The Future of Hospitality

Reposition before rebrand: a Brussels hotel asset case

The rebrand only adds value once the segmentation and product are fixed. Learn how a bold wholesaler cut rebuilt rate quality and moved RGI from 81 to 110. In this episode Luc Boschmans interviews Sophie Richard, who leads European asset management for M&L Hospitality and chairs HAMA Europe. - Cut a low-rated wholesaler base, accepting 13 percent occupancy loss to rebuild higher-quality rate - Sequence segmentation and product before rebranding so the brand change adds value - Treat aging product as a cleanliness and rate problem, not just a renovation line - Review segmentation yearly rather than every five years Sophie shares the full Brussels Midi case, from the segmentation cut to the four-star classification. Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience. Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality

The GM who builds future GMs

What does it take to build hotel leaders who go on to lead hotels of their own? Learn how people-first leadership, culture, and long-term team development create stronger operations and better guest results. Guest: Dieter Schmitz, General Manager at Sofitel, Accor, hospitality veteran of nine openings, and a leader known for developing future GMs while driving major hotel transformations. Key takeaways for hospitality leaders * Build a culture where strong number twos grow into confident hotel leaders * Use hands-on leadership to create loyalty, accountability, and better guest experience * Invest in team culture to reduce turnover and protect long-term performance * Lead through openings, pressure, and transformation without losing your people Host: Cesar Wurm leads a candid conversation on mentorship, culture, career growth, and what it really means to build leaders instead of just filling roles. Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, leadership, and guest experience. Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality.

Reposition with the exit in mind

The fastest repositioning plans are built around the exit from day one. Learn how a five-year hold, direct operations, and a deliberate no-brand decision turned a Barcelona hotel into a leisure-led asset. In this episode Luc Boschmans interviews Emmanuel Dissez, head of asset management for Schroders Hotels, and Dario Filippone, one of the asset managers at Schroders Capital who has overseen the Grand Hotel Central in Barcelona since 2021. - Build value against a defined hold period so the five-year story becomes a sale - Keep optionality by not attaching a global brand, the flexibility the next owner pays for - Take a hotel to direct operations to gain control over the repositioning - Read the operation, not just the P&L, because the numbers are always late Emmanuel and Dario share how they moved RGI from 64 to 108 and brought the hotel to market with the exit in mind. Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience. Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality

Experiment, Fail, Win: How Great Leaders Adapt in Hospitality

Change won’t feel comfortable, but it will unlock revenue and agility for your hotel. Learn how to build an experiment-ready culture that makes AI and personalization deliver results. In this episode Brian Hicks interviews Dr. Florian Ilgen, keynote speaker and change strategist at Dr. Florian Ilgen. He holds a PhD in chemistry and uses neuroscience plus hands-on experiments to help organizations change. - Increase revenue by using AI hyper-personalization to turn processes into profit - Enable teams to run experiments so failures become fast learning - Strengthen leadership credibility by aligning words and actions to create psychological safety - Build flexibility and resilience so your organization adapts as AI reshapes operations Florian previews his HSMAI Americas Commercial Strategy Conference talk on curiosity driven change and practical tools to leave the comfort zone. Follow HSMAI Studio for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience. Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality

The Contact Center is Not a Cost, it's a Conversion Engine

The contact center isn't overhead. Ask anyone who's actually run one. Anita Travis leads global contact center operations at Outrigger Hospitality. Megan Becker has spent 14 years in reservations at Hershey Entertainment & Resorts. Both have built teams that drive revenue through every call - and both have had to fight for the contact center's seat at the commercial table. This is that conversation. * Shift the contact center from cost center to commercial strategy * Build agent culture that delivers on your brand promise before guests arrive * Use call data to share insights with revenue management that actually change decisions * Identify the pre-arrival and ancillary revenue your contact center is leaving behind * Think about the future of voice in a world where AI is doing more of the work Follow The Future of Hospitality for weekly insights into hospitality, hotels, and guest experience. Disclaimer: This podcast shares stories, experiences, and opinions from hosts and guests. They are personal perspectives only and not statements of fact or official advice from The Future of Hospitality.