Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality

Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality

Welcome to Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality, a Skift Podcast, where we unlock the secrets behind the world's most successful hotel and hospitality brands. Hosted by industry expert Katie Cline, each episode features exclusive interviews with top executives, seasoned leaders, and trailblazing innovators in the hospitality world. Together, they reveal the strategies that drive guest loyalty, enhance customer experiences, and set their brands apart in a competitive market. Whether you’re a seasoned hospitality professional or aspiring to break into the industry, Katie will distill each conversation into actionable steps that you can implement in your own business. Tune in weekly to elevate your hospitality game and achieve your own 'suite' success.

Episodes

The Social Media Expert on How to Turn Followers Into Bookings

August 14, 2025 • 55 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Emily Lethgo, founder of Match Point Socials and a seasoned social media strategist specializing in short-term rentals and hospitality. Emily pulls back the curtain on the ever-evolving world of social media marketing, revealing the biggest mistake hosts make to hold back bookings. From the power of authentic engagement to the secret sauce behind influencer partne...
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A Match Made in Marketing: How a Blind Date (Set Up by Me!) Created a Hospitality Power Couple

August 7, 2025 • 77 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes two of her longtime colleagues and friends: Yamil Errasti, the Founder of Everything Now, a marketing studio that helps brands find their voice and cut through the noise; and Pelayo Pintado, the CEO and Founder of Idónea Comunicación, one of the top PR and communications agencies in Spain. They also happen to be married — and Katie takes full credit, having set them up o...
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Why Every City is a Food City, According to Top Chef’s Gail Simmons

July 31, 2025 • 71 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Top Chef judge and culinary storyteller Gail Simmons to talk travel, taste, and the unexpected power of a good meal. From her early days in food media to two decades on Top Chef, Gail reflects on how curiosity—and a few bold leaps—shaped her career. She shares how food became her lens for understanding people and places, and why the best bites often come from the mo...
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The “Super Bowl of Travel”: Inside Travel + Leisure’s World's Best Summit

July 24, 2025 • 69 mins
On this very special episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline takes you behind the velvet rope of Travel + Leisure’s 2025 World’s Best Summit. The event, described by one panelist as the “Super Bowl of Travel” brought together influential voices from across the industry for keynote speeches, panel discussions, and spirited debates on the trends shaping global travel today. Katie shares personal reflections and standout takeaways—...
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The Gen Z Expert on How to Attract Tomorrow’s Guests and Today’s Talent

July 17, 2025 • 60 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline talks with Dr. Meghan Grace—generational researcher, podcast host, and resident Gen Z expert—to break down what makes each generation tick and how those insights can unlock better hiring, stronger culture, and more thoughtful guest experiences. Meghan shares why Gen Z is craving more than a paycheck—and why hospitality might be the perfect match. From purpose-driven work to incl...
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How this Master of Property Management Scaled to 100+ Short-Term Rentals

July 10, 2025 • 61 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline speaks with Patryk Swietek, owner of The Cohost Company. Patryk is a master of property management and serial entrepreneur who scaled his portfolio to over 100 short-term rentals in just one year. He shares how he built and acquired property management companies and reveals the mindset that helped him grow fast—despite the inevitable mistakes along the way. He dives into what sets...
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He Survived Brain Cancer—And Became Italy’s Most Celebrated Hotelier

July 3, 2025 • 83 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Paolo Lorenzoni, the legendary General Manager of The Gritti Palace. Known for hosting world dignitaries, celebrities, and royalty, Paolo opens up about his extraordinary career—and the diagnosis that nearly ended it all. Before arriving at The Gritti, Paolo held leadership roles at some of the most prestigious hotels in the world. But just as his career was reach...
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A Life Rewritten After Tragedy: Weekender Hotels CEO on Sentencing, Sobriety and Starting Over

June 26, 2025 • 51 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Keir Weimer, Founder and CEO of Weekender Hotels. His journey is one of profound transformation, marked by tragedy, resilience, and remarkable reinvention. At just 23 years old, Keir was involved in a tragic accident that claimed the life of his best friend. Sentenced to 2-6 years in prison, what followed was not just time served but a powerful personal transforma...
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How this Founder Built the Tinder for Hotel Tech

June 19, 2025 • 62 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline chats with Jasmine Seliga, the founder and CEO of Affixify- an unbiased, algorithm-based platform that matches hotels with hospitality technology providers. With a career spent selling hospitality software, leading corporate sales teams, and consulting for tech companies, Jasmine knows just how fragmented and overwhelming the hotel tech landscape can be. She breaks it all down w...
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The Boutique Hotel Expert on Why it’s Easier Than You Think to Own a Hotel

June 12, 2025 • 59 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline is joined by Blake Dailey, a boutique hotel investor and former military officer who scaled his business from a single short-term rental to six hotels and six short-term rentals located in multiple states. Blake shares his journey of transitioning from the military to full-time real estate investing, the strategies he used to grow his portfolio, and his insights on the importan...
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From Branding to Bar Design: Four Seasons’ VP of F&B on Why Life’s Too Short to Have a Bad Meal

June 5, 2025 • 60 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Michael Doneff, Vice President of Global Food and Beverage Concept and Brand Development for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. From his Midwestern roots in Minnesota to overseeing Michelin-starred restaurants in France, Michael shares the unexpected journey that shaped his taste—and his career. You’ll hear why simplicity trumps spectacle, what the most overlooked item on a...
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Hygge Over Hustle: Why This CPA Walked Away From the White House (Literally)

May 29, 2025 • 67 mins
In this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline chats with Kerri Gibson— former CPA and corporate tech executive turned boutique hotelier, chalet host, and founder of Experiences Hygge. What started as a sabbatical to recover from burnout quickly turned into a passion for hospitality, renovation, and creating warm, welcoming spaces rooted in intention. Kerri shares how her journey from the boardroom to the boutique motel wasn’t ...
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Exclusive First Look: Virtuoso's Summer 2025 Travel Trends

May 22, 2025 • 50 mins
Summer travel is heating up—and we’ve got the data to prove it. In this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Misty Belles, Vice President of Global Public Relations at Virtuoso, the world’s leading luxury and experiential travel network. Dubbed the Wander Woman of Travel, Misty shares an exclusive first look at Virtuoso’s top travel trends for Summer 2025—just in time for Memorial Day weekend. Tune in to hear about: ...
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The Untold Story of Travel’s Biggest Disruptor: The Points Guy

May 15, 2025 • 63 mins
In this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down for a candid conversation with Brian Kelly, known to millions as “The Points Guy”. The trailblazing founder of the world’s most influential travel and points platform pulls back the curtain on how the idea for a points travel agency evolved into a personal blog — and ultimately grew into a global media empire with a fiercely loyal global following. Brian shares how he tr...
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How a Bad Vacation Selfie and a Pawned Engagement Ring Took Flytographer from Side Hustle to Eight-Figures

May 8, 2025 • 62 mins
In this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Nicole Smith, the visionary founder of Flytographer — the world’s first global vacation photography platform. What started as a creative side hustle after a weekend in Paris with her best friend has grown into an eight-figure, profitable business that spans over 350 destinations and has helped over 100,000 travelers capture meaningful moments across the globe. Nicol...
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The Story Behind the Story: What You Didn’t Know About Marriott’s Starwood Acquisition—and the Company’s Surprising Rebirth

May 1, 2025 • 64 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with one of the most influential communications leaders in hospitality and beyond: KC Kavanagh. Currently serving as the Chief Communications Officer for Visa, KC has also held top communications roles at companies like AT&T, Bacardi, and, of course, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Throughout her 18 year tenure with the hotel company, she helped shape the narrative and cultura...
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How This ‘Accidental’ Hotelier Rebuilt the Rainforest—and Was Voted #1 in the World

April 24, 2025 • 56 mins
On this Earth Day-inspired episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Leo Ghitis, the visionary owner of Nayara Resorts. Leo is an entrepreneur who’s redefining what it means to run luxury eco-lodges with purpose. He personifies blending a deep love of nature with his mission-driven mindset, resulting in an unwavering commitment to transformative hospitality. His properties have earned global recognition, including the tit...
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The Branding Test That Built a Billion-Dollar Hotel Empire

April 17, 2025 • 61 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline is joined by Chris Holdren, a visionary marketing leader whose career has shaped some of the world’s most iconic hospitality and entertainment brands. Most recently, Chris served as EVP Chief Marketing Officer and later Co-President of Caesars Digital, where he helped lead the brand’s foray into the digital gaming world. Katie and Chris first met during their time at Starwood Hote...
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No Money, No Problem: How This Designer Turned $0 Into a $3M Real Estate Empire

April 10, 2025 • 55 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Madi Johnson, a design-driven short-term rental investor known for transforming historic homes in upstate New York into impeccable guest-centric retreats. She’s also the co-founder of The Short-Term Rental Book Club, a community for hospitality entrepreneurs to learn, connect, and grow in the ever-evolving short-term rental industry. Madi shares her strategies to find, f...
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The Power of Saying Yes: How Moving to Bali Changed Everything for this Hotel Exec

April 3, 2025 • 47 mins
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline chats with Christine Morairty, Vice President of Brand and Marketing at Palisades Hospitality Group. Together, they explore the ever-evolving world of hospitality, branding, and intuitive service. Christine shares her journey from New York to Bali and now, to San Francisco, revealing how a single conversation shifted her entire perspective. She unpacks the power of adaptability—whe...
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