Hospitality podcast

When AMANO Group asked independent turnaround consultant Mirco Weber to review their hotel accounting processes, it didn’t take long to see the problem ran deeper. He found that the entire tech stack needed rebuilding, including the PMS. That shift triggered both a systems and a concept change, as AMANO rolled out Mews and rethought how guests are welcomed, including removing the reception desk at some of their hotels.

Staff turnover in hotels is up to 70-80%, as Matthew Parker, Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at Mews, points out. Between that and outdated recruitment and retention methods, many hotels are stuck in a loop of constant rehiring. Matthew joins Matt to discuss what it takes to attract and hire the best people in hospitality. They talk about the most effective recruitment channels, using AI in hiring and focusing on trial shifts over case studies.

When Maurits Bots stepped into the Hotel ICT Specialist role at WestCord Hotels, some properties still ran on legacy systems. Others used Mews like the old PMS. He didn’t set out to replace tools, but rather to rebuild how the work gets done. “The fact that somebody has to check every reservation – that time has passed”, Maurits says, as he joins Matt to talk about what it takes to automate the everyday without slowing anyone down.

AI in hospitality so far meant chatbots and big promises, while hotel teams still worked using manual checklists and post-it notes. Matt talks about the rise of AI agents and how the next wave will move fast for hotels built on the right tech stack. He explains why Mews acquired DataChat and how its technology brings a new kind of intelligence into hotel operations, one that listens, learns and acts.

When Luka Berger landed a summer job as a housekeeper at Yellowstone National Park, he didn’t expect it to inspire his whole career trajectory. But seeing staff juggle walkie-talkies and race between rooms to remain on top of housekeeping tasks ultimately sparked the idea behind Flexkeeping. In this episode, Luka shares how Flexkeeping, now part of Mews, uses AI to automate time-consuming housekeeping tasks and break down language barriers.

A five-star hotel and a MICHELIN restaurant that welcome dogs? There’s a big difference between a hotel that embraces pets and one that simply tolerates them. Dean Culpan, General Manager of South Place Hotel in London, has built a dog-friendly approach that even drives more revenue: fuller weekends, higher on-property spend and loyal guests who return because their pets are treated well. He joins Matt to talk about the rising demand for pet-friendly stays and how his team delivers a luxury experience for both guests and their fluffy companions.

Armen Melkonian was forced to flee war-torn Syria and then Lebanon, until he rebuilt his life from scratch in the Netherlands through UNHCR’s resettlement programme. He opens up about finding safety as a member of the LGBTIQ+ community, the challenges of acclimatizing to a foreign culture and how his experiences shaped a deeply personal approach to service. To Armen, hospitality starts with something small –⁠ a greeting, a moment of acknowledgment, the thing that tells someone they’re no longer invisible.

How do you build a revenue strategy for a hotel that melts away every spring? When the temperatures fall in Finland, Maria Mänty, Sales Director at Snowhotel Family, and her team shape memorable stays out of snow, freezing nights and the glow of the Northern Lights. They build extraordinary ice rooms, set up ice sculpture workshops and even snow saunas. Maria joins Matt to talk about what it takes to keep their Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos thriving when what you sell only exists for a few months of the year.

For this end-of-year special, Matt is joined by Mews founder Richard Valtr. Except this time around, they both ask each other questions. What was the first app they opened this morning? What advice have they ignored? What decision looked smart at the time but almost broke the company? From there, they talk about the drivers behind great hotels, the core of hospitality and the 13 years of working together to shape Mews into what it is today.

What can the hospitality industry expect in 2026? Especially given the rapid development of AI and the fact that a third of travelers already use LLMs to search and get travel inspiration. Wouter Geerts, Director of Market Research at Mews, joins Matt to break down the 2026 Hospitality Industry Outlook report, shaped by conversations with 18 industry experts, including hoteliers, tech vendors, consultants and investors. You’ll hear about the changing AI use cases in hotels, new guest behavior patterns and what determines which hotels get surfaced and booked in 2026.Download 2026 Hospitality Industry Outlook