Defining Hospitality Podcast
 

Defining Hospitality Podcast

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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

Delivering Way Above Expectations - Scott Lee - Episode # 095

Wednesday Mar 01, 2023

Wednesday Mar 01, 2023

Today’s guest is an entrepreneur and opportunist at heart. With over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, he has discovered his favorite part is “wowing” his clients. Please welcome to the show, Scott Lee! Scott is the President and Principal at SB Architects. Scott joins the host Dan Ryan to share his experiences from working on the architecture of a prison to where he is now. 

 

Takeaways: 

  • Hospitality at its core is about truly experiencing the place you are staying at. Whether it’s going away on vacation or visiting a familiar place, a great hospitality experience is defined by coming home and sharing stories of what you experienced while away.
  • When you are looking to add people to your design firm, you want to strike the balance of getting like minded individuals as well as getting people that will help push the envelope in a positive way. 
  • Hiring people that are a cultural fit for your firm is a key component of doing interviews. If they aren’t a cultural fit, then don’t waste time looking at their drawings or design ideas as it will never work out right.
  • One way to keep employees motivated and committed to your company is to sell them a piece of the company. This way they behave like owners and take more responsibility and they will feel a sense of ownership and pride as the company grows.
  • New ideas can come from anybody at a company. There is no such thing as bad ideas so it’s a good idea to make your company feel like it’s an open environment where everyone is allowed to speak up and share ideas.
  • Some people consider luxury to be crown moldings or marble on marble or other extravagant trappings, but there is more of a shift over to focusing on the quality of the luxury you are receiving rather than the quantity of it.
  • Scott’s biggest advice to his younger self is to take risks and don’t be afraid to try something new. If you are waiting for that perfect time it might never come and life will pass you by, so jump in and take a chance. 

 

Quote of the Show:

2:22 “I think hospitality is going to a place and experiencing the place.”

 

Links:



Shout Outs:

 

0:51 David Kennedy

3:31 Hill Glazier Architects

6:45 Rivana at Innovation Station

7:00 Michael Hsu

16:05 Don Sandy

16:12 Sandy Babcock

16:17 Ritz-Carlton

25:59 Farmhouse Inn

 

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Pushing Design to the Next Level - Ethan Gabany - Episode # 094

Wednesday Feb 22, 2023

Wednesday Feb 22, 2023

Today’s guest is a hotel project management expert with extensive experience leading the development, renovation, and repositioning of upscale hospitality assets. Please welcome to the show, Ethan Gabany! Ethan is the Senior Manager of Hospitality Project Management at CBRE. Ethan joins the host Dan Ryan to talk about his journey from pumping gas in a small rural town in Pennsylvania to where he is now. 

 

Takeaways: 

  • Hospitality is all about meeting a guest's needs before they even realize that they have them. You want to be able to deliver a product or a service in that way with compassion and empathy. 
  • The first time you work with a client, you have to learn what makes them tick and the things that they enjoy and what they don’t like. This way when it is your second or third time working with them you’ll know exactly what they are looking for in a project. 
  • As a manager, it's your job to cut through the noise and distill it to the essence of what is nice to have and what is a must have while also having everyone feel comfortable enough to share their voice and be heard. 
  • When people go out to eat at a conference, they are now looking for restaurants that are designed with a unique aspect and are drifting away from the commercialized aspect that used to be popular. 
  • From a young age, Ethan was always the planner for the family vacations. He viewed vacations as escape from reality and when he and his family went on a trip to Philadelphia, a chance encounter with a cook helped him to find his passion. 
  • Ethan’s first job at 12 years was pumping gas for the gas station his dad had in a small town in Pennsylvania. Ethan found that he had an innate passion for human connection while doing this which eventually led to his career in hospitality.
  • Ethan has a passion for the more upscale projects as they tend to allow more creative freedom with their designers. 

 

Quote of the Show:

1:38  “I would define hospitality as meeting a guest's needs before they have even realized them themselves with compassion and empathy”. 



Links:

 

Shout Outs:

10:55 Liam Neeson

12:23 Ritz Carlton Philadelphia

14:44 Cornell University

14:47 Babson College 

15:44 Omni Resort

15:49 Rosewood

18:39 Retina McCarthy

18:53 Stephanie Robinson

18:54 Brad Wellstead

19:34 Ron Harrison

19:35 Marriott

20:18 Bill Walsh

20:19 Viceroy Hotel Group

22:34 ALIS Conference

25:34 Bob Webster

31:25 Meyer Davis

32:45 Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be by Frank Burni

32:51 New York Times

35:51 Fairfield by Marriott

38:59 Bonvoy

43:25 Bennett Thomas

43:40 Hersha Hospitality Trust



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Assessing The Talent You Have - Ashli Johnson - Episode # 093

Wednesday Feb 15, 2023

Wednesday Feb 15, 2023

Today’s guest is committed to elevating communities and creating wealth through hospitality ownership and leadership. She is a recent recipient of the FIU Alumni Award, and a hospitality sharpshooter. Please welcome to the show, Ashli Johnson! Ashli is the ​​Executive Director of the Marriott Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership at Howard University. Ashli joins the host Dan Ryan to talk about how Howard University is shaking up the hospitality industry and working on getting more diversity in the c-suite level in hospitality.

 

Takeaways: 

  • Hospitality can be viewed through two different parts that combine to make up the whole picture. The first part is the business of service and the second part is the heart and delivery of service. 
  • At Howard University, hospitality isn’t a major but the Marriott Sorenson Center allows students to explore what it takes to be a leader in the hospitality industry and create more diversity in the c-suite level of this industry.
  • The three main areas that Howard University wants to focus on is that they want their students to learn, understand and impact the hospitality, investment, real estate, and tech and innovation industries. 
  • As a society, we have to recognize our own personal bias and really focus on the talent that is fit to lead. We need to stop looking at who we are connected with and rather focus on the merits and what people bring to the table.
  • When you are working for an organization, there is a layer of sponsorship that helps you to become aware of positions that are opening up in the company. Having someone work on your behalf to talk about you positively is always a good thing to have.
  • Having someone be your sponsor doesn’t have to be a formal position. It can be something as simple as offering some help to a younger person who is looking to grow within the company.
  • Growing up with a father who was a Marine Corps Officer, Ashli traveled often and found her passion for hospitality when she was the one in charge of deciding which hotels they would stay at on road trips, or places they would eat, or houses they would move to.

 

Quote of the Show:

2:05 Hospitality to me is two parts. Hospitality is most certainly the business of service and it's also the heart and the delivery of service.”

 

Links:

 

Shout Outs:

1:11 Damon Lawrence 

1:13 Homage Hospitality

1:38 Arne Sorenson

8:26 Independent Lodging Conference

26:15 Lowe’s

29:20 Ray Bennett



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Enriching Lives - Daniel del Olmo - Episode # 092

Wednesday Feb 08, 2023

Wednesday Feb 08, 2023

Today’s guest is a leader and motivator who champions involvement. He is an innovative problem solver and has a progressive record of achievements with significant experience in global business strategy. Daniel del Olmo is the President of Hotels and Restaurants at Sage Hospitality Group. Daniel joins the host Dan Ryan to share his views on the hospitality industry and talks about how enriching lives can lead to a better experience for everyone.

 

Takeaways: 

  • The true purpose of hospitality is to enrich the lives of the guests, associates and the communities that you serve. You want to have a positive impact on the people who are coming into your restaurant or your hotel, and without having that impact then hospitality truly can’t be reached.
  • There’s no way to get a better sense of how your culture is thriving within your company than spending time with your team. Take the time to sit down and hear what members of your team are saying and see what you can do to help them.
  • There is a misconception that you need to have worked in operations or previously worked as a general manager at a hotel to be promoted to being a general manager. You could be in almost any position to be promoted to a general manager as long as you show the skills and determination to do the job right.
  • Many people have heard of having a work/life balance, but there is also work/life presence. This is a newer mindset where instead of focusing on how many hours someone works, you focus on what they do in those hours and what work they get done.
  • Providing competitive benefits and having a positive reputation with your employees is a great way to attract more people to work with you, and it will help you retain employees as well.
  • There is a tangible energy with a company that is creating a positive culture and that energy will bring the right people to your company. 
  • As a leader, it’s important to have each member of your team contribute to the greater good and have everyone on the same page to achieve the same company goal. You want people to feel like they belong to something so special in the making.

 

Quote of the Show:

1:41 “Hospitality then for me is really about enriching lives.”

 

Links:



Shout Outs:

0:32 Independent Lodging Congress

0:48 The Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS)

23:10 Danny Meyer

32:02 Small Giants by Bo Burlingham

45:02 Fred Reichheld

46:22 Net Promoter Score

47:14 Winning on Purpose by Fred Reichheld

 

Ways to Tune In: 

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Having Caring DNA - Keith Pierce - Episode # 091

Wednesday Feb 01, 2023

Wednesday Feb 01, 2023

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:

 

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: 

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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:

 

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: 

 

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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:

 

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: 

 

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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:

 

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: 



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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:

 

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: 

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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:

 

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: 

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