Baird’s Michael Bellisario Says Lodging REIT Outlook Cautiously Optimistic
In this episode of the REIT Report, senior research analyst Michael Bellisario of Baird outlines a cautiously optimistic but muted outlook for lodging and hotel REITs in 2026. He highlights modest RevPAR growth driven by events like the World Cup and the U.S. 250th anniversary, a strong performance in luxury and high‑end segments versus weaker economy‑midscale properties, and limited new supply due to high capital costs. Transaction activity remains low, with most REITs selling assets or buying back stock rather than acquiring new hotels, and managers are focusing on group bookings to bolster occupancy. Bellisario stresses that elevated cost of capital and flat profit forecasts constrain aggressive capital deployment.
Rebuilding a $100M Hospitality Brand: Pinky Cole, Slutty Vegan CEO, on Failure and Franchising
In this episode, Pinky Cole, founder and CEO of the $100 million Slutty Vegan brand, recounts her journey from a two‑bedroom Atlanta apartment to a national vegan empire, detailing how she leveraged bold branding, TV‑style storytelling, and social media to attract...
GBTA M&E APAC MICE Power Talk Series
In this inaugural GBTA APAC MICE Power Talk, Singapore Tourism Board Executive Director Kari Quick outlines Singapore’s ambition to triple MICE revenue to about $3.3 billion USD by 2040, leveraging its strategic location, world‑class connectivity, and robust sustainability credentials. She highlights...
Eye on Travel — Terranea Resort — March 28, 2026
In this brief episode, veteran travel journalist Peter Greenberg reports from the Terranea Resort in California, reflecting on its history as the former Marineland site and segueing into a deep dive on recent aviation safety crises, notably the LaGuardia runway...
Episode 446: Elizabeth Lugo Talks About Tourism in Mexico, Creating a Culture of Learning and 18,000 Collaborators
In this episode, COO Elizabeth Lugo shares the 30‑year evolution of Grupo Xcaret from a modest 350‑person operation to a tourism powerhouse with 18,000 collaborators, eight parks, multiple hotels, zip‑line and water‑park attractions, and a fleet of ferries and yachts....
Reinventing Hospitality and Travel Media: Jon Skogmo on Building LOST iN
In this episode, host Jimmy Frischling chats with Jon Skogmo, the founder of Jukin Media and Lost In Travel Media, about his journey from a hotel clerk to building a $140 million UGC licensing business and then launching a travel‑focused media...
CEO of MEHR Consultancy on Building Cross-Platform Hotel Ops
In this episode, Harmeet Mann, CEO and co‑founder of MEHR Consultancy, walks through the cross‑platform tech stack that powers her third‑party hotel management firm, highlighting tools like Inflow for finance, Monday.com for task and document management, Slack for communication, and...
GBTA BTI Global Highlights
In this episode of the Business of Travel podcast, GBTA Research Director Chris Ely talks with Edward Galvin, head of Visa Commercial Solutions for North America, about the latest Business Travel Index (BTI) forecast. The BTU projects global business‑travel spend...
#319 Bjarke Just Nielsen Founder at Norrlyst Koncernen - Scaling Restaurant Quality with Tech and Culture
In this episode, Michael Tinser chats with Bjarke Just Nielsen, founder of Nordust, about how his restaurant group has scaled to 20 venues, 550 staff and nearly a million guests by treating the business as a tech platform rather than...
Rethinking Beer: Andrew Katz of Athletic Brewing on Non Alcoholic Beer, Brand Growth & Hospitality Trends
In this episode, CMO Andrew Katz discusses the rapid growth of Athletic Brewing, the leading non‑alcoholic beer brand, and the broader shift toward wellness‑driven drinking habits. He explains how declining alcohol consumption, increased health awareness, and data‑driven lifestyle tracking are...
Eye on Travel — Monaco — March 7, 2026
In this episode of Eye on Travel, Peter Greenberg reports from the Forbes Travel Guide Global Summit in Monaco, covering the fallout from the Middle‑East airspace closures after the U.S.–Israel strike on Iran and the resulting evacuation challenges, as well...
The Rise of Heatonist: Noah Chaimberg on Hot Sauce Culture and Hospitality Brand Building
In this episode of the Hospitality Hangout, Noah Chaimberg, CEO of Heatnist, shares how he turned a Brooklyn push‑cart into the world’s leading hot‑sauce brand and secured a partnership with the Hot Ones show. He recounts his entrepreneurial journey from...
The Rise of Mike’s Hot Honey: Founder Mike Kurtz on Authentic Growth & Collaboration in the Hospitality Business
In this episode, founder Mike Kurtz recounts the origins and explosive growth of Mike's Hot Honey, from a spontaneous discovery on a Brazilian hiking trip to its adoption by major chains like Taco Bell and KFC. He details the grassroots...
President of Plusgrade on Agent-Ready Hotel Revenue
In this episode, Eric Tangen, President of Hospitality Upselling at Plusgrade and co‑founder of Oki, discusses how hotels can boost total revenue by integrating upselling technology with revenue management systems. He explains the shift from focusing solely on RevPAR to...
Eye on Travel — Park Hyatt Cabo Del Sol — February 21, 2026
In this episode of Eye on Travel, host Peter Greenberg reports from the new Park Hyatt Cabo del Sol, covering fresh airline routes, emerging travel scams, and the TSA’s unpaid staffing situation, plus an investigation into the legality of the...
#317 Nicole Antonio-Gadsdon Founder at Banana Pepper HR - Hiring for Human Magic and Hospitality Alchemists
In this episode, host Michael welcomes Nicole Antonio‑Gadsdon, founder of Banana Pepper HR, to discuss her new book *Help Wanted*, which reframes hiring as a form of hospitality that seeks "human magic" rather than just technical competence. Nicole argues that...
Thousands of American Airlines Employees Blamed New Uniforms for Rashes—10 Years Later, Courts May Toss Their Case
The episode examines the ongoing lawsuit by American Airlines employees who claim the airline’s 2016 uniform change caused skin rashes, a case now before the Seventh Circuit. It outlines the timeline of complaints, the inconclusive testing by Intertek and NIOSH,...
Eye on Travel — Langham Hotel in Pasadena — February 14, 2026
In this Valentine’s Day episode of *Eye on Travel*, host Peter Greenberg reports from the historic Langham Hotel in Pasadena, covering major travel news such as the sudden closure of El Paso airspace, Southwest’s rollout of assigned seating, and a surge...
Lightning Round: Luxury Hotels, Valentine’s Spending & McNugget Caviar | Fast Five Shorts
In this rapid‑fire segment, the hosts discuss three trending retail topics: the surprising resilience and price‑inflation of luxury hotels, the projected £2.38 billion UK Valentine’s Day spend, and McDonald’s limited‑edition “McNugget caviar” offering. Joe Laszlo shares personal anecdotes—a memorable stay at...
193 – 2026 Hunter Conference Preview
In this preview episode, host Ryan Embree and guest Madison Thibodeaux, Senior Manager of Events & Partnerships at Hunter Advisors, discuss the upcoming 2026 Hunter Conference in Atlanta. They cover Madison’s unique career path from a hospitality student intern to...
Building Iconic Food Brands: Hospitality Insider Insights From Boqueria, Rita’s Italian Ice, Hot Head Burritos & ChopShop
In this 36‑minute episode, host [Name] sits down with hospitality veterans from Boqueria, Rita’s Italian Ice, Hot Head Burritos and ChopShop to dissect what makes a food brand iconic. The conversation highlights three core pillars: a clear, emotionally resonant brand story;...
CEO of QDI USA on OTA-to-Direct Booking Plays
In this episode, Fabio Passos, CEO of QDI USA Developments, shares how his multi‑property operation uses mobile‑key technology, a custom self‑service check‑in app, and smart‑camera monitoring to eliminate front‑desk bottlenecks at OTA‑heavy hotels in Florida. He explains how direct‑booking channels—especially...
The Big Idea: How Divisive Debates in Travel Are Shaping the Future
In this 18‑minute episode, GBTA’s podcast dissects the outcomes of three contentious debates held at its APAC, Europe, and Australia conferences, focusing on biometrics and secure ID, evolving traveller behaviour, and the future of online booking tools (OBTs). The moderators...
Eye on Travel — February 7, 2026
In this episode of Eye on Travel, Peter Greenberg explores the economics of airline pricing, questioning whether fares should be weight‑based, and examines operational issues at Southwest. Jeremy Tarr of Fodors explains the factors behind fare differences, while Richard Fain...