Host Steve Turk introduces an archived 2022 Hospitality Mentor Podcast episode featuring Raul Leal, then CEO of SH Hotels & Resorts (now CEO of Starwood). Leal recounts starting at Miami’s Everglades Hotel working with his Cuban-immigrant father, setting early goals to become a GM, and progressing through front desk and food-and-beverage roles, including managing a Sheraton with a major nightclub, before becoming a GM in La Jolla and later leading larger Sheraton properties in Denver, Chicago, Cleveland, and Miami. He describes launching and scaling Teton Hospitality and its boutique arm, Desires Hotels, driven by frustration with legacy-brand sameness and belief in internet-driven distribution. Leal shares how meeting Richard Branson led him to build Virgin Hotels from scratch, and why he later joined Starwood/SH Hotels to lead brands including 1 Hotels, Baccarat Hotels, and Treehouse, emphasizing sustainability, better back-of-house spaces, mentorship, clear goals, and kindness in leadership.Try Lodgify with a 60 percent discount on all their yearly and bi-yearly plans with our code THM60 , and that's THM6000:00 Podcast Welcome00:33 Sponsor Lodgify01:38 Archive Episode Setup02:10 First Hospitality Job04:12 Choosing Hospitality Career05:18 Learning Without College05:55 Climbing Into Management08:21 First GM Move West09:27 Mentors And GM Life10:24 Big Hotels Career Ladder11:59 Entrepreneurial Leap14:10 Building Boutique Portfolio15:47 Travel Reality Check17:40 Why Launch Desires20:26 First Boutique Wins21:43 Lifestyle Hotel Edge23:00 Richard Branson Connection23:43 Meeting Richard Branson25:12 Consulting Turns Into Leadership26:41 Inside Virgin Culture28:45 Building Virgin Hotels From Scratch31:00 Choosing The First Property32:24 Chicago Launch And Expansion34:20 Leaving Virgin For SH Hotels36:16 SH Brands And Sustainability40:31 Growth Plans And Openings41:28 Reimagining Back Of House44:04 Advice For Young Leaders45:46 Closing And Sponsor Message