Podcast
Hotel Moment
Hosted by Karen Stephens · EN
The Hotel Moment podcast features insights and interviews with top players in the hospitality industry - across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Tammy Pahel on the evolution of managing a spa during the pandemic era
Oct 27, 202100:29:21Tap to summarizeJennifer Suski is back!After a few months out, she is hosting the Hotel Moment podcast again.With a 4-month-old around (we're not telling if he made an appearance!), Jen sat down to chat with Tammy Pahel, VP of Spa & Wellness Operations at Carillon Miami Wellness Resort.Spas were high on the list of 'unsafe places' to visit during the pandemic. We all heard the notices. What did a wellness resort that relies on revenue from the spa do in that situation? Did they pivot? To do what?Technology and touchless wellness experiences helped us along, says Tammy.Listen in to learn how Carillon Wellness Resort made technology an integral part of their spa, handled the staffing crisis, came out ahead. Valuable lessons in here for all of us!Links:Website: https://www.carillonhotel.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarillonHotelTwitter: @CarillonHotelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CarillonHotel/ActivePure: https://www.activepure.com
Transcribe →Mark G. Vincent on hospitality learnings after a year of being pushed to the limit
Oct 14, 202100:27:13Tap to summarizeThis week on the Hotel Moment podcast, we sat down with Mark G. Vincent, Chief Information Officer at Millennium Technology Group and CIO for Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Orlando. With over 25 years of experience, Mark has so much to share! He talks about the return of travel, streamlining processes, the staffing crisis, and tips to retain staff (hot tips here!). One important takeaway from Mark. (Spoiler alert): Spread kindness. What he means is that hotels and hotel staff are getting pushed to their limits. Something for us all to remember that next time we go somewhere that is short-staffed!Have you shown appreciation to anyone in the hospitality industry recently? Random acts of kindness go a long way!
Transcribe →Dr. Romie Mushtaq on the "Busy Brain", workplace wellness, and mindfulness
Sep 15, 202100:32:27Tap to summarizeDo you set reminders on your phone to take a break from your work? Do you have an alarm that reminds you to switch off and chill out?If that sounds familiar, you'll love this week's Hotel Moment podcast featuring "Everybody's homie, Dr. Romie"Dr. Romie Mushtaq is the Chief Wellness Officer at Evolution Hospitality (she got her nickname 'Everybody's homie' there) and a highly sought-after speaker and physician.She brings together neuroscience, integrative medicine, and mindfulness and is on a mission to transform the brain health of companies, leaders, and organizations.Work in the hospitality industry? You are on Dr. Romie's much-loved list.As one of the hardest-hit industries during the pandemic, she talks of the increased stress impacting all of us in the industry.What is a busy brain? And where do you stand?Take the busy brain test at (https://drromie.com/test). Dr. Romie says that 82% of people taking the test have not only a busy brain but also brain strain - where the stress levels are so high that it causes physical symptoms.Tune in and listen to Dr. Romie's takeaways about what you can do to cure your busy brain and brain strain today.
Transcribe →Max Starkov on the need for innovation & technology in the hospitality industry
Sep 1, 202100:31:55Tap to summarize1.73 million. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists 1.73 million job openings in the hospitality and leisure industry.Too many jobs and no takers. What do we do as an industry?Max Starkov, a Hospitality & Online Travel Tech Consultant & Strategist has the answers. He talks with host Rey Rodriguez this week on the Hotel Moment podcast on what the labor shortage means for the industry.Max believes that the way out of the labor shortage is through innovation - in our hotels' business model, service delivery methods, and use of tech. And he has a list of ways on hand.From creative auxiliary services (think tickets to local attractions, on-site workout classes, or hosting local artist exhibits) to a la carte amenities, creativity is key to finding new ways to drive revenue and deliver services.Listen in. "It's a do-or-die situation we are in" says Max.
Transcribe →Tyler Lavin on how citizenM is disrupting the hotel industry
Aug 10, 202100:32:35Tap to summarizeHow many staff do you think it takes to run a 272 room citizenM hotel in Boston?If you guessed 7, you’re correct!This week on the Hotel Moment podcast, we chat with Tyler Lavin, VP of Development and Investment - North America, at citizenM hotels.Tyler explains how their company culture and innovative ideas contribute to citizenM's well-run hotels.We uncover what their company culture is really like, how they maintain it, and how they use tech to support it.What are some of citizenM's most innovative ideas? Tyler highlights owning and developing their assets, providing subscriptions to their guests.If you've stayed at a citizenM hotel, you'll know exactly what Tyler is talking about.If you haven't yet stayed at a citizenM hotel yet, this episode will have you wanting to stay in one to experience it yourself.
Transcribe →David Millili on hotels' adoption of tech
Jul 22, 202100:30:38Tap to summarizeWhat did the first contactless elevator at a New York City hotel look like way back in 1995?David Millili knows. He was the GM at that New York hotel - opening it when he was in his mid-20s.As a hospitality tech veteran, he has chalked up a few firsts in his career so far. Ask him about the first booking engine and you’ll hear a story you won’t forget.This week on our Hotel Moment podcast, we talk with David Millili about hotels’ adoption of technology and how they should be marketing it widely.You’ll want to hear Millili’s stories and his take on the contactless elevator, the need to simplify room rate cards, the voice assistant in rooms, and more.
Transcribe →The staffing crisis on the future of the hospitality industry
Jul 15, 202100:28:52Tap to summarizeChipotle set the standard high for restaurants by offering competitive benefits and career pathing. Will someone do the same thing for hotels? It may be necessary as hotels are trying to quickly ramp up and rehire staff, and are discovering that no one wants these jobs. This week on the Hotel Moment podcast, we revisit one of our most popular episodes - "Unlocking the Staffing Crisis".We got together with former hoteliers, front line staff, academics, and corporate managers to discuss the future of the industry and the current staffing crisis. Will tech play a bigger role at hotels in 2025? What will it take to get employees back to work? Tune in to hear what long-time experts believe the future holds and what impacts the staffing crisis may leave behind.
Transcribe →Kristi White on what to do when group bookings are on an upswing
Jun 29, 202100:35:33Tap to summarizeFor four months in a row, meetings and events bookings across US hotels have been going up. In May this year, the number of attendees reached 2019 levels already. What’s next? How can sales teams at hotels collaborate with meeting planners? How can they nurture relationships and create customers for life? We speak with the newly appointed Chief Product Officer, Kristi White about bridging the gap between hotel sales teams and meeting planners. As group meetings scale past 2019 levels, Kristi shares insights about hybrid events, local meeting destinations, and the roles of sales teams. If you work in hotel sales, you’ll want to take note of Kristi’s insights. With two decades of experience in hotel and revenue management, Kristi knows the path to take to profitability.
Transcribe →Alex Ekbatani on housekeeping theatre and what really matters to guests
Jun 24, 202100:29:50Tap to summarizeEver seen the laundry space of a hotel? Sheets, towels being meticulously washed, ironed, folded? In September, if you are in Orlando, Florida, you can walk into a hotel with an open plan laundry space. Modeled along the idea of an open kitchen, this new concept may be crucial to ease any lingering preoccupations that guests have with cleanliness and hygiene. This week we speak with Alex Ekbatani, president of ette hotels on the novel housekeeping theatre that he is all set to bring to the hospitality industry. Listen in on Ekbatani explain why this is a far more important idea than stickers on room doors loudly proclaiming their sanitized status.
Transcribe →Jeremy Marquard on the return of group meetings and events
Jun 16, 202100:33:54Tap to summarizeAs hoteliers, we have one more thing to look forward to now.Meetings and events are back in demand. Group data from Knowland (the leader in meeting and event data) for May indicates a 28.4% increase in meetings held across the US. The attendee levels have already reached 2019 levels. What does this mean for hotels and event organizers? On this week's episode of the Hotel Moment podcast, we are joined by Jeremy Marquard, Director of Global Accounts at ConferenceDirect, to discuss the return of group meetings and events at hotels.Jeremy shares expertise about what groups and hotel staff can expect as the demand for in-person events increases.We cover everything from contracting the event space to the current staffing crisis. Tune in!
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