The Modern Hotelier

In this special episode, David Millili sits down with industry leaders at the Hotel Data Conference in Nashville to explore the latest trends shaping hotel profitability, benchmarking, revenue management, and mega-event performance.

First, Amanda Hite, President of STR, shares how new P&L benchmarking capabilities within CoStar with STR Benchmark are helping hotel owners, operators, management companies, and asset managers bette...

What happens when hotel teams have plenty of technology but still struggle to work from the same information?

In this special HDC Nashville episode of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili sits down with Kelly Popp, Vice President of Business Development, Americas, at Access Hospitality, to talk about one of the biggest challenges facing hotel commercial teams today: the “toggle tax” created by disconnected systems and silo...

What happens when you combine hands-on hotel experience, OTA expertise, hospitality technology, and a test-and-learn mindset? 

In this episode of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili sits down with Nick Farrell, Senior Vice President and Head of Sales at Phunware, to explore his journey from working on-property to Expedia and into the world of hospitality technology.

Nick explains why hotels should embrace a test-and-learn mentali...

The hotel industry is undergoing a major transformation—and hotels that continue operating the way they always have may struggle to keep up.

In this episode, David Millili sits down with Kathleen Cullen, Executive Vice President of PTG Consulting, to unpack the major shifts disrupting hospitality today. From the rise of AI and changing distribution models to B2B discount stacking, revenue management, technology, and evolving s...

Robert Marusi shares the leadership principles, technology strategies, and commercial mindset that have helped him lead some of the world's most iconic luxury resorts, including Hotel del Coronado and Grand Wailea.

In this episode, Steve and David speak with Robert Marusi, Commercial Director of Hotel del Coronado and Grand Wailea, about how AI, personalization, and data are transforming the hospitality industry. He also explains wh...

What does it take to lead one of New York City's most iconic hotels? 

In this episode of The Modern Hotelier, we sit down with David Salcfas, General Manager of Hard Rock Hotel New York, to explore his remarkable journey from washing tables and filling ice bins at a racetrack with his father to leading one of hospitality's most recognizable lifestyle brands.

David shares the leadership principles that have guided his career thro...

In this episode of Hospitality Hot Topics, Steve Carran and David Millili are joined by Dean Compoginis, the iconic voice of The Modern Hotelier, to break down the biggest hospitality stories from July.

They discuss how the World Cup boosted hotel revenue across the U.S., why food and beverage experiences are becoming a major factor in hotel bookings, and how the rapid expansion of AI data centers is creating new opportunities for e...

What does it take to build a hospitality career that breaks barriers while staying ahead of constant industry change?

In this episode, Steve Carran and David Millili sit down with Karima Zaki, COO of Town and Desert Hospitality, to explore her remarkable journey from immigrating to the United States without speaking English to becoming one of the first female hotel executives to lead major hospitality organizations.

Karima shares the...

What if the future of hospitality isn't just about exceptional service—but about creating meaningful human connection?

In this episode, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran welcome Elizabeth Mullins, President of Evermore Hospitality and former executive with Ritz-Carlton and Disney, for an inspiring conversation on the future of guest experiences.

Elizabeth shares her remarkable journey from discovering her passion for hospita...

What does it really take to renovate a hotel while keeping guests happy, protecting reviews, and maximizing owner returns?

In this episode, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Tom Kelley, CEO & President of Digney Holding Companies, to explore the business of hotel renovations, capital planning, and hospitality development. Drawing on decades of experience spanning architecture, Marriott, commercial real estate, and hot...

Live from HITEC 2026, we sit down with the winners of the prestigious E20X startup competition to explore the technologies redefining the future of hospitality.

First, Mergim Kacija, CEO of Stayfull AI and the E20X Grand Prize winner, shares how his experience as a hotel owner inspired him to build an AI-native property management platform designed specifically for independent hotels. Learn how specialized AI agents can automate gue...

What does it take to lead one of the world's fastest-growing global hotel groups while staying true to the heart of hospitality?

In this episode of The Modern Hotelier, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Gonzalo Aguilar, CEO of Europe & Americas at Minor Hotels, to discuss his remarkable journey from restaurant manager to global hospitality executive. Gonzalo shares how growing up across multiple continents, lear...

What does the future of hospitality really look like?

In this special Modern Hotelier Round Table, industry leaders come together for an honest conversation about leadership, technology, AI, hotel operations, employee engagement, and the future of guest experiences.

Joining the discussion are Shannon McCallum, VP of Hotel Operations at Resorts World Las Vegas; Dmitry (Dima) Kroshka, CEO of Phunware; Henrik Shimony, CEO & Co-Found...

In this episode of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with David Collyer, Global SVP of Aspire PreFlight Hospitality, to explore how hospitality principles are transforming the airport lounge experience.

David shares his fascinating career journey—from studying design in London and working with global brands like IHG, British Airways, and Accor, to leading guest experience innovation across luxury ret...

How can hotels use AI and location intelligence to attract new guests instead of spending marketing dollars on travelers who were already planning to book?

In this special HITEC edition of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili sits down with Evan Saunders, who shares how Azira is helping hotels rethink marketing through AI-powered location intelligence and attribution. Rather than focusing on vanity metrics like inflated return on ad s...

How can hotels eliminate spreadsheets, improve financial transparency, and strengthen relationships with owners?

In this special HITEC episode of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Brian McGeown, General Manager of Owner Relations, to discuss how technology is transforming owner accounting and financial reporting in hospitality.

Brian shares the biggest challenges hotels face with traditional owner acco...

In this special HITEC episode of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Kevin Bidner, Founder and CEO of HCN (Hotel Communication Network), to discuss how in-room tablets are reshaping the guest experience and driving new revenue opportunities for hotels.

Kevin shares HCN's journey from startup to industry leader, explaining why guest room tablets are becoming an essential communication platform for hotels...

In this special HITEC edition of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Chris Zach, Senior Director of Product Marketing at ServiceChannel, to explore how hotels can modernize facilities management, improve guest satisfaction, and reduce operational complexity.

Chris shares how ServiceChannel helps hotel operators manage external vendors from start to finish, streamlining everything from dispatching work o...

In this special HITEC edition of The Modern Hotelier, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Jake Lewis, President of Jonas Hospitality Property Systems, to explore how technology is reshaping the hospitality industry. With over 25 years of experience, Jake shares insights on the shift from disconnected software systems to unified hospitality platforms, why seamless guest experiences are becoming the new standard, and h...