The Modern Hotelier

What does the future of hospitality look like as hotels balance rising costs, evolving guest expectations, and the rapid growth of AI? In this special roundtable episode of The Modern Hotelier, Steve Carran and David Millili welcome four hospitality leaders to The Gallery at The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach for an in-depth conversation about the challenges and opportunities shaping the industry. Joining the discussion are Stuart Greif, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at Forbes Travel Guide; Luis Segredo, co-founder of Data Travel, LLC and developer of Hapi; Amber Asher, former CEO of Standard Hotels and Bunkhouse Hotels; and Josh Johnston, CEO and founder of TrayAway. Together, they explore how technology and artificial intelligence can streamline hotel operations, connect fragmented systems, improve decision-making, and create new revenue opportunities without sacrificing the human connection that defines exceptional hospitality. The conversation also examines the growing pressure on hotel profitability, the challenge of maintaining consistent four- and five-star service standards, and how independent hotels can preserve their unique identities while competing in an increasingly technology-driven market. From AI-powered personalization and operational automation to staff development, company culture, and the importance of trusted guest data, the panel shares practical insights into what it takes to build a sustainable future for hospitality. In this episode, you'll discover: How AI can simplify hotel operations while empowering frontline teams to deliver better guest experiences Why trusted, connected data is essential for effective hotel technology and AI adoption The challenges of balancing profitability, labor costs, and luxury service standards How independent and lifestyle hotels can differentiate themselves through creativity, culture, and authentic guest experiences How to embrace meaningful innovation without overcomplicating the experience for hotel staff or guests As the hospitality industry evolves, one message remains clear: technology should not replace hospitality. It should give people more time, better tools, and greater opportunities to make every guest experience memorable. Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BB9XxYjLusY This episode is sponsored by Hapi & TrayAway: Hapi: https://www.stayhapi.com/ TrayAway: https://trayaway.com/ Links: Amber Asher Amber on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-asher-6b388a5/?isSelfProfile=false Stuart Greif Stuart on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartwgreif Forbes Travel Guide: https://www.forbestravelguide.com/ Luis Segredo Luis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luissegredo Hapi: https://www.stayhapi.com/ Josh Johnston Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-johnston-261a8342/?isSelfProfile=false TrayAway: https://trayaway.com/ For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/341 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-.. Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page Connect with Steve and David: Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E... David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.

How can hotels use technology, AI, and better Wi-Fi to improve guest experience? In this episode, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Hannah Greenberg, CEO of Eleven, to explore the future of hospitality technology, hotel operations, entrepreneurship, and what it truly takes to deliver exceptional guest service. Hannah shares her journey from working at a hotel front desk at just 16 years old to acquiring Eleven through entrepreneurship through acquisition. With experience in hotel operations, real estate development, private equity, and hospitality software, she explains why successful hotel technology is about more than just implementing new products. She also discusses the importance of cybersecurity, loyalty enrollment, modernizing legacy hotel systems, and balancing technology investments with other capital expenditures. She shares practical advice for hotel owners and hospitality leaders on evaluating technology solutions, embracing fresh perspectives, and building a culture where people and service come first. In this episode, you'll discover: Why hotel Wi-Fi is essential infrastructure for guest satisfaction, cybersecurity, and hotel operations. How AI is transforming hotel bookings, hospitality technology, and guest service expectations. Why adding more hotel technology products doesn't automatically solve operational problems. The importance of evaluating AI solutions and improving interoperability across hotel brands’ technology stacks. What makes hospitality successful through people, empathy, accountability, and exceptional service This episode is sponsored by Eleven: https://www.elevensoftware.com/ Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fbmbOuLJ7-c Links: Hannah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahgreenberg Eleven: https://www.elevensoftware.com/ For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/340 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-.. Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page Connect with Steve and David: Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E... David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.

On this episode of The Modern Hotelier Hospitality Hot Topics, Steve Carran and David Millili sit down with Christopher Ahlgrim from Preferred Travel Group to talk about the latest news and trends in hospitality. They kick things off with a look at Astound Ventures’ new $30 million investment fund and Dormakaba’s acquisition of Alliants, and what these moves could mean for hotel technology and the guest experience. They also get into why travelers are still hesitant to book hotels through social media, especially with AI making it easier to create misleading photos and content. Chris also talks about how AI is changing the way travelers find hotels, why keeping website rates competitive matters, and how hotels can protect their margins while encouraging more direct bookings. If you work in hospitality or want to keep up with what’s happening in the hotel industry, this episode is packed with useful insights and real-world perspectives. In this episode, you’ll learn about: Burt and Alex Cabañas launch Astound Ventures Dormaka buys Alliants Consumer Hesitance with Booking Travel Via Social Media We were just at IHS, favorite talk or experience What is new at Preferred? Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ok2q5QSt_UU Links: Christopher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherahlgrim Preferred Travel Group: https://preferredtravelgroup.com/ For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/339 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-.. Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page Connect with Steve and David: Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E... David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.

Is your hotel lost in the "AI pilot trap"? In this episode recorded live at AI Washington, D.C., David and Steve sit down with Sajid Shariff, Founder and CEO of Dextr AI, to discuss how multi-agent AI systems are shifting hospitality from simple chatbots to full-scale operational intelligence. Sajid shares his journey from IIT Bombay and Stanford to building businesses across consulting, tech, and hospitality. He breaks down why single-point tech solutions are failing hoteliers, how Dextr AI automates everything from front desk lockouts and room reservations to tailored guest food-allergy workflows, and how voice AI is capturing missed direct-booking revenue. Key Topics Covered: Why standard "one-size-fits-all" AI pilots fail and how forward-deployed, custom agent workflows deliver measurable bottom-line value. How intelligent voice AI picks up the ~40% of missed calls that normally end up on high-fee OTA platforms. Why AI agents should act as frontline "buddies" to remove busywork and let hospitality staff focus on the guest experience. How Dextr AI handles payment security, API encryption, and prompt injection defense to maintain guest trust. What the fully AI-supported, front-desk-free hotel of the future will look like. Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8p6Yn0EYiPM Links: Sajid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shariffsajid Dextr AI: https://www.dextr.ai/ For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/338 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-.. Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page Connect with Steve and David: Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E... David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.

What can a modern revenue management system (RMS) actually do for an independent hotel? In this episode, David Millili sits down with Steve Taft, VP of Partnerships at ampliphi RMS, and Tim Kolman, VP of Sales at ampliphi RMS, to discuss how modern revenue management systems are helping independent hotels compete with larger brands. For many 40-room independent hotels, revenue management is still something owners and operators handle at the end of a long day. From check-ins and check-outs to laundry, breakfast, maintenance, and guest service, there is often little time left for analyzing demand and optimizing room rates. In this episode, we discuss: Why independent hotels have historically been underserved by hospitality technology How a 40-room independent hotel can approach hotel pricing and revenue management Why legacy RMS technology created the perception that revenue management requires extensive manpower The difference between an all-in-one hotel technology stack and a best-in-breed technology strategy If you're a hotel owner, general manager, revenue manager, hospitality technology professional, or independent hotel operator interested in hotel revenue optimization, RMS technology, AI for hotels, dynamic pricing, RevPAR, commercial strategy, and independent hotel technology, this episode is for you. Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bmg2EWB-8NU Links: Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevetaft/ Tim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tkolman/ ampliphi RMS: https://www.getampliphi.com/ For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/337 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-.. Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page Connect with Steve and David: Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E... David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.