The Modern Hotelier

How can hotels use technology, AI, and better Wi-Fi to improve guest experience? 

In this episode, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Hannah Greenberg, CEO of Eleven, to explore the future of hospitality technology, hotel operations, entrepreneurship, and what it truly takes to deliver exceptional guest service.

Hannah shares her journey from working at a hotel front desk at just 16 years old to acquiring Eleven throug...

On this episode of The Modern Hotelier Hospitality Hot Topics, Steve Carran and David Millili sit down with Christopher Ahlgrim from Preferred Travel Group to talk about the latest news and trends in hospitality.

They kick things off with a look at Astound Ventures’ new $30 million investment fund and Dormakaba’s acquisition of Alliants, and what these moves could mean for hotel technology and the guest experience. They ...

Is your hotel lost in the "AI pilot trap"? 

In this episode recorded live at AI Washington, D.C., David and Steve sit down with Sajid Shariff, Founder and CEO of Dextr AI, to discuss how multi-agent AI systems are shifting hospitality from simple chatbots to full-scale operational intelligence.

Sajid shares his journey from IIT Bombay and Stanford to building businesses across consulting, tech, and hospitality. He breaks down wh...

What can a modern revenue management system (RMS) actually do for an independent hotel?
 
In this episode, David Millili sits down with Steve Taft, VP of Partnerships at  ampliphi RMS, and Tim Kolman, VP of Sales at ampliphi RMS, to discuss how modern revenue management systems are helping independent hotels compete with larger brands.

For many 40-room independent hotels, revenue management is still something owners ...

roommaster is evolving—and the future of hotel technology is all about modernization, flexibility, and helping hoteliers work smarter.

In this episode, recorded at the Independent Hotel Show Miami, Steve Carran sits down with Mark Bloomquist, Chief Revenue Officer, and Steven Burman, Director of Sales at roommaster, to discuss how the 30-year-old hospitality technology platform is being reimagined for the next generation of ho...

In this special episode of The Modern Hotelier, hosted by David Millili live from the Independent Hotel Show Miami, we sit down with Chandler Smith and Natali Jones, the creative minds behind the design atelier Smith & Jones.

Smith & Jones is redefining high-end residential and niche commercial spaces with custom furniture, fine decor, and art curation. Chandler and Natali break down what it truly means to operate as an atel...

How are hotel AI employees and hotel software automation reshaping front-desk workload, guest messaging, and back-office efficiency?

In this special Independent Hotel Show Miami episode of The Modern Hotelier, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Jonathan Lei, Co-Founder & CEO of withQ.

Jonathan breaks down how withQ AI builds digital workforce solutions to tackle the ongoing hotel workforce shortage, handle AI gues...

Independent hotels have a secret weapon that the big chains don't have, and in this episode, we unpack exactly how to use it.

Welcome to The Modern Hotelier. Today's guest is David Gavaldon, a new member of the Stash Hotel Rewards team who spent years on the hotel side of the program before joining their side. He sits down with host Audrey Yates to break down how independent hotels can compete with corporate giants by building their...

Hotel amenities are the touchpoints guests remember, they matter just as much at $200 a night as at $1,000.

In this episode, Steve and David sit down with John Farrell, CEO and Owner, and Kim Peterson, Head of Operations, of Trilipiderm and Curated Comforts, a U.S.-based skincare and spa line that builds fully customized amenity programs for hotels. 

Kim and John explain why scent is the most memory-evoking sense we have, how si...

In this episode of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Anurag Verma, co-founder of PriceLabs, to explore how data, revenue management, and technology are transforming pricing strategies for independent hotels and alternative accommodations.

Anurag shares his journey from growing up across India and studying mathematical optimization to working in revenue management at United Airlines and eventually co-f...

How can independent hotels build a profitable distribution strategy while navigating OTAs, direct bookings, metasearch, and AI-driven travel discovery?

In this special Independent Hotel Show Miami episode of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Oshick Shams, Partner Manager at SiteMinder, to explore how hotel distribution is evolving and what independent hoteliers need to know to stay competitive.

Oshick ...

What does it take to create a hotel food and beverage program that guests remember, and locals actually want to visit?

In this episode, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Ami Alexander, Managing Partner at Barrel Aged Management, to explore the evolving role of food and beverage in hospitality. Ami shares lessons from her career with Hakkasan, Sydell Group, and Montage International, including the challenges of opening lux...

What does it take to build a hotel brand that stands out in an increasingly competitive hospitality industry? 

In this episode, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Phil Andreopoulos, CEO of YOTEL, to explore his remarkable career in hospitality, his leadership journey, and his vision for the future of hotel brands.

Phil shares how starting in a restaurant at just 14 years old shaped his passion for hospitality, the less...

What does it take to create a truly one-of-a-kind hospitality experience in the age of AI?

In this episode, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Janice Wilson, founder of Menizei and Territori to explore the intersection of hospitality, technology, real estate, AI, and category design.

Janice shares her unconventional journey from law and real estate to professional dance, entrepreneurship in Cambodia, software engineering at...

What does it take to build technology that can truly transform hotel operations?

In this episode, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Kevin King, CEO of Shiji, for a wide-ranging conversation about hospitality technology, artificial intelligence, leadership, and the future of the hotel industry.

Kevin shares his journey from working at a hotel front desk in Australia to leading a global hospitality technology company. He dis...

What’s happening across the hospitality industry right now? 

In this episode of The Modern Hotelier Hospitality Hot Topics, Steve Carran and David Millili sit down with Richard Sandoval, CEO of Spire Hospitality, to unpack the latest trends and biggest stories shaping the hospitality industry—from Airbnb’s growing move into hotels and OYO’s fake hotel listings to Hilton and Marriott’s push into wel...

How do you scale a boutique hotel company without losing the creativity, personality, and local connection that make independent hospitality so special?

In this episode, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Jorgan von Stiening, President of Palisociety, to explore the strategy behind scaling a successful boutique hotel company while staying true to its brand and guest experience.

Jorgan shares his journey from accounting and ...

What does it really take to own a hotel, and how can more people gain access to hotel investing?

In this episode of The Modern Hotelier, Davonne Reaves, founder and CEO of The Vonne Group and Vesterr, shares her journey from working on the front lines of hospitality to becoming a hotel owner, investor, entrepreneur, and advocate for greater access to hotel ownership.

Davonne explains how her grandmother’s hospitality influenced...

In this episode, Steve Carran and David Millili sit down with David Bowd, co-founder and owner of Salt Hotels, for a candid conversation about hospitality, leadership, design, service, and the future of independent hotels.

David shares how growing up in a small village in Staffordshire, England, and working in a local pub sparked his passion for hospitality. He also talks about leaving school at 16, discovering that the kitchen wasn...