Check-In with Bryan

What happens when you bring true hospitality thinking into offices, schools, hospitals, and corporate HQs—not just hotels? In this episode of Check-In with Bryan, Bryan sits down with Jill Szmanda, Director of Sales at Forward Tilt, a Scottsdale-based full-service workspace design and commercial furniture firm that’s helping companies turn “just an office” into experience-driven spaces people actually want to be in.

From D...

Black Friday isn’t just about TVs and gadgets—this week we’re talking travel deals, Hilton’s huge sale, and what the Sonder–Marriott mess really means for guests.

In this Check-Out Friday episode of Check-In with Bryan, host Bryan Fish and producer Tyler Alexander catch up post-Thanksgiving and cover everything from Black Friday software buys to why airlines are in the business of service, not hospitality—a callback to a powerf...

When a brand implodes overnight, is it just a contract dispute—or a hospitality failure?

In this episode of Check-In with Bryan, host Bryan Fish sits down with Stephen Barth—founder of HospitalityLawyer.com, longtime professor at the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College, and one of Global Gurus’ Top 30 hospitality professionals—to unpack what really happened in the Sonder–Marriott breakup and what it means for owner...

Happy Friday and welcome back to Check-Out Fridays on Check-In with Bryan 

This week, Bryan is coming to you from New York City, catching up with Executive Producer Tyler Alexander for an end-of-week debrief that’s equal parts travel diary, holiday preview, and behind-the-scenes hospitality talk.

In this Check-Out Fridays episode, Bryan recaps a whirlwind stretch that took him from Phoenix → Houston → Sarasota → New York City, with p...

We’re officially kicking off a brand-new season of Check-In with Bryan — and we couldn’t start with anyone better than global concierge, travel expert, and best-selling author Sarah Dandashy.

Sarah is one of the most recognizable voices in luxury hospitality today. She’s worked with iconic properties like The London West Hollywood, Four Seasons Washington DC, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, and L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, and s...

This week, Bryan sits down with Ryan Rivett, CEO of My Place Hotels of America, to unpack how a lean, owner-friendly brand is scaling nationwide in extended stay—without the bloat. From small-footprint prototypes and vertical integration to pragmatic amenity choices (no free breakfast, smart alternatives) and tech that actually helps operators, this is a masterclass in building hotels that pencil and perform.

What You’ll Learn

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This week’s Check-Out Fridays gets real (and hilarious) about guest behavior, staff sanity, and the messy truth behind “the customer is always right.” From viral hotel-review segments to a wild Bonefish Grill incident and a Chick-fil-A drive-thru puzzle, Bryan and Tyler share frontline stories and practical takeaways every hotel operator—and every traveler—should hear.

What You’ll Learn

• Why “the customer is always right...

What separates smart hotel deals from painful ones in 2025? Hotel broker Ryan Bodine (NewGen Advisory) joins Bryan to unpack what buyers/sellers keep getting wrong—overpaying under 1031 pressure, ignoring transfer PIPs, and underinvesting in staff—and how to prep your asset for a saner exit in the next 6–12 months.

About the guest: Ryan advises owners and investors across limited-service to full-service assets, with a stra...

It’s another Check-Out Friday — and this week, Bryan and Tyler are kicking back from Scottsdale, Arizona, recording out of the gorgeous NextSpace Studios while reflecting on a wild production week.

From hilarious Reddit hotel reviews (featuring a mysterious “Mountain Lion Club” next door 😅) to Tyler’s missed flight adventure, and a deep dive into whether Outback Steakhouse still holds up — this episode is all about travel chao...

From selling candy in grade school to running the #1 rated hostel in North America, investor Michael Russell shares how hustle, timing, and creative thinking turned risk into a multimillion-dollar hospitality portfolio.

What you’ll learn:
•How the Great Recession became his once-in-a-lifetime buy-in opportunity.
•The leap from vacation rentals → boutique hospitality investing.
•Inside the creation of Hakuna Mat...

From brand standards and PIPs to boutique independence, designer Tonya Almallah Schmitt shares how to deliver ROI without losing soul—plus why scent, sound, and “memory points” matter more than spec sheets.

What you’ll learn:

• Career leap: How Tonya turned a downturn layoff into an entrepreneurial studio.
• ROI-first design: Balancing brand standards with owner realities; value engineering without cheapening the experience.
• Independen...

From wild Reddit hotel reviews to a cinematic recap of our Belfast “Come From Away” episode, this Friday wrap hits travel, hospitality, and a little GM-life chaos.

What you’ll hear:
•The Belfast episode drop: behind the drone shot at The Lyric and how we built a more cinematic edit.
•Two-interview week: Tonya  Schmitt up next Tuesday; Michael Russell coming soon.
•Reddit rabbit holes: why traveler oversharing i...

This week on Check-In with Bryan, we traveled to Northern Ireland to support St. Agnes’s Choral Society in their powerful production of Come From Away at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre.

As the world reflects on the 24th anniversary of 9/11, this episode highlights how kindness, hospitality, and community can shine in times of crisis. Host Bryan Fish sits down with cast members Fiona Keegan and Michelle Hannaway, along with St. Agnes’s lead...

After two whirlwind weeks in Northern Ireland, Bryan and Tyler are finally back stateside (in two different cities), unpacking the trip, the late-night sessions, and why Nando’s x 3 became a ritual. We chat shooting a special onstage episode with St. Agnes Choral Society, near-miss key mishaps, brutal sleep schedules, and why the Financial District is Bryan’s new underrated NYC home base (plus a surprisingly great stay at a Sonder)...

What makes independent hotels thrive in a world dominated by the big brands? In this episode of Check-In with Bryan, Bryan sits down with Jenn Parks, Vice President of Member Development & Communication at Curator Hotel & Resort Collection.

Jenn brings a powerhouse background — 15 years at National Geographic building the Unique Lodges of the World program, and now leading Curator’s mission to support nearly 100 independent ...

Welcome back to Check-Out Fridays, our end-of-week series from Check-In with Bryan.

This week, Bryan takes the mic solo to break down one of the most common struggles in leadership and hospitality: work-life balance. Drawing inspiration from clips with past guests and voices like Scott Clary, Jay Shetty, and Mel Robbins, Bryan unpacks the three biggest myths that keep leaders stuck in burnout and chasing “someday.”

It’s midnight in New York, but Bryan and Tyler are wide awake for this week’s Friday Check-Out.

Fresh off a whirlwind week of filming, travel prep, and deep dives into hospitality, the duo sit down to talk about:

• Their recent interview with Cody Adent and his very Utah ventures
• NYC filming adventures (including a 9/11 Memorial visit and security guard diplomacy)
• The chaos of air travel: middle seats, man-spreading, and rogue airpor...

What if your hotel could run seamlessly — with no front desk, no on-site staff, and 5-star reviews?

In this episode of Check-In with Bryan, host Bryan Fish sits down with Cody Adent, President & CFO of Vibrant Management and host of The Virtual GM Podcast. Cody shares the game-changing process behind their Virtual GM model, which allows boutique hotels to operate profitably with remote teams and lean operations — often in proper...

From Instant Pot debates to airport karaoke fails, this week’s episode of Check-Out Fridays with Bryan and Tyler is full of laughs, updates, and future plans.

Tune in as the duo catch up before their upcoming trip to New York and Northern Ireland, where they’ll be filming, podcasting, and collaborating with some familiar faces in hospitality and the arts.

Inside this episode:

• A bizarre karaoke experience at Orlando International A...