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Josiah Mackenzie

1091 posts
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  • 1 min

Why Mentorship Matters Now More Than Ever – Ryan Bukstein

📚 Ryan Bukstein discusses mentorship's impact, sharing insights from his experiences as both a mentor and mentee. Explore more about Ryan’s firm, SMPL, and listen to his other episodes for further learning. If you find value in this episode, share it with your team to implement these ideas and enhance both your business and team dynamics. Music for the show is crafted by Clay Bassford from Bespoke Sound.
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  • 8 min

The Art of Turning Curiosity into Brand Equity: Lessons from Ace Hotel to Vacation & Beyond – Ryan Bukstein

📍 Ryan worked with Ace Hotel for over 15 years until the pandemic hit, particularly highlighting the opening of Ace Hotel Kyoto during that time. Due to COVID-19, event programming, a major revenue driver, became untenable. Ryan transitioned to consulting and joined Vacation Inc., a sunscreen brand emphasizing fun. Ace Hotel's past collaborations, including with Converse, were based on relationships and curiosity. Pool Suite FM, an online radio since 2014, played a part in building Vacation's brand equity.
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  • 20 min

Ace Hotel’s Early Days: Punk Spirit and Hospitality Innovation – Ryan Bukstein

🏨 Ryan Bukstein's career at Ace Hotel started in 1999, when the first Ace Hotel opened in Seattle. Ace, founded by Alex Calderwood, became a cultural icon by blending hospitality with community engagement. By 2000, Ryan, originally from Wisconsin, joined Ace after moving to Seattle for college and studying abroad in Japan. He took on various roles, including PR and marketing, eventually becoming VP of brand. Ace Hotel expanded to Portland and other cities, maintaining its unique cultural integration.
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  • 1 min

How citizenM Reinvented Hotel Loyalty (And Signed Up 50,000+ Subscribers) – Lennert de Jong

📰 citizenM CEO Lennert de Jong revealed how during COVID, his team innovated the hotel loyalty model by launching a subscription inspired by Amazon and Netflix, addressing occupancy issues. The program, now boasting over 50,000 subscribers, marks a strategic shift from traditional transactional rewards to deeper value through subscription-based loyalty. This approach aims to enhance customer relationships and engagement, offering insights for hospitality leaders to boost guest loyalty and business growth.
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  • 12 min

citizenM CEO on the Future of Hotel Tech, AI, and Guest Experience: Lennert de Jong

🛌 In 2025, citizenM continues leading in hotel tech innovation under CEO Lennert de Jong, emphasizing automation and AI. CitizenM aims to streamline check-ins, transitioning from a one-minute to a one-touch system, focusing on guest experience. AI handles 96% of booking.com inquiries and repetitive tasks. The industry anticipates shifts in hotel search interfaces, influenced by AI like ChatGPT. Tech integration and agility are key, as seen through citizenM’s simplified check-in tech using iPads and payment terminals.
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  • 11 min

citizenM CEO: Why We Sold to Marriott (And What’s Next) – Lennert de Jong

🏨 CitizenM's CEO, Lennert de Jong, discussed their strategic partnership with Marriott on Matthias Huettebraeuker's podcast. citizenM, with 36 assets, sold its brand to Marriott, marking one of Marriott's largest deals since Starwood. This collaboration allows citizenM to leverage Marriott's distribution platform, including access to 250 million Bonvoy users, while maintaining its ownership of real estate, which constitutes 90% of its value. New openings include Dublin and London, Soho, reflecting ongoing growth and operational integration.
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  • 1 min

Winning as a Team: What Baseball Can Teach Hospitality Leaders About Culture and Performance – Edward Mady

📚 Edward Mady discusses his insights from baseball in his latest discussion. He introduces his new book, "Honing the Human Edge." For additional resources, listeners can explore Hospitality Daily's platform, engage with content on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram, or subscribe for daily episode summaries and insights delivered via email.
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  • 8 min

Creating a Culture of Welcome: How We Engaged Employees to Delight Guests – Edward Mady

🏨 Edward Mady, author and hospitality leader, emphasizes creating a strong internal culture for consistent and personal guest experiences. At the Beverly Hills Hotel, he introduced initiatives like the "Quarter Century Club" to celebrate employees with over 25 years of service, significantly boosting engagement by 12%. Mady advocates for 208 hours of employee training annually, highlighting the importance of culture, selection, and continuous improvement in the hospitality industry.
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