This week on the Hotel Moment podcast, Karen Stephens, Revinate’s CRO, and Sean Dee, Chief Commercial Officer at Outrigger Hospitality Group, uncover ways to strengthen guest relationships that go beyond simple messaging. They share specific examples of how to improve connections and act on guest feedback to ensure a quality experience. Links: Sean Dee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deesean/ Outrigger Hospitality Group: https://www.outrigger.com/ Karen Stephens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenst...
Mar 31, 2023•36 min0
This week on the Hotel Moment podcast, Karen Stephens, Revinate’s CRO, and Amanda Du, Head of Ecommerce at Penta Hotels, dive into the evolving digital landscape. They also reveal how technology creates opportunities to use guest data in emotionally intelligent ways to elevate the guest experience. Links: Amanda Du: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-du/ Penta Hotels: https://www.pentahotels.com/homepage Karen Stephens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenstephensrevinate/ Podcast Page: https://www...
Mar 17, 2023•20 min0
In this week’s episode of the Hotel Moment podcast, we’re highlighting the women making a difference in the hospitality industry. Learn about the women our past guests have highlighted as particularly impactful and hear their inspiring stories. Listen in to hear how women are leading the charge in the workplace and initiating success for hoteliers around the world. Links: Karen Stephens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenstephensrevinate/ Podcast Page: https://www.revinate.com/podcast/ Youtube: h...
Mar 03, 2023•19 min0
This week on the Hotel Moment podcast, Karen Stephens, Revinate’s CRO, and Tobias Koehler, Chief Commerical Officer at BIG MAMA Hotels, share how hoteliers can adopt technology to tap into new opportunities. Koehler also provides tools hoteliers can use to provide further education on digitization in hospitality. Links: Tobias Koehler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiaskoehler/ BIG MAMA Hotels: www.bigmamahotels.com HSMA: www.hsma.de Remote Hotel: https://www.hsma.de/de/fachbereiche/technology/d...
Feb 17, 2023•23 min0
This week on the Hotel Moment podcast, Karen Stephens, Revinate’s CRO, and Pete Sams, Chief Operating Officer at Davidson Hospitality Group, explore what compels guests to travel and how hotels can capitalize on this motivation to deliver an exceptional guest experience. Sams also sheds light on how creating a culture that supports hotel staff is critical in providing quality service. Links: Pete Sams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petesams/ Davidson Hospitality Group: https://davidsonhospitality....
Feb 03, 2023•26 min0
When it comes to travelers who take trips with social groups, hoteliers have had to make unique adjustments to ensure a quality guest experience. This week on the Hotel Moment podcast, Karen Stephens, Revinate’s CRO, and Philip Bates, Managing Partner at TMC Group, take a look at the history of social group travel. They also explore how the industry’s increasing tech adoption has the potential to simplify challenges for this particular travel segment. Listen in to learn how to make smarter and m...
Jan 20, 2023•22 min0
To end on a high note, we’ve pulled together all the laughs, jokes, and fun moments from this season’s episodes. We hope you enjoy. And be sure to subscribe so you can be notified when we start the new season in 2023! Links: Karen Stephens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenstephensrevinate/ Podcast Page: https://www.revinate.com/podcast/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Revinate Hotel Moment is presented by Revinate Produced, edited, and published by Make More Media If you enjoyed this episode...
Dec 20, 2022•3 min0
This week on the Hotel Moment podcast, Karen Stephens, Revinate’s CRO, and Zachary Schwartz, CEO of YAYS, talk about how it’s possible to leverage the same space to target different traveler segments and how aparthotels are transforming what guests think a stay can look like. You’ll also get insights into what travel trends Schwartz has seen since the start of the pandemic. Links: Zachary Schwartz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zrschwartz/ YAYS: https://www.yays.com/ Karen Stephens: https://www.li...
Dec 02, 2022•26 min0
This week on the Hotel Moment podcast, we’re going back to one of the questions Karen Stephens, Revinate’s CRO, asks every guest: “How did you get your start in hospitality? And what was your first day like on the job?” Tune in to hear how past guests answered and to discover the value of humble beginnings. Links: Karen Stephens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenstephensrevinate/ Podcast Page: https://www.revinate.com/podcast/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Revinate Hotel Moment is presented...
Nov 18, 2022•7 min0
It can be difficult to switch to a new way of doing things, but a different approach can completely transform your business. This week on the Hotel Moment podcast, Karen Stephens, Revinate’s CRO, and Matthijs Welle, CEO of Mews, get into the details of how hoteliers can benefit from cloud-based software. Tune in to discover some cloud use cases and hear how Welle has seen hotels find success after upgrading their software. You’ll also find out how to leverage your data to dig into the root cause...
Nov 04, 2022•21 min0
Because guest expectations vary around the globe, hotel operations look a little different in every country. This week on the Hotel Moment podcast, Karen Stephens, Revinate’s CRO, and Rob Mangiarelli, President and COO at Atrium Hospitality, discuss how global travel impacted their views on hospitality. Listen in to find out why broadening your perspective and approach toward operations can lend to a more well-rounded guest experience. You’ll also find out how data collection is pivotal to reven...
Oct 21, 2022•24 min0
Fundamentally, the guest experience is at the core of hospitality. This week we talk with Paul Hitselberger, COO of First Hospitality as he delivers a compelling perspective as to why people are at the heart of this industry. We hear how Paul got his start in hospitality, and how that shaped his view toward hotel operations to value both staff and guests. Paul also shares insights on how to develop your guest experience strategy. Links: Paul Hitselberger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-hitselb...
Oct 07, 2022•22 min0
Budget season is upon us. This week we get a hotelier's perspective. We talked to the CRO of Charlestowne Hotels, Johnathan Capps, about forecasting accurately, drilling down comp sets, and including tech adoption in budgeting. Links: Johnathan Capps: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnathan-capps-78609011b/ Charlestown Hotels: https://www.charlestownehotels.com/ Karen Stephens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenstephensrevinate/ Podcast Page: https://www.revinate.com/hotelmomentpodcast/ Youtube: ht...
Sep 23, 2022•38 min0
The hospitality industry always seems to be behind the curve when it comes to technology. How can we in hospitality be more innovative and adopt technology with confidence? Fabricio Titiro, the Director of Product Management at Oracle, joins us to talk about tech adoption and innovation in the hospitality and travel industry. Oracle has always been one of the most innovative companies in our industry and Fabricio shares their newest offering, OHIP, which he calls an "enabler for innovation". We ...
Sep 09, 2022•40 min0
A lot of people left the hospitality and travel industry during the pandemic. Either they were laid off, lost their jobs, or decided to take new ones in different industries. But, are they coming back? And if not, how do you replace those who left? Even though most of the industry seems to be returning to normal, staffing is still a big challenge for many hotels. Especially with the increasing openings for remote job opportunities and the fact that many roles in hotels require staff to be on pro...
Aug 26, 2022•38 min0
Does it feel like the travel and hospitality industry is finally getting back to normal? People are flying and traveling again, bookings have been increasing, and occupancy has been rising. ADR and RevPAR are even growing past 2019 levels. But there are economic storms brewing and that has some people in the industry worried. Noreen Henry, CRO at Sojern, joins the show to dig into some of the data and talk about some of the reasons to be cautiously optimistic heading into the end of this year. E...
Aug 12, 2022•18 min0
Jennifer 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? Technol...
Oct 27, 2021•29 min0
This 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 t...
Oct 14, 2021•27 min0
Do 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 ...
Sep 15, 2021•32 min0
1.73 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...
Sep 01, 2021•32 min0
How 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 ...
Aug 10, 2021•33 min0
What 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 wid...
Jul 22, 2021•31 min0
Chipotle 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 futur...
Jul 15, 2021•29 min0
For 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 sha...
Jun 29, 2021•36 min0
Ever 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 hospi...
Jun 24, 2021•30 min0
As 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 ...
Jun 16, 2021•34 min0
This summer may give rise to the concept of ‘revenge travel' after months of being confined to our homes. Hotels properties and staff are bracing for the surge. This week, Nicholas Gandossi, a Hospitality Advisor at Onni Group and former General Manager at OPUS Hotel joins us on the Hotel Moment podcast. Nicholas believes that the key to creating confidence in guests as they return stems from establishing a strong company culture. How do we establish that culture? Listen in to his hot tips to in...
Jun 10, 2021•30 min0
“4 people applied to my job ad from last month” Across our hospitality industry, we are in a staffing crisis. As hotels try to quickly ramp up and rehire staff, they are discovering that no one wants these jobs. How did we get here? Were we building to this point of inflection over the years? What’s the way forward? We got former hoteliers, front line staff, academics, corporate managers from Texas. New York. Oklahoma. Florida. together to answer these questions. What a conversation it was! Wick...
May 25, 2021•1 hr 4 min0
Miami is on a roll. The week ending May 15, saw Miami reporting higher ADR and RevPAR than even 2019, reports STR. The figures reflect a trend that has been consistent for months. What is Miami doing different? How is it coping with the staffing crisis that we see rampant across our hospitality industry? Wendy Kallergis has a unique vantage point as the President of the Greater Miami Beach Hotel Association. Listen to her talk us through all these issues with a nuance and positivity that comes w...
May 21, 2021•34 min0
We speak with Stephanie Leger, Chief Excellence Officer, Firstrate Hospitality from Miami, Florida in this Hotel Moment episode. As a trainer in the hospitality industry, Stephanie has her pulse on the staffing crisis that we are seeing today through her work. Listen to her easy -to-implement tips for hotel owners and employees - without compromising on guest experience! (Also, how do hotels in China differ from the US? Stephanie knows!) If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, ra...
May 06, 2021•33 min0
