Pillow Talk Sessions

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Pillow Talk Sessions is a podcast about modern hospitality operations and how guest experience is operationally delivered in a tech-enabled world.Hosted by Jessica Gillingham, author of Tech-Enabled Hospitality, and produced by Abode Worldwide, the show features in-depth conversations with leaders building, operating, and scaling modern hospitality across hotels, short-term rentals, serviced living, and flexible living models.Each episode explores how hospitality is evolving beyond traditional hotels. From the hotelization of real estate to the rise of platform-driven and automated operations, we unpack how technology, systems, and organizational design are reshaping how stays are designed, delivered, and experienced.Pillow Talk Sessions goes deep on hospitality operations, technology, and strategy. Topics include new operating models, guest experience delivery, AI and automation, platform ecosystems, and the convergence of hotels, short-term rentals, and serviced living.This podcast is for hospitality operators, founders, owners, and technology leaders who want to understand the future of hospitality beyond trends, and how modern hospitality actually works on the ground.About your hostJessica Gillingham is the author of “Tech-Enabled Hospitality – Strategies to Elevate Guest Experience and Operational Efficiency,” and is also an industry speaker, adviser, and the CEO of Abode Worldwide, a global strategic communications and PR agency for the tech transforming hospitality.The podcast is brought to you by the team at Abode Worldwide.

How Mollie's is Running Hospitality Like a High Street Retailer - With Matt Bell, Mollie's Motels

What does it take to build a hospitality brand that delivers genuine quality at a budget price point? Matt Bell is the Managing Director of Mollie's, a design-led motel and diner concept with properties in Oxford, Bristol, and Manchester. With nearly two decades in independent hospitality, Matt brings a rare mix of operational rigour and brand instinct to everything Mollie's does. In this episode, Matt breaks down the philosophy behind the brand — why budget doesn't have to mean boring, and how Mollie's is building what he calls a value-lux proposition. Great design, thoughtful food, and a deeply human guest experience, all at an accessible price point.exclusive to the luxury end of the hospitality chain. The conversation gets into: * What it means to run a hospitality brand like a retailer — and where that analogy breaks * Why technology should remove friction without replacing warmth, and how Mollie's walks that line * The three-part test every decision at Mollie's gets held against: guest satisfaction, financial viability, and team performance * Why Mollie's embraces failure, iterates fast, and doesn't wait for perfect * How a young brand thinks about scale — and the discipline required to get there What makes Mollie's worth paying attention to is the clarity of thinking and deliberation. In a sector where budget often means transactional and the bare minimum, Matt and his team are making a deliberate case that the guest experience and the price point don't have to trade off against each other. The design, the diner, the technology, the people — each one is chosen to pull in the same direction. Matt is also clear about what technology should and shouldn't do. At Mollie's, it's an enabler — centralising expertise, reducing friction, and freeing up the floor team to focus entirely on the guest in front of them. The human side of the experience is non-negotiable, and the technology is there to protect it, not replace it. Looking ahead, Matt sees Mollie's growing through discipline. A standardised, refined product that can scale quickly, into locations with the right blend of corporate and leisure demand. The goal is a brand guests actively seek out — not just somewhere reliable to stop, but somewhere they actually want to be. 🎧 Listen to the full episode to hear how Matt Bell and the team at Mollie's are building a hospitality brand where great design, smart operations, and genuine warmth are designed to work together, not compete. #Hospitality #HospitalityTech #PillowTalkSessions Explore related industry analysis and strategic perspectives: https://abodeworldwide.com/news-insights/ [https://abodeworldwide.com/news-insights/] Website: https://www.pillowtalksessions.com/ [https://www.pillowtalksessions.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pillowtalksessionspodcast/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/pillowtalksessionspodcast/] Tech-Enabled Hospitality: https://techenabledhospitality.com/ [https://techenabledhospitality.com/] Matt Bell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewcrbell/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewcrbell/] Mollie’s Motels: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mollies/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/mollies/] Meet the host of Pillow Talk Sessions Jessica Gillingham [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicagillingham/?originalSubdomain=uk] is the Founder and CEO of Abode Worldwide [https://abodeworldwide.com/], a strategic public relations agency dedicated to elevating the profile of transformative technology solutions in global hospitality, lodging, and rental living. An established industry thought leader, Jessica is a frequent conference speaker and author of Tech-Enabled Hospitality [https://www.koganpage.com/business-and-management/tech-enabled-hospitality-9781398620285], a new book exploring the innovations shaping the sector.

21 de may de 2026 - 39 min