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Josiah Mackenzie

1125 posts
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  • 1 min

The End of Comfort as Hospitality’s Goal – Jannes Sörensen

📰 Jannes Sörensen, founder of Kepler Hotel Group, discusses hospitality's future with Matthias Huettebraeuker. In this conversation, Sörensen emphasizes that fulfillment often arises from challenge and intentional living rather than comfort. They explore how luxury hospitality can shift from mere abundance to fostering well-being and meaningful routines. For leaders, understanding that difficulty might become a key differentiator is essential as "more" is no longer sufficient in today's world.
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Leading Consistent Excellence in Hospitality – Jannes Sörensen

🏨 Jannes Sörensen, founder of Kepler Hotel Group, discusses leading excellence in hospitality with Matthias Huettebraeuker. They emphasize structure, systems, and culture over endless SOPs as keys to exceptional guest experiences. Drawing from his role as General Manager at London's Beaumont Hotel, Jannes highlights balancing discipline with creativity and fostering leadership at every level. Music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound complements the episode.
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  • 6 min

Why Service Is What Still Sets Great Hotels Apart – Jannes Sörensen

🏨 Jannes Sörensen, a hospitality expert with 20 years of experience at luxury hotels like Georges V and Bristol in Paris, now leads Kepler Hotel Group and Kepler International Hospitality Academy. He emphasizes shifting focus from physical assets to emotional guest experiences, citing a study of 2,500 guest comments where only 4% mentioned physical features, while many highlighted personalized service. Sörensen advocates educating hospitality leaders on enhancing emotional intelligence for competitive advantage.
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  • 14 min

Aman to Tourism Western Australia to CEO of Nammos Hotels & Resorts: Carolyn Turnbull on Building a Global Career Across the World of Luxury Hospitality

🌍 Carolyn Turnbull's career spans roles at Aman (2005-2015), CEO of Tourism Western Australia, and now CEO of Nammos Hotels and Resorts. In 2015, Aman had 26 properties globally, up from 18. Nammos, with a $71 million turnover in Dubai, plans to open 10-12 luxury hotels in a decade. The first hotel in Mykonos has 26 keys, and Amaala will feature 110 keys by December 2023. The Maldives site, with 48 keys, opens in 2027. Carolyn aims for a $1 billion market value for Nammos.
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  • 25 min

The Secrets of Modern Luxury Hospitality in London – Eugene Leonard, Hotel Cafe Royal

🏨 Eugene Leonard, GM of Hotel Café Royal in London, shares insights on modern luxury hospitality. With over 20 years in the industry, Eugene emphasizes the importance of a people-first approach and guest excellence. The hotel, located on Regent Street, blends 160 years of history with modernity and hosts 60% of guests under 55. Café Royal won multiple awards, including two Michelin Keys. Embracing trends like sneaker cleaning and cryptocurrency, the hotel prioritizes guest satisfaction and innovation.
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  • 9 min

Why I Work in Hotel Tech & What I See Now – Josiah Mackenzie & Sloan Dean

💻 Josiah shares insights into leveraging technology in the hospitality industry, emphasizing the importance of AI and tech adoption to improve efficiency and financial outcomes. Actabl, his company, focuses on empowering hospitality workers through tech innovation. Josiah highlights the value of educating users and ensuring tech solutions drive profits, with gross operating profit being a key metric. He stresses the need for digitization and effective process implementation to fully harness AI's potential in hospitality.
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  • 8 min

St Giles Hotel Group’s “Hotels with Heart”: Housing & Healing through Hospitality – Abigail Tan

🏨 In London, Hotels with Heart, led by Abigail Tan and Emily Goldfisher, transforms St. Giles Hotel into a community hub. Since the pandemic, they've offered housing to 49-100 homeless individuals, collaborating with Westminster and Camden Councils. Their Hotels with Heart Academy, launched in 2022, has trained 40 individuals in hospitality, providing pathways to employment. The initiative partners with charities like Coram and Breaking Barriers, emphasizing community support and changing public perceptions of homelessness.
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  • 1 min

St Giles Hotel Group CEO Abigail Tan on Leading Through Culture and Courage

📖 Abigail Tan, CEO of St Giles Hotel Group, shares her leadership evolution in hospitality, focusing on empathy and authentic leadership. She emphasizes creating a culture people can feel, with a loyal team having decades of tenure. Her approach includes redefining risk as "adventure learning" to foster growth. The discussion with Emily Goldfisher highlights actionable insights for building strong, human-focused cultures in a changing industry.
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