Josiah Mackenzie - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 6

1 min

Why Most Hospitality Tech Isn’t Delivering, and What I’ve Found Actually Works – Matthew Bell, Mollie’s

💻 Danica Smith interviews Matthew Bell, Managing Director at Mollie's, discussing underperforming digital initiatives in hotels. Bell cites misaligned goals, over-engineered projects, and lack of value metrics as key issues. He advocates for an incremental, guest-led approach and highlights the importance of personal devices, identity, and authentication in shaping future guest experiences. This conversation provides hospitality leaders with a framework for tech stack evaluation, focusing on impactful results.

1 min

Gratitude in a Hard Year: The Bright Spots in Hospitality (And What I’m Grateful For) – Josiah Mackenzie

🍴 Josiah Mackenzie, founder of Hospitality Daily, reflects on the hospitality industry's resilience during Thanksgiving. In 2025, operators protected profits, respected on-property teams, and leveraged technology effectively. He emphasizes the sector's leadership, culture, and operational fundamentals in overcoming challenges. Josiah thanks collaborators, contributors, and listeners for their support and learning this year. The episode encourages turning insights into action to benefit businesses and communities. Music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound accompanies the show.

1 min

The Starfish Principle: How Hospitality Scales Through Agility, Autonomy & A Clear North Star – Matthew Bell, Mollie’s

🏨 Managing Director Matthew Bell of Mollie's discusses scaling hospitality brands with Danica Smith, focusing on maintaining soul and energy. The "starfish principle" emphasizes cross-functional teams for improved guest experience and faster decision-making. Clear vision and strategic frameworks are key for team autonomy. Formerly, Bell served as Chief Hotel Operations Officer at citizenM.

1 min

The Operating System Behind High-Performing Hospitality Brands: Critical Thinking, Culture, and Guest-Centric Design – Matthew Bell, Mollie’s

🏨 Chapters range from "Early years," emphasizing nurture and debate, to "Hospitality as Connection," exploring critical thinking and experiments. Highlights include citizenM lessons, where the customer is king, and the inverted pyramid model. Discussing Mollie's, it traces the journey from "Roadside Roots to Urban Hospitality," including a Manchester opening. It covers evolving rooms, diner experiences, scaling growth with AI, and cracking the diner model. The full timeline spans from 00:00 to 25:13.

1 min

What Western Hospitality Gets Wrong About Service (That Japan Gets Right) – Jannes Sörensen

📚 Nov. 25, 2025: Jannes Sörensen, founder of Kepler Hotel Group and the Kepler International Hospitality Academy, shares insights in a discussion with Matthias Huettebraeuker for Hospitality Daily.

1 min

The Year of the Operator: What 2025 Revealed (And Why Operations Will Drive Us Forward) – Josiah Mackenzie

🏨 2025 marked the “Year of the Operator,” as Josiah discusses how top hotel operators maintained profitability despite underwhelming top-line results. Operational excellence is highlighted as a key advantage moving into 2026. By creating a "virtuous cycle" involving teams, guests, and financial outcomes, operators displayed how strategic management can transcend performance expectations. Listeners are encouraged to implement these insights to enhance their hospitality ventures.

1 min

Building the Third Place: How We’re Designing Food Halls People Love – Ryan Magnon, Ithaka Hospitality Partners

🍴 Ryan Magnon, COO at Ithaka Hospitality Partners, discusses reimagining food halls as vibrant community "third places." Chef-driven concepts, flexible spaces, and thoughtful design are key to modern food halls' popularity, illustrating how people seek connection today.

1 min

The Era of the Operator: Why Constant Improvement Defines Great Hospitality Leadership Today – Ryan Magnon, Ithaka Hospitality Partners

📈 Ryan Magnon, COO at Ithaka Hospitality Partners, emphasizes the importance of strong operations in hospitality, drawing on his experience at Capella, Chick-fil-A, and the U.S. Air Force. He highlights the need for intentional business study, purposeful staff development, and continuous improvement. Key tools include metrics, dashboards, and listening posts to understand operations and the guest journey. Sharing insights can transform team dynamics and enhance business outcomes.

4 min

What Hotels Can Learn from Chick-fil-A’s Culture of Excellence – Ryan Magnon, Ithaka Hospitality Partners

🍖 Ryan discussed Chick-fil-A's culture emphasizing service and excellence over nearly 15 years. The company focuses on people, not just chicken. Leadership drives a giving culture with high expectations. In 2017, Ryan led a team to develop a drive-thru consulting methodology across approximately 2,000 restaurants. Despite lacking direct experience, they had 90-120 days to learn industry practices, which proved crucial when COVID-19 prompted a shift to 99% drive-thru operations by 2020.

1 min

My Air Force Lesson: I Didn’t Have All the Answers, but My Team Did – Ryan Magnon, Ithaka Hospitality Partners

✈️ Ryan Magnon, Chief Operating Officer at Ithaka Hospitality Partners, shares insights on leadership shaped by his early years as a young Air Force officer. He emphasizes the importance of humility, trust, and listening, which have become the foundation of his leadership style. These principles guide him in building teams and driving excellence within modern hotel operations.

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