The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast

Luca is the Co-founder and CEO of Jurny, an AI-driven hospitality platform that seamlessly automates operations and guest experiences through vertical integration and connectivity. This is a company that has taken the traditional property management system and flipped it on its head.The hotel industry has never been accused of being tip of the spear when it comes to technology adoption, but today, things seem different.After the pandemic trained people to do work remotely, tools that were not so commonly used 3 years ago are absolutely part of the mainstream today. Well, AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard are rapidly becoming integrated into everyday tools we all use and very soon, they will be impossible to ignore.So this episode is a little different than others... We discuss Jurny’s product and how it’s different from other PMS providers, but ultimately we start to scratch the surface on AI and how it’s starting to affect the hospitality industry. It may be too soon to see the true implications on hospitality, but company’s like Jurny are at the forefront of its integration and one thing is certain, it’s here, so now we need to figure out how to make it work for us, our guests and our operations.About LucaLuca Zambello is the co-founder and CEO of Jurny, an AI-driven hospitality platform that seamlessly automates operations and guest experiences through vertical integration and connectivity.As a former host and operator with more than 12 years of experience, Luca brings a wealth of hospitality knowledge. He is a renowned Forbes contributor for his expertise and industry acumen and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Bloomberg, Business Insider, and other publications.Luca was recently chosen as an Advisory Board Member for Entertainment and Hospitality Management at California State University, Fullerton, where he also delivers lectures as a guest. Furthermore, he has received multiple awards and nominations in the hospitality field, including the Titan Award and the American Best in Business Awards. Most recently, he was listed as one of the top 10 Notable Entrepreneurs in Los Angles by LA Weekly.LinksWebsite: https://www.jurny.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucazambello/---Do you know someone looking for a vacation rental management company? If so, Recreation Vacation Rentals has got a referral program that you might be interested in! You can earn $1,000 for every referral you make to Recreation Vacation Rentals.Contact us to learn more: https://recreationstays.com/refer-a-friend/---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Juliana is a content creator and copywriter specializing in writing for the hospitality and tourism industry. If you’ve ever been responsible for writing an email to a guest, promoting a new offering, or creating content for a website, this episode is for you. Like many, I’ve been frustrated with the process of creating content only to have it miss the mark. It’s no easy task to create content that gets your message across in an engaging way, but also compels someone to want more AND spend their money at your business. We’re talking about what effective copywriting means on this episode and it’s deeper than just putting words to paper. Juliana shares insights in to finding your target audience, what effective copy actually looks like and even touches on the rise of AI in guest communications.And be sure to listen to the end because we cover some brands that are doing a great job who you may want to emulate in your own hotel.About JulianaJuliana Hahn is a content creator and copywriter specialized in writing for the hospitality and tourism industry. Before diving into the world of copywriting several years ago, she studied hotel management and worked in hotels around the globe. Today she leverages her industry experience to craft engaging content for hospitality tech companies, hotels and online publications. Recently she published her first eBook, Impactful Hotel Storytelling.LinksWebsite: https://www.hospitality-copywriting.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianahahn/ ---Thank you to SiteMinder for sponsoring this episode. They are the world’s leading hotel commerce platform that provides hoteliers like you with the tools you need to sell, market, manage and grow your hotel business, all from a single dashboard. To see how SiteMinder can help you and your hotel, AND get 6 months free with a 12 month contract, visit siteminder.com/principles.---Do you know someone looking for a vacation rental management company? If so, Recreation Vacation Rentals has got a referral program that you might be interested in! You can earn $1,000 for every referral you make to Recreation Vacation Rentals.Contact us to learn more: https://recreationstays.com/refer-a-friend/---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.Mentioned in this episode:SiteMinder --- Thank you to SiteMinder for sponsoring this episode. They are the world’s leading hotel commerce platform that provides hoteliers like you with the tools you need to sell, market, manage and grow your hotel business, all from a single dashboard. To learn more about how SiteMinder can help your business succeed, visit https://www.siteminder.com/principlesSiteMinder

Bart-Jan is the Founder of Loreca, a company specializing in online revenue strategies for the hospitality industry. They’ve developed an algorithm that enables hotels to have better control of their rates over multiple booking channels.Getting on the first page of an OTA seems like a never ending challenge for hotels. And now, as ever more marketing dollars flow into the equation, it may seem like an impossible task. This is why I wanted to have Bart-Jan on the show. His company is doing something truly innovative that could be a useful tool to help your hotel gain an edge on its competition, plus with the added benefit of making your operation more efficient.We dive into how OTA rankings work, the algorithm Loreca has developed, how you can make use of the data provided and much more. About Bart-JanBart-Jan is a 23-year old entrepreneur. He founded Loreca in June 2021. Loreca is a Belgian-based-company specialised in online revenue strategies for actors in the hospitality industry. Next to this they founded their own algorithm which embodies visibility on the right channel for the right guest, meaning their client have a top-noted positions on the given OTA's. Due to this their clients are able to play a role in the guessing-process of the willingness to pay from customers, and this is accelerated by the algorithm (which enables pricing segmentation based on the specific customers).LinksWebsite: https://www.loreca.beLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-jan-leyts-b427151b1/---Thank you to SiteMinder for sponsoring this episode. They are the world’s leading hotel commerce platform that provides hoteliers like you with the tools you need to sell, market, manage and grow your hotel business, all from a single dashboard. To see how SiteMinder can help you and your hotel, AND get 6 months free with a 12 month contract, visit siteminder.com/principles.---Do you know someone looking for a vacation rental management company? If so, Recreation Vacation Rentals has got a referral program that you might be interested in! You can earn $1,000 for every referral you make to Recreation Vacation Rentals.Contact us to learn more: https://recreationstays.com/refer-a-friend/---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.Mentioned in this episode:SiteMinder --- Thank you to SiteMinder for sponsoring this episode. They are the world’s leading hotel commerce platform that provides hoteliers like you with the tools you need to sell, market, manage and grow your hotel business, all from a single dashboard. To learn more about how SiteMinder can help your business succeed, visit https://www.siteminder.com/principlesSiteMinder

Alex is a short-term rental developer and manager in Ashville, NC. A former Marine who found his way to real estate investing, he now runs Sargon Investments, a short term rental development company that is working on 650 cabins over the next 3 years. He also writes for Bigger Pockets, runs a YouTube channel and recently launched a short term rental educational course to help people get into the industry.This is a topic near and dear to me. The idea of taking years of hospitality experience and using it to create your own hospitality brand has grabbed me and I know it’s done the same to many other hospitality professionals. The trouble is taking real estate development from idea to reality is filled with hurdles and land mines. The analysis paralysis and anxiety are real, so where do go to take you one step closer to making your dream a reality? I hope this episode is it.Alex has been there. He started small and is working to build an empire. He shares more about what he did and how did it, what to look out for and the people you should have on your team to help.If you’re at all interested in getting into short term rentals, this episode is for you.About AlexAlex Jarbo is a short-term rental developer and manager. He was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. He served in the Marine Corps for 4 ½ years where he was stationed in Washington DC apart of the Marine Corps Honor Guard. He left the Marine Corps at 22 years old to pursue his career as a real estate professional. He is the founder and CEO of Sargon Investments and he has a goal of developing 650 cabins in the next 3 years. Alex holds a MBA with a concentration in Real Estate Development and is currently finishing a Doctorate in Business with a concentration in Leadership. He is the host of the YouTube Channel Alex Builds where he teaches the ins and out of short-term development and management.LinksWebsite: https://www.bdbstrmasterclass.com/enterYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN0sdWw5T6zP7-NG4p8Ry6gLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-jarbo-28a940139/---Thank you to SiteMinder for sponsoring this episode. They are the world’s leading hotel commerce platform that provides hoteliers like you with the tools you need to sell, market, manage and grow your hotel business, all from a single dashboard. To see how SiteMinder can help you and your hotel, AND get 6 months free with a 12 month contract, visit siteminder.com/principles.---Do you know someone looking for a vacation rental management company? If so, Recreation Vacation Rentals has got a referral program that you might be interested in! You can earn $1,000 for every referral you make to Recreation Vacation Rentals.Contact us to learn more: https://recreationstays.com/refer-a-friend/---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The

Josef is the Founder and Managing Director of limehome, a European hospitality company with over 3,000 managed units, and is built on digitizing the guest experience and day to day operations.The discussion about automation and tech advances in hospitality have been coming up a lot lately. If you’ve listened to previous episodes of the podcast, we often try to find answers to questions around high-touch service vs. automated & remote guest journeys. This is a subject that limehome has been working on since its inception and one that they may have solved.Josef shares great insight into how the company came to be, how they’re looking at the industry, their business model and how commercial real estate professionals are approaching the next 6-12 months. If you’re at all connected to tech, automation and guest service, this episode is for you.About JosefAs Managing Director, Dr. Josef Vollmayr is responsible for the strategic direction of the company, the further development of the product, national and international expansion, and the areas of marketing and finance. In 2018, he co-founded limehome with Lars Stäbe, a radical technology- based hotel concept that can offer fully equipped suites at the price of a standard hotel room by fully automating all processes.Having spent more than 500 nights in various hotels around the world during his time as a management consultant at McKinsey, Vollmayr could not shake the idea of developing a concept that eliminates waiting times, combines modern design with a home-from-home feel, while promising the standards of an established hotel brand.Josef Vollmayr is the author of scientific articles in marketing, was a lecturer for statistics, CRM, and empirical methods at several universities and as a management consultant has supported companies from consumer industries and private equity worldwide in the development and implementation of their growth strategies.Privately, he invests in real estate and acts as an angel investor for tech start- ups and likes to spend his free time by the sea - to test other hotel concepts, but also to keep fit by surfing. The former competitive athlete (decathlon) is considered an expert in prop and travel tech industries, organizational development, and growth strategies.LinksJosef's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-josef-vollmayr-21743090limehome LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/limehome/Website: https://www.limehome.com/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/LimehomeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/limehomeofficial---Thank you to SiteMinder for sponsoring this episode. They are the world’s leading hotel commerce platform that provides hoteliers like you with the tools you need to sell, market, manage and grow your hotel business, all from a single dashboard. To see how SiteMinder can help you and your hotel, AND get 6 months free with a 12 month contract, visit siteminder.com/principles.---Do you know someone looking for a vacation rental management company? If so, Recreation Vacation Rentals has got a referral program that you might be interested in! You can earn $1,000 for every referral you make to Recreation Vacation Rentals.Contact us

Sue is the EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer at HVMG, a hospitality management company based in Atlanta.You could make a strong argument that the common thread through which many of today’s challenges in hospitality are connected are through Human Resources. That’s definitely not saying that HR is the cause, but rather HR being the bridge to many of the solutions.We’ve done some episodes in the past about how hotels are dealing with challenges around retention, recruiting, culture, benefits or development, but I wanted to have Sue on the show to share how a large hotel company is thinking about these at a more global level. It’s relatively easy to innovate on a one-off hotel basis, but it’s another thing entirely to find and implement non-traditional solutions at scale, and that’s what we’re discussing on this episode. I really enjoyed hearing about some of the ideas that HVMG is bringing to life and my hope, as it is with every episode, is that you find something here that can help you and your business.About SueAs EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, Sue oversees all Human Resources functions, including talent acquisition, talent development, associate retention and engagement strategies, human resources services, associate relations and benefits. Prior to joining HVMG, Sue worked as a management consultant supporting leading organizations to improve their enterprise performance management processes for clients including the The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Marriott International and the American Red Cross. Prior to working as a management consultant, Sue worked in the hospitality industry for 18 years. She worked for Starwood Hotels and Resorts as Global Director, Six Sigma Training and Deployment and prior to that as Director of Organizational Development for St. Regis Hotels. From 1996 - 2000 Sue worked for Lodgian, Inc. (formerly Impac Hotel Group) as Director of Training and Development; from 1991 - 1996 she worked for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company as Corporate Quality Advisor and The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead in hotel operations and human resources. Her hospitality industry experience also includes a five-year adjunct faculty appointment at New York University's Robert Preston Tisch Center for Hospitality Travel and Tourism. Sue serves on the Metro Atlanta Board of Directors for the American Red Cross, the Hospitality Board of Directors for Georgia State University and is a special advisor to the Castell Project, promoting diversity in the hospitality industry. She holds MBAs from Columbia Business School and London Business School. Sue has a BS in Marketing from The Florida State University.LinksWebsite: https://www.hvmg.com---Thank you to SiteMinder for sponsoring this episode. They are the world’s leading hotel commerce platform that provides hoteliers like you with the tools you need to sell, market, manage and grow your hotel business, all from a single dashboard. To see how SiteMinder can help you and your hotel, AND get 6 months free with a 12 month contract, visit siteminder.com/principles.---Do you know someone looking for a vacation rental management company? If so, Recreation Vacation Rentals has got a referral program that you might be interested in! You can earn $1,000 for every referral you make to Recreation Vacation Rentals.Contact us to learn more: https://recreationstays.com/refer-a-friend/---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to a...

Jason is the Market Vice President for the Americas at SiteMinder, the world’s leading open hotel commerce platform.The company recently released its 2022 Changing Traveler Report. Featuring insights from 8000 traveler interviews, it’s the largest accommodation-specific consumer survey on a global level, providing valuable insights into the full traveler journey. In other words, how guests dream, plan, book, experience, and share their stay.We tackle 5 key insights from the report on this episode but most of the discussion centers on technology, because so many hotels are trying to figure out what guests want, how to incorporate these tools into their operations and, perhaps most importantly, how not to dilute their brands in the process.This was one of those recordings that went quick so it’s a fast and tactical conversation. Jason does a great job breaking down relevant and actionable data and making sense of some of the more ambiguous challenges that hoteliers are facing.About JasonDriven by the transformative power of digital technology, Jason Lugo has established a career fostering growth and innovation within market-leading brands where he witnessed first-hand the potential of a cloud platform that offered intelligent and simple solutions to its users. In 2016, Jason joined the world’s leading open hotel commerce platform, SiteMinder, where he remains today, leading the company’s fast-growing footprint throughout the dynamic Americas region. His intimate understanding of the different landscapes and market trends that exist within each country has proven invaluable for local hoteliers looking to best compete for today’s traveler. LinksWebsite: SiteMinder.com2022 Changing Traveller Report: https://www.siteminder.com/news/changing-traveller-report-2022/ ---Do you know someone looking for a vacation rental management company? If so, Recreation Vacation Rentals has got a referral program that you might be interested in! You can earn $1,000 for every referral you make to Recreation Vacation Rentals.Contact us to learn more: https://recreationstays.com/refer-a-friend/---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Thad is the CEO of Talroo, a data-driven job advertising platform that helps hiring managers reach the candidates they need to build their essential workforce.It’s hard to get your head around the changes in the labor market over the past couple of years, and especially over the past few months. We’ve gone from mass layoffs to “the great resignation” to regret over changing companies. Pay, benefits and company culture dominate discussions on both job boards and within boardrooms; and many people have simply decided to go their own way, seeking stability in starting their own companies or diving deeper into the gig economy.No matter how you look at it, recruiting and retention is more complicated than ever. This discussion tries to simplify some of that complexity as we dive into recruiting psychology.Thad brings a lot of great insight into the current labor situation and I’m sure there’s something here that will help if everything you’ve tried hasn’t worked.About ThadThad Price is CEO at Austin-based Talroo, the award-winning talent data-driven job advertising platform, where he provides leadership, strategy, and guidance to all departments. With more than 17 years of experience in online recruitment and the job search vertical, Thad is a recognized thought leader in the HR/TA space. He genuinely believes that there is no industry that plays a more integral role in the economy.  Thad uses his cross-functional experience to turn client feedback into innovative products that help companies hire better. Under Thad’s leadership, Talroo continues its mission of disruption in the industry. Prior to joining Talroo, he was a VP of Business Development at Job.com. LinksWebsite: https://www.talroo.comLinkedIn at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/thad-price-2368b/---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Tanya is Vice President at Oracle Hospitality and leads the OPERA Cloud Strategy and Product Management teams. Prior to joining Oracle Hospitality, Tanya spent over 20 years at Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in Hotel Operations, Revenue Management, Distribution and CRM. This is my second episode with Tanya. Way back on Episode 36, we discussed an Oracle study looking at the hotel industry’s path to recovery in light of the early days of the pandemic. Oracle has followed this up with a new study looking at how technology is changing the hospitality industry, how customers’ expectations have shifted, and organizations are responding.Titled, “Hospitality in 2025: AUTOMATED, INTELLIGENT... AND MORE PERSONAL”, the report dives deep into four main categories: Guest-facing technologyLabor and operationsAutomation and guest dataAncillaries, upgrades, and non-room revenueTanya shares important insights into the report and how industry leaders are reacting to circumstances they may have little control over. I really enjoyed this conversation with Tanya, and I think we do a good job digging beyond the typical talking points and bring this report to life with real examples that show meaning behind the findings.About TanyaA seasoned hotelier, Tanya Pratt is a Vice President at Oracle Hospitality, who leads OPERA Cloud Strategy and Product Management teams. Prior to joining Oracle Hospitality, Tanya spent over 20 years at Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in Hotel Operations, Revenue Management, Distribution and CRM. Most recently as the head of Business Technologies for Accor Hotels Luxury Brands division, Tanya was responsible for digital transformation, innovation and management of global programs and solutions. Her current focus is on driving value to our industry through increased levels of engagement with customers and delivering hospitality solution that enable and enhance strategic business priorities. LinksHospitality in 2025: AUTOMATED, INTELLIGENT... AND MORE PERSONAL: https://www.oracle.com/industries/hospitality/hospitality-in-2025-report/?source=:so:bl:or:awr:onew:::RC_WWMK220203P00065:&SC=:so:bl:or:awr:onew:::RC_WWMK220203P00065:&pcode=WWMK220203P00065 Website: https://www.oracle.com/industries/hospitality/ Tanya’s LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/pratttanyaOracle Hospitality’s Twitter: @OracleHospOracle Hospitality’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/oracle-hospitality/---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the...

Will is the CEO and Director of ALTIDO, a company that manages Airbnbs, serviced apartments, hotels, and private residences across Europe.This is a classic episode of intending to talk about one thing, and pivoting to discuss something totally different. As someone who has spent much more time in the short term rental space over the past couple of years, I’ve watched ALTIDO grow and become fascinated by their bootstrapped beginnings to become one of Europe's largest players. Having Will on the show felt like being able to talk with myself 5 years from now. We discuss growth, vision, knowing when and where to get out of your comfort zone and discuss resisting when everyone in your space is going one direction and decidedly going the other way.People from all over hospitality are jumping into entrepreneurship, and whether you’re in short term rentals, hotels or a hospitality service provider, I hope that we touch on a point or two that speaks to what you may be going through right now and helps you figure out your next steps.About WillWill Parry graduated from Oxford University in 2010. He started his career in financial services at Matrix Group working on the renewable energy desk. Will left financial services to work in strategy consulting at McGrigor Group, a healthcare and insurance specialist based in London and Paris. After three years work in the corporate world, Will became a full time entrepreneur and successfully enrolled on to the New Entrepreneurs Foundation (NEF).Whilst at the NEF, Will set up The London Residents Club (LRC) with an old friend, Tom Archer. They scaled the business via a key acquisition of a competitor, Somewhere Like Home and in 2019 LRC merged with three European entities to form ALTIDO where Will is currently CEO. In January 2022, DoveVivo acquired ALTIDO - Will remains as CEO and director of ALTIDO Ltd.Linkshttps://www.stayaltido.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/wnaparry/ ---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Thank you for listening and supporting the show for 100 episodes! Here's to 100 more!LinksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-proven-principles-podcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprovenprinciplespodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theprovenprinciplespodcast---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Mitch is the President and CEO of Vision Hospitality Group. The company holds a growing portfolio of hotels affiliated with brands such as Hilton and Marriott, including the company's first boutique hotel, The Edwin in Chattanooga, TN.We used to do ‘after action reports’ after big events. They were meetings and reports to discuss what happened, what went wrong and what went right. We’d include several departments and managers to make sure we covered as many bases as possible, then made sure to share learnings with everyone, and have the report available to reference for the next big event.As the summer travel season of 2022 comes to a close, and the hospitality industry (perhaps) takes a moment to breathe after record occupancies and tight staffing, there is now news of another economic storm that could derail its fragile recovery. This episode could be looked at as an after action report of sorts. Mitch takes us through his company’s experience not just over the past couple of years but over several previous crises, what they’ve learned that made them stronger and how they’re approaching the litany of challenges that continue to emerge. We touch on finances, consumer behavior, staffing and most crucially, how company culture is the linchpin to it all.About MitchMitch Patel founded Vision Hospitality Group, Inc. in 1997 with a mere $3,000 in his savings account. Under his leadership as President and CEO, Vision holds a growing portfolio of hotels affiliated with premium brands such as Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International, including the company's first boutique hotel, The Edwin in Chattanooga, TN.Mitch has led Vision to be the recipient of many awards, as well as industry media recognition in the fields of development, community service, design, and achievement. Most recently, Vision received the Marriott International Development Partner of the Year Award- Full Service, Marriott International Partnership Circle Award, the Marriott International Serve 360 Award, the Developer of the Year Award for the Hampton Brand by Hilton Worldwide, and the Multi-Brand Developer of the Year Award by Hilton Worldwide. Mitch serves on the Marriott International Franchise Advisory Council and the Hilton Worldwide Owner's Advisory Council. Mitch maintains his presence on boards of local organizations that support education and economic development in Vision's hometown of Chattanooga, TN. He also serves as the Vice Chair of the Convention and Visitor's Bureau and is an advocate for ending human trafficking in the hospitality industry. His efforts have earned him nationwide recognition, which includes his most recent honor of receiving the NSDAR Americanism Award. Mitch holds a Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee. Linkshttps://www.vhghotels.com---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Keith is the General Manager at the Ambassador Chicago.How has the job of a hotel GM changed over the past couple of years? This is a question that only something like the pandemic could cause us to ask because in spite of pre-pandemic musings about culture, employee development and company growth, the job was quickly moving into “managing by spreadsheet” territory.Today, we’re having discussions about flexibility, development and attracting new entrants into the industry; things that almost feel a little foreign but they’re topics that are forcing GM’s to find new ways of addressing old problems.What struck me in this conversation was that much of what Keith and I discussed isn’t anything new. What’s different however is that leaders must bring authenticity to their positions now more than ever. You can no longer say one thing and do another. Your team is watching and evaluating what and how you do what you say, and if you don’t have enough people on your team because they keep leaving, this might be a you problem, not a them problem.About KeithHailing from the east coast, Cestare worked his way up in the hospitality industry, having started as a bellman followed by a stint as a front desk agent and houseman at his first hotel because he could not attain full-time hours from one sole department. According to Cestare, he quickly realized his passion and enthusiasm for the hotel business and the immense impact he could make on the lives of others.Cestare is a proud east coast native who is a self-described people lover. When he’s not working, he enjoys delving into his many hobbies including calisthenics, reading, and traveling to different countries and experiencing a multitude of cuisines to gain a greater understanding of the various and wonderfully unique palates of his expected guests. Fun fact about Keith: he reads about 4 books a month and specifically enjoys reading about technology trends in the hospitality industry.Linkshttps://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/illinois/ambassador-chicago/chijahttps://www.facebook.com/AmbassadorChicago/https://www.instagram.com/ambassadorchicago/?hl=en---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Sebastien is the Vice President of Partnerships at Cloudbeds, an all-in-one hospitality management software platform.A question I’ve been wrestling with lately is “can you provide luxury level service if hotels are moving to more self-directed experiences?”. We try to uncover the answer on this episode.The pandemic has brought many challenges to the industry but something no one saw coming was how making everything contactless in the name of health and safety actually trained people to become more self-sufficient at almost any service interaction through the use of their phones. On-demand and personalized service delivery has been both the mantra and challenge for hotel companies for years now but, as guests expect more online and mobile services to be made available, we may now be seeing one of the biggest shifts in technology adoption that the hospitality industry has seen in decades. Not to mention how the evolution of job functions and staffing affect recruitment and retention of a younger workforce who demand best-in-class and ease-of-use for any tool they’re charged with using on a daily basis.This is a fascinating space that deserves attention.About SebastienSébastien Leitner, Vice President of Partnerships at Cloudbeds, leads global partnerships and industry relations for the company.Prior to Cloudbeds, Sébastien worked at Expedia in various roles managing lodging connectivity for independent and chain hotels as well as vacation rentals. After studying Hotel Management and Business Administration in Germany, Sébastien started his career in hospitality working for Le Meridien Hotels and Swissotel in various European capitals.Sébastien has been a board member of HEDNA since January 2014 and is currently serving as President. Sébastien speaks English, German and French.Linkshttp://www.cloudbeds.com---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Shawn is the CEO of RealTime Reservation, an organization that provides real-time inventory management software to the hospitality industry. I can tell you from personal experience, the process for driving ancillary revenue in a hotel is a difficult and frustrating exercise. You’re either trying to come up with new ideas to get guests to pay for, wondering why no one is using something you’ve put a lot of time and energy into or in the weeds because there was little visibility on how busy you’d actually be.The idea of revenue managing all revenue centers in a hotel has interested me for a long time but there’s never been a good way to do it, and you could make a great case that optimizing revenue while deploying your limited resources is the name of the game as we get into a busy summer travel season. Well, that’s where today’s conversation comes in.Shawn and I talk about the how and why of whole hotel revenue management and some of the best practices that you can get behind right now to make an impact.About ShawnShawn Tarter is CEO & Founder of RealTime Reservation, an organization that provides real-time inventory management reservation software to the hospitality/travel industry based in Uniondale, Long Island. Following his personal experience as a hotel guest, Shawn was eager to provide hotels with ways to improve the customer experience while providing services that support client satisfaction and loyalty. In 2015, Shawn founded Ipalapa Corporation which was rebranded in 2018 to RealTime Reservation. In the three short years since its rebrand, the company has experienced significant sales and revenue growth, despite operating during a global pandemic. Today, the company employs forty professionals across development, R&D, client services, administration, sales, and marketing and boasts more than 500 clients.LinksWebsite: https://realtimereservation.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-tarter-221b52b2---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Matthew and Brian are the hosts of the GuestX Podcast. Matthew is also the President and CEO of Xplorie, and Brian is the Founder & CEO at Allevo Homes.I initially titled this episode Hotels vs. Short Term Rentals, but after we wrapped this episode, that us vs them sentiment didn’t seem to fit anymore. Both hotels and short term rentals are going through difficult times, and if both want to come out stronger on the other side, they should be looking to one another for learnings and support which ultimately helps our industry as a whole. More food for thought than actionable tactics, we try to uncover some of those challenges and look around the corners of the next few years to lend some space for what you may want to be thinking about to put your hotel or vacation rental business in the best position.About MatthewAbout BrianLinkshttps://guestxpodcast.com ---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Matt is the founder of Results Hospitality and Westshore Hospitality Group, and the author of You Can’t Do It Alone, a new book about achieving more through building better teams.There has been a lot of news about labor shortages in the hotel and restaurant industries as of late - and frankly a lot of blame as well. “Candidates don’t show up for interviews” or “HR ghosted me” or “They’re just chasing another dollar at the restaurant down the street” or “We don’t have a budget to do it” are common talking points today.We try to address and get around these barriers in this episode, and the common theme that we keep coming back to is coaching and people development - but the conversation goes beyond the typical talking points you hear about taking care of your people. We try to come at it based on the current employment and business environment, what’s driving the unionization efforts today, and what some of the more innovative companies in hospitality are doing right now.Matt shares great stories that drive the points home and he does a great job in outlining some of the steps that you can take today to make a difference in your organization. About MattMatt Rolfe is a coach, speaker, bestselling author, and entrepreneur who mentors the top 10 percent of the hospitality industry in unlocking their true potential. With a primary focus on personal development, Matt enables high-performing leaders to build unified teams and effectively delegate responsibilities for maximum growth. He is the founder of Results Hospitality and Westshore Hospitality Group, where he has worked with hundreds of leadership teams throughout North America. Beginning his career with companies like Bacardi and Labatt/Anheuser-Busch, Matt is an industry expert dedicated to helping leaders examine the human element of their business and execute effective team-building strategies unique to their needs. Matt lives in Toronto with his wife Lindsay, their two children, and their golden retriever.  LinksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-rolfe/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matt_rolfe_ws/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ndFBo6DJomSo80xc2_WtAWebsite: https://mattrolfe.com/---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Sheenal is the Co-founder of Arbor Lodging and Chief Executive Officer of Arbor Lodging Management. I find the stories of senior leaders in hospitality who don’t come up through the industry interesting, mostly because it’s fairly rare and there’s usually a shared camaraderie with others who know deep down what it’s like to work on the front lines of a busy hotel or restaurant. That’s often the precursor to earning respect in the industry. Well, Sheenal’s story is different and that’s why I wanted to have him on the show.As a CEO, you have many stakeholders to manage and complicated problems to solve, all while motivating your team to achieve. If the past couple of years has taught us anything, it’s that the soft skills of leadership are the difference maker. And as discussions about culture dominate the industry right now, Sheenal is leading his team with a humble, ‘seek first to understand’ style, which comes in part from not coming up through the ranks of a hotel company.We touch on the current climate, what we’ve learned over the past couple of years, and what is yet to come. If you’d like to know what keeps a hotel CEO up at night, this episode might help.About SheenalSheenal Patel is a co-founder of Arbor Lodging and Chief Executive Officer of Arbor Lodging Management, the management arm of Arbor Lodging. In this role, Sheenal leads general corporate strategy and all efforts related to property management. Prior to co-founding Arbor Lodging, Sheenal was a Vice President with Related Capital Company, a New York based investment firm, where he was responsible for the origination of approximately $800 million of tax-exempt bond transactions for LIHTC multifamily projects located throughout the United States. Sheenal started his career in the Leveraged Finance Group within the Investment Banking division of CIBC World Markets. Sheenal earned his BA in Economics from the University of Michigan and at the London School of Economics completed a year-long General Course program in mathematics. He is a member of the IHG Owners Association Industry Advocacy Committee, a member of the Franchise Advisory Committee for Curio by Hilton, a Senior Executive Board member of Street Samaritans, a Chicago based non-profit organization, and is active in alumni affairs for Phillips Exeter Academy. LinksWebsite: https://arborlodging.com---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Ben is the Head of Innovation at SpotOn. He’s a long time restaurant industry vet, he has moved to the other side of the table to lead the development of SpotOn's restaurant and hospitality product innovation strategy with a focus on democratizing technology for hospitality businesses of all sizes.The tech discussion for restaurants has traditionally largely landed in two places; either online reservations or drones and robots. Well, today’s climate is demanding much more robust solutions to help restaurants that miraculously still have their doors open post-pandemic but knowing where to start isn’t clear.The tech solutions we’re talking about today center on doing the jobs that no one likes to do, like inventory and administrative work, as well as removing unnecessary steps in day to day job functions so that restaurants can lean into staffing challenges and build better work cultures rather than being a victim of circumstance.This is a really interesting discussion that has applications across more than just restaurants, so if you’re struggling to figure out your new operation, this episode might help.About BenWith 25+ years of culture-based hospitality leadership, Ben Pryor leads the development of SpotOn's restaurant and hospitality product innovation strategy with a focus on democratizing technology for hospitality businesses of all sizes. As the Head of Innovation, Ben drives the continuous evolution of SpotOn’s hospitality technology platform to address the rapidly changing needs of the industry. Ben maintains an active role in the hospitality community, collaborating with business leaders and SpotOn clients to consistently deliver forward-thinking solutions. Ben is recognized for his unique perspective and the ability to blend technology and people to deliver exceptional team member and customer experiences. Prior to his current role, Ben held multiple leadership positions in technology, operations, culinary, and training and development in casual dining, QSR, fine dining, and hotels.LinksWebsite: https://www.spoton.com ---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.

Pam is the Senior Director of Compliance Services at Avalara, a transactional tax compliance company that operates across multiple industries, including lodging.I want to let you know up front, this isn’t an episode about tax compliance, but rather a discussion to understand the impact that short term rentals have on a community. We so often read headlines and see news stories about the negative impacts that vacation rentals have on housing prices, but rarely do we hear about the broader impact they have on the local economy.A recent HBR study outlined exactly that, and that was the impetus for this episode. Now, tie in the regulation landscape, and how it can benefit guests, owners and locals, and you’ve got a more complete picture.Pam brings incredible knowledge and insight to this conversation and I hope this episode illuminates a few points to consider if you want to jump in to owning your own Airbnb.About PamPam Knudsen is an executive at Avalara, leading multi-tax teams including Lodging, Beverage Alcohol, Telecommunications and Sales & Use Tax. She serves as a leading voice in vacation rental tax compliance and regulation, in addition to bringing in-depth experience across software/SaaS technology as well as ERP systems. Pam joined Avalara in 2012. LinksWebsite: https://www.avalara.com/HBR Study: https://hbr.org/2021/11/research-restricting-airbnb-rentals-reduces-development---For past episodes, show notes or if you’ve got a story that might make a great episode, head over to theprovenprinciplespodcast.com. We’d love to hear from you.You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts, even on YouTube... and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review. Thanks for listening to The Proven Principles Hospitality Podcast.