Coach First, Owner Second: Tudor Hopkins on Leading Hotels Differently

In this episode of The Hotel Growth Podcast, Adam Hamadache sits down with hospitality veteran Tudor Hopkins—owner of Sleeping Bear Hotels and founder of The Hospitality Coach.

Tudor shares the story of how he turned a struggling 3-star hotel in Dorchester into a lean, 30% profit machine—without breakfast, without a restaurant, and without cutting corners on guest experience. But this conversation goes beyond operations.

We dive into:

• Why hotel leadership needs to shift from command to coaching

• How small, independent hotels can build high-performance teams without big budgets

• The power of listening, trust and letting go (even when the marquee heater breaks on a wedding day)

From his wild early days in cocktail bars to building a hospitality franchise model designed for today’s economics, Tudor brings honest, practical insight you won’t hear anywhere else.

If you care about growing a profitable hotel and developing a stronger team, this episode is a must-listen.