Top Floor

Jascha Kaykas-Wolff is the CEO of Visiting Media and a longtime tech leader who has helped shape digital marketing at companies like Yahoo, Microsoft, BitTorrent, and Mozilla. Raised in a socialist collective outside Eugene, Oregon, by a pioneering rock concert promoter, he grew up thinking deeply about systems, autonomy, and how teams work together. Susan and Jascha talk about AI acceleration, authentic leadership, and agile innovation. What You'll Learn • Breaking into hospitality tech by showing up, meeting operators, and building real relationships • How growing up in a collective shaped a leadership philosophy of autonomy and accountability • The difference between meritocracy and psychological safety in organizations • How data and conviction helped pitch Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer • The surprising leadership lesson hidden in a mustard stain • Why curiosity—not credentials—is the most valuable career skill today • Practical ways hospitality professionals can start experimenting with AI immediately • Using AI to research guests, build microsites, and automate everyday work • How Visiting Media uses real-world capture plus AI to power hospitality sales • The importance of "trust but verify" in an AI-generated world • Why the next five years may bring a renaissance of independent hospitality businesses *** Our Top Three Takeaways 1. Great leaders create environments where ideas feel safe to share Jascha argues that true meritocracy rarely exists in organizations, but leaders can still create conditions that allow good ideas to surface. The key is psychological safety: team members must feel comfortable proposing ideas, even imperfect ones, without fear of ridicule or punishment. When people feel safe to contribute, ideas improve through collaboration, and organizations ultimately make better decisions. 2. AI is today's version of the early internet—curiosity is the most important skill Jascha draws a strong parallel between the current AI moment and the late-1990s internet boom. Just as many experts dismissed the internet back then, many companies today restrict or underestimate AI. His advice is simple: start experimenting now, whether you're a front desk agent researching VIP guests or a marketer building quick microsites, because the professionals who develop AI fluency early will have a major advantage in the next five to ten years. 3. AI may level the playing field between independent hotels and large brands One of Jascha's predictions for hospitality is that AI will enable a renaissance of independent operators. Historically, large brands and management companies had an advantage because they controlled marketing resources and technology. AI tools are lowering those barriers, enabling smaller properties to build software, marketing assets, and digital experiences quickly and cheaply. Jascha Kaykas-Wolff on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaykas/ Visiting Media https://visitingmedia.com/ Cayuga Hospitality Consultants https://cayugahospitality.com/

Lori Mukoyama is a Design Principal and Global Hospitality Leader at Gensler, shaping hotel experiences across cities from Chicago to Tokyo. With a background in boutique retail and large-scale hospitality design, she focuses on the tactile and emotional details that shape guests' experience of a space. Susan and Lori talk about design details, destination differences, and the future of guest experience. What You'll Learn • What designers actually control in a hotel, from doorknobs to pillows • Why "15 feet and down" shapes the entire guest experience • When hotel design should feel nothing like your own home • How hospitality design differs across the U.S., Latin America, and Japan • Why historic hotel renovations are booming right now • Smart ways brands balance global standards with local culture • How remote work is changing the layout of hotel rooms • Why giving designers time to create a concept story matters • How designing for a "guest muse" transforms spaces and furniture choices • The coming shift toward multi-generational hotel room design • Why sustainability innovation is the hospitality industry's next big challenge *** Our Top Three Takeaways Great hotel design happens "15 feet and down." While architecture shapes the overall building, the details closest to the guest create the emotional experience. Designers focus on the elements people physically interact with — floors, furniture, materials, lighting, and textures — because those are what guests touch, hear, and notice as they move through the space. These tactile details ultimately shape the hotel's feel. Global hotel brands succeed when they combine standards with local culture. Brand standards provide a framework, but the most compelling hotels interpret those standards through local context. Designers use local materials, cultural references, and regional inspiration to create spaces that feel authentic rather than generic. The goal is to keep the brand direction while ensuring each hotel reflects its city and community. Hotel design is evolving around new ways people travel and work. Remote work and blended travel have changed how guest rooms are designed. Desks are increasingly positioned to face the room instead of the wall, with lighting and acoustics designed to support video calls and longer stays. Hotels are also expanding into experience-driven spaces like wellness areas and social saunas, reflecting the idea that "offline" experiences are becoming a new form of luxury. Lori Mukoyama on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-mukoyama-4a71a57/ Gensler https://www.gensler.com/expertise/hospitality Gensler's annual Design Forecast identifies the top trends shaping the future of the built environment in the age of rapid technological and environmental transformation. You can learn more and download this year's report here. [https://www.gensler.com/publications/design-forecast/2026] Cayuga Hospitality Consultants https://cayugahospitality.com/ Hive Marketing https://www.hive-marketing.com/

Kurt Oleson is the Chief Operating Officer and co-owner of Custom Channels, a Denver-based company delivering fully licensed, human-curated music solutions for hotels and restaurants. A classically trained pianist turned music technologist, he helped build early music-recommendation algorithms before joining his company. Susan and Kurt talk about licensing landmines and algorithmic ethics. What You'll Learn: • Why playing Spotify in your restaurant could cost you $10,000 per song • How performance and composition licenses protect artists • How following "passion-adjacent opportunities" can shape an unexpected career • The upside and ethical gray areas of algorithm-driven music discovery • Why human-curated playlists still outperform AI in hospitality settings • How tempo, energy, and traffic patterns should shape your daily music flow • How many songs you actually need to avoid repetition • Why commoditizing music undermines its impact on your brand *** Our Top Three Takeaways Music isn't background noise—it's a business tool. When aligned with traffic patterns, brand identity, and desired guest behavior, audio can increase dwell time, improve turnover, and even become a profit center. Playing unlicensed music is a massive legal and financial risk. One audit could mean fines of up to $10,000 per song, making proper licensing non-negotiable for hospitality operators. Human-curated music is still a competitive advantage. AI can assist with scheduling and context triggers, but brand-aligned, emotionally intelligent curation drives better guest experiences. Kurt Oleson on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtoleson1/ Custom Channels https://www.custom-channels.com/ Cayuga Hospitality Consultants https://cayugahospitality.com/ Hive Marketing https://www.hive-marketing.com/ ***Ad Giveaway*** Enter here! https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/win

Leora Lanz is an associate professor at Boston University's School of Hospitality Administration and a former global marketing leader who helped grow HVS from seven offices to forty worldwide. After decades in destination marketing, hotel operations, and consultancy, she turned her classroom casework into two books on developing a marketing mindset. Susan and Leora talk about critical thinking, conscious marketing, and career courage. What You'll Learn: • Why you need to "know enough to be dangerous" in digital marketing • What crisis communication in hotels teaches about compassion • Why today's marketing funnel feels more like a pinball machine • Why hospitality and marketing are fundamentally the same • How to shift from "you should" to "we will" with owners • When the ROI of a hospitality degree really kicks in • How set-jetting and streaming shows shape travel trends • Why wellness, sustainability, and community are marketing power plays • Why career reinvention requires courage and community *** Our Top Three Takeaways Marketing Is a Mindset, Not a Tactic Marketing isn't about flashy campaigns or one-hit wonders. It's about critical thinking, strategic planning, and starting with clear goals and KPIs. Everyone in hospitality (not just the marketing team) needs to think this way to build real, lasting impact. Shift from "You" to "We" Great marketing happens when teams act as true partners, not outside advisors. Saying "we" instead of "you" creates a sense of shared ownership and stronger alignment with stakeholders. That mindset builds trust, buy-in, and better results. Hospitality Is a Competitive Advantage Hospitality is more than an industry; it's a philosophy that can differentiate any business. Purpose-driven marketing rooted in wellness, sustainability, and community creates deeper, more meaningful connections. The future depends on honoring both emerging talent and seasoned voices while keeping that purpose front and center. Leora Lanz on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/leorahalpernlanz/ Buy the Books http://www.tinyurl.com/MarketingMindsetseries Cayuga Hospitality Consultants https://cayugahospitality.com/ Hive Marketing https://www.hive-marketing.com/ ***Ad Giveaway*** Enter here! https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/win

Travis Burns is Executive Vice President of Business Development at Remington Hospitality, where he's helping scale the company's third-party management platform. A former aerospace professional turned hotelier, he walked into the Hyatt Regency Tulsa Downtown asking for any job, and built a career spanning sales, operations, and investment strategy. In this episode, he unpacks profit over prestige, luxury's lift, and gut-driven growth. • Why GOPPAR matters more than RevPAR • How to win the GOP war—even if you lose the STR report battle • What your business mix really costs you (and why it matters) • How to know when saying yes is a trap • The intuition advantage in a world drowning in data • Why being first isn't always best in hotel innovation • The real driver behind luxury's post-COVID surge • Why great luxury GMs still have to obsess over labor and cost control • Why new capital—not institutions—may drive 2026 transactions • The one change Travis would make to the industry overnight *** Our Top Three Takeaways Revenue Without Profit Is a Mirage One of the clearest themes in this conversation is Travis's insistence that top-line performance is meaningless without margin discipline. He pushes owners and operators to look beyond RevPAR and focus on GOPPAR, emphasizing that not all revenue is created equal once costs are accounted for. The real work, he argues, is understanding *how* revenue is generated and being willing to sacrifice headline wins in favor of long-term profitability. The K-Shaped Recovery Is Reshaping Hotel Strategy Travis offers a grounded explanation for why luxury and upper-upscale hotels continue to outperform other segments. It's not that affluent travelers are price-insensitive; it's that post-COVID travelers are taking fewer trips and assigning more value to each one. When travel becomes part of the story rather than just a place to sleep, guests are willing to pay more, as long as luxury remains distinctive and doesn't slide into sameness. Say Yes, but Know When and Why On careers and leadership, Travis reframes the familiar advice to "say yes" with an important caveat: every investment of time and effort should come with an exit strategy. Early-career hustle only works when it leads somewhere, whether that's growth, learning, or the next opportunity. Without a clear payoff, ambition turns into exploitation, and knowing the difference is a critical leadership skill. Travis Burns on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-burns/ Remington Hospitality https://www.remingtonhospitality.com/ Cayuga Hospitality Consultants https://cayugahospitality.com/ Hive Marketing https://www.hive-marketing.com/ ***Ad Giveaway*** Enter here! https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/win Other Episodes You May Like: 212: Hotel Meth Takedown with Debbie Feldman https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/212 181: Smoky Light Pole with Tommy Beyer https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/181 107: Trash Can Fire with Tracy Prigmore https://www.topfloorpodcast.com/episode/107