The Future of Travel: “Why stay in a hotel when you can have a place like home?”

The Future of Travel: “Why stay in a hotel when you can have a place like home?” With Jason Fudin CEO of WhyHotel

We expect to raise people’s expectations for what high-quality accommodations look like and how much they cost. It starts with our name — WhyHotel. Because why stay in a hotel when you can have a place like home? The name is meant to pose a question that challenges the value of a hotel room when guests could instead stay in a product like ours. We expect to continue to push the boundaries of “flexible” real estate and work on products that have an even greater impact on the value chain. Real estate will become more dynamic with a robust set of customers that can change as markets and individual customer preferences change.

As a part of my series on “The future of travel”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jason Fudin. Jason is the CEO and Co-Founder of WhyHotel. Prior to WhyHotel, Jason was the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Vornado Realty Trust where he worked on large asset repositioning and developing innovative commercial real estate concepts for the organization. Over his career, Jason has managed commercial real estate development projects valued at over $2 billion and has worked in development, acquisitions, and capital markets. He has his B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Management from McGill University and his M.S. in Finance and Real Estate from American University.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us the story about what brought you to this specific career path?

WhyHotel’s story began, as many stories do, with a couple of people bent on improving what they knew best. In our case, it was newly built high-rise buildings in city centers. At the time, I was working as an executive at Vornado Realty, and my co-founder, Bao Vuong, was working as an executive at PN Hoffman.

In my role at Vornado, I was tasked with taking an inward look at our assets and identifying opportunities for improvement. After an afternoon of whiteboarding, the idea for WhyHotel was born. We realized there’s an underlying inefficiency to how newly constructed apartment buildings are delivered to market, so we set out to take advantage of this “timing inefficiency” by temporarily operating a spacious, innovative, and “like-home” hospitality experience out of the vacancy of brand-new luxury apartment buildings.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

I suppose it depends on what you mean by “interesting”. Early on in my career I attempted to have a dance off with MC Hammer at a black-tie gala, only MC Hammer refused to dance back…

I think the most interesting career moment for me came when a high-rise apartment construction project I was working on got green-lit to move forward in 2012, but ended up overperforming when it opened in 2016 because Uber had changed the perceived value of the building’s location. Essentially, Uber made a more desirable entertainment area only a $9 ride away so we were able to charge more in rents. It crystallized for me how the impact and speed of technology is completely misaligned with the timing and decision making of building skyscrapers. This further drove home the importance of having flexible real estate assets.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Early in my career at a large publicly traded company I was pulled aside by a couple of my supervisors and told that my style for “professional dress” didn’t match the standard “uniform” of dark suits, white/blue shirts, and plain ties. I was more of a pastel shirt, loose tie, rolled up sleeve kind of guy. I took the hint (they were just trying to help me) and dressed the part. Now that I run a company, I have my individuality back (no more pastel shirts — thank God). We empower people to be themselves at WhyHotel (including how they dress themselves as adults — go figure)

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
We have a product that would appeal to pretty much any traveler. Brand-new, luxury, full-size apartments in city centers that are operated by a 24/7 onsite hotel staff and at a price that is less than a tired Marriott or Hilton. We have had the pleasure of hosting groups on vacations, Mon-Thur business travelers that now have a “home away from home”, and the families of patients who are undergoing treatment in nearby hospitals. We get to have a positive impact on all of our guests!

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?
Focus on what you do best and, when the time is right, bet on yourself. Surround yourself with people you respect and enjoy working with. Build out a diverse professional network of people you enjoy helping. Most importantly, don’t lose sight of your personal life in your quest to build a career. My relationships with my wife and son are the most important thing I have. Every once and a while, sleep in on a weekend!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
The reality is that anyone who is fortunate enough to be able to grow into a role like mine at WhyHotel, has been lifted up by hundreds of people along the way (both personally and professionally). I can think of one person who had an incredibly outsized impact on my career, Toby Millman. When I was early in my career as a real estate development analyst, I had taken on a tremendous workload and set of responsibilities (senior manager level work) as my employer searched for an executive to take over my projects. When they finally hired someone, Toby, I prepared to hand over all of my work over to him at the end of his first month on the job. At the end of that month he said to me “it has been a pleasure to work with you and I can see your potential here is huge. Instead of taking over your projects, I’d like to empower you to continue to take on more and do bigger things. Think of me as your resource and think of these high-rise developments as yours to ‘own’ and manage”. This catapulted my career and Toby is now a good friend and was one of the first investors to back us!

Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?
The core innovation at WhyHotel is bringing flexibility to the most inflexible asset ever, high-rise real estate, by blurring the line between hospitality and home. WhyHotel is a tech-enabled hospitality management company that operates fully staffed, pop-up hotels out of the vacancy of newly built, luxury apartment buildings — creating significant “found money” for developers by offering superior, differentiated hospitality experiences for customers.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation?
WhyHotel came out of personal pain points as both a real estate developer and as a traveler.

As real estate developers, my-cofounder and I were faced with inefficiency in every new high-rise development. Newly constructed high-rise apartment buildings open completely empty and take a year or two to fill up with residents (highly inefficient and very costly to operate).

As people with young families, we have experienced the mismatch of hotel rooms to those traveling with kids. As a Mon-Thurs. business traveler with IBM (early in his career), my co-founder, Bao Vuong, experienced living life from a hotel room.

Our product solves all of these pain points through found efficiency and a hospitality product laser-focused on our customers.

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?
We expect to raise people’s expectations for what high-quality accommodations look like and how much they cost. It starts with our name — WhyHotel. Because why stay in a hotel when you can have a place like home? The name is meant to pose a question that challenges the value of a hotel room when guests could instead stay in a product like ours.

We expect to continue to push the boundaries of “flexible” real estate and work on products that have an even greater impact on the value chain. Real estate will become more dynamic with a robust set of customers that can change as markets and individual customer preferences change.

Can you share 5 examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to travel?

1) Bringing flexibility to the otherwise completely inflexible asset of real estate (Airbnb got this right)

2) Better matching the end product to the consumer need (WeWork identified this in office)

3) The integration of technology and the physical space (think Latch)

4) Creating experiences that are personalized (hospitality that knows YOU)

5) Traditionally, real estate assets have been built for a single use, but the market is changing, consumer perception of short-term rentals is changing, and we are already seeing hospitality product and multifamily product offering a very similar guest/resident experience (WhyHotel is leading this effort to blur the line between hospitality and home)

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”? One that you daydream about for years afterward!

For me, that vacation was at Glen Clova in Scotland. It was my girlfriend (now wife) and my first long vacation and it was spent in the rolling hills of Northern Scotland in a quaint cabin at the foot of a mountain with a Loch on top. There was an onsite restaurant that served incredible fish and chips and steak pie. When a vacation can bring together emotional connection, great experiences, and great food you can’t miss. At WhyHotel, we aim to provide the perfect backdrop for others to discover their “perfect vacation”.

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
It is still early days at WhyHotel, but the most rewarding way we have been able to have a positive impact on the world is by first having a positive impact on our guests. We have been with them and supported them in difficult times (emergency hospital visits for their family members, visiting for funerals at Arlington Cemetery, unexpected tragedy at home while they were vacationing with us, etc.). We have been with them in the best of times (the birth of a first grandkid, weddings, graduations, etc.). We hope this is just the start of what we can do to have a positive impact on the cities and communities we are a part of.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

A movement to celebrate human’s capacity for kindness. We are inherently empathetic creatures and being reminded of that might inspire kindness to become contagious!


The Future of Travel: “Why stay in a hotel when you can have a place like home?” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future of Travel: “Inspire joy with the human touch” With Abigail Tan-Giroud of St Giles…

The Future of Travel: “Inspire joy with the human touch” With Abigail Tan-Giroud of St Giles Hotels & Candice Georgiadis

The new industry status quo is to embrace the newest technology, to be Avante Garde, if you will; however, in doing so are we losing sight of our guests and what they really want? I like to disrupt a little by keeping the guest experience central through the lens of hospitality in its truest form always.

As a part of my series on “The future of travel” I had the pleasure of interviewing Abigail Tan-Giroud. Abigail is not your average hotelier, because apart from being born into a renowned hospitality family and having deep roots for the industry, in her spare time you may find her flying a helicopter, playing the electric guitar, boxing at 6am, or doing some form of sport, riding a motorcycle, completing Tough Mudder, or most likely, eating. . Growing up in Penang, Malaysia, Abigail gained exposure to the hotel and real estate industry at a very young age — her grandfather and uncle ran one of Malaysia’s real estate dynasties and her father is now the managing director of the publicly listed IGB Corporation, the parent company of St Giles Hotels Group, which owns nine hotels and growing worldwide with over 6,000 rooms globally under separate brands. Abigail entered the family business during summer breaks from school as an apprentice and joined the St Giles Hotels team as Director of Corporate Affairs and Strategic Investments in 2009, involved with the purchase of two New York properties and assisting with negotiations and transition preparations. In 2014, she became St Giles Hotels’ Head of UK, Europe and North America and in 2018 was promoted to Chief Executive Officer. In this role, Abigail oversees the New York property, The Tuscany — A St Giles Signature Hotel — as well as the London hotels, St Giles Heathrow and St Giles London. In London, she is also part of the core team for the development of a mixed-use development project on a 1.81 acre in the Southwark area, slated to open by 2020 with a 400-room four-star hotel, luxury residences, retail, a medical center and office towers. She is also responsible for sourcing new business development opportunities and is the driving force behind the culture development of the St Giles Hotels brand. Abigail holds an undergraduate degree in business management, and a master’s degree with Distinction in international management and innovation from the University of Exeter.

Thank you so much for joining us Abigail. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Hospitality has been in my family for three generations — you can say it is in my genes. When I was a young girl, I would walk into a hotel and the first thing I would do is take a deep breath in and sigh with excitement and joy and say to myself…”Hotel.” Instead of spending all my time enjoying the facilities, I would also be in the back-office asking the staff what they were doing (in the naive way of an eight-year-old girl), asking them what games they had and how long I could keep them for. I would walk down the room corridors spying on the housekeeping trolleys and housekeepers, trying to see what was in them, as well as seeing what I could take! I still have the same love affair with hotels that I had at that young age. Walking into one of our hotels in the St Giles portfolio still inspires the same feeling of excitement and joy as then. I often do some of the same things! (Well, probably just not asking about the games or what I can take.) I love the way a hotel lives and breathes and becomes a place for people to gather and shape memories.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

The beauty of this industry is that there is a new and interesting story every day, so it is really hard to pick one.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I tried to be helpful by shadowing our engineering team, and I thought I would attempt to change a leaking faucet. Well, water — like from a fire hydrant — shot out across the bathroom and my attempt to push the faucet back in only made it worse, drenching myself and the engineer team in the process.

Lesson learned: Turn off the water at the main source FIRST, and, leave it to the experts.

What do you think makes your company stand out?

We are individuals that define the brand, not the brand defining who the team should be and how to behave.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?

Always take time for yourself to relax and unplug without feeling guilty. Not embracing “Me Time” can decrease productivity for you and your team. Lay out all the projects in front of you and prioritize them, so that you can have everything where you can “see” it and not feel anxious about remembering what to do. I feel it is also very important to have your “champions” at your side — those friends and colleagues who can support and advise you through difficult decisions and give you an honest second or third opinion.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

There are many people to whom I am grateful in my career so far. The first would be to my Uncle Steve who was my teacher, mentor and someone who would give me the (proverbial) kick when I needed it. He showed me the ropes, threw me in the deep end and made sure to be there to help me if I needed it. He ensured that my growth was exponential, while at the same time giving me the independence to lead and learn.

Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?

What lies at the core of every initiative that we drive at St Giles Hotels is placing the guest experience central. It is important for our guests to experience authentic hospitality — the human connection. In 2019, St Giles Hotels will be launching its first portfolio-wide loyalty program, and it is very important to us that this program is relevant to our loyal guests — which is why our first step is to better understand our guests and know about their expectations. We don’t want to have a loyalty program just to have one, but rather we want to create a rewarding experience that will continue to inspire loyalty. Alongside our loyalty program, St Giles Hotels is also launching a new program called “Inspired Joy,” where we are empowering our staff to surprise and delight our guests with unexpected moments of inspired service. Surprises include: a selection of 30 or more spontaneous prize giveaways to intuitively recognizing when an extra step can transform a guest experience to a joyful lasting memory. I believe this puts the human connection central to the guest experience. And central to the culture of St Giles Hotels is also to make a positive impact in society. Our foundation, entitled “Hotels with Heart” is our way of doing that. However, it is not a separate CSR program as it lies at the core of the culture of our brand and is lived by each employee. Our team is comprised of volunteers, activists, fundraisers, sponsors and mentors. We make them the advocates of change, and at the same time give them the opportunity to grow organically through teaching and helping others.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation?

As an industry, I believe we sometime lose sight of the most important factor of hospitality — the human touch. Hotels should really serve as a “home away from home” for our guests, as they choose us to fill the place of their home when they are traveling — all of which is why at St Giles Hotels, our guests are seen as part of the St Giles Family. We aim to always create a place that is welcoming to guests and delivers a fulfilling and inspiring experience, while remaining connected with our guests. Whenever we incorporate new innovations and technology, it is always with the goal to make it easier for our guests to connect with the St Giles team. With Hotels with Heart, the pain point we are trying to address is youth homelessness and how we can be at the center of the race to alleviate this global problem. This, I believe, also has the opportunity to create lifetime hoteliers from those who have been given opportunities where it once in their lives has seemed bleak.

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?

The new industry status quo is to embrace the newest technology, to be Avante Garde, if you will; however, in doing so are we losing sight of our guests and what they really want? I like to disrupt a little by keeping the guest experience central through the lens of hospitality in its truest form always.

Can you share examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to travel?

In addition to keeping the guest central and fostering a strong connection for a better understanding of how to deliver hospitality to guests, here are some additional examples:

1. Convenience is an Amenity — Today’s modern guest enjoys the convenience of traveling with their digital daily comforts — streaming movie services, multiple devices, car share apps, food delivery apps, etc. Premium high-speed WiFi service and accessible USB charging stations are a must. In addition, at The Tuscany — St Giles Signature Hotel in New York City — guests enjoy the use of a complimentary handy smartphone, which offers unlimited domestic and international calls (selected countries); free roaming around the city, while allowing for direct access to the guest service team; and, a curated NYC travel guide to experience the city.

2. Location-inspired Design and Experience — The modern traveler seeks the authentic local experience when visiting any destination. At St Giles Hotels, we aim to give guests a sense of that local experience inside the hotel with locally-inspired design. No two St Giles Hotels’ properties are alike — each is uniquely designed to reflect and connect with its locality. It might be an architectural feature that harkens to a storied history (such as: St Giles London with its building being one of London’s most famous brutalist buildings; and, The Tank Stream — A St Giles Hotels — with its name and building linked to the history of Sydney, the first British settlement in the city; or, an unexpected view that frames local iconic structures, such as the stunning views of the Empire State and Chrysler buildings from most of our rooms and suites at The Tuscany, including the Penthouse which offers 360-degree views of both these famed NYC icons. The Tuscany also offers a taste of the local with curated mini bars including healthy, guilt-free items from New York and surrounding areas.

3. United to Be Sustainable Citizens — There is a convergence, a meeting of the minds per se, with today’s guests and hoteliers. Both are more committed to being responsible and sustainable citizens to positively impact their local communities, the places they visit, and the planet. St Giles Hotels commitment as a sustainable and responsible global citizen is reflected in:

4. Hotels With Heart Foundation, which lies at the core of the St Giles Hotels’ culture and values and poses the question — What can we do to positively impact the vulnerable in our community? To be more involved in our communities? To impact causes that matter to our team and our guests?

5. #CitizenG — St Giles Hotels’ sustainable program launched in 2018 supports the company’s mission and promises to be more “green,” by making environmentally friendly decisions across its properties with the goal of eliminating single-use plastic and reducing water and energy use in three years.

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?

My husband and I enjoy long moments of Zen, unplugged from all technology with interruptions from food, food and some more food, followed by an adrenaline rush from a triple black ski run or a motorcycle ride …then back to more food.

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

One of my proudest achievements is bringing to life our foundation, Hotels with Heart. I rarely say, “I did such & such,” as I value how much we achieve as a team here at St Giles Hotels, but I am very proud that I was able to bring the vision I had of creating a foundation that positively impacts the communities where our hotels are located, which is how the vision for Hotels with Heart was born. Since then, as a team, we have developed Hotels with Heart into a program that positively impacts our communities. Through the foundation, our staff together has raised money and participated in community activities with the focus of aiding the vulnerable around the world.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

You never know what an idea can trigger. Inspire Joy in one person each day.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

@AbigailTan_StGiles https://www.instagram.com/abigailtan_stgiles


The Future of Travel: “Inspire joy with the human touch” With Abigail Tan-Giroud of St Giles… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Of Travel: “Hair service in your hotel and gym” With Erika Wasser of Glam+Go & Candice…

The Future Of Travel: “Hair service in your hotel and gym” With Erika Wasser of Glam+Go & Candice Georgiadice

More often than not, business travelers need to look their best while they’re on the go, which can be tricky in a hotel room…especially if you’re not inclined to check your bag and bring your full bathroom cabinet with you. By being co-located in hotels, we serve not just the discerning guests, give the hotel a service option that adds value for them, as well as serve the local community.

As part of my series about “exciting developments in the travel industry over the next five years”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Erika Wasser, a former TV host for HGTV and standup comedian turned beauty entrepreneur. Inspired by the efficiency and quality of the green room glam experience she received before going on camera, she grew frustrated with typical lengthy blowout experience offered by traditional salons and blow dry bars, which often left her choosing between working out and other activities — there simply wasn’t enough time in the day! In 2015, she pitched the concept of a two chair blow dry salon that specializes in blowouts in 30 minutes or less to her first partner to be right where women need hair services the most. The first Glam+Go opened just 35 days later. Under Erika’s leadership, Glam+Go has grown to 14 locations in four cities with iconic partners such as Fairmont, the Gansevoort Group, Shore Club, Equinox, exhale & more, as well as two standalone flagship locations (full-service salons).

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I began my career in TV, both behind and in front of the camera. When I was between shows, I really missed the green room glam experience of sitting down and being in front of the camera 30 minutes later. I’m completely incapable of doing my own hair, so relying on salons and traditional blow dry bars — which had inconsistent results and often took up a huge portion of my day — just wasn’t working. I knew I couldn’t be the only woman who felt this way, so I pitched the concept of a pop up blow dry bar salon at the Upper East Side exhale Spa (where I was working out at the time). Glam+Go opened 35 days later.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Every day has been an interesting story since we first opened our doors! I think one of the more interesting things to happen was in our early days…At the time, we were nothing more than a roll-away cart, a blow dryer and a clipboard within a locker room when out of the blue, Good Morning America called. They wanted to include us in a segment (amazing!), but asked if we had a website. As you might imagine, given that our process involved a clipboard at that time, we certainly didn’t have a website. Long story short: a friend, a bottle of chardonnay and an all-nighter later, we had a website and were able to be placed in the segment. That clip helped us scale our business

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

We provide a service that women need — efficient, high quality hair services at an approachable price — right where they need it when they’re on the go: in their hotels and in their gyms. One of the first times I realized we had something special was when we opened our Santa Monica Fairmont location; I was out in LA for work and ran into one of our NY regulars at the salon! As a frequent traveler, it’s a perfect service for her, and the fact that she sought out our new location for her trip meant so much. These days I love getting to know our members (many of them subscribe to our unlimited blowout membership, which is transferable between all our locations) as we all travel around the US!

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?

Recognize that you can’t do everything yourself and that you can’t do everything in a day. Operating and managing a business takes time, and while you want to resolve any issues efficiently, you need to be realistic. Also, occasionally calling it quits for a 4:00 p.m. glass of Fleur de Praire rosé can be one of the most healing things for your mental well being!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

I am indebted to my dad for his impact on Glam+Go — he is brilliant and has amazing business experience, so we talk daily about everything from new concepts to operational issues. While we don’t always agree, his insight is invaluable.

Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?

While our original business model primarily targeted busy women on the go — and we very much still cater to her — our business has really evolved to better serve the traveler by being co-located in hospitality properties like Fairmont (we actually just opened our 2nd location with Fairmont in the beautiful Fairmont Georgetown in Washington, DC), Shore Club and Dream. More often than not, business travelers need to look their best while they’re on the go, which can be tricky in a hotel room…especially if you’re not inclined to check your bag and bring your full bathroom cabinet with you. By being co-located in hotels, we serve not just the discerning guests, give the hotel a service option that adds value for them, as well as serve the local community.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation?

With the rise of remote working, email on our phones, 24/7 accessibility and so on, people are busier than ever. No one has the kind of time to go to a blow dry bar for an hour and a half just to get ready for a big presentation, an event or even just to get ready for work. With our Express Blowouts, which take just 15 minutes starting on dry hair and our Signature Blowouts, which is a traditional wash-and-blow in 30 minutes or less for most hair types,

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?

While there’s certainly a time and a place for a glass of champagne and reading a magazine while you wait at a salon, our efficiency-driven model has already helped us capture market share and helped us double the size of our business to 14 locations in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, DC last year. Our model pushes the salon industry forward by focusing on quality and efficiency and pushes the hospitality industry forward by offering a great service for guests.

Can you share 5 examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to travel?

  • Express services: Whether traveling for business or leisure, most people don’t want to spend a ton of time to look their best while they’re away from home. Whether it’s rushing to a party or presenting at a conference, travelers want to look their best — quickly.
  • Niche offerings: Hotels aren’t just competing with each other anymore, they’re now contending with home shares like Airbnb. Hotels can stand out by offering more specialized and interesting amenities and services to entice travelers.
  • Marrying quality and efficiency: “efficient” and “high quality” don’t need to be mutually exclusive — in fact, they coexist really successfully! Instead of marking up prices and only offering quality as a luxury commodity, figure out how to achieve efficiency and quality at an approachable price to reach more customers.
  • In-room amenities: These days, people really want convenience. In addition to offering unique and accessible services, make them available right in their rooms so there’s zero extra time or effort needed. This is why we offer in room services at all our hotel partner properties.
  • More accessible pricing: Onsite price gouging has to go — the idea of “the hotel surcharge” for highly inflated prices doesn’t work anymore. With apps like Seamless that can replace room service, or “find dry cleaners near me” on Google, travelers have more access than ever to get what they want at a better price, so hotels have to become more competitive.

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?

I travel so much for work, so often times I’m in beautiful hotels and locations but don’t get to totally unwind. A perfect vacation for me is a beach, a glass of wine and my dog Harry without any interruptions!

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

We’ve always leveraged our position at Glam+Go for good. Every year, we partner with local charities to serve food to the homeless at the holidays. We also try to open our doors to and show support for disenfranchised groups whenever we can. I personally have my own missions, but as a female started and owned company we employ over 95% women at Glam+Go. One of the things we take very seriously is our team’s enrichment and access to opportunities.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

My “pet project” (no pun intended) is a non-profit called Harry’s House. As a dog owner/animal lover, it’s really upsetting to know that being an animal owner/lover keeps those in need out of shelters, shared housing, low income housing, soup kitchens and career fairs. In more extreme cases, especially for women who experience domestic abuse, because there are few places to turn with an animal in tow, so they end up staying in abusive situations because they fear for the life of their cat or dog. In many states in the US, bringing an animal to a kennel is immediate abandonment (some have a 30 day grace period). But I’d like to create a safe space for animal owners who are seeking help and or rehabilitation. A place to watch an animal for up to 30 days if someone received a job opportunity, or needed temporary public housing where they didn’t want to choose between a roof and abandoning their animal. In addition to a “day care” and basic vet facility, we would offer a small amount of temporary housing for victims of abuse that cannot be separated from their pet just yet while offering career placement workshops, mentorship and help with resume building/form filling out (I don’t know if you’ve ever applied for anything with the government but the forms are brutal and confusing). We’re still in very early stages, but I’m really excited to bring this concept to life.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can find me on Instagram at @WorldOfWasser and Glam+Go at @GlamAndGo_!


The Future Of Travel: “Hair service in your hotel and gym” With Erika Wasser of Glam+Go & Candice… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future of Travel: “Voice commands in your hotel room” With Jay Stein, CEO, Dream Hotel Group &…

The Future of Travel: “Voice commands in your hotel room” With Jay Stein, CEO, Dream Hotel Group & Candice Georgiadis

As Google and other partners continue to create new technology solutions, we will want to pilot those programs and offer new solutions that make our brand more compelling to today’s traveler. Our core guests come to us looking for the latest, greatest and most advanced technology, as well as constant innovations across all sectors of our hotels, including dining, nightlife, events, activations and design, with the utmost commitment to service. This is how we stay ahead of our competition.

As part of my series about “exciting developments in the travel industry over the next five years”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jay Stein, CEO, Dream Hotel Group. Jay is Chief Executive Officer of Dream Hotel Group, overseeing the evolution and expansion efforts of the Company and its portfolio of brands: Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and Unscripted Hotels. With over three decades in the hospitality business and more than 20 years with Dream Hotel Group, Mr. Stein has served in a variety of property and corporate roles with both large and boutique hotel brands, including Hilton Worldwide, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and Doral Hotels. Mr. Stein began his career in 1983 with Hilton Worldwide at the Vista International Hotel in the World Trade Center in New York City. A veteran of food and beverage management, he turned his sights to general hotel operations in 1987 and quickly rose from the ranks to become Managing Director for three Doral Hotels in New York City. After taking those properties through the transition to Starwood Hotels and Resorts, he joined Dream Hotel Group as Executive Vice President of Operations and was soon promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 1997, overseeing hotel operations and playing a vital role in the Company’s expansion efforts.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I had no idea that I was originally going to lead an international hospitality group, specifically an innovative lifestyle brand such as Dream Hotel Group. I have always enjoyed cooking and after receiving my bachelors degree in political science I went back to school and received a second degree in hospitality management. (Much to my parents chagrin as they wanted me to be a lawyer). My love of food and travel naturally lent itself to my first job with Hilton Worldwide, and I have not looked back since.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Yes. In the hot August summer of 2003 there was a major blackout in New York City. Thousands of people were turned away from their hotels, but we encouraged our guests to stay, and, despite lack of air conditioning or any electricity, we did the best we could to ensure our guests were safe. We made sure everyone had flashlights, we served cold salads and hot pasta using our gas stoves and had plenty of alcohol on hand. The camaraderie of the staff and guests in a potentially stressful situation was managed seamlessly. The most unbelievable aspect of the 2003 blackout was standing in the middle of Times Square in midtown Manhattan in complete darkness, a space and location known for bright blinking lights 24/7. It was a surreal moment. I am beyond proud to have had that experience; to demonstrate our ability as a company to provide the utmost care and service for our guests, even in a crisis, and to make everyone feel welcome, despite the challenging circumstances.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

This isn’t so much a funny mistake but a teachable moment. When I first started working as a teenager, I quickly realized after a meeting with the owner of the company and potential clients that I had offered insights during the meeting that puts us in a weaker position to maximize profits. I learned an important lesson that sometimes it’s more important to listen than speak. Now, even as CEO, I find its best to err on the side of caution in all meetings, listen to my colleagues first and offer input only when I know there is real value. I truly learned the motto “less is more” early on due to this experience.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Dream Hotel Group has a unique culture built on hospitality. Our employee training offers guests the most personal attention. A perfect example is when I was staying at Dream Hollywood last year. After a 14-hour day of meetings wearing a walkable “boot” type cast I came back to my room and was greeted with ice packs and note saying “feel better.” Now they knew I was the CEO, but our staff would do that for any of our guests. They are trained to provide a higher attention to detail to all our guests, one that surprises and delights them and creates customer loyalty for life.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?

First and foremost, this is a career and not a traditional 9:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. job. We work early mornings and late nights. We work holidays and weekends. It’s hospitality and that doesn’t stop when the whistle blows. That said, there is no reason not to have work/life balance, especially now with technology and smart phones. We are all connected. We can take calls, be responsive and then unplug when necessary to recharge. As I came up through management I always found time to coach my daughter’s softball team. I have a great marriage and friendships. Yes, I work hard, but I also make it a priority to enjoy my time out of the office when I can.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

I am forever grateful to Bob Boyle, former General Manager of Doral Court in NYC and my mentor growing up in hospitality. Bob gave me the opportunity to launch my management career. I remember once walking the Javits Center with Bob, and I was so impressed to see how many people knew Bob. I was blown away by how he took the time to say hi to everyone and be so well known. Bob is the one person who helped facilitate my growth as a leader in hotel management. At the time I was responsible for the food and beverage department at Doral Court and had expressed my frustration that I was responsible for such a small part of the hotel’s profit. Bob noted that my extensive food and beverage experience was invaluable, but he also encouraged me to take on additional training in operations. If I did took those extra steps, he said he would promote me to Assistant General Manager. It took a year to complete, and he made good on his promise. I was given the promotion that paved the way for where I am now. Bob truly helped me further my career, and I am grateful for his teaching, listening, friendship and ability to show me how to be a strong well-respected leader.

Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?

Technology is paramount. Consumers today are living increasingly connected lives online and that doesn’t change when they travel. Our guests want a consistent and seamless experience at every touch point — before, during and after their stay. As such, Dream Hotel Group is proudly investing more than ever in new technology platforms and guestroom entertainment today. We are especially committed to advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Voice Automation. We are currently working with the Google development team to pilot two new programs at Dream Downtown: Google Assistant Interpreter Mode at guest check-in and the concierge desk, and Google Home in the guestrooms by integrating Google Assistant and voice commands for guest service requests. If these pilots are a success, our plan is to roll them out at other Dream Hotel Group locations.

We are also exploring ways to have guests use their mobile device to connect to our hotel WiFi system, and then use the voice automation software on their own phone/Ipad/etc. to engage and interact with our hotel systems. We are looking at Voice Automation as way of enhancing the guest experience outside of the Lighting, HVAC and TV controls that are standard integrations today. Other technology trends and platforms that Dream Hotel Group is exploring, include BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) which is also called “casting” via Apple TV, Roku, Chrome Cast, etc. We want to simplify this process of giving guests access to their own content. Our goal is to allow the guest to use their own technology and make it a seamless and frictionless experience during their stay. In addition, we believe that Remote Keyless Entry and an increased commitment to Wi-Fi will be vital. Wi-Fi is like air and water for our guests, and that is how we look at it.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation?

​We want our guests to experience a seamless transition from home to travel, utilizing the latest technology available. The pain point for us as an industry is to commit to this premise and have the wherewithal to follow through on the promise of always being ahead of the curve. It can be very costly, as we are not a technology company. However, our core guests demand a higher level of bandwidth. Our clientele works in the technology, entertainment, publishing, fashion and finance sectors, and they demand that the technology is seamless to accomplish their tasks. We always cater to our guests needs and will continue to look for the latest technology advancements, despite investment costs to provide new innovations and specialized hi-tech offerings with a personal touch.

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?

As Google and other partners continue to create new technology solutions, we will want to pilot those programs and offer new solutions that make our brand more compelling to today’s traveler. Our core guests come to us looking for the latest, greatest and most advanced technology, as well as constant innovations across all sectors of our hotels, including dining, nightlife, events, activations and design, with the utmost commitment to service. This is how we stay ahead of our competition.

Can you share 5 examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to travel?

1. Health Conscious Travelers: The health conscious guest will drive food and beverage and experiences that enable them to stay healthy while traveling. We see this growing into more of a brand standard than a trend and will continue to provide sustainable healthy menu options across all food and beverage outlets in all our properties.

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI): This technology provides new allows for personalization and ways for us to offer guests a more personalized stay. When used alongside the human touch, travelers get the best of both worlds. Personalized service with the benefit of technology innovation.

3. Self Service: While some guests want personalized experiences, many are happy being more self-reliant. Self-service check-in is definitely growing in popularity.

4. Investment Marketing: The travel industry is already experiencing increased engagement on social media. Guest interactions with our brand and sharing those experiences with their peer group will only become more important. Our hotels’ social media channels offers a visual experience that add value for our guests before they even arrive. Social media will continue to remain an important tool before, during and after a guest’s stay.

5. Off-Premise Experiences: More and more of our hotels are offering coordinated, tailored experiences to guests that may be only accessible through the hotel’s personal and professional relationships. For example: an invitation to a private shopping experience where we ask a store to stay open after hours, access to an intimate invite-only concert, private after-party or sold out sporting event that can be all handled seamlessly through our guest services.

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?

A perfect vacation is one where I can unplug and experience something that energizes me. I tend to choose a destination that is athletic and is fully invigorating. Cold crisp air on my face as I ski down a triple black diamond with friends and family, followed by great wining and dining for a few days offers ideal respite and relaxation from my busy work responsibilities.

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I am thrilled that as CEO, working for our Chairman Mr. Sant Chatwal for the last 26 years, we have been able to improve the lives of those who work for Dream Hotel Group and support their families and loved ones. I work with thousands of people worldwide and have had the opportunity to connect with team members in such a positive way. I also taught as an adjust professor at New York University’s Hospitality program and New York City College of Technology’s Hospitality program and continued to coach and mentor many of my students beyond the classroom. I know that my own positive attitude and appreciation for my career and position as CEO is present in my everyday life. I am grateful to have a wonderful place to work and thrive, and I always try to bring that energy to the office and to all our hotels worldwide.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

Today young people need to learn to be more self-reliant and have the opportunity to work hard and fail. It is better to have made a mistake and learn from it, than to be fearful to try something new. I would love to see more kids choosing to go out of their comfort zones, and not feel like they have their parents to fall back on as a safety net. I think challenges are healthy. It forces maturity and responsibility.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Twitter: @dreamhotelgroup — https://twitter.com/dreamhotelgroup

LinkedIn: Dream Hotel Group — https://www.linkedin.com/company/dream-hotel-group/


The Future of Travel: “Voice commands in your hotel room” With Jay Stein, CEO, Dream Hotel Group &… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future of Travel: “Artificial Intelligence that can accurately recommend an entire travel…

The Future of Travel: “Artificial Intelligence that can accurately recommend an entire travel package” With Josh Galun of Excella

Personalization has been incredibly beneficial to hospitality and travel customers. It’s great to get tips for destinations and trip types that are right for you. But after that, there’s still a huge amount of work to plan the trip. This is the next step in personalization, where the customer gets an entire package bundled up for them that’s precisely what they want to do, at the time they want to do it, at the cost they want to pay. Whoever gets there first is going to revolutionize the industry, and travelers are going to wonder how they ever lived without it.

As a part of my series on “The future of travel” I had the pleasure of interviewing Josh Galun, Hospitality & Travel Lead at Excella. Josh has has been at Excella for over 8 years and most recently joined the Excella Leadership Team in 2018. Josh has wide-ranging experience in project management, custom software development, process definition, IT security, data warehousing, and digital analytics. He currently focuses on the Hospitality and Travel sector, and leads teams at multiple industry clients. Josh also organizes the DC Hospitality Tech Meetup and is co-chair of the HEDNA Hotel Analytics Working Group.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Dumb luck! I had been working in federal government technology consulting for many years and for the first time in my career, I found myself unstaffed between projects. By chance, a hospitality company asked my firm for help with digital analytics during this time. At first, the client wouldn’t even consider me, because I had no experience in hospitality. But they finally gave in and gave me a chance for a quick trial period, and I must have passed the audition. I fell in love with the hospitality industry right away and never looked back.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

I worked with a client that had spent huge amounts of time and money on a new system. When launch day came, the system did not work. I mean, not a single thing worked. The client knew it, but they had made such a hoopla that they were too embarrassed to admit it. So they launched anyway! When you clicked a button, all it did was send an email to an employee to have them do the task manually. It was like the Wizard of Oz — pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. But hey, as far as the outside world knew it was a huge success.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

In my first-ever consulting engagement, I was immediately thrown into a phone meeting with the client and other firms. People kept using an abbreviation that I didn’t know, and I finally asked what it was. The deadpan response: “That’s the name of the project.” I died of shame. Sometimes it’s best to save your questions for later!

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Our consultants at Excella have the most incredible mix of skills, and they really can handle anything our clients need. There was a business analyst on my team who has his master’s degree from UChicago in “contemporary French discourse.” One day, a client needed someone to work on a predictive model. This business analyst raises his hand. It turns out he’s also been learning data science! He takes over the model, makes a ton of enhancements, and the client is thrilled. People like that are incredibly rare. To have a company filled with them makes my job easy and allows us to do incredible work for our customers.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?

Don’t put the weight of the world on your shoulders. It happens all the time in consulting because people feel like the entire project will fail if they make a single mistake.

But if you burn out from all that pressure, you’re not helping anyone. Trust your colleagues to do their part. And frankly, have some humility! I always think of the quote attributed to Charles DeGaulle, “The graveyards are full of indispensable men.” Believing that it’s all on you is, frankly, a little out of touch and will only cause you extra stress in the long run.

Plus, you have to keep it all in proportion. Early in my career, I was freaking out because we had discovered some bugs in a system I was building, and we were going to have to delay the product launch. I was afraid to tell my boss. When I worked up the courage, he asked me, “Will anyone die because the system is late?” The answer, of course, was no. So he said, “Then I guess we’re going to be late.” Thinking back to that has helped me many times since.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

So many people have helped me along the way that it’s hard to pick just one — so I’ll choose the very first person out of many. In my first job after college, I was paired up with Ira, who had come back to work out of retirement. Ira looked at me and saw this 22-year old punk who didn’t know anything about how to build a system. I looked at him and saw a 78-year old who stopped keeping up around 1990. We were both right! But once I opened my mind, I got an incredible amount from Ira. It was like an accelerated course, as he imparted five decades of insights and experience faster than I could keep up. I think that got me a huge head start in my career. Plus, we came to really love working together, which was a great lesson in keeping an open mind towards your teammates!

Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?

We are bringing cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) that can accurately recommend an entire travel package to the customer, from flights to activities to hotels to dining and everything else in between. Think of it as a travel agent on your phone.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation?

It doesn’t matter if you’re a leisure traveler planning a family vacation or a business traveler who needs to meet with seven different firms in three days; travelers are being overwhelmed by choices. Let’s say you’re going to New York City. There are 270 hotels to choose from. On top of that, you have AirBnB and numerous home-sharing options. Alternatively, you could stay in New Jersey and travel in, but then what’s your game plan for transportation? Are you going to stay close to the train? Are there good bus options? Will you rent a car? Of course, as you’re doing all this, you’re researching on multiple sites to make sure you’re not missing anything and to make sure you’re getting the best rate. In fact, the average traveler visits 38 websites before booking a trip, according to Expedia. It’s no wonder that the average traveler is spending weeks planning their trips across dozens of websites. That’s a huge amount of time that most people would rather spend elsewhere.

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?

Personalization has been incredibly beneficial to hospitality and travel customers. It’s great to get tips for destinations and trip types that are right for you. But after that, there’s still a huge amount of work to plan the trip. This is the next step in personalization, where the customer gets an entire package bundled up for them that’s precisely what they want to do, at the time they want to do it, at the cost they want to pay. Whoever gets there first is going to revolutionize the industry, and travelers are going to wonder how they ever lived without it.

Can you share 5 examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to travel?

I see five trends that I think will have ever-growing impacts on the industry:

1. Customers are only increasing their expectations for a seamless experience across all their travel apps and social media accounts. The bar keeps getting higher and travel, and hospitality companies can’t rest on their laurels.

2. Similarly, customers continue to increase their expectations for personalized travel and trip offers. They’re getting more concerned about what data they share, how that data is being used, and how their information is being protected. Striking the right balance and convincing customers to share their data will be a major challenge in the future.

3. Loyalty programs are going to need to keep adding more and more partnerships to be attractive to travelers. As a result, customers will increasingly be able to use hotel points with airlines and airline points with retailers and retailer points with app stores. Eventually, I think that will lead to a shift away from traditional loyalty programs altogether, and the rise of loyalty programs that are truly cross-industry.

4. A lot of travelers already care about their environmental impact and how to mitigate it. That consideration is only going to become more widespread, and companies are going to have to figure out compelling answers to it.

5. In the past few years coming out of the financial crisis, the industry has noticeably shifted to focusing on luxury travel and travelers. That’s where the growth has been. Over the next few years, I expect the pendulum to swing back and put more emphasis on mass-market, attainable travel.

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?

I’m easy. Give me a beach, a drink, and a babysitter for my kid and I can be very happy.

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

Americans are wildly overworked. We start with less paid time off than workers in other countries, and then many of us don’t even use the time we do get. More than 700M vacation days go unused every year. It’s an epidemic of stress and it’s not healthy! One of the great things about being in the hospitality and travel sector is supporting initiatives that help people use that time to refresh and find enjoyment. I’m not saying it’s the same as solving world hunger, but it’s definitely bringing some goodness to a lot of people!

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I’d like to get people competitive about how much they give back to the community instead of how much they make.

Think about how much attention we pay to professional success. We look at our peers and try to figure out how much they make, what schools their kids are attending, and what kind of neighborhood they live in. People show off with fancy cars and other forms of conspicuous consumption. And as people move higher up, this becomes a matter of public discussion. We rank CEOs on how much they make and rank wealthy people on who has the most billions. It’s like a game to see who’s winning.

Meanwhile, most people don’t like to boast about how they give to charity or give back to the community. It feels gauche, so they keep it a private matter. But imagine if that was what we were competing about. We could channel so many resources into helping people. All of our natural competitiveness and jealousy would be put to a good purpose!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

I have a very addictive personality, so I’ve stayed away from most social media to protect myself! But I have been known to post my thoughts on hospitality and travel technology to my LinkedIn feed at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshgalun/, because I can pretend that’s work.


The Future of Travel: “Artificial Intelligence that can accurately recommend an entire travel… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Of Travel: “B&B’s that appeal to the younger traveler” With Hana Pevny of Waldo Emerson…

The Future Of Travel: “B&B’s that appeal to the younger traveler” With Hana Pevny of Waldo Emerson Inn & Candice Georgiadice

The small independent hotelier will have no choice but to use technology to stay relevant if they want to stay competitive in today’s market. Not only with the brand hotels but also with the new offerings like stays via AirBnB.

As part of my series about “exciting developments in the travel industry over the next five years”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Hana Pevny has spent a lifetime travelling the world and acquiring the knowledge necessary to create an experience worthy of the most discriminating traveler. Hana was born in the former Czechoslovakia, but raised in Houston, Texas. After a successful career in the early days of the tech industry followed by a period of executive leadership in private equity and non-profits, Hana switched careers and started managing private estates. Wanderlust and a passion for fine food and luxurious surroundings have taken her to six of the world’s seven continents. Her love of travel is matched by her love of fine cuisine: Hana has a culinary degree from Leiths School of Food & Wine in London and she has worked as a private chef and culinary instructor in London, Aspen and Zakynthos. When Hana decided her next adventure would be as an innkeeper, she spent two years searching for the perfect setting to make her vision a reality before she first saw the Waldo Emerson Inn. She knew immediately that this historic home would be where she made travelers feel at home, with her imaginative attention to details, gourmet breakfasts, and delight in sharing the adventure of Kennebunkport’s many sights to see.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Looking back at my career everything I’ve done as a “job” for past 30 years has been a piece of a puzzle leading to owning an inn and being my own boss. My technology background has given me the skills and understanding of the importance of today’s digital tools for marketing and managing my business. My culinary education and estate management background has provided me with the ability to effective manage the property and delight my guests with gourmet breakfasts. Having lived in both Europe and in various parts of the US has given me the cultural understanding to relate to the various backgrounds of my guests.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

One of the most interesting things to happen to me as an innkeeper is learning about the spirits that live with me in this 266 year old home. When I was renovating the property, carpenters working on site reported individually they felt someone looking over their shoulder when working. I mentioned this to a friend who’s daughter journeys to spirits in the historic homes in the area. She came on two occasions and told me we had a spirit in our basement. The inn was a safe house on the underground railroad so we assumed it was someone housing here during that period. I was asked what I wanted to do with him and I said he had free will and could leave but was always welcome to come back. Fast forward to August, we had a lovely couple staying from Nashville. In the morning, they told me something was going on in their room and they were going to reach out to their daughter, a medium. Within 48 hours I received an email from their daughter telling me the spirits in the house came to her to communicate with me. I took all this with a grain of salt but she has worked for several government agencies as a paranormal investigator so I listened with an open mind. I bought the Waldo Emerson Inn as a single owner / operator but now share my space with 5 spirits.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Shortly after I took over ownership of the inn, I had a couple check in and both had gender fluid names — Chris and Dana. I called each the wrong name for the entire weekend. Lesson learned to always verify and repeat the guest’s name!

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

The TV show Newhart (1982–1990) had people laughing out loud when Larry with his brother Darryl and his other brother Darryl made their appearance. The Waldo Emerson Inn currently employs three Hanas. We call it Gilmore Girls meets Newhart in Maine.

I’m a baby boomer, former tech executive and London trained chef and current innkeeper of the Waldo Emerson Inn, which I run with help from my other Hanas. My goddaughter is the assistant innkeeper and she was named after me: our second Hana. And as if two of us weren’t enough, we have a third Hanna (different spelling) working at the inn as well. Guests also enjoy the multi-generational part of it: me as the middle-aged innkeeper with two very hip and very tattooed young gals helping run the inn. And we’ve added an international twist: I was born in Slovakia and raised in Texas, my goddaughter Hana was born in Germany, and our third Hanna is half Columbian. Certainly the makings of a great reality show!!!

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?

Our industry (the small independent hotelier in resort destinations) primarily caters to the leisure traveler yet we rarely take the time to travel ourselves. I see operators that are afraid to take time for themselves and to step away from their properties. By traveling to other destinations and other properties it provides an opportunity to gain new perspectives on enhancing your own product and experience. It’s not only a well deserved break but a great learning opportunity. See what little things are making a difference and incorporate in your own guest experience delivery. Don’t be afraid to “copy”. I try to have a “take away” from every stay.

When I was driving my car from Texas to Maine prior to the closing of my inn, I stayed a few days at a resort in Tennessee. Not only did I want a break from my cross country trip but I wanted to know what they do to make the guest experience extraordinary. While we offer two very different products in two very different parts of the country, it was the little things that mattered that I now practice in my inn operations — for example, we offer complimentary snacks — potato chips, candy, cookies, sodas, etc for all our guests. I happened to stay there on my birthday and was presented with a lovely card from the manager. While we offer enhancement celebration packages (champagne, flowers, cakes, etc), if we know someone is celebrating a birthday or anniversary we always leave a personalized card with complimentary mini french macorons.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

I’m always grateful for my parents and their support and encouragement to strike out on my own. As immigrants they were always grateful by moving to the US to give me the opportunity to achieve my dreams. An uncertainty in communist Eastern Europe.

One particular person I’m extremely grateful for is Nancy Rogers. She was the first person I worked for in an assistant/house/estate manager position. Nancy has very high standards and knows exactly what she wants and how she wants it. She is a fabulous hostess. While in her employ I had the opportunity to experience private air travel, holidays on yachts in the Caribbean and Mediterranean and visits to her multiple homes with various levels of staff and service levels. While this certainly is a lifestyle many of us only see in the movies I learned a great deal about the importance of attention to detail. Whether it’s the placement of flowers in a guest room or making sure every amenity is available, like toothpaste and floss in the bathroom, just in case a guest forgets.

We may only be a six room inn but we pay attention to all the little details to create a luxurious stay.

Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?

I operate a six room bed and breakfast. Staying in this type of accommodation conjures up visions of staying in your grandmother’s house. Antiquated rooms with no TV and wifi. Typically accommodations for an older traveler. We are implementing the latest technology to give today’s traveler a unique experience of staying in a historic property (in our case a 266 year old inn) but with the latest technology in communications and entertainment. We are targeting a younger traveler who wants the authentic experience without giving up their technology.

I installed Smart TVs and Amazon Echoes in all my rooms. This puts the power of in-room entertainment in the hands of the guest.

Additionally we offer, “self check in” as an option on our reservation system, which has lead to a change in how we communicate with our guests. By offering this option in a small inn, my staff and our guests are not tied to our manned check in hours of 3–6pm. We send two emails prior to a check in date but once a guest has chosen this option we switch to text to let them know how to find there room on check in day. 80% of the time this leads to concierge services such as “where do you recommend for the best lobster dinner” by text. Texting then continues to be the communication of choice during the guest stay. This provides instant response and information and provides a better guest experience.

We also use motion-detected night-lights in the toilet, which change color…and are always looking for the latest technology to enhance the guest experience without losing our historical charm and elegant whimsy.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation?

By using the latest technology whether it be in the room or in our communications prior to arrival, we want to enhance the guest experience by providing a high touch model and give them the control over the success of their stay. We are trying to change the perception of staying at a B&B to appeal to the younger traveler. A unique experience with the latest conveniences.

Whether having Netflix to not miss the show you’re currently binge watching to the flexibility of self check check in or concierge services. Direct communication and instant gratification via text allows for interaction with inn staff without the direct face to face interaction usually required to deliver these services.

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?

The small independent hotelier will have no choice but to use technology to stay relevant if they want to stay competitive in today’s market. Not only with the brand hotels but also with the new offerings like stays via AirBnB.

Can you share 5 examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to travel?

To the traveler, the industry needs to stay on top of current technology platforms for marketing, watch the trends and platforms — instagram, snapchat, etc and migrate as needed to your audience. Use technology to communicate with your guests prior to arrival to learn their preferences — email, text, apps. Then customize the guest experience based on your knowledge to create a memorable stay to build brand loyalty.

Internally hospitality companies need to change the way they manage their business based on the very short booking cycle and competitive third party travel sites. Understand your cash flow cycle and your actual costs to determine how competitive you need to be without reducing your brand.

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?

My perfect vacation experience is a combination of self-catering with luxury options. I like staying in a place where I can make my own coffee and breakfast in the morning but still have the option of fine dining in the evening. I like the ability to workout followed by a day at the beach with a lazy lunch and some spa time in the late afternoon. If I’m doing a more urban vacation like Europe, I enjoy sightseeing but mostly walking aimlessly to experience the culture of the city and finding hidden gems to enjoy local cuisine. My own personal version of Parts Unknown.

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

We are doing everything possible to recycle and reduce waste in our daily operations. Specifically we send our used guest amenities (soap and shampoo) to Clean the World. Clean the World Foundation is a global health organization committed to improving the quality of life for vulnerable communities around the world. They provide sustainable resources, programming, and education focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene for all those affected by poverty, homelessness, and humanitarian or natural crises. They give discarded soap and shampoo bottles a second life in many of the countries which supply labor to the hotel industry. Albeit a small property we are delighted to participate in their program and bring cleanliness to the world.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

Do not be afraid to proclaim your food and dietary needs whether for medical reasons or simply by preference. Don’t be ashamed to tell us if you’re celiac or don’t like zucchini or currently on the Keto diet. As a hospitality professional, I can’t provide you the best service if I don’t know what you like or don’t like. There is nothing worse than putting down a wonderful breakfast with bacon to only be told you’re a vegetarian after the fact. As a business owner it cuts down on my expenses and food waste.

Own what you eat and don’t be afraid to let us know!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Facebook — Waldo Emerson Inn

Instagram — Waldo Emerson Inn

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!


The Future Of Travel: “B&B’s that appeal to the younger traveler” With Hana Pevny of Waldo Emerson… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.