Latest / The Modern Hotelier / #315: Managing the Vibe at the NYC Hard Rock Hotel | with David Salcfas
Transcript
- The Modern Hotelier #315: Managing the Vibe at the NYC Hard Rock Hotel with David Salcfas === David Millili: Welcome to The Modern Hotelier, the most engaged podcast in hospitality. Don't forget to follow, like, subscribe and let us know in the comments what you think about today's episode. Steve, who do we have on the program today? Steve Carran: Yeah, David. Excited for this one. We have on David Salcfas, the general manager of Hard Rock Hotel in New York City. Thanks for joining us, David. How are we doing today? David Salcfas: My pleasure to be here. David Millili: All right, great. So we're gonna dive right in. David, we're gonna go through a lightning round. We're gonna get to know your background, your career, and dive into some thought leadership topics. Sound good? David Salcfas: Yeah, perfect. I'm ready. David Millili: All right, so when you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? David Salcfas: What I really wanted to be was a police officer, a state trooper in New Jersey. But my father was in the industry. He cooked for Harry M. Stevens, which ultimately became Airmark. And I used to go to the restaurants with him and do the institutional feeding in Freehold Raceway at the racetrack. And he used to run the Horseman's Kitchen. As the years passed, he had a family-style restaurant, and the industry gets in your blood. When it was time to make a decision about going into the service to do the military police to prepare myself for college, to prepare myself potentially for the police department, I also applied to Johnson & Wales University, to the culinary program. I never thought I would get accepted, but I did, because I was always working so much. I missed a lot of school, let's just say. So when the opportunity presented itself, I ended up going to Johnson & Wales, and the rest was history. David Millili: Right. So what's something that you wish you were better at? David Salcfas: I think if I was better at knowing when to say no. I have a tendency to always try to do everything. I've learned how to delegate. I've learned how to engage the team and build trust amongst them so that we can do what we need to do. But sometimes I forget that I've got a team, and they can do it as well as I can, if not better. David Millili: Okay, good. What's a luxury you can't live without? David Salcfas: My family. My family drives everything that I do. I think that I feel blessed that they're by my side, and they allow me to do what I do in the hospitality industry, which is demanding, as you know. David Millili: Yeah, 100%. So if you could take a person, dead or alive, to lunch, who would you take? David Salcfas: Wow. Dead or alive to lunch. I'm in this rock 'n' roll environment, or should I say the Hard Rock environment, on a daily basis. So I get the pleasure of interacting with a lot of different people. But I think if I was gonna go to lunch with somebody, I think I would do Donald Trump. David Millili: Oof. Okay. All right, so if you could have a superpower, what would your superpower be? David Salcfas: I think if I had a superpower, I'd love to know what people are thinking. David Millili: That's a good one. All right, last one here. So tell us something that's on your bucket list. David Salcfas: I think on my bucket list is to do a true European trip with my wife. We've never done that, so that's a bucket list item for sure. But something fun is to buy a motorcycle and travel the East Coast, because I had a motorcycle, but I had to sell it to buy the engagement ring for my wife of 33 years. I'd like to do that again. Steve Carran: There you go. Those were great answers. So now we're gonna dive into your personal background, a little bit about what makes you tick. You mentioned earlier you grew up in New Jersey. How did growing up in New Jersey shape you into who you are today? David Salcfas: I think home is where the heart is, right? And I was blessed to have mom and dad that were together for 60 years, and a sister that was a year older, and a younger brother and sister. I think it shapes you to have the values and the work ethic that you need to continue to grow. I grew up in Freehold, New Jersey, as I stated earlier. Then we moved into a town called New Egypt, which is right outside of Six Flags Great Adventure. It's not really south, but it's heading towards the seaside area. But I knew I wanted more, and it positioned me to say, "If you're gonna do it, I wanna do it in the center of the universe," which was New York City. That's where I really set my sights on where I'd wanna be, where I'd wanna work, and where I'd wanna build my career. David Millili: So you got your degree from Johnson & Wales in occupational science, food service management, and culinary arts. What led you to choose that university and focus on the food side of things? David Salcfas: Well, truthfully, I looked at the CIA, Culinary Institute of America up in Hyde Park, and they had a 20-month waiting list to get in. And I said, "I'll have my degree by the time I get into the university." And that shaped my decision. Once I visited the university, back then they didn't have anywhere near the amount of development that they do on the hospitality campus, in particular on what they call the Harborside Campus. It was really the business classes were downtown in Providence at a facility right outside the main one. It's called McNulty Hall. Then they had the culinary east and west dormitories. They were very small. There were four bunk beds in a room. It was a shared shower. It was nothing glamorous, and that was my experience in college. But the culinary program was a hands-on approach right from the get-go, and they broke it into three trimesters. That's where I excelled because the work ethic was there, and they taught you all sorts of cuisines, all sorts of different menu planning, food costing, purchasing, and then the business side of it that led to the management part of it. But I was fortunate. I applied for a program called the Teaching Assistant Fellowship Program for my junior and senior year, and I was fortunate to achieve that. I worked for the university my junior and senior year as a TA, and then a fellow in the senior year. They gave us a small salary, and they paid our room, board, and tuition to pursue our management degree in food service management. Then the connections that you make along the way, building your network, that's where I really learned the art of networking and how not just having one mentor, but almost an army of people that you can build trust with and ask advice, because you never know who's gonna help you along the way. The relationships you build last a lifetime. I still have relationships with so many people that I developed 35 years ago with Johnson & Wales. Steve Carran: That's great. I know you mentioned you wanted to be a police officer. I thought you meant the other CIA you were looking into. David Salcfas: No. Steve Carran: Anyways, you work at the Hard Rock Hotel. I had to ask, I know you're a fan of KISS, a great rock and roll band. How did you fall in love with them? And if you had to be one of the members of the band, which one would you be? David Salcfas: Without question, I'll answer the back part of it first: Gene Simmons. It's not because he sticks his tongue out, but he's the band leader. That's what I refer to myself as in the hotel because that picks up the sonography of everything that we do. Entertainment and music are at the core and all about the brand. But KISS, I just love because they entertain, and they put on a show. That's the biggest reason. Whether you see them in New York City when they were performing here or anywhere in the world, you're gonna walk out of there saying, "That was an experience." That's why I like KISS. It's theatrical, it's dramatic, it's breathtaking, and that's what I try to do on a daily basis with my approach to leading in the hotel. I've gone as far, if I could just add, sorry to interrupt you. If I could just add, I've gone all the way. I can send you some pictures of me dressing up as Gene Simmons. But I'm not talking about an amateur approach. I brought in artists. Actually, the sales coordinator is phenomenal with makeup. I got the leather wings and the whole setup, and I came out looking like Gene Simmons. This was my first week on the job at Hard Rock, and nobody knew it was me. So I started walking around the hotel. We do a lineup or a stand-up meeting called Soundcheck every day. I came out, I threw down a split. They didn't know what to do. But I said I did my job. Steve Carran: We might need those pictures. It would make a great thumbnail. That was great. So now we're gonna dive into your career, how you became the frontman of Hard Rock Hotel in New York City. You mentioned this earlier, and I thought this was a really cool story. Your hospitality career actually began when you were around 10 years old when you'd go to work with your father. How did filling ice bins and cleaning tables at the Freehold Raceway teach you what you still take with you in the GM role today? David Salcfas: It's a hands-on approach, and you've gotta be in it. You'll see article after article, and they're all wonderful to read about strategic leadership, organizational mentorship, all of these things. But when you live it day to day at an early age, it stays with you, and you either have it or you don't. You need to make sure that you're constantly refreshing yourself, but you've gotta lead from the front, is the best way to describe it, where you're out there with the employees. You know their name. You know a little something about their family. But I still get hands-on today. If the host calls out, I jump at the host stand. The front desk is a little bit more technical. I try to talk to the guests and make them feel comfortable that we're gonna get them checked in. Plus, I'm in a union environment, so I can't really check anybody in. But I work the lobby. I work the restaurant. I can jump in the kitchen. I still pride myself that I could cut an onion faster than most of the cooks in my culinary department. At least I tell them I can, and they haven't really called me out on it, but we'll see one of these days. What I'm saying at the end of the day is you want to practice what you preach, and that's what I learned from my dad. That's what I learned from working those early hours. Every task matters. Whether you're in a hotel or a restaurant, it doesn't matter. Every piece is just as important. If somebody doesn't show up to clean the front drive, or the host doesn't show up, you've gotta be prepared to jump in. David Millili: So you spent nearly 34 years with Marriott. John was in diapers when you started. You've held 23 roles across 16 hotels, five brands, sales and marketing, operations, and general management. How did all those experiences help you become who you are today and shape your understanding of the hotel business? David Salcfas: You've got to put your time in, and it took me a while to figure that out. As a junior manager, what was wonderful about working for Marriott for all those years is that every time there was a new opportunity, you grew in position. Sometimes you took a lateral step or a side step because it was the better property to go to that gave you the experience that you needed. For me, I was at a full-service Marriott hotel, but I was trying to get into an operations position. I was trying to get the operational experience, and at that time they were merging the front-of-house resident manager and the food and beverage director into one role called the director of operations back in 2004 or 2005. So the options for a resident manager were limited. My opportunity was to be a GM in a Courtyard that was heavily focused on sales, but I could also learn the operation. That was my step into operations to cross over from 16 years of being in sales and marketing with the company. That moved on to my next role as an assistant general manager in a full-service hotel, which led me back to New York City as a resident manager, ultimately a director of operations, then hotel manager at the Ritz-Carlton, general manager at the LaGuardia Marriott, and the rest was history, which led me to today. But you've got to pay your dues, and you've got to take those steps. I think what's tough in today's society, especially since COVID, and I hate to bring it up, but a lot of the young managers don't want to pay their dues. Every six months they're ready for that next step, where during my time it was every 18 months. It wasn't really written anywhere, but it was the unsaid rule that you were gonna wait before making that move. I bumped around, obviously, as you can see from my resume. However, I tried to do it very strategically to position myself for something. One thing you've got to remember too: the only way you're gonna make more money in this industry as a manager is you've got to grow your salary, and you've got to take on more responsibility. Those are the leaders. If you're willing to take on more, then you're gonna do really well, and you're willing to put the time in. I referenced school and how I didn't know my grades were gonna get me into college. I'll give you the best example. In high school, I was the last one in class but the first one to leave because I had to get to work. But after I graduated high school and I started to really work in the industry, I was always the first one in and the last one to leave. That's just how it worked out. I think you've got to do both. What I've done with my children is really encourage them to put the time into school, and it'll pay off dividends greater than you can even imagine. Steve Carran: Well said. Well said. So in 2023, you became the GM of Hard Rock Hotel in New York. What made you come to Hard Rock? David Salcfas: During COVID, I closed the East Side Marriott on 49th and Lex, and that transitioned to a franchise. It closed, never to reopen as a hotel again. Now it's student housing with a company called The Found Hotel Group, which I believe is a part of Marriott now, which is great. They still have some of the employees from back when it was the Holleran House working there, I think in either security or engineering, which is kind of interesting. I also oversaw the renovation of the authentic Algonquin Hotel on 44th and 6th, where we moved the Blue Bar to the lobby. We transitioned the Oak Room. This is where the Round Table used to take place, so I really oversaw that renovation. Then Highgate was going to come in and take it over as a franchise property, still being an Autograph Collection. At that point, I had the opportunity to go reopen the Sheraton Boston at the tail end of COVID in 2021. My family stayed in New Jersey. I moved to Boston, and then I would come home, or they would come visit me. I was at the Sheraton Boston in Back Bay at the Prudential Center, right next to the Hynes Convention Center, and I was there for about two and a half years. My opportunity to come back to New York was with Hard Rock, where I received a call from someone looking for a general manager. That was in December of 2022, and the interview process went on for several months. But I felt really comfortable that this was coming to a head, and I didn't want to stay another full winter in Boston, so I retired from Marriott in February of 2023. Basically, when I went to Boston, I wanted to retire from Marriott then. However, you needed to have 10 years of service, which I had more than enough, but you also needed to be 55 years old. I was only 54, so that's the biggest reason I went to Boston and didn't leave the company then. That's how I ended up there. Otherwise, I probably would have never left New York. But it was the best thing that I did because it led me to the opportunity at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York. I was the second opening general manager there. The first one had moved on, so I started about a year after it opened. It opened in April of 2022. David Millili: When we go off air, I have some very interesting Holleran House stories for you. We'll save that for later. They're really interesting. For those who might not be familiar, tell us more about Hard Rock and what makes the Hard Rock brand a unique hotel. David Salcfas: Anthony Melchiorri and Glenn Haussman came and did one of their podcasts live at the hotel, and Anthony said it best. He said, "This hotel just feels good." When you walk in, you feel the vibe. It hits you with the music, the sound, the lighting, and the arrival experience. Not just the architecture and the memorabilia, which I'm going to talk about in a minute, but also the people and the training. All of our employees are called band members. On our name badges, they're shaped like a guitar pick. You put your first name and then your favorite band, entertainer, or artist. Obviously, mine is KISS. Every now and then I get somebody that says, "Oh, David Kiss. Am I supposed to kiss you?" I say, "No, that's my band. It's on the 24th floor." But that's the introduction to the hotel. Everybody, no matter who you are in the world, can relate to music and have some storyline back to it. It makes you feel good. It relaxes you when you need it to. It pumps you up when you need it to. Music is the lifeline to what I think everyone should have. We also have several programs in the hotel. If you're a guitar enthusiast, you can have a guitar delivered to your room with an amp and headphones, just like you gentlemen have on right now, and you can jam out. Your neighbors won't know. It's called Sound of Your Stay, and it's just this great program. We do a lot of community service. Our community service program is called Hard Rock HEALS, and we support a variety of different causes. Specifically at the Hard Rock Hotel New York, we work a lot with Covenant House, PACT, and many organizations focused on human trafficking. The company is very engaged, very involved in so many great things, not just servicing our guests. We also do our orientation, called Brand Induction, where we learn all about the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The Seminole Tribe of Florida is the ownership group of Hard Rock. You come from a company like Marriott, which is so rich in culture, where you take care of the associates, they take care of the guests, and the guests keep coming back. That's the core philosophy. Hard Rock has four mottos that started from the inception of the company in 1971, and the Seminole Tribe continues to carry them through: • Love All, Serve All • All Is One • Save the Planet • Take Time to Be Kind In today's world, you couldn't come up with four better mottos that really speak to how we should treat each other and how we should take care of each other, no matter who you are. When you come into our hotels, casinos, cafés, and all of our brands, you feel it. You feel that warmth, that welcome, and the experience. We pride ourselves at our hotel in New York as an upper-upscale lifestyle hotel where we have so many luxurious touches. I'll give you an example. When you go into our guest rooms, all of our sheets and linens have little guitars stitched throughout every sheet, and you'll find that in all of our hotels. At our hotel, we take it even a step further. On the right side of the bed, you'll have four pillows. On the two front pillows, the one on the right side has a stitched guitar in the top-right corner of the pillowcase. When we know you're coming in, we put your initials on it. If you're celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, a graduation, or something momentous, we'll create that experience right from the minute you walk in. You'll have a guitar in the room. We also have the Alexa Echo Show in the rooms. You can say, "Hey Alexa, play my favorite music." That can already be playing when you're in the hotel. You can order towels and soon you'll be able to order room service to your room. There are so many cool technological features that are live in the room. Every room has a picture of sound waves behind the wall. The carpets leading to the guest rooms have sound waves in the design, so they reflect the music theme. Probably the most important experiential piece of our hotel, and all of our properties, is the memorabilia. We have memorabilia that reflects the five boroughs of New York City throughout our property. Wherever you see a plaque explaining why that piece is there, it tells the story behind it. It may talk about a concert, something from Madison Square Garden, where someone got married, their first date, the shoes they wore, or the shirt they wore. We're the largest collection. I think there are 90,000 authentic pieces, and when they're distributed among new hotels, they're all kept in what they call The Vault in Florida. It's a private space where no one else can see them. You can't even get to it. You've got to have a special invitation. But that's a little bit about. Steve Carran: Wow. I've actually stayed at the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa, and you're 100% right. There is a vibe as soon as you walk in, and it is one of the most fun hotels that I've stayed at, to be honest with you. So now we're gonna dive into industry thoughts and the thought leadership section of the podcast. You talk about leading from the front a lot. What does that look like, not only in practice, but how do leaders stay actively involved without undermining your team? David Salcfas: As an example, I'll use the open-door policy. For me, it's getting there early in the morning and making sure that I see the overnight team. Then I make my way through the hotel, and I'll go to one of the band members and say, "Hey, Steve, how you doing today?" He says, "Oh, I'm doing great. Had a great night. Things are going good." Then I'll go to John, and John will say, "Yeah, it was a great night. Everything was good." Then I make it to David, and David says, "Eh." He's kind of down. He's got a long face. I don't make it to the next person because I've got to stop there, and I've got to understand what happened. Then I've got to do some follow-up and say, "Have you spoken to your manager?" I get them involved. It goes both ways. The manager will be making their rounds throughout the hotel, and they may engage me in the process. Even before I get there, they'll send me a text or a note and say, "Hey, David, I need you to stop by." So it's an intertwining process of how we lead. We're all connected through communication as a management team. At this property, we have 355 employees. It's a mix of union and non-union, which makes no difference. We treat everybody the same. We have about 53 managers across food and beverage, operations, sales, security, engineering, and the other disciplines. We've all got to be singing from the same hymn book, with the same vision and the same values. We measure ourselves on three core items at the end of the day, called the balanced scorecard: • Employee engagement • Amplifying guest satisfaction • Ensuring financial stability in the building Each one is equally important. But I think the key to all of it is communication. If you can communicate properly and make sure people understand what you're up to, there's no wondering what's going on behind closed doors. There are always going to be private conversations that need to remain confidential. However, at the surface, there's a strategic plan and a tactical approach. How do we communicate that so everybody feels engaged and has a vested stake in the game? David Millili: Yeah. You touched on it, but let's dive a little deeper. How do you use empathy, along with open communication, to create a culture where employees feel heard while still maintaining accountability and high standards? David Salcfas: I would say you can be nice, and you can be kind. Being nice means you might look the other way because you don't want to bust their chops after they had a bad day. But you've got to be kind and honest enough to give them candid feedback. The empathy piece comes in because we've got to understand the dynamics. For example, say you're in the restaurant and it's super busy, and the server snaps at the cook. It's a hostile environment. There's a line of tickets that need to go out. They're three deep at the bar. It's a bit chaotic, and they want to get into it. The empathetic approach is, "Okay, I understand that you want to get into it. Now is not the time. We're gonna come back to it. I need you to bring it down about a thousand notches. Let's take care of our guests. Let's not get into it with each other. Then we'll come back to this, talk about it professionally, make sure we're candid, put all the cards on the table, and have the right people in the room." But it doesn't need to be a show. You've got to know when to diffuse it. I think that's the most important thing. That happens a lot in our industry. Steve Carran: Yeah, absolutely. Hotels bring a wide range of cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. How do you build trust and alignment across such a diverse workforce? David Salcfas: I think it's through action. Action, accountability, communication, and being clear with the expectations of what you want. But it's got to cascade throughout the operation. As a general manager, most hotels are very similar. They'll call it the guidance team, leadership, or department heads. We have an executive committee consisting of six other individuals who lead their areas. They're the subject matter experts, whether it's finance, revenue management, sales and marketing, facilities, or operations. You've got to make sure they're firing on all cylinders. They're then going to cascade that down to the department heads, who will hold people accountable. The worst thing that can happen is when I'm walking through the building and someone says, "Steve told me that you said this." Then it becomes my problem instead of a team decision. It might have been my decision for whatever reason, but it's a group decision. We've got to work together because otherwise you create sides. I think breaking down those barriers is important. A lot of what we do in our property, and what I've always done at every hotel I've worked at, whether it's a big-box property like the Marriott Marquis or Sheraton Boston, or a Courtyard, is create fun activities to bring people together. You've got to show that you're human. I post things on LinkedIn on occasion—whether it's an eating contest, diving into the crowd during a town hall meeting and crowd surfing while they're holding me up. If I can make the housekeepers laugh for 10 minutes because I showed that I'm human, and the rest of the leadership team can do the same thing, we've done what we need to do to build a culture that's positive, communicative, and where people want to be. Because there are choices. There are a lot of hotels you could work at. David Millili: That's great. As an ex-New York City GM, I love everything you're saying. So we're gonna keep digging. What does a sustainable organizational structure look like in a hotel, and how can leaders ensure it supports both long-term performance and the well-being of their teams? David Salcfas: I think what's got to happen is you've got to build that structure. Again, set clear expectations. You've got to document it, build a plan, and break it down with specific KPIs—key performance indicators—or goals, so that we're all aligned and getting rid of all the stuff that just doesn't matter. I try not to have a lot of meetings. When we're going to have a conversation, I want it to be productive. I want it to be a good use of your time. If it doesn't relate to you—for example, if I've got the facilities manager in there and I'm talking about revenue strategy on room rates—why is he there when he could be inspecting rooms or focused on something that really matters? You've got to be talking to the right audience. I think bringing it to life by setting dates is important. What gets written gets done. You've got to stick to it, and you've got to have a cadence of communication. Every day at nine o'clock, we get together with the management team and do a 10-minute Soundcheck meeting, as I referenced before. We also do that earlier with all of the hourly staff at different times throughout the day to communicate what's happening. On a quarterly basis, we hold a town hall meeting where we talk about those key performance indicators—where we are, how we're doing to date, and what the end goal is, whether it's guest satisfaction, financial performance, or something else. Then I take it a step further. Every Wednesday, I'll do what I call the Bandleader Soundcheck. At eight o'clock in the morning, I'll meet with the AM crew. At three o'clock in the afternoon, I'll meet with the PM crew. I'll share information, celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, and create a fun environment. But I always end the conversation by asking: "What do you need from me? Do you have everything you need to do your job? This is a safe place. You can tell me anything." A lot of times they look at you like a deer in headlights. They don't say anything. But it provokes the thought process. Afterward, I guarantee they'll come back individually and say, "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" You wait around 10 minutes, and you'll be amazed what they tell you. That's how you get the information. Then you can figure out what needs to be fixed in a hotel based on what they say and what they need. Because it's not what I want—it's what works. Steve Carran: Absolutely. So looking back at your personal and professional journey, what experiences do you think have had the greatest influence on your leadership style? And also, what advice would you give to folks who are looking to become a GM at a hotel? David Salcfas: I always go back to the foundation my dad gave me from a work ethic perspective. He taught me a lot. Then there was the general manager for me at the Brooklyn Marriott, a gentleman by the name of Sam Ibrahim. He was instrumental in my career. He gave me my first shot at an executive committee member position at the Brooklyn Marriott, and that's what shaped it. You're always going to build a relationship with somebody who's going to give you that opportunity because you can't know everything. They've got to see that you've got the core competencies and values, and that you're not afraid to learn and ask questions. What makes a great GM, in my perspective, is somebody who's not afraid to listen, take feedback, take ideas, bring them to life, and then not take credit for them, but instead share the success and make sure you're mentoring others so they can grow into that next level. I think having one-on-one conversations with people is important too, where you can understand what their aspirations are after they do this job. A big interview question I always ask somebody, particularly in a leadership role, is, "What's your one-year, three-year, and long-term plan?" When you're asking a 24-year-old manager what their plan is, they're looking at you like, "Listen, I'm just looking to have a good time." That's fine too, but tell me how you're going to approach things. I've had a few mentors. The general manager at the Marriott Marquis, Scott Meadow, was instrumental in teaching me how to maintain emotional composure and understand that not everything is a fire drill. There's a strategic approach to how you handle things. What really taught me the most about leading was when I was the director of operations during my first stint at the East Side Marriott, and then when I became general manager there. That's where I learned the most because of the union dynamics. If you can manage in a diverse union environment, you can manage anywhere in the world. I don't mean that as a negative. You've just got to understand that there's a reason why they do things, and it keeps you honest in everything that you do. As an example, there was this doorman at the East Side Marriott that I was trying to build a relationship with, and I just couldn't crack it. He had been there since the Holleran House. He'd been there for many years. We did a Bring Your Kid to Work Day at the hotel. At the time, I was director of operations, so I wasn't really in a role where my kids would work directly with me. I put one in housekeeping, one at the front desk, one in the kitchen, and one at the bell stand and front door with this union delegate. My oldest son, who was with him, was a diehard football fan, and so was Kenny. That changed my relationship through my family. Making a personal connection, whether it's with a leader above you or someone on your team, is critical. If you can build a relationship that's not just about the job—where people see that you're honest, true to your word, and you follow through on what you say you're going to do—you'll do just fine, and you're going to move ahead. For young leaders coming into today's world, they've got to take the time to listen to employees and build relationships with them. They will tell you what you're doing wrong and what you're doing right. It's not always what I say. It's what your people say. What do your people say when they come to you and say, "My son has a baseball game, and I can't work that shift"? Do you just say, "I'm sorry, that's the shift"? Or do you say, "Let me see what I can do"? When you take ownership of their situation and make it happen, that's what builds a great leader. Steve Carran: Well said. Well said. This has been great, David. Now we're going to enter the section of the podcast where we turn the tables and let you ask David and me a question. David Salcfas: Let me ask you this. Your podcast and what you're doing for the industry—what kind of impact do you think it's having on those who are out there? Obviously, it had an impact on me because I read through and listened to a few episodes, and that's why I reached out and said I'd love to be a part of it. Do you hear from people? Are they responding? Do you feel like it's working based on what you're doing? Steve Carran: One thing that I want to do with this podcast is have transparent conversations so the younger generation can understand what hospitality is all about. One of the core things David and I wanted to do when we started this was that we saw so many people posting on LinkedIn. Everybody was posting about their job, industry trends, or whatever was happening, but you didn't really know who they were as people. That's why we start off this podcast by getting to know you, because we want to understand who the people are working in hotels, technology companies, and the executives and leaders who are really shaping our industry. We've gotten great feedback. People seem to enjoy coming on. I don't know if they're just saying that to our face to be nice, but they seem to have a good time. I think that's the ultimate goal here—to have transparent conversations and really get to know the people behind shaping the industry. David Millili: Yeah, and I think I'll just echo that. I think what we've tried to do is make it about the guest, make it about you, make people learn who you are because we're one of many, but you're still extremely important to the industry. A lot of times, what we felt was, when we took a step back before we started this and looked, podcasts were either about just reading the news or diving into what your company is doing. Nobody was learning or making that emotional connection, which is hospitality. Who are you? How did you get to where you're at? I think when you go through our format, Steve said it well—our whole goal is to make sure people understand who these people are that we're talking to. I think that's what's been missing in our industry because there's been a lot of regurgitation of, "So what is XYZ brand up to?" or "Here's what XYZ news outlet said." That's where we're different in trying to make an impact. David Salcfas: Yeah, that's awesome. That's great. I think you gentlemen are doing a great job putting it out there so they know what's going on. I don't really have a whole lot of other questions for you. Let me ask you this. Would you consider doing any live shows? Have you done live shows where you're going out and really taking it to another level? Are there some boundaries there? Steve Carran: There are no boundaries, David. That has definitely been a topic of conversation. I'm gonna let you stay tuned for that one and see what happens in maybe a little less than a year. But yes, it's definitely something that we're looking to do. We want it to be like a rock show, pretty much. Hard Rock might be a good place for the first one. But great question. We work with Audacy Broadcasting, and we've got a great studio that's being created in that building, so you let me know. We'll let you know. Now we're gonna bring in the biggest rock star of the podcast, Jon Bumhoffer. He was actually in a band, toured all over America, and did the whole rock star thing. So we're gonna kick it over to him for one more question before we get you out of here. David Salcfas: Sounds good. Jon Bumhoffer: I want to answer your question too. We get a lot of great feedback from people who are coming into the industry and starting out. They say they find our podcast, and they learn a ton from people like you and the other people we have on the podcast. So we thank you for coming on, because we get a lot of feedback from people saying they've learned a lot and it has helped them understand the industry more. That's really cool. My question to you is, you have such a wide range of experience. You've worked at different properties, and now you're at the Hard Rock, which is really a themed property. Is there any difference between running a more standard hotel versus working at a really focused themed property? Are there any different mentalities you have to execute something like that? David Salcfas: I think from an employee perspective, it's the same, right? You've got to win in everything that you're doing. With our property, it's really, in my mind, a flagship location for the brand. It's the only owned and managed Hard Rock Hotel asset in North America that's non-casino. A lot of developers and potential lenders come in and want to experience what we have there. We have a vibe manager at all of our properties. I would challenge anybody to have a vibe manager who walks around the building and ensures that the lighting is perfect, the sound is right, and there's entertainment, whether it's DJs on our rooftop or activations in the terraces. I approach it as you've got to entertain. As much as I'm not an actor, I try to be genuine with everything I do, and I believe that I am. I do that as the ultimate optimist, and you've got to create that vibe in the building where there's always something new and exciting, whether it's a drink activation or training through Forbes. It's more critical in a property like this because it's such a high-profile property. It's no different from some of the properties where I worked with Marriott. Every property had its own unique approach. Ritz-Carlton Central Park was five-star, five-diamond. It was one of only four properties at the time back in 2012. Everything they did revolved around maintaining that five-star status. The Marriott Marquis was all about conventions and big group business. But Hard Rock is such a cool brand. We have player development, and we have the Unity loyalty program for gaming players as well as hotel guests. We're also partnering with Accor ALL to expand our name across a different portfolio of hotels and a different customer base. There's always something different that we're trying at our property, and that's what I love about it. If I'm ever going to be a GM in New York, this is the hotel I'll be GM of. At one point I was always looking for the next step, but if I'm going to be a general manager in New York City, this is where I'll be. David Millili: Well, that does it for another episode of The Modern Hotelier. This is where, David, you get to let people know how they can get in touch with you and find out more about Hard Rock. David Salcfas: Absolutely. I'm David Salcfas, and my email is david.salcfas@hrhnewyork.com. I'd love to hear from you. I'm on LinkedIn, and my profile is pretty active. I've got over 20,000 followers, and I'd love for you to follow me. I also want to say this to the young aspiring leaders out there: reach out to me. I will call you back. It's amazing how many people won't call you back, but I promise you, I will. It's been a pleasure, David, Jon, Steve. Rock on. Give me a rock sign. Steve Carran: Appreciate it. David Millili: All right. Thank you so much. That does it for another episode of The Modern Hotelier, the most engaged podcast in hospitality. Whether you're watching or listening, we appreciate you and hope to be with you again soon. Thank you for joining us, David. David Salcfas: My pleasure. Have a wonderful weekend. Steve Carran: Thank you, David.