This week we spoke to Michael Mason-Shaw, general manager at Hyatt Place London City East. We spoke about his career, starting as an art graduate, becoming Accor’s food and beverage country manager, and onward to GM roles working with Cycas Hospitality Management. We touched on his passion for sustainability and how to bring it into hospitality, and how technology is the key change the industry has seen since he started back in 1999.
Dec 01, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In this week's special episode we are joined by Hotel Owner’s very own reporter Corina Duma. Corina recently attended Hospa’s annual conference so we have brought her in to discuss who was in attendance and delve into some of the major talking points presented at one of the industry's marquee events.
Nov 24, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 12
This week we’re joined by James Horn, F&B Director at The Cumberland in London. James talks about his early career in New York City, what it’s like to work alongside hospitality legends such as Wolfgang Puck, his experience of revamping F&B offerings for hotels and what makes for a successful F&B offering for your site.
Nov 17, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 11
This week we are joined by Barbara Van Teeffelen, the owner of exclusive stay country house hotel, Keythorpe Hall. We discussed how Barbara and her partner Giles acquired the property, the benefits of the exclusive stay model and how sustainability is key to their offering.
Nov 10, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 10
This week we’re joined by Joe Fox, Head Concierge at Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill. Joe talks about his varied concierge roles over the years, including his time as chief concierge on a cruise ship, the benefits of being a member of Les Clefs d’Or and the most unusual requests he’s received from guests.
Nov 03, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 9
This week we speak with Arnaud de Saint-Exupéry, Area Vice President of Hyatt UK & Ireland and General Manager of Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill. Arnaud talks about his journey into hospitality, the benefits of holding his dual role and exciting future plans for Hyatt.
Oct 27, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 8
This week we speak to Mark Hills, General Manager of The Gresham Aparthotel. Mark tells us about his transition from F&B to GM roles, how The Gresham transformed a beloved Fenwick department store into an aparthotel whilst retaining its original character, and how recruitment challenges might be the single biggest change Mark has seen during his career.
Oct 20, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 7
On this week's episode we talk to Alex Livesey, the managing director of Brama Hotels, as well as COO of co-working space Clockwise. Alex talks about the lessons learned throughout her 25 years in the industry, how co-working spaces can benefit from the hospitality touch, and the process of building a hotel brand from scratch.
Oct 13, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 6
This week we spoke to Harro Dorsch, the owner of Weaverham, Cheshire based B&B, The Hive at 52. We discussed his wide ranging previous career in hospitality in both Holland and the UK, why and how he decided to set up his own B&B business, his thoughts on OTAs and his approach to social media marketing.
Oct 06, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In this episode we’re joined by Dan Sutton, Head of Hotels at Roadchef. We discussed Dan’s unique career journey, including launching Thorpe Park's first accommodation offering, transitioning from F&B, and the key to Roadchef’s strong relationship with Wyndham Hotels.
Sep 29, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 4
This week we speak with Jane Pendlebury, the CEO of HOSPA (the Hospitality Professionals Association). We spoke about her career starting as a trainee duty manager with DeVere, her experience in technology companies and how it relates to her role today, and her thoughts on how the industry has changed and the challenges it faces.
Sep 22, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 3
On this episode of Checking In we are joined by Mario Flanagan, the general manager of Andaz London Liverpool Street. We discussed Mario’s journey into hospitality from starting as a concierge in South Africa, brushing shoulders with Michael Jackson and Michelle Obama, and how Andaz uses data to personalise its offering.
Sep 15, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 2
This week we're joined by David Anderson, divisional president of EMEA at Aimbridge Hospitality. He has over 20 years of operational experience leading some of the top hotel companies in the world. We spoke about his journey into the industry, adapting to senior roles and his target of doubling its European portfolio over the next couple of years.
Sep 13, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 1
