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Josiah Mackenzie

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Labor, Leadership & Leveling Up: How Michael Escalante Went from Aerospace Engineer to Hilton’s Global VP of Operational Excellence

📈 Michael Escalante, once an aerospace engineer, transitioned to hospitality, eventually becoming Hilton's Global VP at the Center of Operational Excellence and President at hotelAVE. Currently, as CEO of R5 Hospitality Solutions, he uses scientific thinking and people-first leadership to uncover hidden value and improve hotel operations, delivering significant labor savings across hundreds of hotels. Check out Actabl's resource on a smarter, people-first approach to hotel labor management, linked for further insights into profitability.
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AI Psychosis & Humanity in Hospitality Leadership – Sloan Dean

🤖 Josiah Mackenzie and Sloan Dean discuss "AI psychosis," highlighting how over-reliance on AI can erode reality and critical thinking. The conversation covers leadership evolution, focusing on the hospitality industry's role in maintaining human connection amid digitalization. Sloan, a CEO and father, voices concerns about societal impacts when excessive thinking is outsourced to AI. They suggest the hospitality sector's unique capacity to counteract these isolating trends and emphasize a people-first approach to labor management.
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Not Done: Sloan Dean After Remington – How He’s Betting on Himself and What’s Next

📚 Sloan Dean, former CEO of Remington Hospitality, shares his decision to resign after 8 transformative years to pursue entrepreneurship. He is now enhancing his skills through MIT AI courses. Dean highlights his belief in calculated risks and clarifies that becoming CEO was not his ultimate goal. Resources and further insights from Sloan Dean are available on platforms like LinkedIn and various podcasts. Subscribe to Hospitality Daily for more updates and insights.
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Why STR’s 40 Years of Proprietary Data Is Its Superpower in the AI Era

💻 STR President Amanda Hite discusses AI's future role in hospitality at the 2025 Hotel Data Conference. STR's 40 years of hotel data is its key advantage. Her team is carefully testing AI to enhance data onboarding and analysis while safeguarding data integrity. Human judgment remains crucial for interpreting data. This dialogue provides insights on leveraging AI in forecasting without compromising trust.
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The Real Purpose of Hotel Benchmarking – Amanda Hite, STR

📈 **Josiah and Amanda discuss the importance of benchmarking in the hotel industry.** When? 2025. Where? U.S. hotel market. What? The key is consistency in tracking data to grow market share. How? By adapting to changes and focusing on competitive growth. The U.S. hotel demand forecast has been revised to -0.1%. With no new demand growth, businesses must shift demand from competitors to succeed. Why? To survive in a rapidly changing environment.
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Protecting Margins in the Profitability Squeeze of 2025 – Amanda Hite, STR

📑 Amanda Hite, President of STR, discusses 2025's hospitality profitability challenges. Shrinking margins result from ADR lagging behind inflation, rising labor costs, and debt service challenges, despite strong demand. STR's new tools and global benchmarking capabilities assist owners, operators, and brands in aligning data and making faster decisions. This episode offers practical insights for navigating current market pressures and maintaining strong business performance in the hospitality sector.
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  • 5 min

Calm Minds, Bold Moves: Amanda Hite on Leading STR Through Change

📈 In August 2025, at the Hotel Data Conference in Nashville, STR President Amanda Hite discussed leadership lessons inspired by STR founder Randy Smith. Smith's leadership style emphasized recognizing personal limitations, valuing team expertise, and encouraging risk-taking within set guardrails. Hite applies these principles to lead in CoStar Group, promoting calm and thoughtful decision-making in fast-paced environments. She highlights the significance of making quick decisions with available data, iterating as needed, and fostering an environment of autonomy and execution.
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From Forts to Function: The Innovation Kids Love That Drives Repeat Stays – Saar Shai

🏨 Saar Shai, co-founder of Wanderland, introduces "Screener," a modular, themed room divider for hotels, inspired by observing his children on vacation. This innovation addresses the lack of connecting rooms and enhances the family stay experience, thereby boosting guest loyalty. Saar emphasizes the importance of partnerships with creative hoteliers and advocates for starting small to achieve significant wins in hotel operations.
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