1007: Why Sonesta Flattened Its Organization—and What Happens Next

In TV we'd call this a filler episode. Craig is in Hawaii and we're sure he wants to be elsewhere. Plus we have no guest. Glenn claims he has some stories though while Suzanne shakes her head in disbelief. Tune and find out!

Building franchise relationships isn't about brand standards — it's about listening, flexibility, and time in the field. That idea sits at the center of this episode of #NoVacancyNews. I'm in Massachusetts at the global headquarters of Sonesta International Hotels, talking with Phil Hugh, Chief Development Officer. Phil walks through how stepping into the CDO role pushed him out of the office and onto the road for roughly 60 days, visiting properties, meeting with owners, and seeing firsthand what it actually takes to operate hotels across the economy, midscale, and upscale segments. What comes through clearly is how Sonesta has changed how it shows up for owners — from flattening its organization to putting real focus behind Americas Best Value Inn, refining its portfolio, and structuring franchise agreements around long-term success instead of short-term wins. We cover: 🏨: Why Sonesta streamlined its leadership structure 📍: How non-competing brands benefit owners 💰: What the flat-fee model means for profitability 🪧: Why curb appeal and signage still matter 📈: How Sonesta plans to grow heading into 2026 🤝: What owners actually want from a franchisor today Special thanks to Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.

Luxury shows up in the small moments, not the marble — and that idea sits at the core of this episode of #NoVacancyNews. I spent time with Christophe Baraton, General Manager of Shutters on the Beach, to talk about what hospitality looks like when you lead from the property level instead of a spreadsheet. Christophe runs a 30-year-old beachfront hotel with deep roots in its local community, long-tenured team members, and guests who return because they feel known. We talk about leadership during crisis, how Shutters became a refuge for locals during the Los Angeles fires, and why anticipation—not opulence—defines modern #luxury. What stood out to me is how clearly he connects culture to results. When employees feel cared for, guests feel it immediately. We cover: 🏨: What authenticity actually means to guests 🔥: Leading through crisis with empathy and action 👥: Building culture that keeps people for decades ✨: Why anticipation beats excess in luxury 🍸: Adapting to low-ABV and non-alcoholic beverage trends 🤖: How hotel leaders approach AI without losing the human touch For #hotels, this comes down to leadership, consistency, and care — delivered every single day. Special thanks to Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.

Hotelier and comedian Alex Coury returns to join Glenn, Craig and Doctor Producer Suzanne to kick off the weekend with a hilarious (they wish) happy hour.

Hotel food & beverage doesn't fail because of trends — it fails when concept, design, and execution never fully line up. On #NoVacancyNews, I'm joined by Ami Alexander, Managing Partner at Barrel Aged Management, to talk about how #hotel #restaurants actually get built, refreshed, and kept relevant over time. Ami's background spans luxury hotels, global restaurant groups, and lifestyle brands, including time with Hakkasan, Sydell Group, Montage, and Pendry. That perspective shapes how she thinks about storytelling, training, and why hotels can't afford to treat F&B as an afterthought. What stood out to me is how often restaurants get compromised long before they open — furniture chosen too early, kitchens designed without the menu in mind, or concepts forced to fit an already built box. We cover: 🍽️: Why the concept needs to come first, not the floor plan 🎨: How design, furniture, music, and menu all tell the same story 👥: Training teams when experience is scarce but expectations are high 🌍: Lessons from global restaurant expansion that apply directly to U.S. hotels 🔄: When restaurants need a refresh — and how to do it without starting over For hotels, it's a practical look at how strong F&B becomes a competitive advantage instead of a constant headache. Special thanks to Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.  

Hotel food & beverage only works when culture, consistency, and leadership line up — and that's exactly what this #NoVacancyNews conversation explores. I'm joined by Greg McGowan, Regional Director of Food & Beverage for Kolter Hospitality and Executive Chef at Hyatt Centric Las Olas Fort Lauderdale, recorded on site in South Florida. Greg's path through country clubs, hotels, and leadership roles gives him a grounded view of what actually keeps F&B teams strong over time — especially in high-volume, full-service environments where turnover, burnout, and guest expectations collide. We talk about: 🍽️: Why different price points and experiences matter inside one property 👥: Building culture that keeps teams together for years, not months 🧠: Mental health, flexibility, and why burnout is no longer a badge of honor 📍: Balancing locals and transient guests in seasonal markets 🎯: Creating repeat business through genuine guest connection For #hotels, it's a practical look at how strong leadership shows up every day — in kitchens, on the floor, and behind the scenes. Special thanks to Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com to learn more.  

I did this one from the 66th floor Alle Lounge at Resorts World Las Vegas, with Shannon McCallum, VP of Hotel Operations, about how the property continues evolving four-plus years after opening. Resorts World operates more than 3,500 rooms across three brands --  Hilton, Conrad, and Crockfords -- all under one roof. That scale forces real decisions about technology, guest choice, and efficiency — especially when different guests expect very different experiences. Shannon walks through how the team thinks about: 📱: Digital check-in and Apple Wallet keys without forcing app adoption 🏨: Giving guests a choice between self-service and human interaction ⚙️: Replacing interconnected systems without breaking the operation 📊: Using guest feedback and data to guide tech decisions 🚶‍♂️: Reducing friction at arrival while improving front desk flow 🤖: Where AI and digital assistants actually help — and where they don't The throughline here is intention. Technology works when it supports the guest journey instead of dictating it. Special thanks to Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit, visit Actabl.com. Smarter operations make it easier to support experiences at this scale.

Beverage has moved from a supporting role to a real revenue driver in hotel F&B, and that shift isn't accidental. #NoVacancyNews I'm joined by Adrian Biggs, Director of Advocacy at Bacardi, to talk through what their latest global trends report reveals about how — and when — guests are actually drinking. This isn't guesswork. Bacardi builds this report using global ambassador insight, consumer research across multiple countries, and real operator behavior. The result is a clearer picture of where beverage demand is heading and how hotel bars can respond. What stood out most to me is how timing, intentional drinking, and experience now matter as much as what's in the glass. Afternoon drinking is rising, cocktails are getting lighter and more deliberate, and guests expect bars to deliver something worth remembering — not just something strong. What we cover: 🍸: Why earlier drinking is becoming the new norm 📊: How beverage trends affect menu design and staffing 🌱: The growing importance of transparency, sourcing, and storytelling 📍: What hotel operators should adjust now to capture more revenue Special thanks to Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Better data and smarter operations make it easier to turn trends like these into real results.

Because it's STILL the holidays, I'm rerunning something that still makes me smile — episode one of Friday Night Audit. This show started in 2021, smack dab in the middle of COVID, when a lot of us in the hotel business felt disconnected, stuck at home, and spending way too much time on video calls. We also missed the best part of conferences: hanging out at the bar afterward, talking shop, telling stories, and laughing at how completely cuckoo this business can be. So we built Friday Night Audit to feel like that moment. The idea was simple: hotel people as real people, having a drink, reacting to the week, and letting the conversation go where it goes. No scripts. No polish. Just the kinds of conversations that usually happen after the badges come off. Early 2026 marks five years of the show, and we'll hit 200 episodes in February, right around that anniversary. And yes, it still feels a little ridiculous considering how this all started. This first episode sets the tone immediately, with me and Craig Sullivan, joined by our first-ever guest Kate Burda — who shotguns a beer. Producer Dave also makes his presence felt early, adding strong insulting power as we figure this show out in real time and clearly have way too much fun doing it. Highlights from episode one: 🍺: Immediate regret about starting the show — followed by leaning into it 🎤: The first guest appearance and the rhythm that stuck 🏨: Real hotel stories, awkward guest moments, and industry inside jokes 🤣: A lot of laughter that probably wouldn't have survived editing if this weren't a live show If you've ever stayed late at the bar after a conference because the conversation beat the session schedule, this show was made for you. Question: Did you find Friday Night Audit early, or did you come across it later once the chaos was already established?

This week, as I look back on podcasts that mattered to me over the last 10 years of No Vacancy and Rouse Media, I'm sharing some episodes that reflect where the industry — and all of us — actually were at the time. This one is difficult, but important. It's one of the first live shows we ever did, recorded just before COVID shut everything down. At that point, we were still learning what this virus was, how it spread, and what it might mean for travel and hotels. I went live on LinkedIn with Anthony Melchiorri and Dr. Primas, a New York–based physician with deep experience in travel health. Anthony had known Dr. Primas since 1991, going back to his days at The Plaza, and we brought him on because we needed expert insight — not speculation. Within 48 hours of this episode airing, I lost almost my entire business. That wasn't unique to me — far from it. We all experienced loss. That's part of why this episode stands out. It captures the exact moment before everything changed. I'm rerunning this not to relive it, but to document it. It's a snapshot of what the hotel industry was thinking, fearing, and trying to understand in real time. In this episode: 🦠: What we knew — and didn't know — about COVID at the time 🏨: Early concerns about travel, hotels, and guest safety 🧠: Medical context instead of rumor or panic 📉: The uncertainty facing the hospitality industry in that moment 📍: A live conversation recorded just before shutdowns began There's no sponsor on this episode. It stands on its own as a record of a moment none of us will forget.