
How do you define hospitality? Dan Ryan has been working in the hospitality industry for nearly 30 years, and he‘s just as fascinated by it as he was on day one. Join him in this weekly podcast as he invites industry thought leaders to discuss what hospitality means to them - in the built environment, in business, and in our daily lives.
Episodes

3 days ago
3 days ago
Today’s guest found his passion for hospitality at a young age. He is a results driven global hospitality executive with extensive operational and development experience, as well as being a passionate, driven leader with a no-nonsense approach. Keith Pierce is the EVP, President Franchise & Development at Sonesta. Keith joins the host Dan Ryan to share his viewpoints on the benefits of franchising a hotel and Sonesta’s unbelievable climb to being the 8th largest hotel in the United States.
Takeaways:
- At its core, hospitality is the business of caring. This means that you care for your employees, your guests, the development team and the community. Without that sense of caring it will be hard for your hotel to be genuine.
- During the pandemic, Sonesta managed to create a truly remarkable feat by growing from just 50 hotels to over 1200 hotels that they own or operate. This growth happened when the reit that owned 300 hotels elected to take hotels from the brand they currently had and put them into the Sonesta brand.
- In 2019 the hospitality industry was thriving and seeing the best business it had seen in 40 years, but once 2020 came along that brought the industry down to the lowest it has ever been in 40 years.
- Sonesta today has a franchise model, a management model and an ownership structure, all which are unique for the Sonesta brand.
- Having a culture of caring for your franchisees helps to sway independent hotels in the decision of who they want to partner with.
- Sonesta Hotels acts as an owner and operator of a franchisee which helps to provide a comfort level to their franchisees.
- Creating a level of caring and a good culture at a company starts with hiring the right people and having everyone work in the office together. This will help to make sure that everyone has the same goal in mind and works together well.
Quote of the Show:
1:19 “I define hospitality as the business of caring.”
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-pierce/
- Website: https://www.sonesta.com/
Shout Outs:
0:33 Marriott Desert Ridge
3:26 John Murray
3:33 SVC
4:27 Adam Portnoy and the Portnoy Family
4:44 Marriott
4:45 IHG
4:47 Wyndham
4:48 Radison
7:15 Candlewood
7:20 Residence Inn
7:55 Redline Hotel Company
11:48 MIT
31:55 Lodging Hospitality
32:01 New York Hotel Show
32:07 Mandarin Oriental
32:09 Time Warner Center
33:05 Waldorf Astoria
33:30 Hawthorne Suites
33:32 Joe McInerney
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
- Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
- YouTube : https://youtu.be/P4pHq99wmMs

Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Hospitality Influences Everything - Alex Lopatynsky - Episode # 090
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Today’s guest is passionate about the design of communities, spaces, and experiences that connect people. She is an architect, innovator, and culture advocate. Alex Lopatynsky is a Principal & The Managing Director of the NY Office at Cooper Carry. Alex joins the host Dan Ryan to talk about her views on hospitality and what it all means to her.
Takeaways:
- Hospitality doesn’t necessarily have to be about the place itself where you are staying. It’s more about the feeling you receive from the employees and the feeling the room gives you when you arrive.
- Even at the smallest of spaces, or minimally designed spaces, as long as you are welcoming people as if you are welcoming them to your home then it will be a memorable experience.
- The hospitality industry has been a big influence on many aspects, not just hotels. Nowadays, a business will look at gathering spaces for their employees or design rooms in a certain way to make people feel welcome.
- Culture and hospitality have interconnecting points where they interact with each other. Culture is looked at as the human element and hospitality can bring everyone together.
- Our best work and best collaboration is often done in person. Humans by nature are social creatures and there are great opportunities to enhance an idea of design when talking with a co-worker or friend.
- There is a lot of value in having people come to the office. It allows for people to interact with each other and feel connected to everyone around them.
- Everyone brings a unique perspective to solving issues within the hospitality industry, which allows the industry to expand with new ideas.
Quote of the Show:
1:27 “Hospitality is less about, in my mind, the physical place, but it's the emotional feeling you experience from entering it.”
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-lopatynsky-85305810/
- Website: https://www.coopercarry.com/
Shout Outs:
3:37 Graffiti
3:41 Jehangir Mehta
17:29 Stephanie Hopkins
17:30 Marriott
31:36 Julia Cosencos
31:42 Ribas
25:15 George Sawiki
25:54 Ukrainian Scout Organization
35:24 Sawiki Tarella
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
- Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
- Youtube : https://youtu.be/rWUDni_sUhY

Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Flipping the Script - Stephanie Hopkins - Episode # 089
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Today’s guest loves helping create spaces and experiences where people will make lasting memories. With hospitality being engrained in her soul, she is ready to see it make a comeback. Stephanie Hopkins is the Senior Interior Design Manager at Marriott International. Stephanie joins the host Dan Ryan to talk about her journey in this beautiful industry and how she sees hospitality through her eyes.
Takeaways:
- Hospitality is more about the overall experience that you get and experiencing everything there is to offer.
- Growing up in Texas, Stephanie’s mom was the example she had for what hospitality really is because she was always entertaining and providing a welcoming environment for friends and family.
- Stephanie spent time working in London and New York doing interior design, and that is where she discovered her passion for hospitality and design.
- Working with an independent hotel and boutique hotels will help you to learn how to think on your feet and find solutions to unique problems.
- Every piece of detail matters to a guest and it impacts their experience at a hotel. You want to make sure that you are planning out every detail as much as you can and using the detail to make the guest have a wonderful experience.
- Not every brand or hotel is for every person. You want to build a hotel and think about the customers that you are trying to attract without also confusing the design of the brand for other hotel designs.
- Through the pandemic, a lot of people developed a longing for travel as that was taken away from them. People are now wanting to go out and experience new places and see beautiful hotels.
Quote of the Show:
3:56 “What hospitality means to me it's more of that kind of that overall experience, kind of that 360 degree view.”
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-hopkins-28445a71/
- Website: https://www.marriott.com/default.mi
Shout Outs:
1:10 Kristen Conry
1:16 Marriott
2:04 BDYN
7:20 Tony Chi
7:58 Chip Conley
9:19 Bridgeton
10:58 Journey East Hampton
11:14 Atit Jariwala
18:25 Johnny Marsh
24:38 Oswaldo Barrios
25:00 Arnie Sorenson
25:17 Hilton
25:18 Accor
27:55 Edition
31:36 Kelsey Linz
31:51 Reggio Emilia
40:06 Mindclick
41:30 JoAnna Abrams
46:36 Airstream
47:40 Mattel Rancho
48:33 Bunkhouse
48:37 Liz Lambert
48:53 McGuire Lambert Hospitality
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
- Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
- YouTube : https://youtu.be/7cAbPtTrW00

Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
All the World’s A Stage - Bridget Rooks - Episode # 088
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Today’s guest is an accidental hospitality leader. She has been in the hospitality industry for more than a decade and half, all while managing the ongoing renovation work across the growing portfolio for the 8th largest hotel company in the US. Bridget Rooks is the Senior Director, Renovation and Capital Projects at Sonesta Hotels. Bridget joins the host Dan Ryan to share her journey through the hospitality industry and how her playwriting skills have influenced her views on hospitality.
Takeaways:
- Hospitality is like a warm welcome to a guest. You are ready to greet the guest and meet any needs they have for their occasions, all while being prepared to exceed those expectations.
- For customer renovations, think of your design narrative as your thesis statement or elevator pitch. The stakeholders are a part of this process so don’t forget to include them as well.
- Don’t be afraid to say that you don’t know the answer to something. You will never get the right answer or learn how to properly do something if you aren’t vulnerable and ask questions.
- In order to make your work process better, it’s important to learn from past experiences. You can look back and see what you could do differently and make the process run better.
- Getting feedback from the development team is important for making sure that a design is going in the right direction. This will help guide you toward what the client had in mind and what else might need to be included.
- The needs for clients and guests will vary between the quality of a hotel. For example, an upscale hotel would have different needs than an upper upscale hotel.
- You won’t be able to respond to what each guest says that can be improved in a hotel. But it’s still important to try and balance all of them and hear what guests are saying and improve the hotel in the best way possible for everyone.
Quote of the Show:
2:22 “I would define hospitality as a warm welcome” - Bridget Rooks
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-rooks-9452934b/
- Website: https://www.sonesta.com/
Shout Outs:
1:23 Brian Quinn
6:40 Trader Joe’s
7:03 Benjamin West
7:33 Toby Nudelman
8:45 Vicky Smith
37:18 Sonesta Select Prototype Hotel
37:20 Foxboro, MA
37:50 DLR Group
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
- Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
- Youtube :

Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
Both Sides of the Coin - Chris McDonough - Episode # 087
Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
Today’s guest is accredited by the American Institute of Architects, LEED AP, and certified with the National Council of Architecture Registration Boards. He also has over 25 years of experience with award winning projects around the world. Chris McDonough is the Principal at The Gettys Group Companies. Chris joins the host Dan Ryan to share his journey through the hospitality industry and what it all means to him.
Takeaways:
- Every design has a story behind it and it can transport you to a different mindset when you are there. That is part of the beauty of hospitality.
- Hospitality can be a form of escape from the daily lives that everyone lives. Oftentimes a change in scenery or design can really change a person's perspective or outlook.
- Interior Architecture is a marriage between interior design and architecture. Combining both of these creates a very successful process for designing a unique space.
- Not only does a space need to be beautiful, but it needs to function and work well. If it doesn’t meet both of these standards, then the space will remain empty and unused, leaving you frustrated.
- When you are building a hotel, you have the freedom to test it against the market knowledge and see what works as a design aspect and what doesn’t work.
- You want to create a space that makes guests want to come back and tell others about the amazing experience that they had and how much they loved it.
- When it comes to building a brand or a soft branded hotel, you want to narrow what your demographic is and if you focus on catering to the small group of people who will always return, then you will have created raving fans.
Quote of the Show:
3:05 “My heart’s really in hospitality mostly because of the feeling you get or the feeling that we want to give to guests and people that are experiencing the spaces we design.”
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-mcdonough-aia-leed-ap-a8650211/
- Website: https://www.gettys.com/
Shout Outs:
0:42 Wilco
9:58 University of Illinois
10:07 Chicago Cubs
10:08 Chicago White Sox
10:46 Admirals Club
10:45 San Francisco International Airport
10:51 Joe DiMaggio
17:54 Hotel of Tomorrow
18:41 John Lasseter
24:41 The Farnham in Omaha
25:34 Curio
27:25 Roger
27:25 Andrew
27:26 Ron
34:34 Leveque Tower
34:57 Empire State Building
35:09 Roger Hill
35:32 Hotel Verdant
53:52 BDNY
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
- Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
- Youtube : https://youtu.be/2pFTRNfHYaQ

Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Finding Curiosity - Ron Lovett - Episode # 086
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Today’s guest is an entrepreneur and leader with a passion for change. He’s the host of the podcast “Scaling Culture” and the author of a couple of books - Outrageous Empowerment & Scaling Culture. Ron Lovett is the Founder and Chief Community Officer at VIDA. Ron joins the host Dan Ryan to share his hospitality journey and what it all means to him.
Takeaways:
- When you are looking at building your business, you want to cut 10% of the company out and own 70% of that 10% that you saved for yourself.
- If you break down great customer service, it comes down to the ability to care for those around you and put yourself in their shoes.
- If you are adding new members to your team, consider trying to find out how they would react to something in the real world. This way you can see who they are as a person instead of just hiring someone because they smile and seem nice.
- You can’t teach empathy as a skill. It’s something that you are either born with or you won’t be able to learn the skill.
- Having core values as a company is incredibly important as they are your guiding light, but when it comes to interviews you don’t need to screen potential hires based on your core values. Instead you can screen for other factors.
- During difficult times, it’s important to look at the things that are going right and try to brighten your current viewpoint.
- When you design a new space, you want to create a sense of community and belonging for everyone that lives there.
Quote of the Show:
10:41 “If you think what attribute drives excellent customer service,it's the ability to care for those around you to put yourself in someone else's shoes.”
Links:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronnielovett?lang=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-lovett/?originalSubdomain=ca
- Website: https://www.vidaliving.com
- Book Link: shorturl.at/lnxPU
- Podcast: https://scalingculture.podbean.com/
Shout Outs:
1:29 MIT
4:12 Verne Harnish
6:35 Uncommon Service by Frances Frei
10:34 John DiJulius
11:36 Danny Meyer
11:41 Setting the Table by Danny Meyer
12:11 Ashley Goodall
12:15 Marcus Buckington
14:17 Southwest Airlines
30:46 Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee
26:49 Jay-Z
37:19 Nicole Kidman
43:51 Jack Daily
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
- Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
- YouTube : https://youtu.be/ybZSHeGc69I

Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Insatiable Curiosity - Valentina Castellon - Episode # 085
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Today’s guest is an interior designer with a focus on and passionate about hospitality design. Valentina Castellon is the Principal and National Hospitality Design Leader at DLR Group based in Minneapolis. She enjoys seeing a project work its way from birth to completion. Valentina was also a Boutique 18 Inductee in 2020. Valentina joins the host Dan Ryan to share her journey and thoughts about the hospitality industry in the built environment.
Takeaways:
- Hospitality is all about opening up your home and yourself to provide a memorable experience for anyone who stays with you.
- The hospitality industry is not for everyone, as it requires long hours and a lot of attention to detail, but the people who stay are bit by the “hospitality bug” and want to bring great designs to other people's lives.
- Whenever you think about hotel design, it might look pretty but there is a deeper meaning to it. Not only is the design aspect important, but it needs to serve a functional purpose as well
- Working in a collaborative process allows you to get voices from multiple different avenues. This can help point you in the right direction for a design or give you more data points for what works and what doesn’t.
- When working on designs for different companies or spaces, you don’t want to stay stagnant. You want your designs to be different and unique to the point that people will be asking who designed rather than it being the same design over and over again.
- When you have an influx of demand, you have to think about the three C’s for your company; Your capacity to do the project, if it’s a creative fit for your company and if you like working with the clients.
- Hospitality is a space that is meant to be shared and enjoyed by others. It allows you to reach people and their feelings all over the world and not just one particular area or group.
Quote of the Show:
1:15 “Hospitality for me is…this idea of really opening yourself up and catering to other people.”
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentina-castellon-77a35650/
- Website: https://www.dlrgroup.com/
Shout Outs:
5:17 Staci Patton
17:34 Dream Hotel Group
17:40 Hyatt
28:37 Bricklle, Miami
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
- Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
- YouTube : https://youtu.be/ugLkgHQK2-M

Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
The Dream of Hospitality - Miriam Torres - Episode # 084
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
Today’s guest is a master at hospitality design. She is a 2022 Platinum Circle Inductee, as well as designing projects with major hotel brands from Four Seasons, to Fairmont, Marriott, Ritz Carltons, Sonesta, Hilton, Hyatt, and InterContinental, as well as independent hoteliers. Miriam Torres-Smalankas is the Co-owner and co-founder at Parker-Torres Design Inc. She joins the host Dan Ryan to talk about her journey through the world of hospitality and what it all means to her.
Takeaways:
- Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and host. It’s the embodiment of caring and providing a welcoming environment where you share what you have with the guest.
- In all projects, there will be a lot of research that you need to do. The narrative or the story of the design space will drive the rest of the project and what it will look like.
- Hospitality design is the mother of all designs. The influence it has stretches from corporate, to healthcare, to education and all areas in between.
- The people who go into the hospitality world are very passionate about what they do, they don’t do it for the money but rather the love of creating something beautiful and memorable.
- When looking at expanding your team, consider hiring people that are better than you. You want them to motivate you to become better at what you do.
- When people start off in a new venture, they might think to themselves that they are a fraud or an imposter but you have to accept that you aren’t a fraud, but rather a strong and brave individual for taking a chance.
- Perseverance is an important trait to have in the hospitality industry. Others may tell you a design might not work but keep trying until you get it just right.
Quote of the Show:
2:21 “hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host.”
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriam-torres-smalanskas-1042581a8/
- Website: https://www.parkertorres.com/
Shout Outs:
4:37 Ken Hurd
4:49 Waldorf Astoria
5:19 Ritz-Carlton
6:43 Barbara Parker
8:29 Graham International
10:18 Hyatt
10:21 Fairmont Copley
10:25 Marriott Marquis
10:57 Henry David Thoreau
12:41 University of Massachusetts Amherst
12:51 MIT
14:43 Hilton
23:12 Cornell
30:54 Alan Benjamin
41:41 Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
44:51 Larry Summers
44:59 Barack Obama
45:02 Facebook
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
- Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
- Youtube : https://youtu.be/XYhAynf1VaQ

Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
Breaking the Design Mold - Andrew Alford - Episode # 083
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
Today’s guest is a creative design sage. With more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, today’s guest is truly an expert in this field. Andrew Alford is the Founder/Owner/Designer/ Chief Creative officer/chef/cook and bottle washer of Andrew Alford Creative. Andrew worked his way from answering phones at a high-end residential design firm to leading his own company where he gets to let his true creativity shine. Andrew joins the host Dan Ryan to talk about his journey through design and hospitality and what it all means to him.
Takeaways:
- The real innovation in hospitality comes from the people who grew up with little to nothing to their name. People like that grow up wanting a luxurious environment and want to give that idea of luxury to everyone.
- Hotels should be an experience that helps lift away any suffering you have and transport you to a better state of mind. They are the backdrop to our most precious memories.
- The whole objective for design is not to make something look good or to be a background in a selfie. The actual point is that design should be something that makes you stop and appreciate the beauty around you and be a transformative experience in itself.
- A work life balance is something that is incredibly important and can help prevent you from feeling burnt out. You want to make sure that you aren’t working after your normal hours and set boundaries so that you can enjoy your work and not have it feel like a chore.
- When it comes to design, you want to make sure that you stand out and that you are unique. The same bland, beige and boring designs won’t get noticed. If you are going to stand out like a unicorn, stand out like a unicorn in every way.
- The word “interbeing” comes from a Buddaheist poet Thich Nhat Hanh. It describes the relationship between everything in the world and how it all works together in order to create the environment we see around us.
- Design has been so serious for many years, and it’s time that the seriousness needs to be stopped and new, creative ideas need to be implemented. Every design doesn't have to copy something else that is already out there.
Quote of the Show:
15:37 “Design [is] not to make it pretty, it's not a selfie background. It's a transformative experience.”
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewalfordcreative/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewalfordcreative/
Shout Outs:
4:41 Kimpton Hotels
5:22 IHG
9:44 Ed Labrano
13:25 Raptor roller coaster
14:46 SpringHill Suites by Marriott
26:25 Hospitality Design Summit
28:00 Alec Baldwin
41:58 American Utopia by David Byrne
43:18 Thich Nhat Hanh
45:14 Free Think
46:58 Star Trek
47:09 Reasons to be Cheerful
50:00 Soho House
50:20 Delano
50:21 Philippe Stark
50:32 Ace Hotels
53:10 Modern Elder Academy
53:12 Chip Conley
1:02:38 The Hoffman Process
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
- Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
- Youtube : https://youtu.be/UCzEZwSoRIU

Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Leading the Charge - Brian Quinn - Episode # 082
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Today’s guest is a recognized leader in domestic and international real estate, travel, lodging, and restaurant industries. He is a proven, articulate thought leader and has delivered exceptional results in the hospitality industry. Brian Quinn is the Chief Development Officer at Sonesta. Brian joins the host Dan Ryan to share what he had learned through his journey in the world of hospitality.
Takeaways:
- In the hospitality industry, everyone works together to help achieve a goal. A great design can only come to life if someone is willing to put it in their building.
- If you are an owner or operator of a hotel or hospitality business, you will bring a different level of energy and care to a project. You will be more focused on the return on investment in that aspect.
- In 2012 the RMR Group acquired hospitality spaces, bringing a whole new level of finance and real estate expertise into the hospitality industry.
- During the COVID pandemic, there was a higher demand for extended stays and economy-style hotel stays as more people worked from home.
- The top three things that make Sonesta a good brand to join are the market availability, the access to an executive team, and the last piece is the owner lens.
- There are a few ways to underwrite a CapEx renovation; one is to think about what happens to your performance if you do nothing, and the other way is to check for any headroom in the market and see if you can perform better.
- Whether a recession comes or not, if unemployment remains low then people are going to spend their disposable income on dining, travel, and other hospitality experiences.
Quote of the Show:
“Whether we technically go into a recession or not, if unemployment stays low, people are going to spend their disposable income on dining out and traveling.” - Brian Quinn
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-quinn-778b9018/
- Website: https://www.sonesta.com/careers
Shout Outs:
2:26 Holiday Inn
7:17 The RMR Group
10:58 Marriott
11:00 IHG Hotels
12:00 John Murray
12:04 Keith Pierce
12:06 Wyndham
12:09 Red Lion
13:58 Intercontinental
13:59 Kimpton Hotels
14:00 Crowne Plaza
14:01 Candlewood
14:02 Staybridge
19:26 Hilton
19:27 Statler
20:47 Jeremy Selman
23:50 The Benjamin
23:53 The Shelbourne
23:57 The Gardens
24:07 The James
33:04 Wells Fargo
33:09 Wachovia
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
- Podbean: https://www.defininghospitality.live/
- YouTube : https://youtu.be/dcPalDoHZPE