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 Episode 179 of Award Travel 101, hosted by Angie Sparks with moderator Mike Zaccheo, covers news on Delta's new "Miles Headstart" borrow-now-earn-later feature, an Alaska Atmos Rewards status match opportunity, and IHG discounts on new-hotel stays, alongside personal updates on card spend progress, upcoming trips (Punta Cana, Japan, the Milwaukee meetup), and Angie's Swiss rail and Ireland trip planning. The main segment spotlights Napa Valley as a destination, with both hosts sharing their own trip breakdowns — flights, hotel picks (Alila Napa Valley, Andaz Napa, Silverado Resort), wineries, and food recommendations like Ad Hoc and Mustard's. The episode wraps with a tip on chasing time-limited earning opportunities like the Newegg/Paze promotion before they disappear. Where to Find UsThe Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.You can also email us at 101@award.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card!Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.  

Being that the 2026 Independent Hotel Show Miami is only a couple of months away, this special IHS Series episode features the VP of Development, U.S. & Canada at Minor Hotels, Genna Panagopoulos!  Genna joins the Suite Spot podcast to discuss: The Minor Hotels Brand & Special Announcements The Independent & Lifestyle Hotel Landscape The 2026 Independent Hotel Show Creating Unique Experiences for Travelers And much more. Ryan Embree: Welcome to Suite Spot, where hoteliers check in, and we check out what’s trending in hotel marketing. I’m your host, Ryan Embree. Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of The Suite Spot. This is your host, Ryan Embree. We are here for the second season of our Independent Hotel Show series. That means we are gearing up, if you can believe it, for the Independent Hotel Show here in September and Miami Beach. I am so excited and equally excited to bring in a familiar voice. We had her on the podcast just a couple months ago in New York City, Genna Panagopoulos, VP of Development North America at Minor Hotels. Genna, welcome back to the Suite Spot. Genna Panagopoulos: Hey, thanks for having me again. Ryan Embree: Yeah, excited to have you. We were talking off camera. Typically, I usually do the virtual interview before meeting you in person, so this is a little bit more comfortable here, virtually back in, in, I think you’re in Atlanta. I’m here in our TMG headquarters in Orlando, but second time on the Suite Spot. We really didn’t get to get into your hospitality background, kind of a tradition here. Wanna introduce you to our audience a little bit more, intimately and in depth. Talk to us a little bit about your background in hospitality and the journey that led you to Minor Hotels. Genna Panagopoulos: Well, it starts a long time ago because I grew up in the hospitality industry. Typical greek immigrant story. My father came here with just a few dollars in his pocket and ended up building a pretty successful restaurant business in Detroit. So if you ever are in Detroit, if you say Jimmy, the Greek people will know him. But I went to, I obviously grew up in Michigan, went to Michigan State, really, and started studying hospitality with the intent of taking over the restaurant business. And then I did an internship for my father and realized I did not love it as much as he did. And so I ended up falling into the hotel space and specifically hotel investment, real estate development, and have just fallen in love ever since I started my career at Davidson Hotels and Resorts back when they were in Memphis, actually on their business development team. And then they moved to Atlanta, ironically, next to IHGs headquarters. So I was with Davidson for a few years, hopped in over to IHG, where I was for 10 years, did everything from feasibility to business development to even brand, which is a little bit unique. And I don’t wanna undermine that because I had a lot of people say at the time, why would a developer ever go to brand? Like, that’s, you’re where you wanna be. But for me, it was so critical to kind of unlocking new opportunities in the future because the skills I gained in a year and a half on the team work just the role that I’m in now is super helpful because it’s, it’s kind of like wearing two different hats, right? A creative versus a mathematician. So anyways, I was there at IHD for 10 years, and then this opportunity at Minor came up last summer. I was so ready and excited to take on like a new challenge and I thought that it’d be a really fun and exciting new endeavor for me with this combination of my background. So, it’s exciting. Minor’s been super supportive and it’s a little weird to go from working in an office with thousands of colleagues to being the one of one in an entire continent, but it’s been great so far. Ryan Embree: Yeah. And what a unique opportunity. We’re gonna talk about that here in a moment because I think it’s absolutely fascinating. But your story is very familiar. I mean that we hear all the time from our guests, a lot of them start in that f&b kind of space and then transition over to the hospitality side, but super comprehensive skillset, which I’m sure has set you up for success in your role at Minor Hotels. Now, we met face to face at NYU IHIF, where just a couple weeks removed. I call this kind of takeaway season where everybody’s on LinkedIn, kind of frantically typing their takeaways and what they felt about the state of the industry right now, what we’re looking back on New York City, maybe you could start kind of zoomed in version of how that event for you and then maybe back up with an industry lens on some of the biggest takeaways from your time at New York City. Genna Panagopoulos: So from a Minor perspective, we had a really successful conference. So we had tons of meetings while we were there. Really good ones too, on some deals that were hopefully perpetuating. And then we’ll be announcing maybe by the Independent Boutique Hotel Show, but it was, the energy was very live, the excitement for Minor Hotels, was very visceral people, I think, you know, hoteliers are really looking for brands that understand their position. And because Minor is, you know, I always describe it as an owner first, then an operator, now a brand, right? And we still own an owner lease a vast majority of our portfolio. So we know what it’s like to be in their shoes, quite honestly. So it was a successful, like I said, the energy was there. It’s very validating to know that a lot of our marketing is working and all of the, the word of mouth and the fact that we’re out there, iI’m having to educate people less and less with every conference about who we are. So that’s great. Zooming out on an industry lens, you know, I think, you know, even just looking at beginning of the year to NYU IHIF, this sentiment is very different, right? You know, at the beginning of the year there was so much excitement over the World Cup. You and I spoke about that at NYU and it’s, it’s obviously been tempered quite a bit, and the K economy is still happening. We’re seeing luxury, the rates of the projects that I’m working on, I’m just shocked at how high they are and, how well the competitors are doing in the upper luxury space. It’s really fascinating. So I’m definitely seeing that as well. But the sentiment, and appetite to grow is definitely there. People are still looking to place equity, not ton, not huge amounts, but we’re, we’re seeing that there are still gaps on that front. Ryan Embree: The resiliency of our industry, I think, continues, right? It just, the momentum there, every single time we see a headwind, we continue to push through, which is really, really cool to see that owner. And, and from a development, I mean, new brands, new projects being announced, this is the space that we’d love to see, you know, more and more because there’s more and more demand growing travelers continue to prioritize travel and the experience economy, which is great for us hoteliers. So we just need some more rooms here, which is obviously what you’re tasked with, right, Jenna? So, but I wanna talk about Minor Hotels. I know you talked about needing a little less education now, but educate us here on the Suite Spot. I mean, Minor Hotels, brand spanning from select service all the way up to that ultra luxury segment ton of brands. They don’t have time for all of them today, but maybe you could share some of your personal favorites and within the hotel, Minor Hotels portfolio, what makes those brands unique? Genna Panagopoulos: Yeah, sure. So yeah, like you said, we now have 12 different brands, four of which were launched last year right before I joined the company. But we have these two lineages, I think within Minor Hotels history, right? We have our roots, which come from Thailand, and Anantara and Avani are great examples of that. And then we have our European roots from acquisitions over the years. So we’ve got brands like…that came from Portugal, NH, which is a very established brand out of Madrid. The four that we launched last year, offer really unique things that we never had before in our portfolio. So as we were looking to grow, we knew that that was something we’d have to have to kind of have on our menu of options for potential hotels, because some of these brands don’t work in every asset type and not every market, though most of our brands have a lot of flexibility to be able to grow into different asset types. But I guess my favorite, and I’m really excited about the Wolseley hotel brand we launched last year. So Minor International owns, which of course, Banner Hotels Resorts is a part of, owns Wolseley Hospitality Group out of London. And there’s a really beautiful institutional restaurant called the Wolseley that’s very famous. If you ask anybody from London, they definitely know the Wolseley. In fact, most people I know that just traveled to London know the Wolseley. So we own, we own that company and decided to take that brand into the hotel space, which is interesting because it’s a restaurant moving into the hotel world. And our first one will open in New York next year, but it’s been really fast. I think it’s really fascinating. There’s a lot of membership club opportunities with that one. And so that’s kind of an new trend we’re starting to see in the luxury space. Ryan Embree: It’s gotta be great to be able to have that breadth and spectrum of property or investment type for an owner to come in and say, this is maybe the market that I’m interested in pursuing, and then figuring out and kind of curating and tailoring what asset, what brand is gonna fit best there. And we talked about this a little at NYU, but I think, again, your job is so fascinating. You have this well-established, extremely popular worldwide brand, and here you are tasked with bringing it into the North American market, right? I’m sure there’s a lot of envious developers out there, what has been kind of, and really you only get to launch a brand like this into a new market only once. So what has been kind of your approach, Jen? I’d love to get kind of the background on what’s been your approach and what kind of feedback you’ve been initially hearing. Have owners been kind of waiting for this, you know, to arrive here and, and what are you hearing from owners right now? Genna Panagopoulos: It’s a tale of two stories as they say, right? So in the luxury space, there’s so much excitement. We are very established, people in that space know us, and wanna be the first to help us develop here. So that’s where we’ve seen the vast majority of our interest. Now, when you shift to looking at some of the upper upscale through the select service brands that we now also offer franchise, which I don’t know the stat off the top of my head, but it is a large component of those properties, those segments are operated by third parties and franchised. So being that we’re newer into that space, that’s where the challenge has been. So, but yeah, in terms of the hardest thing and I have to tackle every day is where do I spend my time? Because there’s constantly deals coming my way. We have to, we have to be quite strategic and mindful about what has the most likelihood of being the best representation of our brand in our target markets. So early on, when I started, I think the first four weeks of me taking the role, I had developed a pretty cohesive development strategy of where we wanted to spend that time. And where that is really any of the top, let’s call it 20 markets in the US that have international demand. So we have top markets that don’t have as much international demand, and we’ll look at those, but we just think that our value is gonna come from driving international business into these hotels. And then totally opposite from that, with Anantara, our, you know, wellness, upper luxury experiential brand. We are really excited about finding deals in kind of everywhere else except for those urban markets, right? So hard to get to places. Last week I was driving through Utah and Colorado, six hours in between each of them. So just to give you a little flavor, we were looking at a couple different opportunities in those states. You know, Hudson Valley is somewhere we wanna be Montana, Wyoming. So, you know, it’s a little bifurcated our approach to our various brands. But we’re trying to be very diligent and strategic about it. So we don’t get distracted by things that aren’t going to help us grow here. Because once we have good examples, we really believe the first few have to be really good. Once we have those, we’ll be able to drive further, further growth at a more quick pace. Ryan Embree: Yeah, no, absolutely. And what you were talking about how best to spend your time, I think that’s a, a challenge that hoteliers have had since the dawn of this industry. But it’s very exciting and very cool to hear those different approaches because, you know, you have the privilege of having that background, of having that history and, and culture already built over an in another market, bringing that here. But you also have the exciting new flavor of providing something new, maybe in some, some very experiential markets right now, which experiential travel is just absolutely exploding another traveler trend right now. And you already have some several success stories we touched on at NYU. Let’s dive a little deeper into some of those projects, Genna. Genna Panagopoulos: Yeah, so we’ve got, I guess our next one that I’ve already kinda spilled the beans on it, but the releases are already out there, but the first Wolseley in the world will be opening next year in New York in the former Lambs Club property. And I think it’s just such a fantastic market to open the first Wolseley hotel. You know, theoretically it could have been in London and hopefully we do have one in London soon, but it’s a very special cherished brand and it’s not the one thing I also just wanna spend a moment on, even though it’s luxury and it’s this very quintessential British kind of formal service style, it’s egalitarian at its roots, it’s really meant for everybody. So you could walk into the, into the Wolseley in London and see celebrities next to politicians and you’re Joe Schmo walking in off the street, you don’t need a reservation. And so I think it’s a really beautiful evolution of the, of the history of that brand. And I’m so excited for it to land in New York. Ryan Embree: So we can announce right now in 2027. The Suite Spot will be on site. We can do nice little episode up there hopefully. Genna Panagopoulos: Next, next conference in New York. We’ll be able to do it there. Ryan Embree: Alright. Genna Panagopoulos: Yes. And then a little, actually, I guess the next one that’ll open in 2029 is Anantara Turks and Caicos, which is a 100% residential hotel, really, really beautiful resort heavy wellness, you’ll find with Anantara. We really lean into the wellness, longevity space. And so, we pride ourselves on always being at the forefront of the latest wellness, the direction wellness is going. And so longevity, for example, right now is very important to us. And we’re seeing that bleed into the residential space. So, you know, just the way that’s getting threaded into the residential experience, into the hotel guest experiences is very fascinating to watch. And then in 2030, we’ll also have another Anantara in Miami, very close to design district. It’s kind of at the epicenter of where design district, Edgewater and Midtown all meet the views from the hotel will be incredible. There’ll be a helipad, a 30,000 square foot spa. And then a mix of hotel rooms, residences that people are living in, and then also residences that can get rented out to hotel guests as well. So we are super excited, I think, you know, having these three hotels in these three markets, right? We’ve covered New York where we already have a hotel, by the way, the NH collection, Madison Avenue, we’ve had there for a few years, which we actually own. And then, you know, Miami, which is a key market, obviously very heavy international demand, but just if you had to tell me to pick one plate, one urban market to put it an Anantara, that would be it. And then Turks and Caicos is such a important market for U.S. leisure travel. So these couldn’t have been better, better markets for us to be entering and launching region. Ryan Embree: Congratulations. What a strong pipeline and really cool projects you’re working on, excited to kind of see those and the announcements as they start to roll in and the pictures, those views that you’re talking about. But I think, you know, the Turks and Caicos property is something we’ve been talking about on the podcast. That CALA region is also booming right now. So, you know, it’s not just, I think sometimes when we say, you know, obviously bringing into the North American market, we tend to go a little bit more domestic, but to expand that into CALA I think is gonna be absolutely critical. ’cause you’re right, so much of that US domestic travel is now spending, you know, time and money in those areas, and looking a little bit more towards that for their experiences. So exciting all around. And of course we love, you know, we’re based here in Florida, so we’d love a new project. We’ll, we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on that Miami project that you have. But this is speaking of Miami, this is our independent hotel show series. Talk to us, you know, why you feel some of the Minor Hotel brands fit within this independent and lifestyle category. And what advantages do you see independent hotels or even experiential brands and lifestyle brands have in today’s hospitality landscape? Genna Panagopoulos: I’ll answer that last question first. If you don’t have that experiential, that’s table stakes today. So, we’re, I believe we’re only gonna see that become more and more important as the years go on. Because if you look at the consumer data of what the younger demographic, where they’re spending their money, it’s not experiences. It’s not, it’s no longer on goods. So having these really cool, unique experiences that they can travel and and receive is gonna be critical in terms of what we have to offer for independent hoteliers, keep in mind this is our roots, right? We started our, our company was founded by Bill Heineke, who, fun fact, and I can’t remember if I’ve already told you this, but the reason we’re called Minor is that he went to go start his business at a very young age of 17. And when he was getting his his business license, they said, sorry, but you need an adult to sign with you ’cause you’re a minor. So he’s really one of those serial entrepreneurs, wicked smart, wicked great at launching businesses, but he was an independent hotelier. That’s how he got his start. So he’s still driving a lot of the vision of the company. And I could tell you coming from a larger brand company into this environment, it is incredibly entrepreneurial. And because we also own hotels, but also operate for a lot of our owners, we truly believe we have this, like this hotelier mindset. We’re more of an operator than we are a brand at this moment. And so I think that could help lend itself to independent owners who are looking for a little bit of support. And we’re here to lean in as much as they want and as little as they want, but there’s benefits to it, right? We can help save on OTA costs, we can help save on purchasing. We’ve got great technology to help with forecasting and revenue management and and so on. So there’s definitely places to tap in. And I think particularly now more than ever with our two collection brands that we launched last year, so I started telling you this, but I didn’t finish telling you the brands that we launched, but two of them that we launched last year are collections. One is minor reserve collection, which is in the luxury space. And then Colbert collection, which is more upper upscale, maybe entry luxury. And those are just such, they’re primed for independent hotels, right? That’s why they were launched. To be able to keep the heritage and the name of an independent hotel play off of it, but then get all the back support, all the things behind the scenes that consumers will really never see, but it’ll help make operations much more efficient and smooth. And so we think that’s where there’s a lot of opportunity and we’re, you know, we’re priding ourselves on that. We’re here to be a partner and not a brand that’s telling you have to do it this way. So that’s where we’re really thinking this is the opportunity for us in that space. Ryan Embree: Well, it says, it says a lot that, to have two collection brands dedicated to that space really shows the investment in the future of these kind of independently run or branded properties and see the opportunity there because again, looking, you mentioned the lens and view challenges about independent hotelier and brand is very different from those big brands that have the scale to kind of combat those challenges a little bit more efficiently. So, you know, independent hotels, we always talk about on this series specifically are looking for any edge or opportunity to differentiate themselves to the traveler because they are really first in line to present a one of a kind experience. If you think about it, one of those places is f&b, a trend that obviously Minor Hotels has taken and ran with, especially with converting a f&b brand to hospitality brand. How have you leveraged the f&b theme with potential owners and when you’re having these conversations with investors, as you look to bring Minor Hotels to North America? Genna Panagopoulos: Yeah, so, well first we have a, when I was doing my onboarding in Madrid and Amsterdam, I toured our Anantara in Amsterdam and they had just, maybe they, a couple months before they had just concluded a chef series where they brought I believe 20 or 30 Michelin rated chefs under their roof and had a food festival, which I had never seen that. Like how amazing to bring. I didn’t know that, that that many Michelin chefs would be side by side cooking for each other, right? But it’s a really special thing. And I think that shows you that Minor is very credible in this super experiential high end f&b space separate to that. And so we have the talent in-house. Separate from that, when you look at our brands and the way our Colbert brand, for example, our Colbert, I don’t even wanna call it a brand ’cause it’s a collection. It’s not really a brand the way we thread food and beverage into the guest experience, right? So each hotel is completely unique within the collection. We don’t want any two to really look alike, to be honest with you. But as part of the one ritual that you can, that you can count on as a guest at every Colbert is a food and beverage driven experience. So whether that’s a bespoke cocktail that’s mixed for you, right as you enter the door, or maybe, after you’ve checked in and you’re in your room, a bell cart is a food and beverage bell cart of sorts is delivering a special experience to your door something that ties back to the identity that the hotel has, but is very curated and special, right? Not something that’s like a here’s the, the chocolate chip cookies we made today. No. Right? We want something really beautiful, thoughtful, creative, and that shows the craft in it that either ties to the experience or the identity of the hotel. So I think that’s really important and those little things go a very long way. Ryan Embree: A hundred percent. And those are the little things that add up in the independent hoteliers world that can, you can have the edge, right? And I mean there’s a whole now space with food tourism. I mean, it’s got a name for it now. That’s how large this trend is. And hoteliers are looking at F&B very, very differently than they did five, 10 years ago. It was a first a place where they started to look and say, where can we cut costs? Where can we make efficiencies? Now the brands that I think are doing it right are leaning into it. They’re seeing it as a part of their guest experience and also a huge opportunity for their local markets too. I think people, you know, in locally have looked at through a different lens at what a hotel F&B experience can be. And when someone comes to town, they might not be going to that restaurant. They might be going to a hotel or a resort, and it having that experience there. So very interested to see, right. Genna Panagopoulos: It’s, I don’t mean to interrupt you. But I just wanna say, I was recently having the conversation because when I started in the industry, we would joke, you could, you could like blow a cannon through a hotel restaurant. Nobody wanted to go to a hotel restaurant. Back in the day, they were cool. And it was like, oh, I’m staying at this hotel, meet me at the restaurant. But for a while, you didn’t wanna go to a hotel restaurant. It was vanilla, it was boring, it had no identity. It was just an extension. It was just a restaurant within a hotel. Now it’s such an important driver of bringing people to that hotel, whether local or visiting from out of town. And so there’s such an opportunity. I just, I look back at the time that those hotel restaurants were not attractive. And now I’m like, no, it’s such a beautiful component to an experience and I’ve seen really amazing destination hotels that are operated by the operators, but have a totally unique identity that’s very strong and compatible with the hotel, but not homogenous with the hotel. Ryan Embree: Absolutely. It’s very, very cool to see that evolution. And I think it’s only, again, as the trend continues to grow, I think it’s only gonna get stronger. You’re gonna see more emphasis on that f&b experience. And I personally can’t wait. Because I love those types of experiences to kind of see that evolve. And we’re gonna learn a little bit about maybe some of your favorite f&b experiences within the portfolio here. So let’s do my favorite part of the episode. Some rapid fire to get to know you Genna and the Minor Hotel portfolio a little bit better. Let’s start with one of your, you talked about maybe future favorite views at your property, but right now what is one of the favorite views at your properties in the portfolio? Genna Panagopoulos: I know you’re trying to do rapid fire, but of course I’ll just story tell a little bit. Ryan Embree: No, not at all. Please. Genna Panagopoulos: The Avani in Amsterdam, I had the opportunity during my onboarding with Minor to go to Amsterdam for a few days. Because we have a ton of hotels in Amsterdam. And I got to stay there and I woke up, I think it was a Sunday morning, and I had one of the upper level rooms and floor to ceiling windows. And I just, I watched the city wake up. It was so cool to see the sunrise from my room, but also the canals were coming to life. People were in boats and I had this cup of coffee and they had a great lounge here. And it’s not, it’s not a fancy hotel, right? It’s an approachable lifestyle of hotel. But it was really, it was so beautiful. I had this like Minor Magazine I was reading and I read the full thing. It was so lovely. And I’m actually taking my daughter there in a few, in two weeks, because I loved it so much. Ryan Embree: Very cool. Yeah. And she’ll get to have that view of the, the property as well. What about favorite fact? A fun fact about one of the properties? Genna Panagopoulos: Okay, so one of our new Colbert collections, that I believe is open now in Florence. It’s called Port Rosa, which it translates to Red Door. And it is actually one of the oldest, it might have been the first hotel actually in Italy and one of the first hotels in Europe. So it’s just so funny ’cause here we call our historic hotels 200 years old. And, and here we have like an 800 year old hotel. So I think that’s, I don’t think I could top that. Ryan Embree: Yeah, that puts it in perspective. Favorite signature dish? We talked about f&b experiences at one of the properties. Genna Panagopoulos: So I know I’m talking a lot about Amsterdam, but that was, it obviously left an impression on me, but at the Tivoli, which is one of our entry luxury brands, very well established in Europe, they really pride themselves on food and wine. And so culinary is a huge component of that experience. So I get to eat at the restaurant in the Tivoli called Ombre. And they really try to weave in creativity and art into the overall experience. And so they took it, they took inspiration from Rembrandt, and so Ombre is one of the 12 colors of Rembrandt’s palette. And so they, they had a beautiful way of weaving that into the food, the color of the food, the color of the menu, the names of the menu items. And it was just a beautiful, and you could watch the chef finish the food right at the entrance. And it was just, it was remarkable. It’s also on the canal. It was an evening candle lit room. It was beautiful. Ryan Embree: I mean the marketing team for some of these properties I’m sure has no shortage of content and storytelling. I mean, this is every hotel marketer’s dream. What about favorite guest experience or amenities at one of your properties? Genna Panagopoulos: That’s a good question. The, also in the Avani in Madrid, so, when I had wrapped up, I had trained in Madrid. I went to Amsterdam for a weekend, came back to Madrid to kind of give everybody my 2 cents of how the project or how the onboarding went. And I was only there for one or two nights. I was so tired. I had been gone for like two weeks. I missed my kids. But I came back and the Avani in Madrid as my welcome city had a smoothie set up. And I had never seen this, and I don’t even know if I’ll ever see this again, but they had a little, a little tiny, I think it’s called like a bullet blender, right? That I could blend in my room. They had the most beautiful, I don’t even know what fruit it was, but it was sweet. It was delicious. They had a variety of milks next to it that I could mix with the fruit, and then of course a little ice bucket and some honey. And it was just everything that I needed. I was so tired from being on the road and to come back and have this really like, cool, healthy, nutritious, it was so, it was like they were reading my mind of what I needed. And I’ve never been in a lot of amazing hotels. And again, Avani is not a luxury brand, but they totally nailed it. And then about an hour later after it, ’cause I had checked in fairly late in the day, they showed up at my door with this beautiful wind down tea set up, and it was, you know, tea can be hit or miss. Yeah, it was so beautifully floral and delicious. And I’m not even a tea drinker. And I loved every moment of it. And they had the most perfect cookie to compliment. Ryan Embree: It’s brilliant by the way, that smoothie, because it makes you a part of the process. It makes you feel a part of the experience. I’m sure a ton of people are sharing that on social media. They’re talking about it. I mean, how easy could it have been to just deliver a smoothie, but for you to kind of be a part of that experience, I think makes it a little bit more special. Very, very cool. I’ve never heard that either. Very cool. And then the last but not least, favorite piece of artwork at one of your properties? Genna Panagopoulos: Thats a tough one. Coming back to the fact that we have an NH hotel in Amsterdam called the Schiller, with tons of authentic Danish artwork. But I’ve also heard that the Tivoli Puerto Gaia has a lot of remarkable pieces. In fact, they have over 70 pieces of authentic art. One of my favorite artists is a Spanish artist…and his works are there. So I haven’t seen it in real life, but that’s on my bucket list. Ryan Embree: Well, I’ll tell you, this was probably the most internationally friendly rapid fire that we’ve had here. When asking these questions. You took us to Madrid, Amsterdam, Italy, all over the place. So, we’ll definitely, I can feel the hoteliers now doing some research on these hotels and planning their vacations. Let’s shift to the Independent Hotel show. It’s happening September 16th, 17th in Miami Beach. And remember Suite Spot listeners, don’t forget to use promo code Ryan26 for a complimentary registration. Genna, and I would love to see you there. Genna, you recently joined the show’s advisory board. Congratulations on that. What inspired you to get involved with this event and how do you see it supporting independent hoteliers? Genna Panagopoulos: First of all, thank you. And I’m really flattered to be on the advisory board. When we started our, when I was working through our development strategy as part of that, we were talking about the various conferences we wanted to attend. And we really think that we’re different from a lot of the big players that are already here, right? We’re trying to not be aligned with them, but a totally different offering. And so for us, it was really important that we find these independent hoteliers, boutique hoteliers that, again, are looking for somebody to help support them and maybe make their lives a little bit easier, but not be always watching over their shoulder. And so for us that this was perfect, I actually hadn’t come across it until they reached out to me. And it came about 48 hours after we had said, we need to find a show or a conference that has specifically this. And it just fell into our lap. And so we, it was, it was very serendipitous and we’re very excited. In fact, I hope we can continue to attend and I’ll be bringing my colleague from Mexico actually to help run the process with us while we’re there. So we’re excited. I also think that we could learn a lot of what independent hoteliers need and their challenges are and be able to help them out. Ryan Embree: Yeah, it’s a very, very unique event. I’ve had the privilege of being to the show since its inception a few years back. So much learning, there is something special when you put a group of independent hoteliers together in a room. The networking that goes down. It really is unlike any other event I’ve been to. So, again, hope you will join Genna and I in Miami Beach in September. We hope to see you there. As we wrap up today, we got a couple more minutes. What is your vision for the future of Minor Hotels in North America? Genna Panagopoulos: Listen, we don’t wanna be as big as everybody else that’s here, but we wanna have a really good foothold. I don’t think I mentioned this, but we have a little over 600 hotels worldwide, including in pipeline. And we’re really everywhere except for North America. And so it just feels like the right progression, of where we even have hotels in South America, in Mexico, right? So we’re really kind of closing in from all directions. And so we just wanna have good hotels here. Good representation on, fun fact, British and US travelers make up the majority of Anantara guests worldwide, even though we have no Anantara here in the U.S.. So, Norin England. So people want it, and I think once they’re here they will absolutely come. So we’re excited. We just want what we want. A good representation of hotels. Hopefully that’s somewhere around 20 to 30 hotels in the coming years. Ryan Embree: Well, you’re off to a super strong start. Congratulations again, Genna. It’s exciting to be here, kind of at the starting line of this Minor Hotel’s journey in North America. It will soon follow suit, like the rest of your brand is. So we’re excited to watch that unfold here in the upcoming years. Genna, thank you so much. We know you’re busy. You mentioned it before. We appreciate you taking your time, spending some time with us and talking about Minor Hotels and in the Independent Hotel Show. Again, we’re, we’re excited that we’ll both be attending there in Miami. And hope you will too. So Genna, thank you for your time. Genna Panagopoulos: Thanks for having me again. Ryan Embree: Alright and we’ll talk to you next time on The Suite Spot. Thank you for listening. To Join our Loyalty program. Be sure to subscribe and give us a five star rating on iTunes. Suite Spot is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with Cover Art by Bary Gordon. I’m your host Ryan Embree, and we hope you enjoyed your stay.

In this episode of The Modern Hotelier, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with David Collyer, Global SVP of Aspire PreFlight Hospitality, to explore how hospitality principles are transforming the airport lounge experience.David shares his fascinating career journey—from studying design in London and working with global brands like IHG, British Airways, and Accor, to leading guest experience innovation across luxury retail and aviation. He reveals how Aspire is applying hotel-style service standards, technology, design thinking, and guest insights to elevate airport lounges around the world. In this episode, you'll discover: How Aspire is reshaping airport lounges through hospitality-first thinkingThe role of AI, occupancy management, and dynamic pricing in lounge operationsWhy guest expectations have dramatically changed post-pandemicThe importance of guest feedback and data-driven innovationDavid also shares his vision for the future of airport hospitality, including luxury airport experiences, in-terminal hotels, sustainability initiatives, and how lounges can become a seamless extension of the travel journey.Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/45AdsDBRe-ALinks:David Collyer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-collyer-a1341641/Aspire Pre-Flight Hospitality: https://www.theaspireway.com/For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/307Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-..Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn pageConnect with Steve and David:Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.

Podcast 333 - How IHG Became One of Dunwoody's Biggest Community Partners - Colin Macdonald Dunwoody just had its 50th annual 4th of July Parade, and by every account it was the biggest and best one yet. IHG Hotels & Resorts was this year's platinum sponsor, and I sat down with Colin Macdonald, who runs IHG's franchise operations across the U.S. and Canada, to find out why a company headquartered in Dunwoody keeps showing up for this city. Turns out the parade was just one small piece of it. We also got into IHG Army Hotels, the part of the business that runs hotels right on military bases, the renovation that turned Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia into a real destination under GM Sharon Kilmartin, and IHG's work fighting human trafficking alongside groups like Wellspring Living and Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp. IHG has been headquartered behind Ravinia for more than thirty years now, with about 1,300 employees and five hotels right here in Dunwoody. If you haven't tried Parkwoods, the restaurant and bar on Ravinia's ground floor, or the Backyard at Parkwoods out back, put it on your list, especially once the holiday lights go up in December. And a big thank you to the IHG team, they didn't just show up on parade day, they helped us spread the word beforehand too. Full episode summary lives here: whatsupdunwoody.com/podcast-333

Episode 176 of the Award Travel 101 podcast kicked off with a fun discussion inspired by a member's post asking which region of Europe or Northern Africa listeners would choose for an all-expenses-paid two-week vacation. The conversation highlighted how differently travelers prioritize destinations, with Angie favoring the expensive countries of Scotland, Norway, Finland, and Estonia, while Cameron debated between the broader sightseeing opportunities in Southern Europe and the appeal of Switzerland. The hosts also covered several points-and-miles news items, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve 150,000-point offer nearing its end, elevated welcome bonuses on Delta Amex cards, Citi's closure of new applications for the Custom Cash card, and changes to Air Tahiti Nui award pricing that have made once-predictable redemptions far more expensive.The hosts shared their latest points-and-miles wins and travel updates as well. Angie celebrated completing a Wells Fargo business card bonus, but now faces the challenge of meeting the hefty spending requirements on two Amex Business Platinum cards before her pool project expenses are finished. Meanwhile, Cameron successfully secured a United Business card despite being over 5/24, booked a Wyndham stay for an Auburn football game by purchasing points at a steep discount, and used a Citi Strata Elite credit toward a Blacklane transfer in Athens. Upcoming trips to Morocco, Ireland, and Turkey were also discussed, along with the ongoing balancing act of maximizing points while minimizing cash expenses.The main topic challenged the hosts to answer a simple question: where would they go with 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points for two people, assuming a minimum two-night trip and a $1,000 cash budget for taxes and extras. Their examples showcased a wide variety of possibilities, including four nights in London using Virgin Atlantic and Hyatt points, a luxury San Diego getaway combining United flights with The Edit hotel credits, a Miami beach vacation with JetBlue and IHG, a Puerto Rico escape using Southwest and Hyatt points, a Morocco adventure built around Iberia award flights, and even a budget-friendly Orlando trip. The episode demonstrated that 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points can still unlock meaningful travel experiences when paired strategically with transfer partners and card benefits. The tip of the week reminded travelers to update their digital wallets before departure and ensure lounge access cards, National Park passes, and other travel essentials are easily accessible when needed.Episode Links:Chase Sapphire Reserve bonus ending soonCiti Custom Cash closedDelta cards elevated offersAir Tahiti Nui- American now dynamicWhere to Find UsThe Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.You can also email us at 101@award.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card!Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.  

The CEO of HPE joins as the stock surges today on the company's biggest earnings beat since 2018. Then, the CEO of Generac discusses the company striking a deal to provide backup power generators to a leading hyperscaler. Plus, the CEO of IHG joins to speak about travel demand and the consumer as the summer travel season kicks off.   Squawk on the Street Disclaimer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In Episode 173 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, Angie Sparks and Cameron Laufer covered a wide range of points and miles strategies, starting with two standout community posts. Angie highlighted an important discussion about insuring a complex trip booked across multiple credit cards to maximize welcome bonuses. The group recommended considering a standalone policy through companies like Allianz and using tools such as Squaremouth to compare coverage, while also putting the most expensive trip components on the card with the strongest travel protections. Cameron shared a clever positioning flight success story where a member booked Delta flights to JFK through Air France Flying Blue after transferring Chase points during a transfer bonus, saving a significant amount of points. The discussion also touched on the importance of understanding cancellation fees across different partner programs, with Virgin Atlantic noted as a favorite for inexpensive Delta award cancellations.The episode also covered several major pieces of points and miles news, including Chase's 30% transfer bonus to Southwest, IHG's 100% bonus on purchased points, Citi's 25% transfer bonus to Wyndham, and new Qatar Airways restrictions limiting how many people can be added to family and friends redemption lists. Angie shared a recent Wells Fargo business card approval with a $500 bonus that will help offset a large pool deposit expense, while Cameron discussed receiving his Rakuten-to-Bilt transfer and reminded listeners about the updated earning structure for different Bilt status tiers. The hosts also gave personal trip updates, including Angie's evolving Morocco itinerary and Cameron's plans to lock in Hyatt stays before upcoming program changes while continuing to prepare for Greece travel.The main topic focused on “workhorse cards” — the credit cards the hosts rely on consistently for everyday spending and maximizing rewards. Cameron highlighted favorites like the Chase Ink Cash for 5x office supply spending, the Amex Gold for dining and groceries, the Citi Strata Premier for its broad 3x categories and American Airlines transfers, and even the premium Bilt Palladium setup. Angie discussed cards she uses heavily in rotation, including the Citi Custom Cash for groceries, the Hilton Surpass for earning a free night certificate through annual spend, the Venture and Venture X for simple 2x earning, the Chase Freedom Flex for rotating categories, and the Venmo card for Costco purchases that code as grocery spend. They wrapped up with a practical tip for travelers booking independent hotels abroad: always compare prices across hotel websites, portals, Booking.com, Expedia, Costco Travel, and aggregators like Trivago because rates can vary dramatically.Episode Links:Chase to Southwest BonusIHG Buy points BonusQatar RestrictionsCiti to Wyndham BonusWhere to Find UsThe Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.You can also email us at 101@award.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card!Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.  

Lucy Lieberman is a longtime digital innovator who has spent her career jumping into emerging technology before the rest of the market catches up — from early websites and streaming to loyalty platforms and AI-powered travel. She's led digital transformation for brands like IHG, Amex, and FAO Schwartz, and she most recently served as CEO of Michelin Guide Hotels during one of the toughest moments in travel history. In this episode, recorded live at the Female Founders in Hospitality Summit in early March 2026, Susan and Lucy talk about positioning, pivots, and future-proofing. What You'll Learn: • How to spot market shifts before everyone else  • How to tell the difference between "too early" and "bad idea"  • Why great tech still fails without behavior change  • When to build products people don't know to ask for yet  • Why features and amenities never create loyalty  • How to turn a crowded category into a category of one  • Why to focus on problems instead of preferences  • What it's like to lead a travel company through a crisis • How to create a North Star teams can actually rally around  • Why luxury travel exploded after COVID  • Why authenticity keeps getting more valuable & the surprising comeback of analog • Why you have to keep asking "why" • How to become the kind of founder who can run through walls *** The Takeaway: Breakthrough companies win by obsessing over friction, unmet needs, emotional connection, and the "why" behind customer behavior — not by chasing technology, features, or trends for their own sake. Being early only matters if you're solving a real problem people genuinely care about. Lucy Lieberman on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucylieberman/

Episode 171 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks and Cameron Laufer, opens with a practical community highlight: a traveler facing a broken in-flight entertainment system on a United Premium Plus flight. The discussion reinforces that while compensation isn't guaranteed, notifying a flight attendant can often result in goodwill gestures like bonus points. The hosts then run through a packed news segment, including Chase transfer bonuses to Flying Blue and Marriott, an elevated 150,000-point sign-up bonus for the Sapphire Reserve, and new restrictions around Sapphire card eligibility. They also cover new IHG credit card offers, Flying Blue Promo Rewards for discounted domestic routes, and a standout Amex-to-Hilton transfer bonus of 20%, setting the stage for the episode's main focus.Angie and Cameron share personal updates on credit card strategies and upcoming travel, highlighting the constant balancing act of hitting minimum spend, maximizing free night certificates, and navigating issuer rules like Chase's 5/24. Angie details several trips in progress—including Morocco, Ireland, and domestic travel—while optimizing points, credits, and cash savings (like rebooking a rental car for significant savings). Cameron notes upcoming plans to Aruba and possibly Everest Base Camp, alongside ongoing points-earning strategies.The main topic dives into the best Hilton redemptions, with a focus on maximizing value through free night certificates, transfer bonuses, and strategic point usage. Angie highlights outsized value at luxury properties, including SLH hotels charging upwards of $2,000 per night, while Cameron breaks down real-world redemption comparisons showing how transferring Amex points (especially with bonuses) or even buying Hilton points can yield strong value—often 2–3 cents per point equivalent. The episode wraps with a tip of the week encouraging listeners to take advantage of transfer bonuses for programs they regularly use and a simple troubleshooting trick: switching browsers can resolve common issues like errors when transferring Avios between accounts.Episode Links:Chase to Flying Blue Transfer BonusChase to Marriott Transfer BonusNew Sapphire Reserve BonusElevated IHG Card BonusesFlying Blue May Promo AwardsAmex to Hilton Transfer BonusWhere to Find UsThe Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.You can also email us at 101@award.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card!Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.  

Think hotel investing is "passive real estate"? Think again. In this episode of Get Diversified, host Jacqueline Landry sits down with industry heavyweights Rikesh "Thunder" Patel and Kevin Kohler to expose the brutal operational realities of the hospitality world.Rikesh, a 20-year veteran with brands like Wyndham and IHG, explains why a single negative guest review is more than just a headache—it can represent a $10,000 loss in revenue. We go deep into the "Brand Trap," where companies like Marriott and Hilton can mandate million-dollar renovations (PIPs) on your dime, and the labor crisis where you must hire eight people just to keep one.Whether you are a seasoned investor or looking to diversify, this episode reveals why you must treat hotels as operating businesses first and real estate second.Timestamps[03:28] – Meet Rikesh "Thunder" Patel: From the family motel business to launching a 2026 fund.[08:26] – The Biggest Misconception: Why hotels are NOT passive real estate.[11:01] – The $10,000 Mistake: How guest reviews directly impact your P&L.[15:42] – The Brand Mandate: How Marriott dictates your renovation budget.[20:19] – AI in Underwriting: Why you can't trust the "hallucinating" machine with big deals.[26:45] – The Labor Crisis: Why you have to hire 6–8 people to find 2 who will show up.[38:58] – The Dark Side: Protecting your property from human trafficking and crime.[41:27] – Deal Structuring: Waterfalls, tax advantages (Cost Segregation), and avoiding capital calls.[47:20] – Thunder's 5 Rules for hotel investing success.

In this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, Patrick and Shelli welcome Jolie Fleming, Chief Product and Technology Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts, to discuss leading tech teams across a global, franchised hospitality ecosystem spanning 21 brands and nearly 7,000 hotels in 100+ countries. Jolie discusses her career journey, specifically what tools she brought and what challenges she met when moving from financial services to hospitality. She explains IHG's combined tech team, which unifies product and dev to increase speed, predictability, and gives business context increased visibility. They discuss the ever-shifting role of AI in future planning. And Jolie shares three key strategic themes: helping hotels keep “heads in beds”, improving operational efficiency with new property management systems, and deepening guest engagement via a new CRM tied to IHG One Rewards.(00:00) Welcome Jolie Fleming, Chief Product and Technology Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts(01:10) Jolie's Career Journey from Finance to Hospitality(02:39) Understanding IHG's Global Scale and Franchising(09:39) Jolie's One Team Culture(16:58) Discussing Strategic Themes and AI(23:45) IHG's Loyalty Rewards and CRM Personalization(27:17) How to Future Proofing for ChangeJolie Fleming's career spans more than 25 years of leading transformative growth through product management and technology initiatives across fintech, hospitality, and consulting sectors. Currently, she is the Chief Product & Technology Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Previously she spent nearly nine years at E*TRADE, as Managing Director of Investing, Digital Channels, and Banking and then Head of Digital and Client Experience. She earned her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

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Natalie Harms of CoStar News Hotels speaks with Mark Sergot of IHG Hotels & Resorts about his move from leading global sales into heading development for the Americas. The discussion highlights IHG's loyalty engine, commercial performance, and the opportunities Mark sees for hotel owners in both new builds and conversions.

Travel demand is holding steady but shifting to last-minute booking behavior, forcing companies to adapt faster, while IHG argues scale is the best defense against global uncertainty and a new CEO letter warns that many 2026 assumptions have already broken. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why shorter booking windows are reshaping how travel companies operate, how large hotel groups are positioning themselves to absorb demand shifts across regions, and why industry leaders say this year requires faster decisions and a reset in strategy. This episode is presented by Lodgify! Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGAccor CEO: Geopolitical Turmoil Isn't Killing Travel — But Companies Need AgilityIHG CEO: Uncertainty Is the Only Certainty We HaveThe Recalibration: A CEO-to-CEO Letter on How to Think About the Rest of 2026 Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Every day, employees at hotels, restaurants, and resorts across the country are doing exactly what they were hired to do: being warm, responsive, and eager to help. It's what makes hospitality work. It's also what makes hospitality one of the most targeted industries in cybersecurity. When your entire workforce is trained to say yes, teaching them to be suspicious is an uphill battle. The smarter solution might be to take the target off their backs entirely. Jasson Casey is the co-founder and CEO of Beyond Identity, a company built around one idea: making identity-based attacks impossible. With over 20 years of experience designing large-scale security infrastructure for global enterprises and carriers, Jasson has spent his career thinking about what happens when stolen credentials open doors they never should have. Beyond Identity's answer isn't better passwords or more authentication hoops, it's eliminating the credential that can be stolen in the first place. Josh Johansen is the Director of IT Systems and Technology at Brandt Hospitality Group, an owner, operator, and developer of hotels under brands including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG. Josh came up through hotel operations, not a computer science program, and that background shapes how he thinks about security practically, from the floor up. He knows his workforce isn't looking to become cybersecurity experts. His job is to build systems that protect them anyway. We talk about why the hospitality industry is such a rich target for phishing attacks, and what happened when one of Josh's general managers nearly paid a fraudulent invoice because she couldn't log in without a password she no longer had. Jasson breaks down how device-bound passkeys work, why most consumer passkeys aren't nearly as secure as people think, and what separates a real security system from one that just looks like one. Josh shares the lessons learned from rolling out this technology across a multi-brand hotel portfolio including what he'd do differently and what it means for an industry still wrestling with shared logins, high turnover, and workers using four different brand systems before lunch. Show Notes: [3:05] A cyber insurance mandate pushes Brandt Hospitality Group to find an MFA solution, and complaints about authentication fatigue make the obvious options the Brandt partners are already using feel like the wrong fit. [4:03] After months of evaluating vendors and completing a full proof of concept, the leading candidate drops smaller accounts without warning, sending Josh back to square one and into a same-day demo with Beyond Identity. [5:09] Beyond Identity moves fast, puts together a rapid proof of concept, and earns the business. Josh describes meeting Jasson in person for the first time at BeyondCon shortly after signing on. [5:45] Hospitality is uniquely vulnerable to phishing attacks, and the industry's culture of helpfulness connects directly to the behaviors bad actors are counting on. [6:49] A general manager calls convinced she needs her password to pay an overdue vendor invoice. When she can't get a login prompt, the situation is recognized immediately as a phishing attempt she nearly fell for. [7:33] Reflecting on that moment, someone sharp and experienced nearly became a victim, and removing the password from the equation entirely turns out to be the real breakthrough. [9:05] The conversation turns to the limitations of cyber awareness training, and why even well-intentioned employees with heavy workloads cannot be expected to function as a reliable last line of defense. [11:13] Jasson describes how Beyond Identity works, using the analogy of a monkey in a jail cell to explain how a signing key stored in a secure hardware enclave can authenticate a user without ever leaving the device. [12:06] The concept of stealable credentials expands beyond passwords to include API tokens, session cookies, SSH keys, and anything else that can be copied and lifted from a system. [17:33] The discussion shifts to agentic identity and AI-driven workflows, with customers on opposite ends of the spectrum — some where agents make up the majority of their workforce, others who paused rollouts after discovering how easily prompt injections could expose sensitive data. [19:17] The biggest mistake organizations make going into a passkey rollout is diving in without a clear understanding of how their identity environment is actually configured and what that means when things don't behave as expected. [20:35] A lesson from their own deployment — initially limiting passkeys to senior staff and leaving line-level employees on passwords — makes clear that partial coverage leaves meaningful gaps. [22:58] Most organizations under active phishing load will experience an incident during a mid-deployment window, and that moment often becomes the event that accelerates full adoption. [24:33] The shared workstation challenge in hospitality comes into focus, along with how the device-bound passkey differs from the consumer versions employees may already be familiar with through Google or Facebook. [29:14] Jasson draws a clear line between consumer passkeys optimized for conversion and enterprise passkeys built for security, explaining how sync fabric trades credential protection for convenience in ways that matter in a corporate environment. [31:07] One enrolled device can cryptographically authorize the enrollment of another, allowing organizations to scale without moving keys or introducing new vulnerabilities. [33:33] The passkey model changes accountability inside a hotel operation — device-bound credentials and role-based access make it significantly harder for well-meaning managers to share login access with staff informally. [36:55] As the conversation wraps, a simple test is offered for evaluating any passkey system: if the passkey can move, it is not a security product. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.  Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Jasson Casey - LinkedIn Jasson Casey - National Security Institute Beyond Identity Joshua Johansen - LinkedIn Brandt Hospitality Group

Elephant Sanctuary - Half Day ProgramIf you're interested in the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which is the card that gave us the Edit credits we reference in this episode, here is our referral link: Chase Sapphire Reserve! As always, thank you for using our links!In this episode, we recap the start of our Thailand trip and the messy travel day that kicks it all off, from a forgotten CPAP to a carry-on mix-up that leaves Duane without his clothes. We also break down what we paid for flights and Phuket, how we stacked credits and offers, and what we'd actually recommend if you're planning Thailand with kids.  • Choosing cash over points after running the cents-per-point math and factoring in taxes and fees  • Stacking Amex offers to cut the cost of long-haul flights for five  • Positioning flights and using points for domestic legs to reach a cheaper gateway  • Losing a CPAP on the plane and recovering it through airport lost and found  • Accidentally taking the wrong carry-on and dealing with the fallout  • Surviving a 17-hour economy flight with kids and what feels “worth it” next time  • Clearing immigration in Singapore and prepping required entry forms  • Booking an airport hotel at Changi and buying replacement clothes fast  • Using Chase edit credits and hotel credits to book an IHG stay in Phuket  • Honest review of Dinso Resort and Villas Phuket location pools breakfast and service  • Using Grab for transportation in Thailand as a family of five  • Visiting an ethical elephant sanctuary and what to avoid in animal tourism   If you have any questions, send them on Instagram @travelpartyof5 

Want to work with us? Reach out! inquiries at milestomemories dot com Hyatt just dropped five new pricing tiers on their award chart — and it's got Shawn and Mark rethinking their entire hotel strategy. Plus: Mark had to scrap his Istanbul trip, rebook his whole Europe itinerary using Aeroplan, LifeMiles, Delta SkyMiles, and Bilt credits, and lived to tell the tale. And yes — the LifeMiles call center almost broke him. **What we cover:** - Hyatt's award chart devaluation: five new tiers and what it actually means for redemptions - Why Hyatt's value proposition was always about consistency and Chase earning (not footprint) - Mark's current hotel rankings: Hilton free night certs, IHG's underrated card refresh, and Accor's flexible points - Choice Hotels and why Benjy's going to be thrilled - The Hilton Surpass card: still the best mid-tier hotel card and why - Hyatt free night certs — are they actually worth more now post-devaluation? - Why Mark abandoned Istanbul and pivoted to Warsaw two weeks before the trip - Rebuilding the whole itinerary: 70K Aeroplan on Turkish, 8K United miles Istanbul-Warsaw, 25K Delta SkyMiles on Air France business, and Bilt credits for the Sheraton - Turkish Airlines IT nightmare: can't check in, ticket number mismatch, and the LifeMiles call center hangup saga - RyanAir reality check: what Americans need to know about weight limits and bag rules - The case for travel flexibility and why points make last-minute pivots actually possible

Episode 163 of the Award Travel 101 podcast, hosted by Angie Sparks and Cameron Laufer, opens with a lighthearted highlight from the community about surviving timeshare presentations. Members shared strategies for getting through the required 90–120 minute pitch that often comes with discounted vacation offers—suggestions ranged from setting a visible timer and clearly stating you're not interested, to humorous tactics like bringing sugar-hyped kids or joking about being fresh out of bankruptcy. The hosts also discussed travel news, including a promotion from Holiday Inn Club Vacations offering bonus IHG points with a discounted stay, the opening of a small but upscale American Express Sidecar Lounge in Las Vegas, a 30% Chase-to-Wyndham transfer bonus, and changes to Emirates partner award charts. Angie and Cameron also shared personal updates about credit-card welcome bonuses they're working on and upcoming trips they're planning or booking.The main topic focuses on Cameron's trip to Chile and how to use points and miles to reach South America. Major gateways like Santiago (SCL) and Buenos Aires (EZE) offer multiple award options across alliances. Cameron flew from Cleveland to Santiago via Dallas using American Airlines miles, noting that American and Alaska miles can book business-class awards starting around 50,000 miles one way. Other options include Latam flights from Miami or New York, bookable through partners like Virgin Atlantic or Delta, as well as Star Alliance bookings through Air Canada for United, Avianca, or Copa flights. Once in the region, travelers heading to Patagonia can fly to smaller airports such as Puerto Natales or Punta Arenas using Latam or low-cost carriers like JetSMART, sometimes for cheap cash fares that can be offset with travel portal credits.Cameron also explained that Patagonia trips—especially to Torres del Paine—require careful planning due to complex logistics. His group flew to Puerto Natales, then took a bus and catamaran to begin the famous W Trek, a roughly 50-mile hike over five days. Despite the complicated planning for a group of six, the stunning scenery made it worthwhile. Accommodation options range from affordable hostels to luxury properties, including some bookable with points or through premium travel.Episode Links:IHG Timeshare OfferAmex new Vegas loungeChase to Wyndham bonusEmirates partner chart changesWhere to Find Us The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1. You can also email us at 101@award.travel Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026 Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card! Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.

“Oddly enough, it’s the vulnerability that connects us. It’s not the perfect; yeah, that’s like Teflon.” – Mike Depatie Mike Depatie Mike Depatie, Founding Partner of KHP Capital Partners, attended the Hoffman Process in 2005. At the Process, Mike looked around the room and felt like he didn’t belong. He wasn’t even sure it was right for him because he felt he had a kind of Leave-it-to-Beaver childhood. Mike stayed through that discomfort and came to understand that even though he felt he had nothing in common with those he was with, he had come to love them. He realized that everyone is lovable if you really get to know them, including himself. Mike came to the Process through his role as President and CEO of Kimpton Hotels. Kimpton leadership encouraged employees to connect with themselves, so they would ultimately connect at a deeper and more effective level with their teammates and customers. To that end, employees were given the chance to do the Hoffman Process. Mike agreed to come. After attending, he says the Process helps people discover the best version of themselves. The business advice he offers is to “figure out who the hell you are, and then fully step into that.” Mike is the informal leader of Qfish, an annual fishing trip whose members are all Hoffman Process grads, including Raz Ingrasci, a long-time participant. They called themselves Qfish, like the Hoffman Q2 retreat. For the past 20 years, they've fished together and processed things like they’d learned to do at their Process. Both Raz and Drew Horning have attended these Qfish gatherings. We hope you enjoy this engaging conversation with Mike and Drew. Listen on Apple Podcasts More about Mike Depatie: Qfish Mike Depatie is a seasoned hospitality and investment leader best known for serving as President and CEO of Kimpton Hotels, which he led for over a decade before its sale to IHG in 2015. Under his leadership, Kimpton became the world's largest boutique hotel company with over 60 hotels and a celebrated workplace and brand. Kimpton was named one of Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Places to Work multiple times. Mike is now a Founding Partner of KHP Capital Partners, an active investor in hospitality real estate. With a Harvard MBA, he has held senior roles across hospitality, real estate, and technology. He’s served on multiple boards. Mike lives in Napa with his wife, Holly, and their 16-year-old yellow lab, Cabo. As mentioned in this episode: Qfish, including Drew, Mike, Raz, and other Hoffman graduates. Raz Ingrasci: Raz, along with his wife Liza Ingrasci, founded the Hoffman Institute Foundation. Raz passed away on December 31, 2025. •   Listen to Raz on The Hoffman Podcast •   Watch Raz on The Oprah Podcast David Bork Founder of the Aspen Family Business Institute, David was a pioneer in the field of counseling family-owned businesses for over 25 years. Integrating Family Systems Theory with sound business practice, he had in-depth, long-term involvement with some 350 families in business. He was the author of Family Business, Risky Business. David passed away in 2025. Fly-fishing Hoffman Q2, graduate intensive Zen (as an adjective) The Enneagram Leave it to Beaver Joseph Campbell •   The Hero’s Journey Davos ‘takeaways’ on YouTube The All In Podcast Peter Diamandas •   The X Prize •   The Moon Shot Awards Watch Raz on The Oprah Podcast Zig Ziglar •   See You at the Top, by Zig Ziglar  

Oil surges past $100 a barrel threatening double-digit airfare increases, TSA staffing shortages during the shutdown trigger hours-long airport lines, and IHG reviews its climate targets after emissions rose despite efficiency gains. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down how fuel prices could ripple through airline pricing and travel demand, why missing paychecks are creating operational stress at airport security, and what rising emissions mean for hotel industry climate commitments. This episode is presented by Lodgify! Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IGOil Price Shock Could Mean 10%+ Fare Hike, $24 Billion in Costs for U.S. AirlinesShutdown Triggers TSA Staffing Shortages and Hours-Long Airport LinesIHG Reviews Climate Targets After Emissions Rise Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.socialX: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry

00989B台新美國非投等債（本基金之配息來源可能為收益平準金且無保證收益及配息）用心挑選票息6.5%以上美國企業債採月配息機制，讓你掌握收益機會了解更多

CARD REFERRAL LINKS! The Hilton offers are all elevated until April 15, 2026. If you're seeing these links after that date, they should still work but will not be elevated offers. Hilton Honors Amex (No Annual Fee!) - 70K Hilton points + FNCHilton Surpass card (Amex) - 130K Hilton points + FNCHilton Aspire Card - 175K Hilton points (no extra FNC but this card does come with one every year automatically!)Hilton Honors Business Card (the one we just got!) - 175K Hilton points + FNC***** The below are not elevated offers but are still our referral links *****IHG personal card - 140K IHG pointsMarriott Bonvoy Business card - three 50K certificatesMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant card - 100K Marriott pointsThank you in advance for using our links! Hyatt's award chart now uses five price bands within each category, pushing top-tier redemptions much higher and making peak family dates more expensive. We explain what changed, where value still exists with certificates and suite upgrades, and how to diversify with Hilton, Marriott, and IHG.• What the new Hyatt pricing tiers are and how far they stretch• Why peak family travel dates are most affected• How free night certificates gain value under the new bands• When suite upgrade awards still make sense• Why diversifying into Hilton, Marriott, and IHG matters• Credit card strategies to earn flexible points and more certs• Practical steps to book key stays before changes take effect• What to watch for with category shifts and rumored cardsIf you have never had a Hilton card before, we have referral links and we will put them in the show notesGo in the show notes and use our referral links to get the elevated offer, including the free night certificate

In today's podcast episode, we'll talk about stacking dining credits, give a caution aboutgifting Marriott free night certificates, and will resurrect expired Southwest credits.Crazy Thing(00:57) - Southwest shows different seatmap availability to different passengersRead more about Nick's experience with Southwest's assigned seating hereAwards, Points, and More(04:10) - Alaska Vacations adds discounts, VIP perks for elite membersRead more about this here(07:05) - “Free” Norwegian cruise for Caesars Diamond Elite membersRead more about this here(10:26) - Recent breaking news... Hyatt devaluationFind out more about the Hyatt devaluation here(14:43) - Wyndham Rewards added as new Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partnerRead more about this here(16:17) - Bilt has launched a transfer bonusRead more about this here[28:03:23 ad]Main Event: Gems from our Giant Mailbag(28:05) - Bridget says: DEN is an airport that has the security reservation program (DEN Reserve)...(29:44) - Chaim says: For Resy and Sapphire Reserve® Exclusive Tables credits you can buy gift cards online for lots of restaurants that trigger the credit. Therefore, you can bank up multiple hundreds of dollars, and then when it works with your plans, you can splurge on an amazing dinner or two...(32:47) - Mark says: I just finished listening to the January 2 podcast. With regards to your answer for the question of the week about which cards you keep in your digital wallet, I recently discovered something about Apple wallet specifically that might be of use, at least to Greg since he is the only one of you using Apple...You can catch that episode here(36:16) - Nathan says: I just listened to episode 343 and wanted to share a data point regarding the $500 Gift of College gift cards...You can catch episode 343 here(39:29) - Mike says: If you look up IHG Destined One Night On Us, there's no result directly from IHG, but multiple hotel booking agents' websites reference a stay x nights get 1 night free promotion for participating hotels. For example: https://bonvivant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Q3-IHG-Destined-Stay-Pay-Promo-HFP.pdf(44:42) - Panayot says: Convert expired SWA credit to a LUV voucher...(48:51) - Tracy says: I have a data point relevant to your episode on gifting points and miles...Catch that episode here(52:19) - Melissa says: Thanks so much for the article on the pitfalls and warnings booking via I Prefer hotels...Hear some of the pitfalls of booking via iPrefer here and read more about using Citi points for I Prefer here(53:44) - Amalan says: Just sharing a couple of good data points from a quick weekend trip to Chicago...(55:27) - Jefferson says: Thanks to the FM team!Question of the Week(57:33) - Is there a formal appeal or consideration process when Citi declines for high amount of unused credit?Find out more about Citi application tips hereSubscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Visit FrequentMiler.com Did you know that Frequent Miller is also a website? At frequentMiller.com, you'll find all the latest deals, news about points, miles, and rewarding credit cards, the single best, Best Credit Cards page on the web, guides to all popular rewards programs, and many other terrific resources. If you'd like to get our posts sent to your email, go to frequentMiller.com/subscribe and sign up for free. https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/

Max Martina on Mastering Adaptive Leadership for Complex Challenges in Modern Business Cambridge-leadership.com About the Guest(s): Max Martina is an accomplished leader in the field of change leadership, currently serving as the President of Cambridge Leadership Associates, a prominent consultancy founded at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. With a robust background spanning over two decades in corporate management and startups, Max is also a partner at the executive advisory firm Nofsinger Group. His extensive consultancy expertise encompasses working with C-suite and board-level executives across both public and private sectors, with clients including major companies such as PepsiCo, IHG, Microsoft, Pfizer, Amgen, and Intel, along with organizations like the United Nations. Max has been featured in media outlets including CNN, NPR, and MSNBC and brings a wealth of knowledge to the realm of leadership consulting. Episode Summary: In this engaging episode of the Chris Voss Show, host Chris Voss welcomes Max Martina, a distinguished leader in change leadership, to explore the current dynamics and the pressing need for adaptive leadership in today’s fast-evolving world. The conversation delves into the intricacies of adaptive leadership, contrasting traditional models and emphasizing the necessity for a flexible, behavior-focused approach to tackle complex issues within organizations. Listeners get an in-depth look at how leadership is evolving with the rapid rise of AI, economical upheavals, and global challenges. Throughout the discussion, Voss and Martina highlight the notion that leadership is not synonymous with authority and that true leaders are those who practice and exhibit flexible behaviors suited to ever-changing environments. They explore the limitations of traditional leadership dogmas, such as trait theory, and the advantages of adaptive leadership, grounded in behavior and self-awareness. Martina shares insights into how executives can foster an environment that thrives amidst uncertainty, focusing on critical areas such as diagnostics, experimentation, and the shift from individual contributors to team-based leadership. This episode is a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding modern leadership dynamics and how to apply these principles effectively. Key Takeaways: Adaptive leadership diverges from traditional theories, focusing on flexibility and behaviors over positions of authority. The need for self-awareness and behavior change is critical for effective leadership, particularly amid today’s rapid technological advancements. Adaptive leadership emphasizes diagnostics and experimentation in solving complex, adaptive problems that cannot be addressed by technical solutions alone. Building organizational capacity involves shifting from a focus on individual execution to fostering a conducive environment that supports collective learning and problem-solving. With AI driving unprecedented changes, the necessity for adaptive leadership has become more pronounced to keep up with the escalating rate of transformation. Notable Quotes: “Leadership isn’t about having authority; it’s about practicing certain behaviors regardless of your role or title.” “We’re outpacing humanity’s ability to respond systemically to the complexity that exists, and the antidote is leadership.” “Change isn’t hard, but adapting to the losses that change brings is what challenges us the most.” “Successful leadership requires diagnostics – understanding the source of the problem and the stakeholders involved.” “Organizations today need leaders who can not only solve problems but are curious enough to experiment and find new solutions.”

U.S. airlines detail how AI is reshaping daily operations, Airbnb signals hotels are now a core growth strategy, and IHG overhauls its data systems so AI agents can better surface and sell its properties. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy⁠ breaks down how AI is moving from back-end efficiency to customer-facing decisions, why Airbnb is positioning itself as a full-spectrum lodging platform, and how structured, machine-readable hotel content may determine which brands stay visible in an AI-driven search world. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lodgify!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Articles Referenced: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Honorable Mention: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@AskAConcierge on IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here's How U.S. Airlines Say They're Using AIAirbnb's Hotel Strategy Is Now Much BiggerIHG Overhauls Its Hotel Data for AI Agents Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) CEO Elie Maalouf discusses the company's strong 2025 performance, and the expected impact of the 2026 World Cup, which has helped fuel IHG's optimistic outlook for 2026. Maalouf spoke with Bloomberg's Romaine Bostick and Katie Greifeld.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk explore how the travel industry is turning anxiety into profit — from insurance add-ons to premium flexibility — and what that means for modern travelers. They also break down IHG Hotels & Resorts's launch of its 21st brand, Noted Collection by IHG, and the continued expansion of hotel brand portfolios, plus the pullback of complimentary breakfast perks at major chains and the impact on loyalty perception. The episode rounds out with Spirit Airlines selling 20 aircraft while recalling furloughed crew — signaling recalibration in the ultra-low-cost model. And in the Unhinged Story of the Week, a Jet2.com and Jet2holidays flight is diverted after a mid-air passenger brawl, while another traveler goes viral for destroying airport kiosks — proof that travel stress is hitting new heights. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

IHG launches its 21st brand, Noted Collection, Skift argues the industry's most profitable product is traveler anxiety, and new reporting asks whether AI agents could upend traditional travel metasearch. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, ⁠Sarah Dandashy⁠⁠ breaks down why hotel soft brands keep multiplying, how flexibility add-ons have become a core revenue stream, and whether AI will turn price comparison from a website into an invisible layer inside your travel assistant. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lodgify!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Articles Referenced: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Honorable Mention: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@AskAConcierge on IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ IHG Launches 21st Brand: Noted Collection The Travel Industry's Most Profitable Product Is Your Anxiety Will AI Kill Travel Metasearch? LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

For most of my career, I've been focused on two things: Operating businesses and Multifamily real estate. The strategy has been pretty simple. Take money generated from higher-risk, active businesses… and move it into more stable, long-term assets like apartment buildings. That shift—from risk to stability—is how I've tried to build durability over time. Now, to be fair, the sharp rise in interest rates a few years ago put a dent in that model. But zooming out, it's still worked well for me overall. So I'm sticking with it. That said, there are other ways to think about real estate. In some cases, the real opportunity is when you combine real estate with an operating business. We've done that before in the Wealth Formula Investor Club with self-storage, and the results were excellent. Storage is operationally simple, relatively boring—and that's exactly why it works. But there's another category that sits at the opposite end of the spectrum. Hotels. They're sexier.They're more volatile.And yes—they're riskier. But the upside can be dramatically higher. One of my closest friends here in Montecito has quietly built a fortune doing boutique hotels over the past few years. He started with a no-frills hotel in Texas serving the oil drilling industry. Over time, he combined his operational experience with his talent as a designer—and eventually created some of the highest-rated boutique hotels in the world. He's absolutely crushing it. Of course, most of us aren't world-class designers or architects. I'm certainly not. Still, his success made me curious. Hotels have been on my radar for a while now—not because I understand the business, but because I don't. When I asked him how he learned the hotel industry, his answer was honest: “I figured it out on the fly—starting with my first acquisition and a great broker.” That's usually how real learning happens. So this week on the Wealth Formula Podcast, I brought on an expert in hospitality investing to educate both of us. We cover the basics: How hotel investing actually worksWhere the real risks are (and where they aren't)How returns differ from multifamilyAnd what someone should understand before ever touching their first hotel deal If you've ever thought about buying or investing in hotels—but didn't know where to start—welcome to the club. You don't have to jump in tomorrow. But you do have to start somewhere. This episode is a good starting point. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/545-should-you-invest-in-hotels/id718416620?i=1000748759003 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Lx5Rp4x704lWRazWLqDOK Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GMFf6-g8w_0 Transcript Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI and may not be 100% accurate. If you notice any errors or corrections, please email us at phil@wealthformula.com. Welcome everybody. This is Buck Joffrey with the Wealth Formula Podcast coming to you from Montecito, California. Before we begin today, I wanna remind you, if you’ve not done so and you are an accredited investor, go to wealthformula.com, sign up for our investor club. Uh, the opportunity there is really to see private deal flow that you wouldn’t otherwise see because it can’t be advertised. And, uh, only available to those people who are deemed accredited. And then what does accredited mean as a reminder? Well, if you’re married, you make $300,000 per year combined for at least two years with a reasonable expectation, continue to do so, or you have a net worth of a million dollars outside of your personal residence. Or if you’re single like me, $200,000 per year or a million dollars net worth. Anyway, that’s probably, uh, most of you. So all you gotta do is go to wealth formula.com, sign up for investor club because hey, who doesn’t wanna be part of a club? And, uh, by the way, it’s a great price. It’s free. So join it. Just get onboarded and all you gotta do is just wait for deal flow. What a deal. Now let’s talk about different kinds of things to invest in. For most of my career, I, I have really focused on two things I’ve focused on. Either operating businesses, uh, in my case, those operating businesses largely have been medical and multifamily real estate. Uh, the strategy itself, theoretically the way I think about it, take money from sort of these active businesses, a higher risk, move them into more stable long-term assets like apartment buildings. Okay? The idea is that’s how you build some durability over time. Now, to be fair, okay, to be fair. Sharp rise in interest rates a few years ago. Put a little bit of a dent in that model. But here’s the thing is that you can’t throw out the, uh, baby with the bath water. ’cause when I zoom out, still worked well for me overall. So I’m sticking with it and, uh, that’s my story. I’m sticking with it. That said, there are always other ways to think about real estate, right? Real estate is not just multifamily. Um, in some cases, the real opportunity is when you combine real estate and operating businesses. So. We’ve actually done that before in our wealth formula investor club. Um, and we’ve done that through self-storage, for example, and the results were really good. Storage is operationally, generally pretty simple. Probably not that simple, but you know, but more so than other things, relatively boring. Boring is good, and that’s exactly why it works. There’s another category that sits at the opposite end of the spectrum of boring, and it’s sexier and it’s more volatile and it’s riskier. And uh, that is the area of hotels, right, like leisure, that kind of thing. But the upside in those things can be dramatically higher. You know, one of my closest friends here. Montecito, I talk about him all the time. He’s a, he is a little bit of an inspiration to me, although I wouldn’t tell that to in space. He’s built a fortune doing boutique hotels over the past few years and the way he started, you know, and I think it was only about a decade ago because he bought like this no frills hotel in Texas that was serving the oil industry. There was a bunch of guys, you know, drilling needed a place to say, and you know, he had this and he actually. I don’t know that I would recommend this, but he, he told me he bought it sight unseen just based on the numbers. Ah, man, I gotta tell you, I don’t think I’m that lucky. If I bought something sight unseen, it would not work great for me, but it did work great for him. But over time, what he did is he, he combined his operational experience with his talent as he’s like a designer, like designs, homes, an architect, uh, of sorts, although more than that. Um, and he, he used to build houses for like famous people in Hollywood. Anyway, he took that skill and so he combined it with hotels and he created some of the highest rated boutique hotels in the world. And he’s absolutely crushing it. Just crushing it. Of course, the reality is that most of us aren’t world-class designers or architects. I’m certainly not. I’m not artistic at all. Still, um, you know, the fact that he’s had so much success in this space and that he loves hotels. What got me curious? So, hotels have been on my radar for a while, not because I understand the business, but actually because I don’t. And when I asked him how he learned, uh, about the hotel industry, he just said, you know, I figured out on the fly and, uh, you know, started with my first acquisition, had a great broker who taught me everything I, you know, needed to know at the beginning and. That’s a great story. I mean, and ideally that’s how things happen. As you can tell, this guy is, uh, seems to just hit on everything. So good for him. So this week on Wealth Formula Podcast, I wanted to get a little bit of a hotel investing 1 0 1. So I brought on an expert in hospitality investing that could educate both you and me. So we’re gonna cover some of the basics, how hotel actually works, you know, what are the risks returns. Like, what should people do if they even consider, you know, buying their first hotel or investing in one? So if you’ve ever thought about investing, uh, in hotels, or maybe that’s the first time you’re hearing about it and you’re curious, uh, welcome to the club and uh, we will have a great interview for you right after these messages. Wealth formula banking is an ingenious concept powered by whole life insurance, but instead of acting just as a safety net, the strategy supercharges your investments. First, you create a personal financial reservoir that grows at a compounding interest rate much higher than any bank savings account. As your money accumulates, you borrow from your own. Bank to invest in other cash flowing investments. Here’s the key. Even though you’ve borrowed money at a simple interest rate, your insurance company keeps paying you compound interest on that money even though you’ve borrowed it. At result, you make money in two places at the same time. That’s why your investments get supercharged. This isn’t a new technique. It’s a refined strategy used by some of the wealthiest families in history, and it uses century old rock solid insurance companies as its backbone. Turbocharge your investments. Visit Wealth formula banking.com. Again, that’s wealth formula banking.com. Welcome back to the show, everyone. Today. My guest on Wealth Farm I podcast is, uh, John O’Neill. He’s a, a professor of hospitality management and director of the Hospitality Real Estate Strategy Group at Pennsylvania State University. Uh, he spent decades studying hotel valuation performance, Cabo flows and economic cycles in in the lodging industry. John, thanks for, uh, joining us. You’re welcome. So, you know, we’re talking offline. You’ve been in the hotel business for a long time. We’re trying to figure out how to frame this thing because you know, I mean there are, I know there are certainly people in. Uh, who in, in my group and my listeners, my community who are in the hotel space, but a lot of ’em aren’t. And you know, they’ve been thinking about, well, you know, we do a lot of apartment buildings, that kind of thing. Um, you know, what else should we be thinking about? And so, you know, when we hear, uh, hotel, um, they’re thinking of hospitality. But from an investor’s perspective, I guess the first question ask is what kind of real estate asset is a hotel? And, and may, may maybe just sort of fundamentally how different it is. From apartments office or retail? Yeah, that’s a great question because hotels are fundamentally different. But what I’ve seen over the past few years as well is hotels have increasingly been considered to be a component of commercial real estate. So we’ve always thought about office and retail and residential and industrial as being components of commercial real estate, but increasingly. Investors are thinking about hotels that way as well, because some of the high risk aspects of hotels have been moderated a little bit. So they are still considered to be a high risk and potentially high reward category, but they’re much more cyclical than those other types of businesses. So if we look at apartment leases, maybe being a year or two. Office leases may be being three to five years and retail leases could be five or 10 years. The leases in hotels are one or two nights, so there’s upside, but there’s risk involved in that as well. So when there’s pressure in a market to increase rates, like here where I am in University Park, Pennsylvania, when we have a home football game. We can see hotels with average daily rates of maybe a hundred to $200 a night charging seven, eight, $900 per night, and filling up on those rates. You can’t do that in an office building or in a retail center. And so there’s great opportunity when demand increases to push up rates and to greatly benefit from that. The flip side of courses on Sunday night when all those guests leave. You might be back to a hundred dollars a night and running 20 or 30% occupancy. Do hotels kind of follow the rest of real estate in terms of market cycles though? Yeah, it depends. I, I would say in many cases they’re actually leaders, which again, double-edged sword there. So for, yeah, when we plummeted in 2020 because of COVID hotels were probably the first category really to see it. Demand dried up overnight, and you go back to September 11th, 2001 on September 12th, 2001, a lot of hotels were empty and that wasn’t the case with office buildings and retail centers. The flip side, of course, is when the economy started improving, hotel operators could start pushing their rates very quickly. And so other categories of commercial real estate didn’t receive those benefits. Yeah, I mean, obviously there’s certainly gonna be. Real estate that’s often used that that’s often using debt and, you know, probably has the same sort of, uh, issues with regard to cap rate compression or decompression based on interest rates as well. Right, right. So, um, where are we? Right? What would you say right now, like, I mean, we know that. Our, we’ve been following very closely on the multifamily side. You know, prices are depressed. I mean, from 2022, we’re looking at probably 30% to 40%. Most, most, uh, large apartment complexes are not moving because people don’t wanna sell into a down market. But when they are, they’re being sold at 30, 40% discounts compared to 2022. Where is the, where is the hotel? Market at right now? It it, it’s challenged because right now we’re seeing discrepancies between where buyers wanna buy and sellers wanna sell. We’ve started to see some movement because some sellers have come down a bit in pricing because of what we’ve seen in 2025, the market really did soften as far as the hotel business is concerned. So in 2025. We really saw no increase in occupancy and in many markets we saw some decreases in occupancy. We are still seeing average daily rates going up a little bit, so yeah. Might be worth maybe a quick step backward that the two key indicators in terms of hotel lodging performance would be occupancy and average daily rate. With occupancy being the extent to which the guest rooms are occupied and average daily rate being the average price somebody is paying. We can talk about the mathematics of those, but, um, just I think conceptually, hopefully that makes sense. But, so, you know, at this point what we’re seeing is average daily rates are still going up a little bit, and the forecasts for 2026 are. Pretty much more of the same, where we’re not expected to see great occupancy increases, but we are anticipating that the average daily rates might go up a little bit. Uh, and, and in fact we might see occupancies decline slightly. And, uh, we might see, uh, average daily rates still possibly going up a little bit. That’s usually an indicator of being late in the cycle, you know, being somewhere near the peak and, and, you know, if the trough was 2020. Which was a pretty deep trough. 2021, we started seeing improvements and we saw great improvements in 22, 23, and 24, and so it’s looking like the end of a cycle. The thing we don’t really know for sure is, is there some reason that we’re going to really go into a substantial down period or are we actually in a situation where we’re going to have another upcycle? Yeah. You know, the other thing I was curious about too, like when you talk about these cycles for hotels, even within hotels, there are certainly, you know, different types of hotels. You know, there’s the boutiquey ones that are pe really pure tourism versus the ones that, okay, well maybe they are, you know, good for football games or. There’s others that are people use for, for, for work frequently, right? They’re, they’re just passing through for, for work trips. Do you, is there, um, is that difficult to extricate those types of different economies running at the same time? It’s not, I, I don’t know that it’s that difficult, you know, just to give you a little bit about my background, I’ve been a professor for some time, but prior to being a professor I worked for. Three of the four major hospitality organizations, namely Marriott, IHG, and Hyatt. Uh, and so going back into the 1980s when I was doing feasibility studies for proposed Marriott hotels, we, in most markets, analyzed three markets segments. And, and you essentially said what they are commercial business, which are your business travelers, leisure business, which are your pleasure travelers, and then groups, which includes conventions and, and those are still the three major market segments in most markets. In, in some markets. For example, if you’re approximate to a major international airport, there’s usually a fourth segment, which is that fourth segment is airline crew business, which is, is very different than the other three because. Whereas the other three go up and down throughout, not just the year, but throughout the week. Airline crew business tends to be stable throughout the year, so it, it, it’s in your hotel 365 nights outta the year. So it’s, it’s a very low risk, but also a very low rated market segment. So it, I don’t know if that’s that complicated, but it just needs to be broken out as you delineated it, which is that there’s. Three or four market segments in any market. And in terms of studying a hotel for development or for investment, it’s necessary to understand not just what’s going on on the supply side, in other words what’s going on in the hotels, but what’s going on in the demand side as well. So give you an example. I recently did a feasibility study in a market, which is a big pharmaceutical market. So I actually spent time with major pharmaceutical people talking about, where are you staying now? Why are you staying there? Are you a member of the Frequent traveler program? How does your business vary throughout the year? What rates are you paying? What facilities and amenities are you seeking? And things like that. So to really understand the demand because that demand segment. So important in that market. So it is ultimately a street corner business and what’s going on in a specific market in terms of the mix of commercial, leisure and group business and possibly other market segments. Really is something that we have to study in depth when we conduct a feasibility study or an appraisal for hotel. I, I don’t know if I mentioned, I’m a licensed real estate appraiser too, and although my licenses allow me to appraise any type of property, I only appraise hotels. Got it. Businesses fundamentally changed pre COVID and post COVID. I would assume that there’s probably less travel. Are you seeing impact? On those types of hotels from that kind of, you know, less travel, more zoom type activity. Yeah. And, and that’s a great, that’s a great follow up because with those market segments, although the segments are the same. The demand from each of those segments really has different, and, and as you said, it really changed substantially in COVID. It, it, it’s fascinating how once we were forced to use Zoom and, and other, you know, Microsoft teams and other technology like that, you know, we, we kind of did a kicking and screaming. But once we figured it out, we realized we didn’t get a lot done. Uh, now I spent last week in Los Angeles at America’s Lodging Investment Summit, and I go to this. Function every year, because I see many of the same people year after year, and the business cards might change, but it’s the same people involved in the hotel business, whether they’re brokers or investors or asset managers or consultants or appraisers. But in between. Each year I do a lot on Zoom with these people and you know, we can keep those relationships going. So it hasn’t eliminated, you know, in my personal case, my need to travel, but it has substantially reduced it. And I think a lot of other business people have seen the same thing. So if we look at the recovery since COVID, it was fascinating because the first market segment that recovered and recovered really strongly was leisure business and people, people see it as their right. To have a vacation and, and people were paying high rates, particularly in, in, in mountain locations and in beach locations. And so those rates came up really quickly. And then the group business followed. If people do wanna go to group functions like I did last week in la what has not recovered to the level of 2019 though is the business travel. Right. Interesting. So I, that’s probably a, uh, you know, and he, I can’t really see a particularly promising future for that Subsect either. Right. I think, in fact, bill Gates said it’s never going to be back to the, you know, he, he’s an investor in Four Seasons hotels, and he said it’ll never be back to the way it was in 2019. I don’t know if he’s right. I mean, because I, I still feel like we get a lot of things done. Face-to-face, person to person that we really can’t do in Zoom. I don’t think Zoom is great for establishing relationships. I, I still think that we need face-to-face, uh, personal contact. But, you know, that might be just my perspective because I’ve been working in hotels since I was a teenager and I’m really far from being a teenager now. And, you know, I, I’ve been indoctrinated in this philosophy of the importance of face-to-face contact. But yeah, you know, that might be generational. You with a younger generation. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Um, you know, just kind of going back to the difference differences, uh, with compared to other real estate hotels, ultimately the, one of the big differences, they’re operating businesses, right? I mean, they’re not that large. Apartment buildings aren’t, but they’re is I think, a specific sort of operational execution that matters a lot in hotels. So, you know, in invest, when investors are kinda looking at that, I mean, they, they should probably be not looking at it as nearly as passive as other real estate investments. Is that fair? I, I think that’s very fair because I think, you know, it, it shows what’s happened in terms of the market with real estate investment trust. Because I’ve sold my entire position in hotel real estate investment trust and, and as you probably know, if we look at real estate investment trust. Different categories in, in commercial real estate, hotels lag, which is fascinating because everything else we’ve been talking about explains why hotel returns tend to outperform other classes of commercial real estate. More volatility, but higher returns on average. If you can withstand the long period, uh, that you need to be an investor. On real estate investment trust, it’s the opposite. Hotels actually lag and, and I think it really is because of exactly what you’re talking about, which is that they really are like an operating business where there’s also real estate as opposed to a real estate play where it’s almost like there’s an annuity of rent that is very easily projected, uh, in hotels. You know, we, we. Project all the time how they’re going to perform. But you know, you know, I hope my projections are very good, but there’s always things that can COVID. For example, you know, now there’s a virus in, in India that you know might be coming and, you know, we don’t know, will this be substantial or will it be really minor in the Americas? We really don’t know. Uh, that won’t have a big effect on, on other classes of real estate investment trust, but. It could have a big effect in hotels, so, so the unknowns in hotels are very high. And then when you combine that with the fact that they are an operating business, which are very labor intensive and wage rates are going up. So the cost structure and the management of that cost structure becomes. Very important and the expertise of the hotel managers becomes very important. And so, yeah, like you say, other classes of commercial real estate or, or institutional real estate investments have an operational component. It’s much greater when it comes to hotels. So I actually have a friend who’s an, um, owns, uh, a few boutique hotels here in, in California, and he was telling me one of the things that he’s kind of worried about is, um, you know, they, they’re, they have some, um. Some mandates coming up with regard to, you know, minimum wage and, and all these things that, uh, hotel workers have to get, uh, give you just outta curiosity. I mean, most of my audience is not in California. I am, but have you heard about this? Can you tell us a little bit about those pressures? Yeah, I have heard about it. And there’s, there’s forces on the other side as well, namely the American Hotel and Lodging Association, which represents hotel owners, managers, and franchisers. And so they have a voice in these things as well. But the, the, the forest, particularly in places like California and, and in the west coast in general, we’ve seen it in Seattle as well. Um, you know, in, in terms of increasing minimum wages to rates that, that are shocking to me. Um, you know, that’s, that’s a big issue. You know, you don’t see it as much in the middle of the country, but you do see it on the coast and particularly in the, on the West Coast. So, you know, if we’re looking at projections, say into 2026 and, and perhaps beyond, we expect in many cases to be seeing higher growth in wage expenses than we expect to see growth in RevPAR, which is room revenue, preoccupied room, which is just occupancy times average daily rate. So the, the overall revenue is expected, at least in the short term, to grow more slowly. Than expenses and, and wages are really driving a lot of it. And then anything that’s affected by wages, so insurance, for example, property taxes, other expenses are really growing at this stage more than what we’ve seen in terms of revenue growth. So that’s, that’s a challenge right now. The, the question I think really then is how much will AI affect that and to what extent will guests become more comfortable with checking in? On an iPad type of a situation as opposed to seeing a person face to face, and there’s probably generational differences there. What it is forcing hotel operators to do is the same kinds of things that restaurant operators have been forced to do, which is find ways to use technology and actually have the guests face the technology and get the guests comfortable with that. In terms of things like check in and check out, you know, but still in hotels the rooms have to be cleaned and, and although there’s robots that. You know, they’re nowhere near what, where they need to be to actually clean Hotel guestroom jet, at least in any sort of economically viable way. But, you know, the long-term question is to what extent will the industry be adopting AI and other technology in order to address that issue? Because that’s what’s going to happen. It’s, it’s, you know, it’s not just going to be a situation where. The operators will accept paying higher wages and have the same number of employees in each hotel. Right. Um, branding, you know, sort of confusing to a lot of people. Not in the space, but you know, what role do hotel brands actually kind of play in, in protecting revenue and value? Um, and I guess when does a brand help an owner versus become a constraint? Yeah. You know, brands have been very important and, and I, I forget if I mentioned but of the, the big brand companies I’ve worked for three of them and, um. You know, they, they, they typically started as management companies. So originally companies like Hilton and Marriott primarily generated revenue through management fees. And so they own some of the real estate, although they’ve become asset light over the years and own very little, if any, anymore. Uh, but they do still manage hotels. So one thing that the brand companies do have is expertise in terms of management. That’s one of the fees that a branded hotel and a non-branded hotel would have as well, would be a management fee, which is usually expressed as a percentage of revenue. And sometimes there’s an incentive structure in there as well. But then there’s a franchise fee, which is just paying for the brand, and, and that’s usually as a percentage of total revenue, higher than the management fee. But what it does is it, it, it. Puts the property in a global distribution system, so the global distribution systems that brands like Marriott and Hilton and IHG and, and HIA have, uh, they. Generate heads and beds. You know, that’s, that’s the term we always, when I worked at Hyatt and Merritt, we always talked about heads and beds. Every night you’re trying to, trying to get people in the rooms. The brands do a lot to put heads and beds, you know, in a typical hotel with a good brand affiliation. Somewhere between probably a third and two thirds of the occupy rooms actually came in through the brand global distribution system, which historically was a toll free reservation system. And although the, you know, those still exist now, it’s really more of a focus on the online system and, and, and sometimes toll-free reservations and direct reservations. But, but that’s what the brand does. It, it, it ultimately is a generator of. So kind of just focusing on somebody who’s potentially thinking about hotels as an investment. So far, what I gleaned from you, and, and correct me if I’m wrong, is that timing probably isn’t perfect right now. We’re probably, you know, we’re probably in a, you know, a peak and you generally not a great idea to buy in peaks. Um. I personally, from what I understand, would stay outta California. You know, uh, you know, like my friend was saying that it was gonna make it very difficult for a lot of hotels to have their, you know, hotel restaurants even. And so he foresees like a lot of them having to close those down. Um, and then the, the next thing I think is, gosh, you really have to be cognizant of the, of the fact that, you know, work patterns are changing. And so maybe that’s not a good. Way to go, either. What other, what are some other big picture things that you think people ought to be thinking about as they evaluate the space? Yeah. Well, I think there’s a couple of things. One of which is. That is a street corner business. So it really depends on what street corner you’re in. Uh, I’ve done some research just on how hotels perform in university towns versus other locations because, for example, there are brands now called graduate hotels, which eventually was acquired by Hilton, uh, and, uh, scholar Hotels and, and these properties are university town hotels. They’re doing okay. You know, they’re, they’re doing okay. If you look at how universities operate, we’ve seen some Ivy League schools pay 60, $80 million or more just to make sure they keep that billion dollars a year coming in from the federal government that they, they get for research grants and, and we’ve seen, you know, look at what’s going on with NIL now in terms of, of university sports. Universities clearly are willing to. You gen willing to spend a lot of money to keep doing what they do, which is, you know, they, they generate a lot of research and I’m talking about. Big universities now, uh, you know, a lot of research and, and there’s a sporting business aspect to universities as well. So university towns are okay, and, and what I ultimately found in my research is they’re much less cyclical than the average. So, you know, we talk about the risk of hotels as things go up and things go down and things go up and down. That doesn’t happen as much in university towns. You know, big universities don’t close and, and don’t even substantially change their business model. So it really depends on, on where you’re located. And then there’s certain cities as well, you know, people, you know, I, I don’t have to go into detail about my last visit to San Francisco and how weird it was, and I was with students and, and told my female students don’t go out at night alone. I mean, it was, it was, it was really freaky, but. San Francisco now might be a place to invest. Now San Francisco probably has bottomed out. Uh, and the same might be true with New York. So, you know, it really depends on where you’re going. I, I think in general, yeah, you know, there’s, there’s concerns, but even so, you know, I think it’s still might be a good time to invest in. Good quality hotel companies, just, you know, in terms of the stock market and, and equity in, in businesses like Marriott and, and Hilton because their franchise fees and their management fees are a percentage of total revenue. So hotels that are not profitable, that are a member of those brand affiliations are still paying. Into those systems and you know, hopefully the goal is that these properties become profitable, but even while they’re not profitable, they owe franchise fees and in some cases management fees as well. So I think there are a lot of ways to still invest in the hotel business. It’s just what vehicles are being used and where. So, you know, it sounds a little overwhelming, um, for someone who, again, who’s new to the space. Any suggestions on how somebody might just learn more about this ecosystem and, you know, start to go down this path of potentially becoming, you know, a hotel investor? Yeah. Well, first thing is, you know, we talked about ai. AI is pretty good for helping people to learn. So if you wanna learn about the hotel business, you can go and have a really good conversation with chat GPT about what makes it click and where could the opportunities lie today. Uh, you know, I’ve gone over the past year from essentially not using AI at all to using it essentially every day. And so that’s a great way because that’ll access a lot of, there, there’s trade journals, for example, but it’ll access those things. Uh, the conference, like I went to last week, the America’s Lodging Investment Summit, which is in LA every year is a. Is a great place to learn as well. There’s, there’s wonderful sessions and that conference is attended by everybody from Anthony Capano, who’s the CEO of Marriott, down to people involved in real estate and investments in the hotels and, and who essentially make their living. Off of those as brokers, appraisers, consultants, asset managers and things like that. So, so there’s ways online to do it and there’s ways to do it actually by attending conferences as well. Yeah. A good broker as well. Right. I mean, you know, going back to my, my friend who, who’s become a very successful hotelier, the first one he bought, he threw a broker and he said he learned everything about hotels that he knows from that guy. Um. So that’s probably, it probably tells you something as well. Yeah. And, and there are some excellent hotel brokers. There’s some who are national in scope and some who are local in scope. So again, it depends on where you’re thinking you might wanna be investing. Uh, but, but there’s some great local brokers, but then there’s national firms like JLL and CBRE and Hunter, uh, that, you know, they have really good people who are very knowledgeable about the hotel business. Yeah. John, thanks so much for, uh, joining us here on Wealth Formula Podcast and giving us sort of an overview of the, uh, um, hotel, uh, real estate, uh, uh, asset class. You bet you make a lot of money, but are still worried about retirement. Maybe you didn’t start earning until your thirties. Now you’re trying to catch up. Meanwhile, you’ve got a mortgage, a private school to pay for, and you feel like you’re getting further and further behind. Now, good news, if you need to catch up on retirement, check out a program put out by some of the oldest and most prestigious life insurance companies in the world. It’s called Wealth Accelerator, and it can help you amplify your returns quickly, protect your money from creditors, and provide financial protection to your family if something happens to. The concepts here are used by some of the wealthiest families in the world, and there’s no reason why they can’t be used by you. Check it out for yourself by going to wealth formula banking.com. Welcome back to the show everyone. Hope you enjoyed and again, uh, hey hotels. Think about it. I guess. Uh, I continue. I will continue to do so, uh, especially given my buddy’s success in this space. Um. Although, I will tell you, I probably am not a boutique hotel guy. Um, you know, I don’t, I don’t know that I could make it super fancy, you know? And then on the other hand, you hear about these, uh, hotels that are. For the people traveling through and they’re not doing this so great. So maybe wait till that we hit that, um, that trough that he was talking about, he said we’re kind of at a peak right now. Anyway, that’s it for me. Uh, this week on Wealth Formula Podcast. This is Buck Joffrey signing off. If you wanna learn more, you can now get free access to our in-depth personal finance course featuring industry leaders like Tom Wheel Wright and Ken McElroy. Visit well formula roadmap.com.

Things are continuing to flourish in Queenstown. The mid-scale ‘Holiday Inn Express & Suites', which boasts 277 rooms in the City Centre, is being refurbished to become ‘voco Queenstown' – part of IHG's premium portfolio. The move targets high-end tourism, with the hotel running at around 90% occupancy for nine months of the year. Hotel Council Aotearoa Strategic Director James Doolan told Mike Hosking that it's normal to think about renovating and repositioning every seven to ten years, but upgrading to the next level is an encouraging sign. He says central government's increased investment in event attraction and destination marketing has allowed private businesses to invest in their assets. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 157 of the Award Travel 101 podcast features Angie Sparks in conversation with Tim Qin, founder of the award search tool Roame.Travel. The episode opens with a timely highlight from the Award Travel 101 community, where a member used a Roame alert to snag ANA First Class for 108,000 Avianca miles—award space that no other search tool caught. Angie then runs through the latest news, including Iberia's 40% off award promotion (making Europe reachable for as few as 9,600 Avios), elevated welcome offers on IHG credit cards, and a brief mention of the newly announced (and somewhat confusing) Bilt 2.0 redemption options.In the “bonuses and updates” segment, Angie shares recent card application adventures in her household, including abandoning a complicated Bilt Palladium application and dealing with a frozen credit report on a Wells Fargo Autograph Journey application. She also outlines her current strategy to earn a Hilton Free Night Certificate and extra United miles by timing large insurance payments. On the travel front, Angie discusses the challenge of sorting through conflicting information on Swiss train passes, while Tim checks in with his own updates.The main topic dives deep into Roame.Travel, with Tim explaining what inspired him to build the tool, how its vision has evolved, and what differentiates it in an increasingly crowded award search space. They discuss how Roame can be especially powerful for casual users through alerts and streamlined searches, upcoming enhancements, and current limitations—such as airlines the tool doesn't yet support, including British Airways and Cathay Pacific. The conversation gives listeners a clear sense of where Roame fits into the award travel ecosystem and how to get the most value out of it.Episode Links:Iberia PromoIHG Welcome OffersBilt Cash Redemption OptionsWhere to Find Us The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1. You can also email us at 101@award.travel Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026 Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card! Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.

Spencer Reese welcomes Ross Alcorn from Itinerary Boss https://itineraryboss.com/ to discuss credit card points and miles strategies, with special focus on small business owners. Ross shares how he saved $19,000 on his honeymoon, reveals tactical business spending strategies, and explains how military service members can leverage TDY travel and small business expenses to fund dream vacations. Guest: Ross Alcorn - Charlotte, NC-based travel strategist, former sales rep road warrior (6-7 years), real estate investor, and founder of Itinerary Boss. Key Topics Covered Getting Started - The Low-Hanging Fruit: Sign up for FREE hotel loyalty programs (Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Hyatt) Add loyalty numbers to TDY/TAD stays retroactively if needed Military discount: Epic Pass for active duty/spouses ~$200 (normally $1,200) Start with no annual fee cards to build credit and learn the basics Never carry a balance - if you're paying interest, you're doing it wrong Business Spending Strategies: Most common mistake: Using Amex Platinum for everything (only 1x points on most purchases) Capital One Venture X Business: Uncapped 2x points, no preset credit limit Cards earning 3-4x on ad spend (Facebook, Google ads) Use Melio (M-E-L-I-O) to pay vendors who don't accept cards via ACH (2.9% fee) Negotiate early payment discounts (net 15 vs net 30) to offset processing fees Millions in business expenses going uncharged to credit cards The 2.9% Fee Debate: Worth it if redeeming points at 1.5+ cents per point value Effective 25-40% cash back when factoring welcome bonuses + transfer value Business expenses are tax deductible Ross personally pays fees on all expenses knowing he'll redeem at 2-6 cents/point Real-World Example - $19,000 Honeymoon Savings: Cards used: Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Business Unlimited Flights: Qatar Q-Suites business class using 200K points (Chase + Capital One) Stayed 11 nights using Hyatt points at Alila properties in Bali Built point stash over 1-1.5 years through group travel booking + daily spend + business welcome bonuses Strategy: Booked award availability 355 days out when British Airways/Qatar released schedules Flexibility: Mixed business and premium economy on return flight Transfer Partners & Redemption: NEVER redeem for Amazon gift cards, statement credits, or low-value portal bookings (0.6-0.7 cents/point) Transfer to airline partners for 2-6+ cents per point value Don't use Amex points for hotels (poor value) Example: 175K Amex points = potential $12,700 business class seats to South Africa Tools: Points.Yeah.com for flight availability and award searching Military-Specific Advantages: Overseas duty stations = less competition for award space (Frankfurt, Tokyo, Seoul) Different inventory than US-based flyers TDY/TAD stays earn hotel points and elite status Annual fee waivers on personal cards (not business cards) via MLA/SCRA Chase Sapphire Reserve: $0 annual fee for military/spouses Strategic Tips: Always volunteer to pay group bills/dinners (earn points, get reimbursed) Premium economy fine for daytime flights under 8-9 hours Business class essential for overnight/long-haul flights (9+ hours) Plan 1-2 years ahead for big trips - comfortable pace to build points Opening velocity: Ross did one card every 91 days at peak (very aggressive) Combine household points (Chase, Amex, Capital One allow this) Book tickets in anyone's name, not just your own Credit Card Stacking Strategy: Don't use one premium card for everything Match card to spending category for maximum points Chase "cash back" cards earn Ultimate Rewards points if you have Sapphire Reserve/Preferred Transfer between household members before booking Welcome bonuses are the real value - daily spend is bonus Business Culture Hack: Instead of $5-10K cash bonus, give employees 500K miles + book their dream trip Tax deductible, builds culture, retains talent More memorable than cash bonus IHG Five Free Nights Strategy: Five free nights at properties up to 60K points/night Ross staying 4 nights in Grand Cayman at $800/night hotel = $3,200 saved Fourth night free on award bookings Anniversary free night each year Used for wedding block, earning 26x points on wedding expenses Common Mistakes to Avoid: Not asking vendors if they accept credit cards Using wrong card for spending category (leaving 2-3x points on table) Redeeming points poorly (gift cards, statement credits) Not tracking card benefits and credits Waiting too long to book award travel Not being flexible with dates/airports Tools & Resources Mentioned: Points.Yeah.com - Award availability search, flight ideas map Melio - Pay vendors via card when they only accept ACH Plastiq - Pay rent/large bills with credit card (2.9% fee) Free Points & Miles Cheat Sheet at ItineraryBoss.com Transfer partner guide and credit card multiplier sheets Key Quotes "There's millions of dollars that aren't being put on cards because of just not asking the right questions." "If you're earning 2x points and utilizing those points to transfer, even with a 3% fee, the numbers pencil when you're redeeming at 2-6 cents per point." "175,000 Amex points could be used to get you business class, first class seats - we used 176K Chase points for $12,700 worth of business class seats to South Africa." "Don't redeem for Amazon gift cards, statement credits, or through the portal - you're getting 0.6-0.7 cents per point. That's terrible." "Why give a $10K cash bonus when you could give someone 500K miles and book them a trip to Greece or Bali they'd never do on their own?" Who This Episode Is For Military small business owners and real estate investors Service members with TDY/TAD travel Anyone spending on business ads, inventory, or vendor payments Military spouses running 1099 contractor businesses People planning big trips (honeymoons, bucket list travel) Those currently leaving business value on the table Anyone wanting to turn business expenses into free travel Action Items Sign up for all major hotel loyalty programs today (free) Add loyalty numbers to upcoming TDY stays Check if vendors accept credit cards (or use Melio) Review current card stack - are you earning maximum points per category? Download free cheat sheet at ItineraryBoss.com If planning big trip: Start building points 1-2 years ahead Check military annual fee waivers (MLA/SCRA) Combine household points before booking award travel Contact Guest: Ross Alcorn Website: ItineraryBoss.com Free Points & Miles Cheat Sheet (includes transfer partners + credit card multipliers) Social: @ItineraryBoss (all platforms) Host: Spencer Reese Website: MilitaryMoneyManual.com Instagram: @MilitaryMoneyManual Recorded on Veterans Day. This episode reveals how military service members can leverage business expenses, TDY travel, and strategic credit card use to fund dream vacations. Whether you're spending $10K or $1M annually on your business, there are points being left on the table.   Spencer and Jamie offer one-on-one Military Money Mentor sessions. Get your personal military money and personal finance questions answered in a confidential coaching call. militarymoneymanual.com/mentor Over 20,000 military servicemembers and military spouses have graduated from the 100% free course available at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3 In the Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course, you can learn how to apply for the most premium credit cards and get special military protections, such as waived annual fees, on elite cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card. https://militarymoneymanual.com/amex-platinum-military/ https://militarymoneymanual.com/chase-sapphire-reserve-military/ Learn how active duty military, military spouses, and Guard and Reserves on 30+ day active orders can get your annual fees waived on premium credit cards in the Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3 If you want to maximize your military paycheck, check out Spencer's 5 star rated book The Military Money Manual: A Practical Guide to Financial Freedom on Amazon or at shop.militarymoneymanual.com. Want to be confident with your TSP investing? Check out the Confident TSP Investing course at militarymoneymanual.com/tsp to learn all about the Thrift Savings Plan and strategies for growing your wealth while in the military. Use promo code "podcast24" for $50 off. Plus, for every course sold, we'll donate one course to an E-4 or below- for FREE! If you have a question you would like us to answer on the podcast, please reach out on instagram.com/militarymoneymanual.  

I didn't make it to ALIS this year thanks to a snowstorm — and Delta taking our pilot as we were boarding!! But we're not letting 2,500 miles get in the way of a little #NoVacancyNews content. Bruce Ford, SVP at Lodging Econometrics, is reporting from ALIS while I shovel snow back at the Haussman Resort Pool Club & Smokehouse. Bruce and I talk #hotel franchising trends right now:

Shawn's InKind referral - https://app.inkind.com/refer/4FJZRGUZ Episode Description On this episode of MTM Travel we discuss President Trump's new proposal to limit credit card interest rates. Is it possible to pull of this order plus what will be some of the unintended consequences of lowering and capping interest rates. Plus is the credit card system good for consumers?   In other news we also discuss why Mark picked up the Spirit Airlines credit card, a big airline merger, the better Chase Freedom Unlimited offer, maximizing IHG's United perk, Hyatt's rough policy change and how traveling makes kids perhaps a little too independent. 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:18 Allegiant's big merger 4:05 Overly independent traveling children 9:56 Big revamps coming for MTM 13:31 Why Mark got the Spirit Airlines credit card 21:02 Maximizing IHG's United TravelBank perk 24:16 Hyatt's HUGE change to expiring certs 29:25 Freedom Unlimited better offer - $300 + 5X gas & groceries 32:23 The death of credit cards? New interest cap proposed 37:03 Should we blow up the current credit card system? Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!

In this powerful episode of Investing with Purpose, host Steven Libman sits down with Celia Szieber, Director of Investor and Non-Profit Relations at Integrity Holdings Group. Celia shares her inspiring eight-year journey—from a background in real estate to leading one of IHG's most impactful initiatives: the Asset Ministry Program.You'll hear how Celia's faith journey shaped her leadership, and how this signature program is intentionally designed to meet residents where they are—with compassion, consistency, and Christ at the center.Together, they explore:

In today's podcast episode, we'll talk about the many things we got wrong last week (oops!), how Etihad is sinking to a new low, and we'll reminisce about our extreme stacking adventures. Giant Mailbag(01:06) - Things we got wrong last week in episode 333 "Elite Benefit Battle: Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG"(02:47) - Read about how to earn up to 250K Alaska miles per year hereCard News(07:47) - E*Trade account now qualifies for American Express Platinum Card® Exclusively for Morgan Stanley (Read more about this here)(11:36) - A trick for finding Chase pre-approved offersBonvoyed(14:53) - Etihad's disloyalty program makes their awful cancellation policy even worseAwards, Points, and More(19:49) - Nick's Aeroplan cancellation storyMain Event: Super Stacking Stories(23:10) - Revisit episode 231 "The Art of Extreme Stackery" here(24:29) - Shopping portalsLearn more about shopping portal signup bonuses here.(25:37) - Greg's story: The original Million Mile Madness(38:55) - Nick's storyQuestion of the Week(52:37) - Nick has Mosaic 1 status from completing the JetBlue 25 for 25 challenge. When he reached status, he was able to pick a Choice benefit. Should he take the points or shoot for the higher level of status?Subscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie YoderMentioned in this episode:Check out this month's sponsor and support our showJoin the loyalty program for renters at joinbilt.com/mileshttps://joinbilt.com/miles

In this week's Quick Hits, DeAndre Coke brings a packed update of travel and points news, holiday promotions, and crucial year-end reminders for cardholders and travelers.He kicks off with an update on the growing WhatsApp community, introducing a new Business Points Hub for entrepreneurs to exchange insights on the best credit cards for advertising, expenses, and travel. DeAndre also reminds listeners that entries for the 100th Episode Giveaway close at midnight on December 1st. From there, he dives into key industry news — including Chase's new pop-up restrictions for Ink Business cards, a massive 175K Chase Sapphire Reserve preapproval offer, and Rove's Black Friday 4–5x promotion at giftcards.com. DeAndre also covers Hilton, IHG, and Kimpton holiday promos, Built's 100% Avios transfer bonus, and Preferred Hotels' 35K-point deal.He wraps up with a look at Thrifty Traveler Premium's Black Friday discount and CardPointers' 50% off lifetime offer, both invaluable for travelers looking to save money, earn rewards, and optimize card benefits heading into the new year.Key takeaways: New community chat: Business Points Hub launches for entrepreneurs in the WhatsApp group.Holiday shopping tip: Use portals like Rakuten, Capital One, and American Airlines for bonus points.Year-end credits: Use Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and other expiring benefits before December 31.Chase updates: New pop-up jail introduced for Ink cards; 175K preapproval offer on Sapphire Reserve.Rove rewards: 4–5x points at giftcards.com during Black Friday weekend.Built Rent Day: 100% Avios transfer bonus on December 1 for elite members.Hotel promos: Preferred Hotels 35K-point bonus, Kimpton's “Life of a Kimpton Guest” phrase for perks.Black Friday steals: Thrifty Traveler and CardPointers launch major annual discounts.Click here to enter the 100th episode giveaway or visit www.boldlygo.world/giveawayInterested in Financial Planning?Truicity Wealth ManagementResources:Our RoveMiles referral linkMaximizing Your Rewards: How to Use Shopping Portals to Boost Your Points & MilesBook a Free 30-minute points & miles consultationStart here to learn how to unlock nearly free travelSign up for our newsletter!BoldlyGo Travel With Points & Miles Facebook GroupSome of Our Favorite Tools For Elevating Your Points & Miles Game:Note: Contains affiliate/sponsored linksCard

In today's Frequent Miler on the Air podcast, we'll look at United's cardholder discount, Hilton's Diamond Reserve status, and we'll rank the perks of hotel elite benefits from Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG.Giant Mailbag(01:13) - "I just spent the day in Nice and Monte Carlo and I have you to blame..."Bonvoyed(03:30) - United increases prices for close-in award bookingsRead more about United's increased prices for close-in award bookings here.Awards, Points, and More(06:08) - Bilt/Rakuten: Read more about earning Bilt points with Rakuten here.(08:36) - Add your Passport to your Apple Wallet(11:11) - Hilton Diamond ReserveRead more about Hilton Diamond Reserve status here.(19:57) - Read more about Greg's opinion about how Hilton's Diamond Reserve status disappoints here.Main Event: Elite Benefit Battle: Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG(23:52) - Free breakfast, lounge access, suite upgrade certificates, guaranteed late check-out: which program has the best benefits?(24:20) - Primary shortcuts(30:36) - Comparing Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott for free breakfast(40:21) - Comparing Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott upgrade certificates(50:43) - Comparing Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott lounge access(58:05) - Comparing Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott, 4 PM Late check-out guaranteedQuestion of the Week(1:03:54) - Are there banks that let you refer to a lesser card if you have the more premium card?Learn more about Amex multi-referrals here.Subscribe and FollowVisit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe/ to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder

In Episode 146, Angie Sparks and Joe Petrovic recap their weekend at Chicago Seminars, highlight a timely AT201 post about preparing for phone theft while traveling, and cover key news including IHG's 100% points bonus, an elevated United Club Card offer, and early hints of a new Hyatt credit card. They also touch on current transfer bonuses, mileage sales, status matches, and the launch of Bilt earnings through Rakuten.The main discussion focuses on Chicago Seminars itself—a volunteer-run, charity-driven event where roughly half the attendees are first-timers. Angie and Joe share takeaways from the sessions, standout speakers, and the strong community aspect, noting the event raised nearly $32,000 for charity this year. Travel disruptions added extra drama, with Angie navigating a last-minute cancellation thanks to backup options and miles. They close by encouraging newcomers to attend next year and share an ExpertFlyer tip for checking why a flight was canceled.Where to Find Us The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1. You can also email us at 101@award.travel Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026 Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card! Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.

When RateGain went public, it made history as India's first SaaS listingFounder Bhanu Chopra talks about what went into that call, how investors saw it, and what it revealed about the Indian capital market. He shares how RateGain built its global presence before turning to India, and why he bet big on a $250 million acquisition.Today, travel is changing faster than ever with travellers planning differently, hotels pricing dynamically, and APAC leading the global recovery. Bhanu breaks down how RateGain powers this, from AI that talks directly to hotels and travellers, to India's hospitality industry that aims to grow 100% every year.Valued at nearly $1Billion with over $120 million in annual revenue, RateGain counts some of the biggest names in travel among its customers including Airbnb, makemytrip, Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, Expedia, and Booking.com. From taking RateGain from zero to IPO and growing revenue tenfold in a decade, Bhanu's journey offers a grounded view of what it takes to build companies that last. This episode is about more than travel or tech, it's about how India's next generation of founders can think global.0:00 — Trailer1:00 — How RateGain became India's first SaaS IPO6:31 — Was India ready for a SaaS IPO?7:31 — The $250M acquisition that cost 25% of market cap10:58 — Why Indian SaaS is listing locally14:48 — Travel is booming in APAC15:34 — RateGain's business Explained19:09 — AI that talks to consumers and hotels21:00 — Building a billion-dollar company is totally possible23:03 — Why the hotel industry is too complex for LLMs25:40 — $300M of $7.5B TAM26:45 — Indian hotel chains aims to grow at 100%29:39 — Travel trends across the US, Europe and APAC32:25 — How travel behaviour changed after COVID?33:34 — The 0→1, 1→10 and 10→100 journey37:57 — What growth means to Bhanu as a founder-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

This week on Wonderland on Points, we're joined by Ross Alcorn — better known as the Itinerary Boss — to talk about turning big life expenses into even bigger travel rewards. Ross shares how he and his fiancée strategically used their wedding hotel block, rehearsal dinner, and other wedding costs to rack up massive points, including IHG free nights they're putting toward a Grand Cayman trip.We also dive into how Ross approaches real estate, renovations, and everyday expenses with a points-earning mindset, plus the redemptions that have taken him everywhere from Bali's Alila resorts to future adventures in South Africa and Portugal. Along the way, we swap destination dreams, talk about the newest Hyatt and Kimpton openings, and explore how loyalty programs like IHG can stretch travel budgets further than you'd expect.Whether you're planning a wedding, a home project, or just your next vacation, this episode is packed with inspiration for turning ordinary spending into extraordinary travel.

In a special presentation of Smart Travel, learn what your points and miles are really worth in 2025 — and why the answer might change how you book travel. Should you take a $650 flight voucher or 32,500 miles? How much are your points and miles actually worth? Smart Travel hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle break down the latest NerdWallet valuations to help you make smarter redemption choices. But first, they cover recent travel headlines, including Southwest Airlines' new partnership with EVA Air, Frontier's companion certificate promotion and status match, and JetBlue opening up award bookings with Condor Airlines. Then, travel Nerd Craig Joseph joins Meghan to discuss NerdWallet's latest airline, hotel, and credit card point valuations, with tips and tricks on comparing loyalty programs, maximizing transfer partners, and deciding when cash is more valuable than points. They also discuss the impact of devaluations, how close-in bookings can save you points, and why premium cabins can sometimes offer outsized redemption value. Plus: Craig's hot take on airport lounges. Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews: Is the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard Worth Its Annual Fee? https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/is-the-frontier-airlines-world-mastercard-worth-its-annual-fee Citi Strata Credit Card Review: Solid Rewards for No Annual Fee https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/citi-strata  Citi Double Cash Review: A Solid Choice for Everyday Spending ​​https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/citi-double-cash  Citi Custom Cash Card Review: Low-Maintenance 5% Cash Back https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/citi-custom-cash  Citi Strata Premier: Big Rewards Across Top Spending Categories https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/citi-strata-premier  Is the New Alaska Atmos Summit Card Worth a $395 Annual Fee? https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/is-the-alaska-airlines-atmos-summit-card-worth-its-annual-fee  Resources discussed in this episode: Airline Miles vs. Cash Calculator https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/calculator-should-you-book-a-flight-with-cash-or-miles  How Much Are Travel Points and Miles Worth in 2025? https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/airline-miles-and-hotel-points-valuations  Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. In this episode, the Nerds discuss: points and miles valuation, airline miles value, hotel points value, credit card points value, Southwest EVA Air partnership, Frontier Companion Certificate, JetBlue Condor award booking, Citi American Airlines transfer, Amex Membership Rewards value, Capital One points value, Bilt points value, Hyatt points value, Hilton points value, Marriott points value, Wyndham points value, IHG points value, Alaska miles value, JetBlue points value, American Airlines miles value, United miles value, Southwest points value, Virgin Atlantic miles value, ANA miles value, Avianca LifeMiles value, best way to use Amex points, best way to use Citi points, best way to use Capital One points, use cash or points for flights, last minute award flight value, premium cabin redemption value, economy flight points value, airline devaluation, hotel point devaluation, cash vs points travel booking, when to transfer credit card points, how to maximize travel rewards, and NerdWallet points and miles calculator. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is EQ more important than IQ when it comes to hospitality?Today, Manish Puri, General Manager of the Regent Hotels and Resorts Bali, joins Dan to dive into key topics in the industry, such as sustainability, community, and leadership. They discuss the essence of hospitality, differentiating it from mere service, and delve into the concept of regenerative hospitality and sustainability. Manish shares insights from his career at prestigious hotel brands like Oberoi, Burj Al Arab, Six Senses, and Regent Bali. They explore how sustainability initiatives can transform the industry, turning cost centers into investment centers, and the importance of heartfelt service. The conversation also covers the challenges of opening and managing new hotels and the impact of leadership and open-heartedness in inspiring younger generations in the hospitality industry.Takeaways: Embrace regenerative practices by viewing waste as an opportunity to create value, turning sustainability efforts into investments rather than costs.Lead by example and integrity. Your actions are always being observed, so inspire others by consistently doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.Pay attention to the small details in your work. Excellence is built on thousands of thoughtful, consistent actions rather than a single grand gesture.Foster a culture of genuine care and positivity. Small acts of kindness and authentic smiles can create a powerful ripple effect throughout your organization.Design guest programs that encourage visitors to give back to the local community, such as volunteering or sharing their expertise, creating a positive impact beyond their stay.Treat sustainability initiatives as opportunities for investment and growth, not just as expenses. Find ways to turn environmental responsibility into tangible value.Quote of the Show:“ A luxury brand has to have that caring side of it. Caring for the environment, caring for all stakeholders, caring for the community. Without it, you are not a complete hotel.” - Manish PuriLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manish-puri-36241231/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manpuri/ Website: https://www.ihg.com/regent/hotels/us/en/reservation Shout Outs:1:15 - Oberoi Hotels and Resorts https://www.oberoihotels.com/ 1:16 - Burj Al Arab https://www.jumeirah.com/en/Stay/Dubai/Burj-Al-Arab-Jumeirah 1:17 - Potato Head https://seminyak.potatohead.co/ 1:22 - Six Senses https://www.sixsenses.com/en/ 2:28 - IHG https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/reservation 2:30 - Kimpton https://www.ihg.com/kimptonhotels/hotels/us/en/reservation 2:33 - Intercontinental https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/us/en/reservation 5:10 - Beverly Wilshire https://www.fourseasons.com/beverlywilshire/ 5:12 - Pretty Woman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Woman 5:48 - Four Seasons https://www.fourseasons.com/ 5:49 - Jim Brown https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-brown-718240a/ 22:42 - TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ 28:45 - Tom Cruise https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Cruise 28:52 - Grand Hyatt https://www.hyatt.com/grand-hyatt/en-US 28: 53 - Kempinski Palace https://www.kempinski.com/en/palace-portoroz 29:02 - University of Oxford https://www.ox.ac.uk/ 29:02 - Cornell University https://www.cornell.edu/ 

Booking hotels through travel portals can be a brilliant points-saver, but there are also downsides to booking this way. In this episode I break down when portals like Chase Travel and Capital One beat transferring points to Marriott, Hilton or IHG, the risks of these bookings and the simple steps I teach my Families Fly Free members to mitigate any issues. We'll also cover the powerful Hyatt exception—why transferring Chase points to Hyatt often costs fewer points and avoids third-party headaches—plus real stories from listeners and my own trips.You'll learn:Why to compare portal prices vs. transfers in 2 minutes and pick the cheaper optionThe biggest pitfalls with third-party hotel bookings and how to avoid themMy confirm-confirm-confirm, validate-validate-validate strategyWhy Hyatt is the go-to sweet spot for fewer points and direct-booking peace of mindWant my swipe files, step-by-step Stay Free Formula™ and real-time help and community support as things keep changing? Join Families Fly Free to stretch your points further with fewer cards and less hassle, so your family can make more travel memories together: https://www.FamiliesFlyFree.com/join

Extended stay dominates today's #hospitality development pipeline—and I spoke with Bruce Ford, SVP at Lodging Econometrics, on No Vacancy Live to break it down. Here's what we covered:

What happens when a hotel developer moves from building Hampton Inns to creating lifestyle hotels with fire pits and Michelin-starred restaurants?Today's guest is a returning guest, Stephen Wendell, Co-Founder and CEO of Mountain Shore Properties. They explore the shift from select-service properties to luxury and lifestyle hotels, examining the business dynamics and guest experiences that differentiate these segments. Steven shares insights on building independent lifestyle hotels, dealing with construction challenges, financing, and the pivotal role of major brands and creative freedom. They also discuss the evolving demands of younger travelers and the potential for lifestyle hotels to serve as cultural hubs. The conversation touches on financing strategies, the impact of current economic conditions, and the balance between guest experience and profitability.Takeaways: The most successful hospitality projects prioritize unique, memorable experiences for guests, which can lead to long-term loyalty and word-of-mouth growth.Each project is a learning opportunity. Apply lessons from past mistakes to improve future outcomes and avoid repeating errors.Consider a mix of select service and lifestyle/boutique properties to balance stability with higher-reward opportunities.Affiliation with major brands can make financing easier and provide valuable marketing/distribution support, but weigh the costs and benefits carefully.The best hotels become hubs for both guests and locals. Create spaces and experiences that attract both groups.Younger travelers value experiences over points. Offer unique, local collaborations and experiences to attract and retain this demographic.Hospitality is a long-term business. Set expectations with investors and partners accordingly, and operate with a long-term mindset.Quote of the Show:“Some people quit in the messy middle. We've pushed through, and now we know what to do and how to do it.” - Stephen WendellLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-wendell-5417291a/ Website: https://mountainshoreproperties.com/ Shout Outs:1:18 - Philadelphia Eagles https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/ 2:00 - Camptown https://mountainshoreproperties.com/project/camptown-leeds-ny/ 3:56 - Airbnb https://www.airbnb.com/ 4:14 - Hyatt https://www.hyatt.com/ 4:15 - Dream https://www.hyatt.com/dream-hotels 4:16 - The Standard https://www.hyatt.com/the-standard/en-US 4:17 - Bunkhouse https://www.hyatt.com/bunkhouse-hotels/en-US/explore 4:18 - Hilton https://www.hilton.com/en/ 4:19 - Graduate https://www.hilton.com/en/brands/graduate-hotels/ 4:22 - Nomad https://www.hilton.com/en/brands/nomad-hotels/ 4:23 - Marriott https://www.marriott.com/default.mi 5:09 - Courtyard https://courtyard.marriott.com/ 5:17 - Hotel Genevieve https://mountainshoreproperties.com/project/hotel-genevieve-louisville-ky/ 7:20 - Hampton Inn https://www.hilton.com/en/brands/hampton-by-hilton/ 13:00 - Gary Vaynerchuk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Vaynerchuk 13:50 - Steve Jobs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs 13:52 - Bill Gates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates 13:53 - Jeff Bezos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bezos 14:49 - James Beard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Beard 17:18 - AC Hotels https://ac-hotels.marriott.com/ 18:07 - Independent Lodging Congress https://ilcongress.com/ 18:18 - Deutsche Bank https://www.db.com/ 18:20 - Bank of America https://www.bankofamerica.com/ 22:31 - Vanguard https://investor.vanguard.com/ 22:32 - John Bogle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Bogle 23:09 - JDV https://www.hyatt.com/jdv-by-hyatt/en-US/explore 24:08 - IHG https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/reservation 24:12 - Vignette https://www.ihg.com/vignettecollection/hotels/us/en/reservation 25:29 - Waldorf Astoria https://www.hilton.com/en/brands/waldorf-astoria/ 34:40 - Ritz Carlton https://www.ritzcarlton.com/ 45:57 - Jerome Powell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Powell 52:26 - Paul Volcker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Volcker 54:59 - Costa Susana https://costasusana.com/en/ 56:20 - Hotel Saint Cecilia https://www.bunkhousehotels.com/hotel-saint-cecilia 56:47 - Regent Hotels https://www.ihg.com/regent/hotels/us/en/reservation 

#240: Transferring points is one of the best ways to maximize your points, so today we share the top airline and hotel transfer partners. We also cover strategies to get the most out of your points, including how to leverage transfer bonuses, identify sweet spots, avoid common mistakes, and more. Greg Davis-Kean is the founder of Frequent Miler, a blog dedicated to helping people maximize their travel rewards and loyalty programs, mostly without flying. He is also the host of the Frequent Miler on the Air podcast. Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/top-transfer-partners-greg-frequent-miler Partner Deals Thrive Market: 30% off your first order of organic groceries + a free $60 gift Vuori: 20% off the most comfortable performance apparel I've ever worn LMNT: ⁠Free sample pack of my favorite electrolyte drink mix NetSuite: Free KPI checklist to upgrade your business performance OpenPhone: 20% off the first 6 months of your own business phone system For all the deals, discounts and promo codes from our partners, go to: chrishutchins.com/deals Resources Mentioned Greg Davis-Kean: Frequent Miler | Newsletter | Podcast Frequent Miler Resources Current Transfer Bonuses How to Save Miles by Flying More How to book EVA Air Infinity MileageLands awards How to book Vacasa Vacation Rentals with Wyndham points Flight Award Search Tools PointsYeah AwardTool ($20 off annual plans with code ALLTHEHACKS) ATH Podcast Airline/Hotel Transfer Partner Spreadsheet Ep #166: Best Award Search Tools for Booking Flights with Points & Miles with Greg the Frequent Miler Ep #167: Best Tools for Booking Hotels with Points & Miles with Greg the Frequent Miler Leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Email for questions, hacks, deals, and feedback: podcast@allthehacks.com Full Show Notes (00:00) Introduction (01:00) Outsized Value from Transferring Points (02:27) Quick Episode Overview (08:21) Why Emirates First Class Is a Coveted Experience (14:07) Air Canada's Aeroplan Program (17:51) Maximizing Transfer Bonuses (19:17) Getting Value from the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (25:29) Sweet Spot for Virgin Atlantic (32:49) Using Air France-KLM Flying Blue for Business Class Flights (39:09) Leveraging Avios Points (44:09) Avios Sweet Spots and Places to Avoid (49:44) Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Cathay Pacific (55:44) Is the Avianca LifeMiles Program Worth It? (59:30) JetBlue's Transfer Partners (1:01:44) Southwest Airlines (1:04:39) Aeromexico (1:04:52) Qantas and Turkish Airlines (1:06:43) Booking Flights via United (1:09:26) EVA Air Program for Flights to Asia (1:11:18) Uses for ANA (1:12:45) TAP Air and Thai Airways (1:13:21) Why Greg Loves Alaska Miles (1:15:31) Difference Between Airline Miles vs. Hotel Points (1:16:37) Using Hyatt Points (1:18:07) Getting Value from Wyndham, IHG, and Hilton (1:21:11) The Marriott Bonvoy Program (1:21:40) Booking Hotels with Citi ThankYou Points (1:23:28) Leader's Club (1:25:10) Wells Fargo and Accor Points (1:25:58) Why You Should Set Up Your Award Programs in Advance (1:27:47) Is It Possible to Reverse Transfers? (1:28:56) Where to Find Greg and Frequent Miler Resources Connect with Chris Newsletter | Membership | X | Instagram | LinkedIn Editor's Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No one loves the annual fees of credit cards, but what if they could save you hundreds on travel? Free-night certificates are one of the most valuable perks you can earn from hotel credit cards, and with the right strategy, they can easily pay for themselves year after year. While many travelers cancel their cards after claiming the welcome bonus, the savvy few know that some cards deliver ongoing value, thanks to these certificates.   In this episode, the Travel Mom Squad breaks down how hotel free-night certificates from Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG can transform your travel planning. We share specific redemption examples, reveal which cards we keep just for these certificates, and explore how to maximize their value—whether you're booking a luxury stay or using them for family trips. By understanding the unique ways each brand offers and limits these certificates, you can get far more than you paid in annual fees.   You can find links to resources mentioned in this episode plus the transcript here: travelmomsquad.com/140   Ready to get started with NEARLY FREE travel? Click here for the exact offers we would sign up for this month: travelmomsquad.lpages.co/bestoffers/   The Travel Mom Squad is also on YouTube! You can watch this episode here: youtube.com/@travelmomsquad   Let us know what you want to hear on the podcast by sending us a DM on Instagram: instagram.com/travelmomsquad  

We've been gradually telling the “origin stories” of each team member in Frequent mIler. Today, we'll talk about how Stephen came to join Frequent Miler.Frequent Miler origin story - Stephen's story(01:04) - When did Stephen first get into the points and miles travel hobby?(04:41) - Stephen remembers the stackable IHG promo codes(05:39) - Stephen's wife helped him pull the trigger on some early credit cards like the US Airways credit card with a bonus after just one purchase(07:54) - Stephen recalls his earliest credit cards (which he has noted in a spreadsheet, of course!) (09:35) - In 2016, Stephen and his wife decided that (in two years), they would start a roadtrip to every state in the US. They prepared by piling up on hotel credit cards.(11:30) - When did Stephen get into gift card reselling? (14:29) - How did Stephen get involved with Frequent Miler?(15:36) - Stephen remembers being excited that Frequent Miler had linked to his website! He was also very active in the Frequent Miler Insiders Facebook group.(16:51) - Stephen remembers being invited to write for Frequent Miler to help cover Nick's paternity leave. He wasn't sure it would cooperate with the roadtrip he was about to begin, but his wife helped encourage him to go for it! (A Frequent Miler author theme).(18:23) - Nick talks about how he came to recommend Stephen as his paternity leave coverage. Stephen's useful posts in the Frequent Miler Insiders group made him the first person Nick thought of. (19:62) - How did Stephen become the "king of stacking"?(22:21) - Stephen talks about how his time at Frequent Miler has been.Visit https://frequentmiler.com/subscribe to get updated on in-depth points and miles content like this, and don't forget to like and follow us on social media.Music Credit – Beach Walk by Unicorn Heads