In this episode, Ryan Bukstein shares the behind-the-scenes process of how brands like Ace Hotel and Vacation were built, showing how curiosity, experimentation, and unexpected collaborations drove their groundbreaking approaches. Ryan reveals how Ace Hotel thrived by challenging industry norms, embracing cultural programming, and forging authentic partnerships, like its notable collaboration with Converse. He illustrates how these same principles allowed Vacation to redefine sunscreen as a playful, nostalgic experience. This conversation offers a rare look into the strategic creativity, ecosystem leveraging, and relationship-building that made these brands resonate deeply within their communities and industries.

Learn more about Ryan's firm, SMPL, here.

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Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Ryan Bukstein shares the behind-the-scenes story of Ace Hotel’s early days and how the punk, DIY spirit of Seattle’s cultural scene influenced its groundbreaking approach to hospitality. Ryan takes us back to when he joined Ace founder Alex Calderwood as an intern and reveals how Ace Hotel became a magnet for creative talent, driven by curiosity, mentorship, and a willingness to break traditional industry norms. He explains the unconventional strategies that enabled Ace to deeply connect with local communities and create vibrant cultural hubs far beyond what others were doing. This conversation provides a rare glimpse into how innovation and creativity shaped one of hospitality's most iconic brands.

Learn more about Ryan's firm, SMPL, here.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, citizenM CEO Lennert de Jong shares with our innovation correspondent, Matthias Hüttebräuker, how citizenM transformed the traditional hotel loyalty model by launching a subscription program inspired by Amazon Prime and Netflix. Lennert explains how his team developed the subscription concept during COVID, initially as a response to occupancy challenges, and how it evolved into a highly successful model, signing up more than 50,000 subscribers and continuing to grow. He discusses the strategic shift from transactional rewards toward building genuine customer relationships, how citizenM identified customer pain points to create attractive benefits, and why subscription-based loyalty offers deeper value and engagement than traditional points systems. This conversation provides practical insights for hospitality leaders seeking innovative ways to strengthen guest loyalty and drive business growth.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, citizenM CEO Lennert de Jong shares his vision with our innovation correspondent, Matthias Hüttebräuker, on how hotel technology, AI, and guest interactions are rapidly evolving. He explains why traditional hotel processes—from front desk check-ins to booking—are ripe for reinvention, detailing how citizenM is using integrated technology and AI to streamline guest experiences and remove friction. Lennert emphasizes the necessity of automating repetitive tasks to empower hospitality staff to focus on human interactions, creating personalized moments that matter. He also discusses the shifts underway in hotel discovery and distribution, driven by generative AI, and predicts significant changes in how guests find and select hotels in the near future.

Also see:

• citizenM CEO: Why We Sold to Marriott (And What's Next) - Lennert de Jong
• The citizenM Founding Story (And What It Teaches Us Today) - Michael Levie
• What I've Learned Building Productive Tech Partnerships - Michael Levie
• AI's Impact On Our Business - Ernest Lee, citizenM
• Resiliency & Preparing for Anything - Ernest Lee, citizenM

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

citizenM CEO Lennert de Jong joins our innovation correspondent Matthias Hüttebräuker to discuss citizenM's strategic sale to Marriott, future growth, and implications for the hotel industry. Learn how this deal accelerates global expansion, leverages Marriott’s Bonvoy loyalty program, maintains citizenM's unique brand identity, and integrates operational excellence with technological innovation.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Edward Mady shares what he's learned from baseball.

Learn more about Edward's new book, Honing the Human Edge.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Edward Mady shares what he has learned about creating a culture of welcome throughout every part of a hotel business.

Read Edward's article on Harvard Business Review: How Luxury Brands Can Motivate Service Employees

Learn more about Edward's new book, Honing the Human Edge.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Edward Mady shares what he's learned about leading through crisis.

Learn more about Edward's new book, Honing the Human Edge.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands