Josiah Mackenzie - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers

1 min

Expert Hotel Leaders On How To Outperform In 2026 (Chris Green, David Lund, Shozib Khan)

📈 In 2026, Josiah Mackenzie, Sarah McCay Tams, Shozib Khan, David Lund, and Chris Green discuss hotel management strategies. The focus is on aligning revenue, labor, CapEx, and culture through shared data and forecast accuracy. This approach democratizes financial insights and emphasizes daily execution, aiming for improved reporting, sharper decisions, and sustainable profit without neglecting people. The conversation highlights the importance of data beyond numbers alone to drive real portfolio performance.

1 min

A Hotel Owner’s Unfiltered View of 2026 – Bashar Wali

📋 Bashar Wali, founder and CEO of Practice Hospitality and This Assembly, discusses 2026 hospitality industry challenges, highlighting flat revenues, rising labor and insurance costs, and policy uncertainty. These factors are leading to eroding margins, frozen investments, and delayed renovations. Wali emphasizes how owners are reconsidering growth and risk strategies to navigate these tough economic cycles effectively.

1 min

Humans Are Starving for Connection. Hospitality Can Deliver It. – Heather Dunwoody

💬 Heather Dunwoody, founder of Hospitality in Bloom, discusses how participatory experiences and community-centric approaches enhance guest experiences in hospitality. Drawing from extensive experience with agencies and large brands, she emphasizes that people crave connection, and hospitality is key in fulfilling this need. Tune into her insights on how fostering connections can build stronger brands and resilient hospitality businesses.

1 min

How to Get Real Performance From Hotel Technology – Stacey Milgram Potzka, Actabl [Sponsor Bonus]

📖 Stacey's role and the implementation process of Actabl in hotel technology were discussed at 02:30. At 05:00, the focus shifted to how hotel technology is implemented, followed by effective collaboration with tech partners at 10:09. By 12:48, tools improving tech setup and adoption were highlighted. Professional services' support was covered at 15:18. Training for technology usage was emphasized at 19:06, and the importance of community in hospitality tech was noted at 22:47. Career reflections and work meaning were explored at 27:40.

1 min

“Sportspitality” and the Future of Placemaking – Walter Isenberg, Sage Hospitality

🏟 In this episode, Walter Isenberg, CEO of Sage Hospitality Group, delves into "Sportspitality"—combining hotels with sports and entertainment venues. He highlights how these projects exceed traditional travel needs by boosting demand through arenas and stadiums, impacting professional sports, universities, and urban centers. Sage's McGregor Square project serves as an example. Join Josiah on February 5th for a live session about enhancing portfolio reporting.

1 min

Why We Forecast Labor Down to the Minute – Walter Isenberg, Sage Hospitality

📈 Walter Isenberg, CEO of Sage Hospitality Group, explains how his company forecasts labor precisely, tracking accuracy at 30, 60, and 90 days to optimize labor planning, cash flow, and investment returns. Sage operates with "one-day leases," highlighting the need for precision. A live call on portfolio reporting is scheduled for February 5th.

7 min

Hotels Are Splitting Into Two Completely Different Businesses – Walter Isenberg, Sage Hospitality

🏨 Hospitality industry faced challenges in 2025. Sage, with 65 hotels, 50 restaurants, and entertainment venues, experienced mixed results and flat RevPAR. Costs increased amid geopolitical uncertainty, impacting urban and resort markets. Despite GDP growth, RevPAR declined, an unusual trend. Optimism surrounds 2026 with strong group bookings and the corporate transient market's return. AI is expected to transform suburban select hotels, while experienced hospitality focuses on authentic, curated spaces like Denver's Dairy Block, emphasizing the importance of retaining quality staff.

1 min

Why The National Forecast Is Your Starting Point – Jan Freitag, CoStar

📖 2026 Forecast predicted; highlighted opportunities for growth and structural advantages. Impact of rhetoric and traveler trends discussed. Key section: "Second Wallet" at 19:26, emphasizing transaction environment and implications. Strategies for surpassing national forecasts by 24:15.

1 min

Destination AI: How I Built the #1 Hospitality AI Event From Scratch – Nazpari Aydin

📅 Nazpari Aydin co-founded and directs Destination AI, the leading event in hospitality AI, which she developed in two years. The conference unites hospitality leaders, operators, and technologists. Registration for Destination AI 2026 is open.

24 min

“The Taylor Swift of Travel AI” on Agentic AI, Organizational Upskilling, and Trust – Janette Roush, Brand USA

💻 Josiah and Janett discussed AI advancements in 2025 and expectations for 2026, highlighting Claude Code's capabilities in web development and automating processes. Janett utilized Claude Code to create a personal website and improve Brand USA's state fact sheets. She emphasized the importance of AI in tourism and launched the "America the Beautiful" campaign with AI interactions on the website. Janett also focused on internal upskilling, industry-wide training, and advocating for a data-centric role for DMOs.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.