Hotel Operations

📷 Philippe, a Glion graduate, began his career at St. Regis Hotel in New York before working for Four Seasons and Salomon Brothers. He transitioned from hotels to wedding photography in 2000, creating one of California's top agencies. By 2025, he starred in a Netflix series and pursued acting and modeling. Philippe also launched a design firm and patented a fitness machine. At 61, he continues to embrace new challenges, emphasizing adaptability, health, and following one's passion.

🏨 Hotels must focus on timeless fundamentals to endure: safe shelter, clean and restful environments, and reliable experiences. Security remains paramount; comfort and cleanliness are non-negotiable; convenience and reliability are crucial. Innovation lies in execution, offering opportunities for differentiation across luxury, mid-range, and budget sectors. Understanding guests and personalizing these essentials ensure loyalty and success. Mastering these basics builds a resilient foundation, beyond fleeting trends.

📦 Hoteliers struggle with time-consuming review responses; AI offers a solution. Responding to one review daily takes 30 hours yearly, reduced by over 50% with AI, cutting response time from 5 to 2 minutes. GuestRevu AI, tailored to hospitality, ensures consistent, professional replies without copy-pasting. It integrates review content and brand tone, offering secure GDPR-compliant data handling. Unlike ChatGPT, GuestRevu AI provides streamlined, context-aware responses, enhancing guest engagement and brand consistency.

🎉 Your 3rd Spot, an eatertainment concept in Atlanta, opened in 2023 with a 30,000 square-foot space, without a tipping model, opting instead for a 20% service charge. Run by Amp Up1 Hospitality Management, the company ensures higher hourly wages for staff, spreading the charge across all team members. Post-opening, the employee turnover rate stands below 50%, hinting at a successful model as the brand plans national expansion. Additionally, the no-tipping model, which includes healthcare and 401ks, has been well-received by customers and employees alike.

🏨 The hospitality industry faces the challenge of building and retaining a strong workforce, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The workforce now prioritizes work-life balance and purposeful careers, with a shift from aspiring for VP-level roles to general manager positions. Recruitment focuses on personal connections, with technology aiding but not replacing the need for genuine interactions. A robust onboarding program and continuous learning opportunities are crucial for retention. Company culture plays a key role in employee engagement and retention, especially in hospitality where long hours and high-pressure situations are common. Patti, with six years in hospitality and hotel HR, emphasizes recruitment as relationship-building and joined Concord Hospitality in 2019 to support its expansion.

📌 Claudia Infante, Chief Data Officer at Margaritaville, discussed her hospitality career journey and the value of mentorship and relationship-building on April 28, 2025, in a podcast episode. She emphasized sharing ideas to enhance business and team performance.