Rephonic
Artwork for This Week in Hospitality

This Week in Hospitality

thisweekinhospitality
Airbnb
Independent Hotels
Hilton
Hospitality Industry
Hyatt
AI In Hospitality
Sonder
Expedia
Loyalty Programs
Otas
Accor
Marriott International
Tiktok
Direct Booking
AI In Travel
Journey
Hospitality
Discovery
Virgin Hotels
White Lotus

Every Friday morning, This Week in Hospitality brings you the most important stories, insights, and innovations shaping the global hospitality industry — distilled and discussed by people who actually build within it.

Hosted by Ben Wolff, Scott Eddy, Edwin Kramer, and Zach Busekrus, this weekly conversation is crafted for the founders, operators, and dreamers creating the next generation of hospi... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes45Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Business NewsNews

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for This Week in Hospitality

Latest Episodes

Fresh off Independent Hotel Show Miami, Zach and Ben break down two days of conversations with eight owners, operators, and investors from across independent hospitality.

Before the full interviews roll out on This Week in Hospitality, this is the r... more

Blake Danner has spent his career inside the rooms where lifestyle hospitality was invented. Eleven years alongside Ian Schrager opening the Clift, Sanderson, and Shore Club. Seven years as founding COO of the Sydell Group, where he helped create Nom... more

YouTube

TikTok Go was supposed to turn creators into a hotel distribution channel. Instead, a Skift investigation found dozens of AI-generated fake videos attached to real properties — fabricated suites, nonexistent amenities, faceless accounts — with one Se... more

Hotel sales in the US are up 28% in the first half of 2026 — and a meaningful chunk of that activity is chasing bad Yelp reviews, not trophy assets. JMI Realty founder Drew Bridges joins the show to break down how his firm is using AI to source acqui... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Blake Danner
Hospitality executive, former COO at AKA Hotels & Hotel Residences
AKA Hotels & Hotel Residences
Episode: From Ian Schrager to AKA — Blake Danner on the Loyalty Lie, Brand Differentiation, and Staying Small
Drew Bridges
Principal/CEO at JMI Realty
JMI Realty
Episode: Buying Hotels Off Bad Yelp Reviews & The Boutique Hotel Brand Obituary
Alice Sherman
CEO of HVS Executive Search
HVS Executive Search
Episode: Google Buys Spirit’s Data, Timeshares Are Cool Now, and Alice Sherman on the Future of Hiring in Hospitality
Sarah Kopit
Chief Editor at Skift
Skift
Episode: Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit on The Great Hotel Owner Squeeze, Aman's YouTuber Fiasco, & Marriott's Owner Concession
Eivind Myhre
Head of comms and marketing at Norwegian Air
Norwegian Air
Episode: How Norwegian Air Went Viral for Losing, Should Airbnb and Ennismore Hook Up? and the Slow Death of Organic Discovery on Vrbo
James McBride
CEO of NIHI Hotels
NIHI Hotels
Episode: Ideas, Stories, and Hot Takes with James McBride, Co-Founder & CEO of NIHI Hotels
Sean O'Neill
Hospitality editor, Skift
Skift
Episode: Pali Society Goes Bonvoy, Hilton's Incubating 5 New Brands, and Hot Takes with Skift's Hospitality Editor, Sean O'Neil
Francis Davidson
Co-founder of Sonder, founder of Odessia
Odessia
Episode: Sonder's Founder is Back, Hyatt's New Growth Strategy, The Human Concierge Book, and L.E/Miami Recap
Noah Brodsky
CEO, Under Canvas (leadership transition context)
Under Canvas
Episode: The World Cup Bust, Spirit's Collapse, Priceline is Back, and Aman's Move in the Texas Hill Country

Hosts

Ben Wolff
Founder behind Onera and Oasi, noted for design-forward, experiential hospitality within luxury, nature-driven experiences.
Scott Eddy
Hospitality voice, global keynote speaker, digital strategist and content creator with deep experience with luxury brands and travel startups.
Edwin Kramer
Hospitality executive with luxury brand background, proven operational leader in Five-Star properties across continents.
Zach Busekrus
Co-host, Journey advisor and founder; creator of Behind the Stays; growth strategist with a focus on independent brands and loyalty ecosystems.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 11 ratings
  • Trendy and entertaining

    I love tuning in every Friday to listen to this team of hospitality experts. They each contribute in their own way and make the podcast entertaining and full of cool information. I learn something new every episode. Keep it up guys! Loving it!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    adristexmex
    Spain2 months ago
  • Really worth a listen!

    This isn’t my normal field and came across the podcast by happenstance. I found the information and their perspective interesting to listen to. Appreciated the different points of view.. Definitely translates to other fields, in my opinion. My background is luxury retail, but transitioned into banking with quite a bit of travel. So much of the information could be useful and make you think outside the box in a business development perspective. Good listening - I’m looking forward to next one!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Eternally Learning
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Great for non-traditional operators; insights translate across sectors beyond hospitality.
Strong guest lineups from independent brands and travel tech—worth a listen for sponsors and guests alike.
Energetic hosts deliver actionable hospitality insights with a founder-friendly lens.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

From Ian Schrager to AKA — Blake Danner on the Loyalty Lie, Brand Differentiation, and Staying Small
Q: If I gave you a million dollars to improve one AKA property without spending on renovations or rooms, where would the money go?
Blake responds that the investment would go into people—recruitment, training, and programs that enable staff to deliver exceptional hospitality, arguing that people are the core asset of the business.
From Ian Schrager to AKA — Blake Danner on the Loyalty Lie, Brand Differentiation, and Staying Small
Q: What question you got for Blake on his history, his perspective on the current state of affairs in the industry?
The question introduces the guest's background and invites a broad reflection on the industry, setting up a discussion on AKA's approach to growth, talent, and differentiation.
Google Buys Spirit’s Data, Timeshares Are Cool Now, and Alice Sherman on the Future of Hiring in Hospitality
Q: Are you seeing more CEOs or C-suite roles emerging in independent luxury hospitality, and how does that affect recruitment and retention?
Yes, there is a trend toward CEO-style or C-suite titles for independent properties or small collections, reflecting a shift to ownership-minded leadership and a desire to clearly delineate strategic responsibility. This supports retention by signaling career progression and strategic influence beyond a single property.
Google Buys Spirit’s Data, Timeshares Are Cool Now, and Alice Sherman on the Future of Hiring in Hospitality
Q: Shifting a little bit to hiring, talent, leadership and below, how can independent hotel brands best attract top talent beyond competitive compensation?
Independent brands should highlight speed of decision-making, direct impact, ongoing growth paths, and a strong cultural fit. Emphasizing ownership-like opportunities, tailored development plans, and opportunities to influence operations can attract talent more effectively than traditional corporate hierarchies.
Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit on The Great Hotel Owner Squeeze, Aman's YouTuber Fiasco, & Marriott's Owner Concession
Q: What role do banks and credit card networks play in the evolving brand-owner relationship?
Banks and card networks are central as the financing lever and the source of guest data and bookings; changes in how these networks allocate data and revenue can directly affect an owner's ability to compete and finance their property independently.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About This Week in Hospitality

What is This Week in Hospitality about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Weekly, fast-paced discussions center on the evolving hospitality ecosystem, with a focus on independent hotels, boutique brands, loyalty platforms, and technology-enabled distribution. The show consistently covers ownership dynamics, brand strategy, and the role of data and AI in guest experiences, often tying global trends to tangible implications for owners, operators, and growth-focused brands. Notably, the format blends candid operator anecdotes, strategic takeaways, and practical sponsorship opportunities—making it valuable for founders, operators, marketers, and investors aiming to understand where independent hospitality is headed and how to position a brand or property for growth.

Where can I find podcast stats for This Week in Hospitality?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for This Week in Hospitality. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to This Week in Hospitality and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does This Week in Hospitality get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for This Week in Hospitality, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for This Week in Hospitality?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for This Week in Hospitality, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does This Week in Hospitality have?

To see how many followers or subscribers This Week in Hospitality has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to This Week in Hospitality?

These podcasts share a similar audience with This Week in Hospitality:

1. Behind the Stays
2. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
3. The Modern Hotelier
4. Good Morning Hospitality
5. Hospitality Daily Podcast

How many episodes of This Week in Hospitality are there?

This Week in Hospitality launched a year ago and published 45 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact This Week in Hospitality?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for This Week in Hospitality?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for This Week in Hospitality from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for This Week in Hospitality?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of This Week in Hospitality. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on This Week in Hospitality?

Recent guests on This Week in Hospitality include:

1. Blake Danner
2. Drew Bridges
3. Alice Sherman
4. Sarah Kopit
5. Eivind Myhre
6. James McBride
7. Sean O'Neill
8. Francis Davidson

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days