Nxt Gen Hotels

In this week's episode of the Nxt Gen Hotels podcast, we sit down on the 73rd floor with fabulous views of Dubai to chat with the General Manager at SLS Dubai Hotel and Residences. Having worked in the luxury segment of hotels, this conversation explores everything from sustainability vs luxury, market differences across the globe, advice for the industry, tech improvements and more.

If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe!

For all of you watching from Dubai, you're definitely familiar with Common Grounds, Tom & Serg, The Guild and more. For those from elsewhere, these are amongst the most well known and well loved restaurants in Dubai. In this week's episode, we sit down with Tom Arnel, Founder at EATX to learn all about how he revolutionised Dubai's dining scene, his story, the market and much more. This one's for all you food and dining experience lovers.

Bon appetit!

In this week's episode of the Nxt Gen Hotels podcast, we sit down with the lively GM at Radisson Blu, Media City Dubai - James Berry. With a ton of experience under his belt, having worked across geographies plethora of tips and advice we can all learn a great deal from. Delve into his career journey, leadership style, tech and lots more!

Introducing our Hospitality Hall of Fame series with the legendary *drumroll please*, Bill Walshe 🙇‍♂️ . Deep dive into what hospitality means to him, his journey, his renowned concept of "Prideology" and lots more. This episode is the longest one we've recorded so far and for good reason: it's inspirational, informative and incomparable.

All aspiring hoteliers or ambitious ones - this one's for you! In the this episode, you will gain invaluable insight on to the Dubai job market, and understand what helps candidates stand out to secure jobs. Jeff, AVP Business Operations at Dubai College of Tourism delves into the topics about the industry, career development and how to gain a competitive edge.

Delving into OTA's, the use of technology in hospitality, the differences in the industry based on regions across the globe and a very interesting career journey - this week's episode features the superb Glenn Nobbs. Watch to deep dive into relevant issues facing the industry today with some rapid fire fun to wrap things up!

In this week's episode, we speak to Gurnoor Bindra, General Manager - Sheraton, Mall of the Emirates. Delve into her hospitality career journey, her leadership style as a female leader, motherhood, work-life management and more. She is a force to be reckoned with - have a listen for yourself.

In this week's episode (and one of our favourite episodes this season), we chat with the magnanimous Mark Hehir - General Manager, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. With a plethora of fascinating experiences under his belt, he shares his journey from being a chef in the kitchen to managing one of the most beautiful properties in Dubai. It would be an understatement to call this chat interesting! We've watched it many times over, and have a feeling you'll thoroughly enjoy it too.

In this week's episode, we sit down with Manish Jha, General Manager - NH Collection Dubai The Palm. Amongst the various discussion topics, Manish speaks to us about his journey in hospitality, managing crisis like the 2004 tsunami a GM in the Maldives, how fitness integrates into his work ethic and of course sustainability. There's this and loads more to unpack in this episode. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Tune in to the latest episode of the Nxt Gen Hotels podcast. In today's episode, Mark Lee - General Manager at the iconic Media One Hotel in Dubai sits down with Mark to discuss his journey. Topics of conversation here range from sustainability in hospitality to banter between two football team rival supporters. This one's a must watch!

Touching on a topic that's never been discussed on the Nxt Gen Hotels podcast previously, Mark and Sophie sit down to have a conversation about inclusivity in hospitality. As the GM of the first and only property in Dubai to be certified as an autism friendly hotel, delve into the depths of Sophie's journey, her and her teams passion and how they address a very real challenge.

Join us as we speak to Judit Toth, CEO & Founder at INK Hotels. In this podcast episode, she shares her incredible story of how she likes to break the rules and has paved her own path in hospitality. From building a homegrown brand INK hotels, setting it up in a new location - get ready for insights, laughter, and an inspiring story to say the least.

Launching into the New Year with a bang! 🚀 Tune in to our latest episode featuring the incredible Stuart Birkwood, Curator (or as we know it, GM) at Radisson RED, Dubai. Join us for an insightful chat about his career journey, the unique Radisson RED brand, and a sneak peek into what's on the horizon. Stick around for some rapid-fire fun to wrap things up!

Embark on a captivating journey with Mohamed Awadalla, CEO of Time Hotels. From humble beginnings to leading a global brand, explore the pivotal moments that define his remarkable career.

In this episode, Mohamed unveils the intricacies of his journey, offering an insider's perspective into his rise in the hospitality industry. Gain exclusive insights into Time Hotels' exciting future as he shares strategies and innovations that redefine the landscape of modern hospitality. The episode also serves as a compass for aspiring hoteliers with some invaluable advice on navigating and thriving in the dynamic world of hospitality.

Recorded on: 26th October, 2023

Get ready to be inspired (once again)! Join us in celebrating the extraordinary Jaime Simpson, General Manager of Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, in our latest podcast episode.

Today, we re-welcome her as she shares her incredible journey of seamlessly balancing motherhood with a flourishing career in hospitality. Discover the secrets to her success, staying relevant as a leading woman in the industry, and the exciting milestones as Jumeirah Mina A’Salam commemorates its 20th anniversary.

Tune in to this conversation with a true powerhouse shaping the hospitality landscape. 

Recorded on: 15th September, 2023

In this episode, Rob Paterson shares 30 years of industry wisdom, discussing the internet's impact, COVID challenges, and the evolving hotel landscape. Dive into the rebalance of ops vs. commercial focus, the tech revolution, and the awakening needed in the industry.

💡 Don't miss his take on why hotels shouldn't compete with OTAs but should instead run their own race. Join us for a game-changing conversation on the mindset shift, industry fragmentation, and the urgent need for change in hospitality. 🚀

We say this every time, but this episode really isn’t one to miss. A slightly different format than usual, where we step away from the hospitality industry and dive into the world of travel and experience; the craft of curiosity; discovering our purpose and what it takes to build a brand from the ground up. With a whole ton of insights in between.

Our guest, Augusto Valverde, Creator & Host of Global Child has gone from filming with a selfie stick to building one of the top travel shows around, with over 7 billion viewers over 7 years. Not a bad statistic hey?

Staying true to his brand, Augusto chats with Mark on travelling with purpose; sharing his pillars for building a brand and being intentional in everything we do as spiritual beings. Purpose is not a destination, it’s a journey.

If you haven’t already, we highly recommend checking out the Global Child series, (after listening to YNGH podcast of course) - available on Peacock, Tubi & Amazon Prime (among several others).

Thomas Greggory, Directeur Général at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas joins Mark to discuss the role technology plays in creating a seamless experience within hospitality. Thomas shares a wealth of knowledge, outlining the importance of investing in your team and how this translates into the hospitality guests will receive.

Thomas’ hospitality journey started by accident back in 1999, where he has since gone on to work in a multitude of incredible locations across the globe; Monaco, Tunisia, Egypt & Paris to name but a few. He now resides in Al Saadiyat Island - Abu Dhabi, the Bahamas of the UAE.

This week on Your Next Generation Hotel podcast we sat down with Pascal, Director and General Manager of the amazing Paramount hotel Dubai, a flagship property and extension of the iconic Paramount Studios. Pascal shares insight into the properties’ link to the cinematic era and how this is reflected throughout. 

Falling in love with the industry at just 12 years old, Pascal shares a wealth of knowledge to young and aspiring hoteliers, shining a light on the wonderful opportunities a career in hospitality can lead to. 

Another episode for all young hospitality professionals! Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast is delighted to welcome Mads Wolff into the hot seat for this week's episode. Mads, who served as Hotel Manager since 2019, now sits at the helm as General Manager for 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central.

Mads joins Mark to discuss his journey from trainee chef in a Michelin Star restaurant in Denmark; to now overseeing Ennismore’s flagship property in Dubai!

A shorter episode but packed full of great insights. It’s worth mentioning, we think he may well have psychic powers… correctly predicting Argentina’s World Cup win 🔮👀

Calling all young hospitality professionals! This week’s guest Recep Pamukcu shares his philosophy and expertise on the key behind creating an amazing guest experience and getting the best out of your team.

Recep, General Manager of the breathtaking Ajman Hotel has a wealth of experience across all areas of the hospitality industry, and also happens to share some Irish roots having previously worked at The Croke Park Hotel, spending 10 years in Ireland before settling in Dubai.

In this episode of Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast, Tolga Lacin - Area General Manager of Marriott International, sits down with Mark to chat all things sustainability and the wave of innovation sweeping across Dubai.

Tolga has 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry and tells his story along with fascinating insights into their sustainable initiatives to reduce the environmental impact across their properties as well as Dubai.

Tolga is the Area General Manager, Marriott International, overseeing properties including W Dubai -Mina Seyahi, The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Waterpark.

This week on Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast we sit down with yet another inspiring leader in the industry, Laura Eggleton, General Manager at Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown. Laura chats about her career so far, transitioning from UK hospitality to the Middle East and the importance self belief has had in her career so far! Laura discusses her thoughts on the importance of work life balance and how she empowers her team to be themselves at work.

Starting in the industry at just 13, Laura went on to be the first ever female General Manager at IHG at the age of just 28 and has since gone on to inspire female leaders in the industry to have the self belief required to grow in the industry.

We are back with another episode of Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast and we promise this is one of the best yet!

This week we sit down with Jaime Simpson General Manager at Jumeirah Group / Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts to discuss balancing motherhood with career progression, the misconceptions that impact female leaders in the industry and both the challenges and learnings Jaime has had over the years of finding work-life balance.

Jaime is one of the industry's most influential leaders, not only has she been named as one of the Middle East’s Top 25 Power Women, she is also passionate about inspiring young women to strive in their careers alongside motherhood, make sure you listen in to hear Jaime share her incredible and inspirational journey in the industry so far.

This week, Mark chats to Casper Schonfeldt, General Manager of Trump International Golf Club, on what sparked his interest in the hospitality sector and his journey to getting to where he is today. Casper offers advice to aspiring hoteliers and emphasises the importance of guiding and investing in talent. 

Casper now oversees the iconic and award-winning Trump International Golf Club in Dubai, with over 30 years experience in some of the world’s most renowned Golf Resorts across multiple regions.

We hope you enjoy and don't forget to share with a friend! 

This week Mark sits down with Samuel Njoroge, Quality Assurance Manager at JA Resorts and Hotels to discuss all things business excellence and sustainability. Samuel discusses his path in the industry so far, giving an insight to his passion for sustainability and the journey in becoming Dubai’s most sustainable 5 star resort hotel.

In this week's episode Mark sits down with Najee Syriani, Corporate Vice President of Projects at Rotana Hotels to chat about everything from culture to hotel design. Najee highlights the importance of staying agile to keep up with the ever evolving guest expectation and shares how Rotana collaborates with the local community to enrich a strong culture for their travellers.

After 18 years in the Architecture and design space, a Masters Degree and an Executive MBA, Najee celebrates over 16 years with Rotana Hotels, where he is currently heading a team of architects, interior designers and engineers responsible for monitoring the aggressive expansion plans of the company within the coming years.

Najee is also the co-founder of WitWork, a platform providing digital nomads, freelancers and entrepreneurs a multitude of workspaces outside the box of a standard office.

We are excited to share this one, enjoy and make sure to share with a friend.

We are back with Series 3 of Your Next Generation Hotel Podcast, this season Mark heads to the Middle East to chat all things Hospitality, with some of the industries best leaders 🚀

Our first guest this season is one you won’t want to miss 👀

We sit down with Nathalie Cockayne, General Manager at Meliá Desert Palm, to discuss the highlights of her career thus far, inspiring future talent in the industry, and how Nathalie stays ahead of the ever-changing guest expectations at Meliá Desert Palm.
With over 20 years experience in luxury hotels, Nathalie has travelled all over the world working with some of the world’s most prestigious hotel brands, including Mandarin Oriental and Shangri-la, and now managing the world renowned Meliá Desert Palm.
After being named one of the Top 100 Power GMs in the Middle East, and one of only six females on the list, I believe it is safe to say Nathalie’s success speaks for itself.

Jon Davis is the CTO of Village Hotels. Village Hotels operates 31 hotels in the United Kingdom, with a plan to open 50 by 2025. The company was founded in 1995, and is now owned by Denver-based private equity firm KSL Capital Partners.

Jon has a fascinating background from the operations side as hotel manager to running his own hotel technology consultancy business to his current role with Village Hotels. We discussed everything from the impact of covid to the use of chatbots after analysing call centre data. 

It's a must listen episode.

Hope you enjoy!

Chitra Stern is the recipient of the prestigious Deloitte Institute “Accomplished Entrepreneur Award” at the London Business School, “Person of the Year” Award by the international Family Travel Association and the “Family Traveler Award” for special contribution to the Family Travel Market. She is an Electronic Engineer, Chartered Accountant and MBA (London Business School). Between 2017 and 2019, Chitra was on the Committee of Portugal IN, a special task force created by the Portuguese Prime Minister’s office to further enhance Foreign Direct Investment into Portugal (www.portugalin.gov.pt). She is also an invited professor for Luxury Marketing at the Nova School of Business and Economics and is the incoming President of the Entrepreneurs Organization (www.eonetwork.org) in Portugal.

Owner and founding board member of Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts (www.martinhal.com) , Chitra is a passionate entrepreneur and real-estate & hotel developer, working alongside her business-partner and husband, Roman, on their projects in Portugal. They developed the Martinhal Resort in Sagres in the Algarve from scratch and have successfully expanded the “Martinhal” brand across 3 other properties in the best and most prestigious locations in Portugal – with one more branded hotel residence (www.martinhalresidences.com) coming up in Lisbon. They have had 4 children during the process of building up their businesses. They are also working on commercial real-estate projects and an Education Hub project in Lisbon, between the Park of Nations and the airport. The school, United Lisbon International School will open in September 2020 (www.unitedlisbon.school). The school forms part of a wider Edu Hub (www.eduhublisbon.com) – with innovators, tech companies and an academy that all have something to contribute to education. The school will be a K-12 International School with an American-based Curriculum and IB diploma. It will be operated by International School Services from Princeton, NJ.

Enjoy the episode.

Constance Hotels & Resorts is a collection of luxury hotels in authentic destinations across the Indian Ocean.

Beautiful Mauritius, Magical Maldives, True Seychelles & Authentic Madagascar. Don't they sound wonderful. 

We were delighted to be joined by Roshan Koonja who is the Chief Information Officer at Constance Hotels. We discussed all things technology on a luxury resort and how it differs from that of a city centre hotel. 

Please do share with some colleagues and friends. We hope you enjoy. 

Jan Hejny is the CEO of HotelTime Solutions, a company that provides cloud-based systems to hospitality industry in the EMEA region. They develop, distribute and support 4 main products - HotelTime (online property management system), Vento (ePOS system), Libero (PMS for wellness&spa centers) and Confero (Conferencing&Events system) and currently serve more than 500 customers in 11 countries world-wide.

HotelTime is a long-established independent software developer and provider of cutting-edge, yet affordable cloud-based systems to the hospitality industry. On the market in Europe for over 16 years, the software they first developed 18 years ago.

We discussed why cloud based products are the future of hospitality. 

Hope you enjoy. 

Michael Bonsor is the Managing Director of the Rosewood London. An iconic hotel, an iconic brand and an exciting future. 

We discussed it all from keeping the team positive to tackling covid. Michael joined the Rosewood in 2013 as Hotel Manager before taking up the position of Managing Director in 2017. During this time, he has led the hotel to Forbes 5-star rating and Conde Nast #1 Hotel in London 2019. 

A true great in the hospitality industry who is leading the hotel into an exciting period where new geographical regions will be opened up because of covid and new guests will get to experience the wonderful experience Rosewood has to offer.

Enjoy the episode. 

Welcome back to "Your Next Generation Hotel" podcast.

Season 2 kicks off with Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality. 

UKHospitality is the powerful voice representing the broad hospitality sector – covering everything from bars, coffee shops, contract catering, hotels, nightclubs, visitor attractions and other leisure venues.

Kate is facing the toughest challenge the industry has ever encountered with Covid-19. We discussed her suggestions to government on how to protect all that rely on this wonderful industry for their livelihoods as well as how UKH can help its members. 

Please share this episode with your colleagues and spread the great work Kate and her team at UK are doing. 

When brilliant, committed people come together, anything is possible. At a time when the governments' recent immigration policy announcement has understandably caused concern, it has been an absolute pleasure for us to welcome Louise Phelps, Robert Richardson and Chad Smith to collaborate on this episode to help the hospitality industry stand together and face our recruitment challenges constructively and head on, so as to stop them negatively impacting the next generation of hotels.

This episode is a follow on from what was supposed to be a conference on March 27th at The Savoy London but due to covid, it was postponed. Please see the individuals involved below. 

Louise Phelps:

Louise Phelps is Head of Talent Acquisition at The Savoy in London, one of the World’s most iconic hotels. Louise has won numerous industry awards for her talent acquisition strategies and systems.

Robert Richardson:

Robert Richardson is an award-winning hotelier based in Kent and London. Recently achieving a place on the 2020 Boutique Hotelier Industry Powerlist as a “Young Trailblazer”, he also sits on the executive board for the Institute of Hospitality.

Chad Smith:

Chad Smith is co-founder of HIRE (Hospitality’s Internal Recruitment Exchange) an initiative designed to rebel against the negative employer image that the hospitality industry experiences, and create a space for in-house hospitality recruitment and HR professionals to come together.

Elaina Fitzgerald Kane is the 38th President of the Irish Hotels Federation, succeeding Michael Lennon. She is Sales Director of the Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel & Spa, a family-owned, four star hotel at Adare, Co Limerick. The 89 bedroom hotel, which currently employs 200 people, was established by her parents, Mary and Dick Fitzgerald in 1983. Mary Fitzgerald is a former President of the Irish Hotels Federation.

A graduate of the Shannon School of Hotel Management, UCG and UCD’s Smurfit Business School, Elaina has been an active member of the IHF for many years. She serves as a member of the Federation’s National Executive Council. Prior to her election, she was Vice-President of the IHF. She has also held the position of Chair of the Shannon Branch of the Federation.

Robin has worked in hospitality ever since he graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 1977, with his background prior to Bespoke consisting of a range of General Manager positions across the country, including the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews and the Royal Berkshire in Ascot, before becoming a Regional Operations Director for Forte Hotels, based primarily in Bath.

Bespoke Hotels has grown to represent over 200 properties worldwide, and stands as the UK’s Largest Independent Hotel Group. Founded in 2000 by Robin and Haydn Fentum, Bespoke has consistently grown to the point where they now manage over 9,500 hotel rooms, 8,000 employees and £815 million of assets.

We hope you enjoy this episode, please share it to a friend. 

Nassar Khalil FIH MBIFM has just been named an industry giant by Boutique Hotelier. Even by only looking at the list of roles he currently occupies it's hard not to see why. Nassar is the Owner & Chief Exec of Rogue City Hotel Group, Director of Hotels and Leisure at Henley PLC, CEO of his own independent hotel and hospitality consultancy, a Managing Director at no less than three hotels and a visiting lecturer at the Vatle Hotel Institute. If that wasn't enough previously he was also the Head of Standards for the Nikko Hotels Group.

During this week's podcast we dive into why hotels have historically been reluctant to embrace technology and how Nassar believes hotel can now embrace technology  wholeheartedly without compromising the human element which is so important in hospitality.  He also elaborates on how the hotels of the future can incorporate technology into the fabric of the buildings themselves to not only improve the guest experience but also reduce costs for the hotel.

Janice Gault is the CEO of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation. On a positive day for hotels in Northern Ireland where the re opening date has been brought forward to July 3rd, we spoke to Janice about her time with the NIHF, how Covid has impacted hotels but more importantly how hotels will manage their way through this crisis. 

The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation is a not-for-profit limited company representing the hotel and guesthouse sectors in Northern Ireland; it's main roles are identifying and reviewing issues affecting the hospitality industry and lobbying governments and the NI Assembly on the economic and employment opportunities of tourism. Developing services for the benefit of the industry, the Federation actively works in partnership with others to create the right conditions for tourism.

Just before Easter we had the pleasure of speaking to Robert Walton MBE. Robert is a recognised and respected figure in the hospitality industry and is President of the Restaurant Association of Great Britain. Having trained as a West-End chef and then becoming a hotel owner, he has unique hands-on experience and insider knowledge of the sector.

Robert is the founder of The Nth Degree Global which runs some of the most prestigious hospitality events in the UK including the Michelin Revelation, Young Chef Young Waiter and the Restaurant Association Gala Dinner. The Nth Degree Club  which falls under the parent company is an exclusive Private Dining Club based in London, Dubai and other prestigious locations around the world with an exclusive membership network of successful, influential and like-minded individuals and corporate companies.

In this episode, we discussed Roberts background in hospitality, the experiences of fine dining and how to build resilience in the face of adversity. 

On this week's episode of Your Next Generation Hotel podcast we talked to Robert Richardson FIH, GM at The Grand Folkestone, boutique hospitality manager of the year 2019, and winner of many other awards (below). We discussed his own approach to the Covid-19 crisis as well as looking at how hotels can meaningfully incorporate technology to improve the guest experience.

Below are a list of the distinguished awards Robert has won:

• The Boutique Hotelier 2020 Power List – Young Trailblazer
• Winner of the Southern Enterprise Awards’ Boutique Hospitality Manager of the Year 2019
• Shortlisted in the category of General Manager of the Year in the 2019 Boutique Hotelier Awards
• Winner of the Canterbury Christ Church University Business Partner of the Year Award 2019
• Winner of the Shaw Trust Employer of the Year (working with disabilities) Award 2019
• Recognised as “One of Britain’s Leading Hoteliers” by Hotel Designs and Shortlisted as Hotelier of the Year 2019
• Shortlisted as Outstanding Leader of the Year in the HR in Hospitality Awards 2019
• Winner of the Institute of Hospitality Judges’ Special Achievement Award 2018
• Winner of the SME Community Impact Award for Employability Support 2018
• Winner of the Kent Employer Partnership Awards for Employer Engagement 2013 & 2014
• Elected Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality

Today on Your Next Generation Hotel we talked to senior lecturer Dr Nick Naumov about how he believes the hospitality industry can adapt and grow in a post-covid world. Listen out particularly for his insights into how rural hotels can leverage their location and what role technology has to play.

Nick’s industry background is in hospitality management and more specifically, front office operations and F&B Management. Having worked in his native Bulgaria alongside the UK and USA, he is very interested in service quality, customer experience and service innovations.

Nick teach courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and supervises students for their dissertation projects at the University of Northampton.

James Lemon is a leading start-up and travel consultant helping founders & enterprising leaders to grow their business in novel ways. His expertise in strategy & performance has been built over 10+ years in senior positions at IHG, Travelport, as well as COO of Series-B scale-up Hostmaker.

James operates both independently under The Growth Works umbrella, and as a Partner at AJL Consulting, with a special focus on short stay and vacation rental management.

He is currently on assignment with IHG, leading a large programme to revolutionise global approaches to e-commerce and online distribution; and advising start-ups and investment community on growth opportunities in travel, technology and beyond.

In this episode we discussed innovation in hotels and how hospitality brands globally are tackling COVID-19.