Hoteliers’ Voice

The front desk at Kenilworth was handling a high volume of guest requests that had nothing to do with hospitality. The cost was not just operational, it was cultural. Staff felt like a switchboard, not a team.

Joined by Nick Rubin Chief Strategy Officer at BGAM Hospitality and Daniel Ojeme Co-founder, CEO and CTO of Eccobell Limited, in this episode we look at
How to recognise pain points in team morale
Identifying hospitality vs administrative tasks
Utilising tech to support hotel teams
Providing better services to guests

Belle went live at Kenilworth in August 2025 via QR codes placed in every guest room, stuck to the wall in a prominent position. Guests scan the code with their mobile phone, which opens the Eccobell web app directly in their browser. Belle lives on that web app.

LIVE from Everyman Cinema Broadgate, HOSPA in partnership with Next Wave Hospitality. This panel session sponsored by Focus on Hospitality explores how AI has dominated hospitality conversations over the last 18 months. This session cuts through the hype and focuses on what actually drives performance.
What are the real blockers inside hotels today?
What foundations need to be in place before innovation can deliver value?
How do operators make smarter investment decisions that improve guest experience, support teams, and create commercial return?

Because high-performing hotels are rarely powered by the newest tool. They are powered by getting the basics right, then scaling intelligently. This session brings together operators and industry experts to explore the end-to-end hotel journey, from design and infrastructure through to guest experience, revenue performance, and post-stay feedback and loyalty.
Speakers:
Arik Fletcher, Fraction vCTO, Focus Group
Kevin Edwards, CEO, Hospitality Technology Advisory
Gavin A., VP of Information Technology & Innovation, Yotel
Samuel Actford, Group IT Manager, Exclusive Collection

Design meets experience: Join a live recording of the Hoteliers’ Voice podcast from HT360 Hospitality Leaders Forum, exploring how hospitality spaces are being reshaped and reframed as a result of technology, digitalisation and staffing challenges to elevate guest experience while improving commercial performance. This session will dive into how technology is forcing a rethink on the approach to interiors, architecture and design of public spaces to maximise revenue in F&B and multi-use areas, while creating environments guests genuinely want to spend time in.
Hosted by Ryan Haynes and Scot Turner (Auden Hospitality), with guests Alessandra Leoni (Focus on Hospitality), Paul Wells (Studio Moren), Prem Jethwa-Odedra (Biteluxe), hear real-world insights on how space planning, interior design and smart technology come together to unlock value, optimise operations and future-proof hospitality businesses

Learn how independent hotels can increase direct bookings and reduce reliance on online travel agencies (OTAs) with Sleeping Bear Hotels and Formula. Discover actionable strategies that can help direct bookings thrive in a competitive market.
In today’s competitive hotel landscape, many independent hotels struggle with high reliance on online travel agencies (OTAs) for bookings. This reliance cutz into profits significantly, often leading to frustration for hotel owners.

With Tudor Hopkins, founder, Sleeping Bear Hotels and Adam Hamadache, CEO and Founder, Formula – digital growth agency for hotels we explore how Sleeping Bear Hotels successfully reduced their OTA dependency and increased direct bookings.

Understanding the Impact of OTA Reliance. Sleeping Bear Hotels, highlights that when he took over, the hotel was generating 60% of its bookings through OTAs. This reliance not only affected profit margins but also reduced the ability to engage directly with guests.
High OTA commissions severely impact profitability. By shifting focus to direct bookings, hotels can keep more revenue in-house and build stronger relationships with guests.
Tudor’s journey started with a shift in business model, removing unprofitable services and focusing solely on room bookings. He streamlined operations, which allowed for better pricing strategies and increased occupancy rates.
The Role of Partnerships in Driving Revenue. Sleeping Bear Hotels took an innovative approach by partnering with local restaurants and attractions.

Recorded live from HOSPA edinburgh event Next Wave Hospitality: Tech Transformation that delivers sponsored by Focus on Hospitality with
Mike Baxtor, House of Gods
Barry Makin, GM, Cromlix Hotel
Lorraine Garvie, Head of Commercial Operations, Crieff Hydro

We get their take on the changes in hospitality and guest experiences, what it will take to stand out and how they’re addressing tech and digital transformation.
We ask
How are hospitality perceptions shifting for your business?
Where is the role of AI and automation both in operations and guest experience?
With IT infrastructure changing quickly, where's your focus?
Where's the line of digitalised guest journeys to human?