Hospitality Meets... with Phil Street

This week on Hospitality Meets, Phil sits down with another Phil, that being Phil Andreopoulos, CEO of YOTEL, for a conversation that starts with washing pots in restaurants… and somehow ends with power naps, gorilla trekking, hotel disruption and leadership philosophy.Inspired by a first class airline cabin and created by the founder of YO! Sushi, YOTEL has always challenged the “that’s just how hotels work” mentality, and this episode dives into exactly why.Along the way, the two Phils discuss:Why understanding your own energy patterns might be one of the most underrated leadership skills aroundThe importance of healthy friction in teamsBuilding cultures that aren’t just clones of the leaderWhy communication matters most when uncertainty is highestThe reality of navigating major business changeWhy hospitality still offers one of the greatest careers in the worldAnd why getting promoted from pots and pans to plates and glasses once felt like a massive career breakthrough 😂There’s also loads of brilliant insight around leadership, culture, growth and vision, without ever disappearing too far up its own backside.Phil Andreopoulos speaks openly about:Growing through the hospitality industryHis journey from kitchen porter to CEOBuilding franchise growth across global hotel brandsThe recent Hilton partnership with YOTELWhy “fun at work” matters more than people thinkAnd the importance of creating environments where people actually want to beSome standout quotes from the episode:“Knowing yourself is a hugely underrated leadership skill”“If you leave gaps in communication, people will fill them”“We spend a huge amount of our lives at work. It should be successful… but it should also be fun”“You don’t build great teams by hiring people exactly like you”“Hospitality is one of the greatest industries in the world… and I still don’t think we tell that story well enough”There’s wisdom in this one.There’s humour in this one.There’s also a genuinely fascinating story about how a first-class airline seat accidentally became a hotel concept.Classic hospitality really. Somebody looked at a plane seat and thought:“…yeah, but what if we put a shower next to it?” 😂Enjoy.Show PartnersA big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.comThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

This week, I sat down with the brilliant Guy Freedman, Hotel Director at The Pig & The Pig in the Wall, and honestly, this one felt like a giant exhale.A conversation about leadership, yes.Culture, absolutely.But also… naked guests, rogue deer, flood rescues in a Land Rover, student days in a fudge kitchen, and why maybe fun has been unfairly underestimated as a serious business strategy.Guy’s journey, from a self-confessed chatty teenager being redirected out of the kitchen and into front of house, to Hotel Director at The Pig - is packed with warmth, mischief, humility and some beautifully simple thinking about what makes hospitality…well... hospitality.In this episode, Guy and I get into…How a careers adviser effectively turned “I like eating and drinking” into a career path 😅Why his kitchen career lasted roughly three weeksStudent jobs in fudge kitchens, pot washing and night cleaning, and why every odd job teaches you somethingFalling for The Pig over a hungover lunch… then resigning before he even had the jobWhy great hospitality businesses recruit personality first, train skill secondGrowing through the ranks at The Pig and opening a hotel just in time for COVID (timing 👀)Why fun at work isn’t fluff, it’s cultureTurning staffing shortages into team challenges, not team stressThe now-legendary flood dayWhy adversity often creates the best guest experiencesWorking nights in London and the surprisingly frequent issue of naked guests locking themselves out of roomsRogue animals, escaped deer, wandering bullocks… and the operational realities no hotel school prepares you forSome cracking quote-ables from Guy“We’ve always recruited personality.”“I got to play at those hotels”“If we can make it fun, people want to come to work”“Don’t take a step back”“There’s always adversity in this industry… so you may as well have fun with it”“It’s only work” (which somehow sounded profound in context)🎧 Why this episode is worth your earsThis one is a brilliant reminder that hospitality doesn’t have to choose between performance and joy.You can be serious about standards…and still be playful.You can lead through pressure…and still laugh.And maybe, just maybe, the teams that have the most fun are often the teams that perform the best.There’s loads in here about leadership, culture and community… but also some glorious stories that remind you why so many of us fell in love with this industry in the first place.And honestly?Any episode featuring fudge, floods and naked guests was always going to be worth a listen.Show PartnersA big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/philThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

This week, I sat down with the brilliant Basel Jabri, and this one’s got everything.Global upbringing, accidental career pivots, iconic hotel brands, and a journey that goes from literally steering boats in Dubai… to leading people & culture across a luxury London hotel group.And the best bit?It all started with a dream that didn’t happen.In this episode, Basel and I get into…Growing up internationally thanks to his father’s career in aviationWhy he originally wanted to be a pilot, and how 9/11 changed that path overnightFalling into hospitality… and grabbing the opportunity without overthinking itMoving to Dubai at 21 and stepping into one of the most iconic hospitality boom periodsStarting out in guest relations (and unexpectedly managing boat transfers 😅)The power of saying yes to opportunities, even when they’re not what you expectedMoving into training and HR… and discovering a passion for people developmentLeading teams at just 25, and the reality of responsibility hitting fastWorking across some of the world’s most recognisable luxury brands: Jumeirah, Shangri-La, Raffles, Rotana, Hyatt, Meliá, HiltonExperiencing hospitality across cultures - and why Dubai feels like the “United Nations” of the industrySome cracking quote-ables from Basel“I didn’t choose hospitality… it chose me”“I grabbed the opportunity, I didn’t wait for the perfect plan”“At 25, your signature suddenly means something”“Dubai showed me the world before I ever travelled it”“You need to say yes first… and figure it out after”Why this episode is worth your earsIf you’ve ever felt like your career didn’t go to plan…Good.Because Basel’s story is a brilliant reminder that sometimes the best paths are the ones you didn’t intend to take.There’s also a huge amount in here around:Leadership at a young ageLearning through experience (not titles)Building confidence in completely new environmentsAnd why people & culture should sit at the heart of hospitalityPlus… more than a few stories you don’t hear every dayShow PartnersA big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/philThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

This week, I sat down with the brilliant Newton Fernandes - and this is one of those conversations that reminds you just how non-linear careers in hospitality can be.From starting out as a journalist, to working in airline reservations, to quite literally being invited across the road into a hotel career… Newton’s journey spans continents, cultures, and some seriously big roles.We’re talking global brand, marketing, and communications at a scale that’s hard to get your head around, but always grounded in one thing: understanding people.In this episode, Newton and I get into…Growing up across the Middle East, India, and Europe, and how that shaped his worldviewStarting out in journalism and developing a love for storytellingMoving into American Airlines… and then being recruited into hospitality by a hotel GM across the streetWhy travel, tourism, and hospitality are one industry (and should act like it)The reality of working in different cultures, and why curiosity beats assumption every timeMoving to London and adapting to a completely different way of workingStarting at the “bottom” in PR & marketing, and why that foundation mattersManaging brand and marketing across 450 hotels, 12 brands, and 33 countriesWhy structure, training, and community are essential at scaleMoving to Marriott and navigating the world of franchise vs managed hotelsHelping independent hotels plug into global brands without losing their identitySome cracking quote-ables from Newton“I didn’t move into hospitality… I was invited into it”“Travel and hospitality are not separate industries, they’re one”“You can’t understand a hotel brand unless you’ve seen it on the ground”“Curiosity is more important than assumption”“The way you work in one country won’t work in another, you have to adapt”Why this episode is worth your earsIf you’ve ever thought your career path is a bit all over the place… good.Newton’s story is proof that the most interesting careers are built through curiosity, opportunity, and saying yes to things you didn’t plan.There’s also a ton in here around leadership at scale, how you manage people, brand, and culture across different countries, different expectations, and different ways of working.And a reminder that in a global industry like ours…Understanding people is everythingShow PartnersA big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/philThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

This week, I sat down with the brilliant Dawn Lister - and honestly, I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get someone from the world of sales on the show.And what an introduction to it this was.From wanting to be an air stewardess at 10 years old, to building a 20+ year career in hotel sales, Dawn’s journey is packed with graft, growth, resilience… and a lot of persistence (some might call it “relentless follow-up” 😅).Now Sales Director for B&B Hotels UK, Dawn brings a no-nonsense, people-first approach to an area of hospitality that often gets misunderstood, and massively underestimated.In this episode, Dawn and I get into…How a childhood dream of travel turned into a lifelong career in hospitalityStarting in conference & banqueting… and quickly being moved out of it 😅Falling in love with sales (mainly by talking too much at coffee breaks)Why she didn’t go to university - and built her career through doing insteadThe importance of early mentors (and learning under “formidable” leadership)Being told to stop calling people so much… and why persistence still winsThe reality of sales: rejection, resilience, and finding the right fitLeading with a “people first” mindset - both with customers and teamsWhy hospitality sales isn’t about the product… it’s about the experienceSome cracking quote-ables from Dawn“Revenue isn’t revenue until it’s banked”“Hope is not a strategy” (Dammit)“If you’re not the right fit, that’s fine, but let’s have the conversation first”“We’re all selling similar products… the difference is how you make people feel”“Some people told me to stop calling… those are the ones I enjoyed winning the most”Why this episode is worth your earsIf you’ve ever worked in sales, or been on the receiving end of it, this one’s for you.Dawn strips it right back to what great sales actually is:curiosity, conversation, and care.There’s no fluff here. Just real insight into what it takes to build relationships, handle rejection, and lead teams in a world where everyone’s selling something similar.And if nothing else… you’ll never look at a follow-up call the same way againShow PartnersA big shout out to the first of today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/philThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy