What do tequila, ghost peppers, and hotel pricing have in common?

In this episode, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Bobby Marhamat, the CEO of TakeUp.ai.
The conversation covers Bobby's background, including his upbringing in Nebraska and California, his education at San Jose State, and his career progression in sales and tech. Bobby shares insights about his passion for hot peppers and hot sauces, and his COVID-era venture into starting a tequila company.

The episode concludes with a detailed demonstration of TakeUp's web-based platform, and its features designed to enhance revenue management for hotels. The show promises valuable insights for those interested in the intersection of AI and hospitality.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• What real AI actually means (and why most tools are just pretending)
• How hotels are making 22% more revenue using TakeUp
• The new rules of proactive pricing, demand prediction & transparency

Tune in now to learn how AI + Human Strategy is reshaping hospitality, one rate at a time.
Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vwuO_NNXO24

This episode is sponsored by TakeUp: https://takeup.ai/

Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page
The Modern Hotelier is produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

Links:
Bobby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbymarhamat/
TakeUp: https://takeup.ai/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/167

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-...

Connect with Steve and David:
Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...
David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.

In this episode, we’re coming to you from the floor of the HITEC Trade Show to celebrate a decade of innovation, grit, and startup brilliance with the Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) competition.

Hosts David Millili and Steve Carran are joined by:

• Lyle Worthington – Founder of E20X & tech visionary
• Jonathan Rojas – First-ever E20X winner & Co-Founder of Whistle
• Al Lagunas – 2025 E20X People’s Choice & Judge’s Award Winner, CEO of Levee

Together, they unpack what it takes to build, pitch, and thrive in the hospitality tech world.

🔑 In this episode, you'll learn:

• How E20X was born out of a bourbon-fueled dream and a passion for tech
• Why storytelling and preparation are more valuable than stats in a 4-minute pitch
• The behind-the-scenes chaos and scrappy beginnings of the first E20X winners
• Advice from mentors and judges on what makes a startup stand out on stage
• How winning E20X can fast-track your startup into enterprise conversations
• Why emotional resonance, not just innovation, wins over judges and investors

Tune in now to hear how it all started—and what’s next for the future of E20X.

Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2BzxnLlGlR8

Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page
The Modern Hotelier is produced, edited, and published by Make More Media

Links:
Lyle Worthington
Lyle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyleworthington/
HITEC: https://www.hitec.org/

HFTP: https://www.hftp.org/

Jonathan Rojas
Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrojas0226/
Cloudbeds: https://www.cloudbeds.com/

Al Lagunas
Al on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allagunas/
Levee: https://www.levee.biz/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/167

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-...

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, we head to HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis. We sat down with Members of HFTP to talk about HITEC's growth, vision for the future, and what makes HITEC truly special.

Thanks to Justin Taillon, the Global President of HFTP, Arlene Ramirez, the Senior Vice President of Learning for HFTP, and Scot Campbell, Principle at Integrated Resort Advisors, for sitting down with us and talking about HITEC with us!

Links:

HITEC: https://www.hitec.org/

HFTP: https://www.hftp.org/

Justin Taillon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-taillon/

Arlene Ramirez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arlenedramirez/

Scot Campbell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scot-campbell-chtp-2543a02/

Join the conversation on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-...
For full show notes head to:

Connect with Steve and David:
Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...
David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.