The Upgrade: EMEA Hospitality News

Kerten’s Marloes Knippenberg on hotel branding, experiences

On this episode of The Upgrade, Marloes Knippenberg, CEO of Kerten Hospitality, said her and her company’s goal always has been to bring a fresh approach to the hotel and hospitality scene, starting a little more than a decade ago when owners began to want something different from a long list of brand standards. In the podcast with Terence Baker, news editor, EMEA, Knippenberg said that owner sea change more or less came in parallel to new demands of guests for more experiences.

Cervus’ Chris Mumford on labor, C-suite hires in the hotel industry

The world of work is changing, with younger generations likely to have several careers, not just one linear one, said Chris Mumford, managing director at Cervus Leadership Consulting.

Christie & Co.’s Carine Bonnejean on European hotel transaction volumes

Christie & Co.’s Carine Bonnejean joins the podcast to discuss how Spain and Italy top the table of hotel investment appetite in Europe. Italian destinations beyond Milan, Rome and Venice are coming to the attention of hotel investors.

Global hotel market standouts from 2025 (with STR's Sarah Duignan)

STR’s Sarah Duignan joined The Upgrade podcast to discuss global hotel performance highlights from full-year 2025 data, including the huge impact of Formula 1 races in markets such as Abu Dhabi.

How the UK budget will affect hospitality with Bridget Baker

Veteran hotel and hospitality consultant Bridget Baker, owner of Bridget Baker Consulting, joins the show to talk about how the U.K. government's November budget has put more pressure on hotel operations across the country.