channels
https://www.custom-channels.com/
Cayuga Hospitality Consultants
https://cayugahospitality.com/Hive Marketing
https://www.hive-marketing.com/***Ad Giveaway***
Enter here! https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/win -
Leora Lanz is an associate professor at Boston University's School of Hospitality Administration and a former global marketing leader who helped grow HVS from seven offices to forty worldwide. After decades in destination marketing, hotel operations, and consultancy, she turned her classroom casework into two books on developing a marketing mindset. Susan and Leora talk about critical thinking, conscious marketing, and career courage.
What You'll Learn:
• Why you need to "know enough to be dangerous" in digital marketing
• What crisis communication in hotels teaches about compassion
• Why today's marketing funnel feels more like a pinball machine
• Why hospitality and marketing are fundamentally the same
• How to shift from "you should" to "we will" with owners
• When the ROI of a hospitality degree really kicks in
• How set-jetting and streaming shows shape travel trends
• Why wellness, sustainability, and community are marketing power plays
• Why career reinvention requires courage and community
***Our Top Three Takeaways
Marketing Is a Mindset, Not a Tactic
Marketing isn't about flashy campaigns or one-hit wonders. It's about critical thinking, strategic planning, and starting with clear goals and KPIs. Everyone in hospitality (not just the marketing team) needs to think this way to build real, lasting impact.
Shift from "You" to "We"
Great marketing happens when teams act as true partners, not outside advisors. Saying "we" instead of "you" creates a sense of shared ownership and stronger alignment with stakeholders. That mindset builds trust, buy-in, and better results.
Hospitality Is a Competitive Advantage
Hospitality is more than an industry; it's a philosophy that can differentiate any business. Purpose-driven marketing rooted in wellness, sustainability, and community creates deeper, more meaningful connections. The future depends on honoring both emerging talent and seasoned voices while keeping that purpose front and center.
Leora Lanz on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leorahalpernlanz/Buy the Books
http://www.tinyurl.com/MarketingMindsetseriesCayuga Hospitality Consultants
https://cayugahospitality.com/Hive Marketing
https://www.hive-marketing.com/***Ad Giveaway***
Enter here! https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/win -
Travis Burns is Executive Vice President of Business Development at Remington Hospitality, where he's helping scale the company's third-party management platform. A former aerospace professional turned hotelier, he walked into the Hyatt Regency Tulsa Downtown asking for any job, and built a career spanning sales, operations, and investment strategy. In this episode, he unpacks profit over prestige, luxury's lift, and gut-driven growth.
• Why GOPPAR matters more than RevPAR
• How to win the GOP war—even if you lose the STR report battle
• What your business mix really costs you (and why it matters)
• How to know when saying yes is a trap
• The intuition advantage in a world drowning in data
• Why being first isn't always best in hotel innovation
• The real driver behind luxury's post-COVID surge
• Why great luxury GMs still have to obsess over labor and cost control
• Why new capital—not institutions—may drive 2026 transactions
• The one change Travis would make to the industry overnight
***Our Top Three Takeaways
Revenue Without Profit Is a Mirage
One of the clearest themes in this conversation is Travis's insistence that top-line performance is meaningless without margin discipline. He pushes owners and operators to look beyond RevPAR and focus on GOPPAR, emphasizing that not all revenue is created equal once costs are accounted for. The real work, he argues, is understanding *how* revenue is generated and being willing to sacrifice headline wins in favor of long-term profitability.The K-Shaped Recovery Is Reshaping Hotel Strategy
Travis offers a grounded explanation for why luxury and upper-upscale hotels continue to outperform other segments. It's not that affluent travelers are price-insensitive; it's that post-COVID travelers are taking fewer trips and assigning more value to each one. When travel becomes part of the story rather than just a place to sleep, guests are willing to pay more, as long as luxury remains distinctive and doesn't slide into sameness.Say Yes, but Know When and Why
On careers and leadership, Travis reframes the familiar advice to "say yes" with an important caveat: every investment of time and effort should come with an exit strategy. Early-career hustle only works when it leads somewhere, whether that's growth, learning, or the next opportunity. Without a clear payoff, ambition turns into exploitation, and knowing the difference is a critical leadership skill.
Travis Burns on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-burns/Remington Hospitality
https://www.remingtonhospitality.com/Cayuga Hospitality Consultants
https://cayugahospitality.com/Hive Marketing
https://www.hive-marketing.com/***Ad Giveaway***
Enter here! https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/win
Other Episodes You May Like:212: Hotel Meth Takedown with Debbie Feldman
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/212181: Smoky Light Pole with Tommy Beyer
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/181107: Trash Can Fire with Tracy Prigmore
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/107 -
Susan Barry is the founder of Hive Marketing and the host of Top Floor, bringing hotel sales, marketing, and ownership-side perspectives to the mic. In this solo episode, she reintroduces herself to new listeners from Hotel Online and HFTP and zooms out on a timely industry controversy to ask a much bigger question about power, history, and responsibility in hospitality. This episode is short and sweet, much like Susan.
How Susan went from English major to hotel exec to founder and podcaster
Why "hotels should stay out of politics" is a myth
How hotels shape tax, labor, and zoning policy
Why hotels are natural hubs for political activity
How history proves hotels become power centers in crises
How hotels can be tools of refuge or control
What the Minnesota ICE controversy really exposes
How brand power works in an asset-light hotel model
***Our Top Three Takeaways
1. Hotels are never "apolitical," even when they claim to be.
The episode argues that hotels are inherently political because they operate at the intersection of real estate, labor, capital, and public visibility. From lobbying on taxes and visas to hosting political events and managing labor relations, hotels participate in politics constantly—whether or not they acknowledge it.2. History shows hotels repeatedly become power centers during moments of crisis.
Across wars, genocides, and social movements, hotels have functioned as command centers, sanctuaries, negotiation hubs, and tools of control. Examples from World War II, the Rwandan genocide, and the U.S. Civil Rights Movement illustrate how hotel spaces and staff actions can enable resistance, protection, or oppression depending on who holds power.3. Modern brand–owner dynamics turn "neutral" decisions into political acts.
In today's asset-light model, brands wield enormous influence through flags, loyalty systems, and distribution, while owners carry the financial risk. When a brand intervenes or withdraws, it is making an economic and political judgment that can instantly reshape a property, raising hard questions about authority, accountability, and local decision-making.Susan Barry on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susandbarry/Hive Marketing
https://www.hive-marketing.com/Cayuga Hospitality Consultants
https://cayugahospitality.com/Female Founders in Hospitality
https://femalefoundersinhospitality.com/
Other Episodes You May Like:99: Believers to Church
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/9991: Pool Heat Miser
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/9171: Public Restroom Couple
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/7164: Roman Bird Murmuration
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/6459: Cat Hair Pants
https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/59 - Mostra di più
