On No Vacancy, I talked with Charif Zahrane, Managing Partner at M7 Services, about the hotel technology mess sitting underneath the AI conversation.

Everybody wants to talk about AI. Charif wants hotel operators to look at what sits below it first.

Data. Infrastructure. Security. System connections. The unsexy stuff that decides whether the shiny new tool actually works or turns into another headache.

That's where this conversation gets useful.

Hotel operators can't just throw AI on top of messy systems and expect magic. They need a cleaner foundation, a better understanding of what they're connecting, and partners who understand how hospitality actually runs.

Charif also gets into why the old "break-fix" IT model doesn't match where hotels are headed.

This one's for anyone trying to figure out what hotel tech should look like before AI makes the whole thing even more complicated.

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Today we answer the most important question of all, what Arnie missed. Arnie Garfinkle tosses back some cocktails with Glenn, Craig and Producer Suzanne for this week's Friday Night Audit. Bets are open to how late Arnie shows up for his guest spot.

Seventy-three percent of new vacation ownership purchases now come from Gen Z and millennials.

That changes the pitch, product strategy, and member experience conversation for every company in vacation ownership.

During ARDA Spring Conference, I spoke with Gordon Gurnik, COO of Hilton Grand Vacations, about younger buyers, points-based flexibility, AI, and the experiences HGV builds around ownership.

🎟 HGV runs about 3,800 member experiences a year, so ownership means access, not just more space

🏎 At Elara in Las Vegas, HGV brings F1 into the owner experience with viewing areas, concerts, food, and beverage

🎤 Chef dinners, wine tastings, baseball suites, and private concerts create moments members may not arrange on their own

🤖 AI opens a path toward more personal recommendations, especially in markets like Las Vegas where too many choices can overwhelm a trip

👨‍👩‍👧 Points-based ownership helps younger buyers adapt as their families, schedules, and vacation habits change

Gordon also talks about why hospitality keeps people hooked: travel, food and beverage, construction, marketing, sales, entertainment, and the moments when guests create memories right in front of you.

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Conversions still beat new construction in a lot of markets right now, so I wanted to get specific on what Bruce Ford sees across the Americas pipeline.

I talked with Bruce Ford (SVP, Lodging Econometrics) about where projects are moving, where they're stalling, and what owners/operators/investors should watch in Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the U.S. for #NoVacancyNews.

Here's what we cover:
🏗️ Canada shows roughly 2x as many renovation/conversion rooms as rooms under construction
🇨🇦 Bruce explains where he still sees room to grow in Canada, especially upper midscale and upscale
🌎 In Latin America, he points to uneven activity, with stronger momentum in Mexico than some other markets
🏝️ We talk Caribbean resort redevelopment, including repositioning and storm-related rebuild activity
🏨 Bruce explains why soft brands matter when owners want local character plus distribution power
🇺🇸 In the U.S., renovations/conversions still run at about 2x rooms under construction
📉 He says the market likely needs another rate cut or two before more projects move into the ground
⚽ We also hit World Cup city activity and why smart developers don't build around one event alone
💬 Bruce asks what topics you want next: cities, regions, new construction, renovations, or broader real estate trends

Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.

Glenn is in California. Producer Dave is on the way. We preview all there is to expect at the California Lodging Investment Conference.

Today is International Women's Day and we wanted to celebrate by having two strong women leaders in the industry on. First is Davonne Reaves of The Vonne Group and then our very own Dr. Producer Suzanne. Today we celebrate all the strong women in our lives.

Holy Cow! We made it to 50 shows. Nikki Fox, VP Business Development at Parkwest GC, joins Glenn, Craig and Dave to class up the show.

In this episode of the Hotel Design Podcast, we welcome Paul Steelman - CEO of Steelman Partners. Paul Steelman was previously on our show during Episode 10.

Host Glenn Haussman is an avid casino resort design enthusiast, and he starts the conversation with Paul Steelman by discussing his rich and vibrant background. Paul began his career prior to the birth of modern Las Vegas, which began with the creation of Steve Wynn's The Mirage – the world's first mega-resort.

Paul notes that the entrepreneurial spirit of Steve Wynn was absolutely incredible and they discuss how he parlayed a small investment into the ownership of The Golden Nugget, before setting out to redefine the entire notion of Las Vegas with the creation of The Mirage.

One of the most prominent projects that Steelman Partners designed was Resorts World Las Vegas – a recently opened $5 billion mega-resort on the Las Vegas Strip. Steelman recounts the long process from its initial design & concepts in 2012, to finally opening the modern Asian-inspired resort in 2021 after many design changes.

Paul and Glenn discuss the challenges of basing the resort over a failed mega-resort project called Project Echelon, a Boyd Gaming Project which was partially completed before succumbing the financial crisis in 2008.

They also reviewed the maturation of casino resorts and how the design of this project pushes the project into a new era of design. This influenced the casino to be located centrally to the building with all amenities surrounding the casino floor.

Paul's philosophy is that the casino must be the most energetic room in any casino resort building - 24 hours a day.  Resorts World Las Vegas has a different casino design, which is long and narrow, and allows guests to take less steps overall to reach their destination. This makes the gaming floor easily accessible from all sides, an idea that Paul sees as successful through his many years of designing multiple Asian resorts in Macau, China.

Paul believes that every new casino must have something new that attracts and entices guests. A beautiful hotel and beautiful restaurant simply aren't enough any longer. Customers crave something new and unique within a singular attraction. When Steelman Partners designed Circa, they designed the most incredible sports books - one inside that stretches three stories - and Stadium Swim, an unique and redefining outdoor sports experience.

They also discuss the Freemont Street Experience - which spans over 4 blocks and accommodates entertainers, free concerts, and more. They also discuss the concept of themed resorts, and creating buildings and that transcend a specific style and remain timeless.

They also talk about how Lorenzo Doumani, a young, new developer and the son of Edward Doumani, imagined building a non-gaming hotel. That project has recently broke ground, and is called The Majestic – which is located directly across from the Las Vegas Convention Center. Paul shares how this convention focused hotel has redesigned the experience to better help businesses achieve their meetings' goals.

Finally, they discuss new endeavors that Steelman Partners is working on, along with concepts that Paul things will remain prevalent. They discuss sports, e-sports, and sports viewing – which is slated to reinvent the town and will reinvent these buildings a great deal. Paul thinks the integration of various digital services, including digital live gaming will in fact change the future. They are anticipating that artificial intelligence and virtual reality applications will be the next wave of entertainment.

Visit our website to view our extended notes and follow along with some great project visuals - http://hoteldesignpodcast.com/ - and make sure to subscribe to our new Youtube page to watch the video interview!

See slides presented on air here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ixfwnykkqjonb6m/Dave%20Burns%20wild%20life%20photos.pptx?dl=0

Weddings are massive business for hotels. To celebrate National Wedding Planning Day, we have Jeffrey Selden of Marcia Selden catering, a prestigious company from the tri-state area. We offer up the latest tips and trends to what bride's want on the big day when it comes to food!

Tia Graham is an international speaker, author and consultant on positive psychology. She has worked with dozens of global companies such as Hilton Hotels, Kashi, and Hewlett Packard to elevate employee engagement and drive bottom line results. Prior to founding her company, Arrive at Happy, she led teams at luxury hotels in the United States and Europe for brands such as W Hotels, Westin, and The London. With multiple certifications in neuroscience, positive psychology, and employee retention, and over 14 years of leadership experience, Tia is widely regarded by business leaders in her field. Her insights have been featured in major media such as CNN, Forbes, and Fast Company to name a few. Her new book, Be a Happy Leader, teachers her proprietary 8-step methodology on driving productivity and business growth through a culture of happiness.

Glenn is live in Las Vegas at the coolest new steakhouse in town; Carversteak at Resorts World Las Vegas. Craig and Dave are sure to be sad they're not, which is reason enough to watch!

To kick off the week, I wanted a hard look behind the numbers. We hear a lot of takes—so what's real and what's not? I called our buddy Bruce Ford (SVP, Lodging Econometrics) to pressure-test World Cup demand, international travel, and the conversion-brand land grab for the hashtag#NoVacancyNews crowd.

Here's what we put numbers on:
⚽ 2026 World Cup: 48 teams across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada
🌍 International plane arrivals are about 6% down
🚗 Canadian trips to the U.S. down about 22–23%
💸 2026 operator reality: work the P&L and monetize every square foot
🤖 Booking changes in 2–3 years, with AI in the mix
🏷️ Brand strategy: more hashtag#hotel conversion deals and more "white space" flags

Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.

Today we feature Devin Hashimoto, Executive Chef of Resorts World Las Vegas; Michael Waltman, Executive Director of Zouk Operations and Lori Calderon, Executive Director of Community Engagement.

Rob Smith, EVP of Operations for Aimbridge Hospitality, joins us again to update us on how the company is starting off 2022. What is he seeing in the luxury and resort segment? How is leisure travel shaping up? What does 2022 hold for the industry at large?

Olympic Gold Medalist Dawn Burrell joins us to talk about how she made it to the top of her sport and is now working to get to the top of the restaurant industry. What has she learned as an Olympic athlete that transfers to running successful restaurants?

We're live at Carver Road Hospitality, a new company already making exciting moves in Las Vegas and around the country. Their CEO, Sean Christie, previously ran and entertainment and nightlife for companies such as Wynn Resorts and MGM Resort International.

Glenn is at the NEWH Leadership conference in Seattle! This special show is live from the event. We have two guests, world renowned photographer Chase Jarvis who shares the secret to bringing more creativity to our lives and then hotelier Bashar Wali on how he is building a creative forward hotel management company.

Stephanie Fenz Rohletter joins Glenn, Craig, Dave for a show that will be talked about for generations. But probably for the wrong reasons. Also, Glenn is live in Seattle at the NEWH Leadership Conference.

Mike Ealy, Founder/CEO of Nassau Investments, shares how he started his investment career in real estate, lost everything and how he built it back up to a place where owns 1500 rental units, four hotels and more deals in the pipeline.

Frank Marini, CEO of Amtrak Vacations and Railbookers, joins the show to talk about the benefits of traveling the country by train. What type of unique experiences and relaxation can you get when you decide to see the country by rail. First, we get a quick update from Lee Hunter on the upcoming Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, which will be in Atlanta March 22-24.

Glenn and Anthony take a look at some hospitality headlines and answer your questions live on air.

My oh my, Friday Night Audit has been here for a whole year! As horrible as that is, we're going for another. No use in fighting us, grab a drink and laugh along with Glenn, Craig, Producer Dave and our guest Scott Arnim.

We're exploring maximizing hashtag#hotel Customer Journey opportunity!!!!

To kick off this 6-part Customer Journey series, I wanted to start at the top: why this matters now and how leadership turns better service into an actual company-wide plan. We'll be focusing on how CoralTree Hospitality is leveraging tech to connect with customers.

In Chapter 1, I talk with Tom Luersen, President of CoralTree Hospitality, about why CoralTree spent a year building this strategy and how they are thinking about customized guest experiences at scale.

Here is what we cover:
·       Why CoralTree made the guest journey a priority now
·       Why they spent a full year building buy-in instead of rushing rollout
·       How they built a real plan (not a one-time initiative)
·       Standards of Care vs. standard procedures
·       How they balance technology with high-touch service
·       Why continuous improvement matters as guest behavior changes

Next week: we get into the operational backbone - empowerment, trust, and team culture.

Want to follow the full series week by week (and catch any chapters you miss)? Subscribe to the hashtag#NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866.

Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

Day 2 of Glenn and Anthony's trip to lower Manhattan. Today they are the Mint House which combines apartment style living into hotels into a category they're calling residential hospitality. We hear from hotel industry veteran Paul Sacco, CDO, and Elizabeth Herzberg, VP Development, why this break from the traditional hotel layout makes sense for travelers, both on short visits and for extended stays.

Glenn and Anthony are back on the road for the first of two shows from Manhattan. They sit down with Justin Kellerman, GM of the Beekman Hotel to talk about this hotel's amazing history, creating a modern experience in an historic building, how they stayed strong during the past two years and how they're ready to stand out in the Financial District of Manhattan. 

Dean Schreiber, CEO of Oakwood, reveals the behind the scenes business of serviced apartments. Oakwood has more than 80 building across Asia, USA and elsewhere. 

Glenn and Anthony and Dean explore how this business directly relates to traditional hotels and what hoteliers can learn from this sector of our business. 

Industry expert and author Sean Worker returns for a vibrant discussion on the state of adaption and innovation in hospitality. We also discuss The Adapters, which Glenn helped write.

On March 14, 2020 we first introduced you to Dr. Ronald Primas. It was the dawn of the covid crisis. He's also the guy hotels go to when guests are sick. Now we catch up with him as the crisis abates and learn how he managed the crisis and what he learned.

It's another opportunity for YOU to get involved with the show. Viewers have control, put your questions in the comments for Anthony and Glenn to answer on air.

Chip Rogers stops by to give us some quick news and then don't be left in the shadows on this show, when we start with the CEO & President of the AH&LA Chip Rogers. We will get a better understanding of the new No Room for Trafficking campaign that kicks off this month. Then Nancy Medoff, author, keynot3, speaker, and executive coach will chat with us in celebration of last week's, National Speak Up and Stand Out day. Nancy will share some of her tips for women to amplify their voices and stand up for themselves.

February is Black History Month and no better time to recognize Black leaders in the industry. Julian Tucker(GM) and Terrance Frederick(Director of Sales, Events, and Marketing) and the Andaz West Hollywood join the show to talk about what Black History means to them and how it helps them in their daily life.

Roger Dow, President & CEO, of the U.S. Travel Association joins us to talk about the work he's continued to do for the industry, as well as his impending retirement from the organization. We discuss state of covid mandates, airports rebuilding, the importance of international travelers, why the USA has no cabinet level tourism position and more. 

Puerto Rico rainforest on one side. Ocean on the other. A 607-acre resort in the middle. I talked with Chris Sariego, COO of LionGrove, at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar about how they used a $70 million reinvention to reposition the property around eco-experiences, expand amenity appeal, and keep more spend on-property.

🌿 Chris explains how they stopped treating it like "just a big hotel" and rebuilt it as a destination resort tied to the local ecosystem
🧪 They brought in local scientists and environmentalists to shape guest programming around the environment
🐢 They now run protection efforts for three endangered turtle species that nest on the property
🚣 Chris describes a sunrise kayak route that runs river → ocean → reef and stays entirely on-property in about two hours
🏖️ He lays out the scale: 607 acres, two miles of beach, rainforest access, and a full resort amenity mix
🍽️ The property includes 15 restaurants, spa, casino, multiple pools, golf, racquet center, and more
🎰 He also highlights the adult side: a new casino, a speakeasy/cabaret concept, and an adults-only pool with butler service + DJs
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 And they built it to work for families too, with kids programming, water slides, and toddler splash areas

What an amazing group of drinkers we have tonight. Glenn and Craig are joined by Bruce Ford, Producer Dave, Doctor Producer Suzanne, Stephen Medel and Sarah Dandashy.

Tim Sullivan is the CEO of Cendyn, which just merged with Pegasus. They discuss hotel tech company consolidation, where hotel tech is headed and what hoteliers must think about to fully compete.

Bruce Ford, SVP of Lodging Econometrics, and Craig Sullivan of CLIC (and more) share their thoughts on the state of hospitality after the ALIS conference, the first big hotel financial conference in 2022.

We last spoke with Limbert this past August, now he returns to update us on the company including how they've hit record room count, how he sees opportunity in 2022 and how the company is handling the soaring costs of labor and supplies.

Matt Marquis, CEO of Pacifica Hotels shares his success strategy while educating hoteliers on how they can create more opportunity. We're broadcasting live from the Wayfarer Hotel in downtown LA, a Pacifica Hotels property.

Tonight's a show to remember! We have Liz Wolff and Harry Javer, the masterminds behind The Lodging Conference. Join Glenn, Craig and Producer Dave as we kick back some cocktails and share some stories, laughs and more!

Sarah Dandashy shares where the real spirit of hospitality comes from and how it can be turned into creating a vibrant hotel business. Glenn and Anthony also celebrate Sarah publishing here book, "Hospitality From Within."

Daniel del Olmo, President & COO of Sage Hotel Management, shares how his award winning leadership style has transcended the industry, helping lead his company forward through the pandemic. Of course we discuss #laborshortages and more.

Tony Elenis, President & CEO, of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association joins with an update us on how our neighbors to the north have been recovering and the 2022 outlook.

Start your weekend off right with Glenn, Craig, Producer Dave and their guest Jackie Collins as the crew ushers in the weekend. Join us for happy hour fun capturing the vibe of being at the bar after the conference. Share this show!

A speakeasy bar with an actual vault door sits off the casino floor at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar. I walk in, meet Michael "Mac" MacDonnell, Vice President of F&B & Entertainment with LionGrove, and we turn it into a "quick chat" that somehow includes popcorn in a martini. #NoVacancyNews

🍸 Mac breaks down the Vault Martini: Belvedere vodka, yellow Chartreuse, orange bitters, popcorn, plus a tableside pour
🧠 He talks "threshold of pain" pricing—how far you push before the guest taps out
🪑 He explains why the Vault runs different than the other outlets: 55 seats, niche vibe, connoisseur guest
🥃 We get into rum country decisions: rare bottles, allocated product, and why relationships matter
💰 He drops the kind of number that makes operators blink: a $300,000 opening liquor order
👀 He shows what "details matter" looks like: glassware, presentation, bartenders who command attention
🕺 He talks training: a full month of coaching so the team performs, not just pours
🌴 We pivot into tropical fun with a tiki-style drink inspired by the Soggy Dollar Bar in the BVI
☕ Then the closer hits: "The Fortified" — local coffee + butter-washed rum + 24-hour prep… and it becomes the #1 seller
🧪 And yes, I taste everything "for scientific purposes" because I take research very seriously

Chris Green, CEO of Chesapeake Hospitality returns to share the straight scoop. This is a wide ranging conversation touching on myriad problems affecting the current state of hotels as well as long term solutions. The crew focuses on employee crisis, how great professionals fled the hotel business, the drop in hotel school students, the current state of events, omicron and more!

The Host Co. is helping short term rental owners add some of the best amenities to their offers. How can owners personalize their offerings to help stand out? Annie Sloan and Mikel Hubbard join to talk about how they can add value for everyone involved.