In the words of Mustafa Gokcen from Cheval Collection “tech is not a cost saving exercise, tech is a tool that allows us to focus on other priorities.” As software and systems drive automation for greater operational and commercial efficiency, where do you draw the line at being effective? Maggie Bazemore provides insight into the relationship betw…

With so many changes in digital marketing, but the importance of a direct booking strategy - hotels are having to develop a marketing programme that constitutes multiple guest touch points working with an increasing number of third parties. David Ohanjanian details the changes on Google and the impact this is having on marketing spend and activity …

In this episode we tackle the major challenges that are reshaping the industry with expert insights from Camilla Woods, Head of Services at Hospitality Action, and Esmat Faiz, Associate Solicitor at Irwin Mitchell. We look at the impending changes in employment regulation that will impact the hospitality industry and the policies that matter for re…

In this episode, we look at where there is potential to drive more revenue in hospitality and accommodation businesses when the ADR has been maximised, other than occupancy - how can hotels increase spend per guest? Speaking to Scot Turner, Director at Auden Hospitality,we look at F&B, exploring where profit margins have seeped to an all-time low -…

What's really in store for the hospitality sector in 2025? In this live episode of Travel Market Life, recorded at the Rembrandt Hotel, we tackle the industry's biggest challenges and forecast what's next. Joined by industry experts Jane Pendlebury from HOSPA, Catt McLeod from the Elegant Hotel Collection, and JonnySiberry from Sarova Hotels, we di…

What’s driving the surge in luxury travel post-pandemic? In this episode of Travel Market Life, we sit down with Robin Lawther, Vice President of Expedia TAAP, to uncover the fascinating shifts shaping the future of luxury travel. With nearly 2,900 high-end agencies under his belt, Robin gives us an insider’s perspective on how affluent travellers …

What makes the Independent Hotel Show 2024 a must-attend event for hoteliers and industry leaders? In this special episode, I dive into the key themes, trends, and sessions set to shape this year’s show, happening on October 15th and 16th at the Olympia in London. I’m joined by industry leaders Jane Pendlebury, CEO of HOSPA; James Clarke, the newly…

I sit down with Ivana Tagliamonte, the visionary owner of the enchanting Bellport Inn, as we explore how Ivana transformed this historic Long Island property into a modern, tech-savvy retreat that seamlessly combines old-world charm with cutting-edge guest experience technology. Ivana, driven by a passion for hospitality, shares how, together with …

Can affiliate marketing revolutionise your business strategy? Patrick Redder, Senior Key Account Partnership Manager at Awin, joins me in exploring affiliate marketing and its remarkable impact on cost reduction and bookings for H-Hotels. Patrick provides an in-depth look at how businesses can partner with various publishers to effectively promote …

How do we genuinely support the mental health and well-being of hospitality employees in a challenging, post-pandemic world? Sean Wheeler, People and Culture Consultant at Sean Wheeler Consulting Limited believes a holistic approach, flexible working patterns, and the importance of understanding employees' personal lives all create a more enjoyable…

As group travel evolves and solo female travel surges, Judikaela Auffredou, VP of strategy at Cossette, and I explore some of the latest research that reveals how consumer attitudes, preferences, and behaviours regarding travel and tourism are changing and what this means to the industry. We explore the empowerment and self-discovery driving solo f…

Mary Sue helped pioneer Santa Monica's local and sustainable food scene, popularising the city's farmer's markets. Starting her career peeling garlic and winning a James Beard and Julia Child award, Mary Sue is widely celebrated for her achievements in California and beyond. Mary Sue created The Women Chefs & Restaurateurs in 1993, a resource for f…

Speaking with Sam Weston, Marketing Director – 80 Days – full service creative and digital marketing agency for hotels and travel, we look into how hotels and travel can tap into the latest consumer trends driving creative marketing. We explore: 1. Consumer behaviour informing marketing and creative strategies 2. Three trends influencing travel and…

In this episode, we speak with Pelumi Nubi, travel content creator and solo traveller about the world of solo travel. We look at; Why is solo travel so appealing Pelumi's travel from London to Lagos - the first black woman to drive this journey The challenges as a solo traveller How the industry can better cater for solo (women) travellers Connect …

In this episode of Hoteliers’ Voice Season 4, we speak with Henrique Tiago de Castro, former General Manager, EVOLUTION Cascais-Estoril Hotel in Cascais/Lisbon about the importance of cultural awareness as a hospitality professional, and developing leadership skills in the industry Following his presentation at IHTF 2024, we discuss 1. Why it's imp…

In this episode we’re looking at Solo travel. First we’ll tackle the news then dive into solo travel with a look at the trends and numbers followed by interviews with Kerry Gallagher, MD, Silver Travel Pelumi Nubi, content creator And - we cannot end the show without our Quick Quiz. Booking.com faces new probe into claims it misled customers The co…

We are joined by Sofia Muntaner, Senior Brand Manager Melia Hotel International for Zel and Innside brands with approx 45 properties, as we delve into the world of hotel marketing and the complexities involved today. With 10 years at Melia, Sofia reflects on the changes and evolution in marketing and some of the key drivers to success as we discuss…

Hospitality Monthly Review Show - June 2024 edition - with our panel Jonny Siberry, Group Revenue Manager, Sarova Hotel Group and Thibault Catala, CEO, Catala Consulting, In this episode we look at European Commissions decision on hotel rate parity and booking.com Airbnb ditching experiences Interview - Richard Collie, Managing Associate for TLT LL…

We explore the trends and insights of the cruise sector from 2023 with Andy Harmer, Managing Director CLIA UK & Ireland following release of the latest research. Upshot – there’s a lot of ships with cabins to fill! And cruising numbers for 2023 are up In the latest research from The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), travelers from the …

Welcome to the post-IHTF podcast with a succession of quick fire interviews where we will hear from Host - Ted Horner Steve Johnson - Ruckus Networks Asam Nawaz - BeCause Sal Capizzi - Book4Time Jory Garcia - Flexkeeping and Chris Bowling from Best Western Hotels dives into multichannel marketing Listen to more episodes of the hospitality industry …

Simone Pourto, consultant, writer, and hotel tech futurist joins us to give his insights for the market. In the episode we discuss His love for Joy Division and Ian Curtis - and how Travel Market Life gave him an unexpected life opportunity New s - Rebyu using the power of AI Top 3 technologies on the horizon for the hospitality sector His frustrat…

In this episode we deep-diving into the Cruise sector Latest insights and trends from Andy Harmer, Managing Director, CLIA UK & Ireland Opportunities and challenges in the sector Travel Agent’s perspective with Ellie Fowler, Director, The Travel Business With our expert panel - Claire Steiner, UK Director, Global Travel and Tourism Partnership Will…

In this episode of Hoteliers' Voice we are joined by the Director of Technology & Digital at CitizenM, Bojan Pavicic who has worked across different industry sectors for 20 years and explains his approach to the tech stack and what they are trying to achieve for the portfolio. With 34 properties worldwide, we discuss: • AI and automation deployment…

In this episode we look into hotel technology and an IHTF review following the event in April, we look at F&B profitability Premier Inn Ad ban AI in hospitality RPA technology Approaching the tech stack Future of hospitality technology We’re joined by our regular panellist Jon Sibery, Group Revenue Manager, Sarova as he shares the challenges of F&B…

Travel Market Life hosted live discussions featuring insights from hoteliers and technology experts on innovative approaches to hotel management, revenue optimisation, and the significance of digitalisation and direct bookings: Henrique Tiago de Castro, GM at Evolution Hospitality's Cascais-Estoril Hotel, shares pre-opening challenges for Lisbon's …

In this episode, we deep dive into drip-pricing the practice when a headline price is initially shown to travellers when they are browsing online, where additional elements of the price being added or ‘dripped’ as they move through the checkout process. Richard Collie, Managing Associate for TLT LLP a consumer law expert at award-winning law firm w…

For the Travel Monthly Review Show - April 2024 edition - with our expert panel featuring Will Plummer (CEO, Trust My Group), Claire Steiner (UK Director, Global Travel and Tourism Partnership), and James Clarke (General Manager, Travelzoo UK), In this episode we’ll tackle: Latest industry developments: Spain’s traveller numbers, Dynamic pricing an…

In this episode of Hoteliers' Voice season 4, we speak with Mustafa Gokcen, Head of Information Technology, Cheval Collection - an award-winning hospitality group with 13 luxury all-apartment locations in London, Edinburgh and Dubai. Mustafa has worked in the hospitality industry since 2012 following a move from the IT industry where he had spent t…

In this episode of Hoteliers' Voice, we are honoured to be joined by Marriott International's Director of Employer Branding - Central Europe to discuss the initiatives that are engaging and attracting staff. Florian Hepp started his career at Marriott before developing his career at Westin Hotels, and Sofitel Luxury Hotels & Resorts, back at Marrio…

In our April edition of the Hospitality Monthly Review Show with our expert panel: Jonny Siberry, Group Revenue Manager, Sarova Hotel Group Daniel Simmons, CCO, HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts Thibault Catala, CEO, Catala Consulting, We look at pressing issues in the industry, as well as the landscape in front of us - getting insider knowledge from our e…

In this episode of Hoteliers' Voice Season 4 we explore the hostel market with Diogo Vaz Ferreira, head of commercial at Clink Hostels. Diogo has worked with Clink since 2021, he previously worked for Accor and Hilton having worked in guest experiences, revenue, and general manager positions. He is also part of the management board chairing the acc…

Welcome to the Travel Monthly Review Show - March 2024 edition. In this episode we tackle: Some industry news including Late’s pricing, Agent debt and industry associations Spring Budget UK - The UK Government announced a range of measures to keep Britain financially fluid…we’ll analyse what they mean to the industry In our monthly feature - we’re …

In this episode of Season 4 Hoteliers' Voice, we speak with Karen Weisheit, Hotel Manager at the Grove of Narberth in Wales, with 25 bedrooms. Spotted as one of Boutique Hotelier's women in hospitality 2023 Karen shares her career ladder so far and what makes her tick. We look at the challenges in recruitment and retention as she shares some of the…

Welcome to the March edition of Hospitality Monthly Review Show with our panel Thibault Catala, CEO, Catala Consulting, Jonny Sibery, Group Revenue Manager, Sarova Daniel Simmons, CCO, HotelREZ Plus an interview with Jeremy Daudin, Head of Sales and Marketing at Zetter Hotels looking at their corporate business. We look at pressing issues in the in…

In this extended interview we speak to Clive Wratten, Chief Executive of Business Travel Association, which also featured in our Travel Monthly Review Show February. He guides us through Trends and market behaviours in Business Travel Key challenges in Business Travel for Corporates and Suppliers Why late payments is a key campaign Partnership with…

In February episode we look at: Industry news of the last month and consumer spending change What’s RyanAir’s change of strategy? Our feature discussion is on Business Travel and we’ll hear from Clive Wratten, Chief Exec of Business Travel Association Industry developments and consumer trends talking about shoulder seasons and the best snaps Finish…

Hospitality Monthly Review Show - February 2024 edition with our two panelists Thibault Catala, CEO, Catala Consulting and Jonny Sibery, Group Revenue Manager, Sarova In our review shows, we look at pressing issues in the industry, as well as the landscape in front of us - getting insider knowledge from our expert panel. In this episode, I’ll take …

Speaking to Gill Haigh (Managing Director, Cumbria Tourism) we get a first-hand look at regional tourism in one of the UK’s most visited regions exploring the challenges ahead in 2024 and where the local tourism market needs to focus to deliver for domestic and inbound market. We explore the difficulties of staff shortage, the commercial impact and…

Entering 2024 - what have we learnt and what do we see in front of us. Join the January edition of our regular format to review industry developments in the UK and beyond. Featuring Will Plummer (CEO, Trust My Group), Claire Steiner (UK Director, Global Travel and Tourism Partnership), and James Clarke (General Manager, Travelzoo UK), the first epi…

Looking back on our third Season of Hoteliers' Voice, find out which episode was the most popular in 2023 and some of our favourite episodes in the series. Hoteliers' Voice S3 covered everything from data, to sustainability, augmenting luxury experience to performance campaigns and utilising AI, with a mix of portfolio groups, independent hotels, f…

Discover the rundown of the new series Hotel Partner and snippets from the conversations in 2023 that covered everything from sustainability, eco credentials, staffing shortages, spa and wellness and robotic process automation. We give some insights to the podcast Travel Market Life and the most popular Hotel Partner episode of the year. Listen to …

Here's a summary of some of the technology chats of 2023 as we look at; Data and its implications Cybersecurity in digitalisation AI and ethics 10 rules for IT investment Challenges of tech buying Some quick snippets and outtakes from our guests for this year. Listen to more episodes of the hospitality industry podcast Travel Market Life and subscr…

Veryan Palmer, Director, of family-owned Headland Hotel Cornwall joins us to talk about adapting technology and utilising AI and automation in the business and how to overcome the challenge. Following the Independent Hotel Show 2023, where Veryan joined Ryan on a panel to discuss practical deployment of AI, this podcast follows on the Headland Hote…

We deep dive into hotel sustainability with Angeliki Krania, Senior Sustainability Manager at Lamington Group to understand what it takes to be a truly sustainable hotel brand and commit to the policy authentically. As part of our Hoteliers' Voice Season 3, Angeliki explains; How the industry can incorporate sustainable approaches to design and dev…

In this episode we speak with Chris Kinlock a Performance Specialist, and Billy Mohan- Senior Performance Analyst, from Journey Hospitality about the changes in performance marketing and how the industry can get a better grasp over the opportunities for digital channels and what actually works. The pair give a frank insight to how to assess true pe…

We’re joined by David Ohandjanian, CEO & Founder, Up Hotel Agency to look into hotel marketing and how to optimise direct bookings through the direct channel. In conversation we look at Changes in approach to direct bookings Key to direct booking and marketing for the guest journey Evolving roles of agencies and consultants And how the website func…

In our hospitality industry trade media mini series, we speak with Hamish Kilburn, editorial of Hotel Designs to discover the thinking of the publication and the news and content that engages its audience. Learn more about Hotel Designs How the publication is made up and its key audience The subjects and topics that captures readers attention How t…

Guests expect a unique experience when staying at a boutique or independent hotel - and the properties require the same from their technology providers. In this special Travel Market Life podcast, recorded live at the Independent Hotel Show London, an expert panel discuss a range of topics to help hoteliers shape their tech stack and ensure its fit…

Hospitality can be a tough place to work, but it’s also one of the most enjoyable. From fostering an inclusive team environment to helping staff feel valued, this special episode of Travel Market Life looks at how hotels can improve the way they recruit, reward and retain their staff. Recorded live at the Independent Hotel Show London on 17 October…

How can hotels drive their revenue in an ever-challenging marketplace? Are OTAs a necessary evil or a blessing in disguise? And what role does the often overlooked GDS play in hitting a hotel’s commercial targets? This special episode of Travel Market Life was recorded live at the Social Business Space at the Independent Hotel Show London. Joining …