Shows / Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality
Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality
Welcome to Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality, a Skift Podcast, where we unlock the secrets behind the world's most successful hotel and hospitality brands. Hosted by industry expert Katie Cline, each episode features exclusive interviews with top executives, seasoned leaders, and trailblazing innovators in the hospitality world. Together, they reveal the strategies that drive guest loyalty, enhance customer experiences, and set their brands apart in a competitive market. Whether you’re a…
Episodes
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe End of Luxury Hotels as We Know Them? A Hotel COO Explains What's Next.
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with André Boersma, Chief Operating Officer of Paradero Hotels, whose three-decade career includes…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityYou Can’t Market Your Way Out of a Bad Experience
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with David Goldstein, President and CEO of Travel Alberta. With more than 30 years of leadership…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityCEO of Club Med North America: “The ’No’ Does Not Exist”
What does it take to transform a 75-year-old hospitality brand without losing the very thing that made it iconic in the first place? On this episode of Suite…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityShe Started as the Receptionist. Now She’s the CEO.
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Angela Val, President and CEO of Visit Philadelphia, to talk about her remarkable journey…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityLeela Palaces’ CEO on the Overlooked Detail That Can Make (or Break) a Hotel Stay
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Anuraag Bhatnagar, CEO of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, and explores his hospitality…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHe Spent 20 Years in the Army. Now He Runs One of the World’s Largest Hotel Companies
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Larry Cuculic, president and CEO of BWH Hotels, the global hospitality company behind brands…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityKAYAK’s New CEO on What No One Tells You About the Top Job
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Peer Bueller, the new CEO of Kayak, about succeeding co-founder Steve Hafner and defining…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThese Founders Have a Formula for Hospitality Design That Drives ROI
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Bri West and Jordan McDonough, co-founders of Somerled, a hospitality design firm that…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThis Travel Tech Founder Says We’re Entering an Era of “Unlimited” Travel Demand
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Tim Hentschel, co-founder and co-CEO of HotelPlanner, one of the world’s leading travel…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHe’s Planned More than 30,000 Trips: Here’s What Travelers Get Wrong
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Jonathan Alder, founder of Jonathan’s Travels, a luxury travel expert who has visited 100…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityWhy This Founder Believes Every Hotel Should Think Like a Media Company
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Brandon Berkson, founder of Hotels Above Par, a boutique publication reaching more than half…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe Man Behind Hospitality’s Top Events on the Biggest Threat to AI
As artificial intelligence gets better at answering questions, analyzing data and automating work, the things it can’t replicate—bringing people together…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe CEO of a 100-Year-Old Hotel on What You Should Never Preserve
How do you keep a 100-year-old hotel relevant in a world that's constantly changing? On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Tom…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHow Two Founders Made Impossible Reservations Possible
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Mena Barakat and Sarah Goldring, co-founders of ResX, a New York-based reservation exchange…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityInside One of the World's Most Remote Luxury Hotels
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Kurt Berman, General Manager of Eleven Deplar Farm, a 13-room ultra-luxury adventure lodge on…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe Truth About the World Cup Hotel Boom
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with one of the industry's most trusted data experts, Jan Freitag, National Director of…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe Hospitality Secrets That Built America's #1 B&B
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Marco DiDomizio, hospitality strategist, real estate broker, consultant, and coach at…
Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality140 Years. Four Generations. Inside One of America’s Last Great Family Resorts.
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Bob Beach, fourth-generation steward of Basin Harbor, one of America’s last great…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityCEO of Fairmont & Raffles: Luxury Isn't What You Think It Is
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Omer Acar, CEO of Raffles and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Throughout his remarkable career…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityInside the Data-Driven Strategy Powering One of the World’s Fastest-Growing Luxury Destinations
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, to explore the data-driven…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityInside NYU IHIF 2026: What CEOs, Investors & Industry Leaders See Next
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline takes listeners inside the 2026 NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum (NYU IHIF), one of the most…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe Billion-Dollar Business Hidden Inside a Jimmy Buffett Song
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews John Cohlan, CEO and Co-Founder of Margaritaville, to explore how a single Jimmy Buffett song…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHow This Entrepreneur Turned Hospitality Into a $90 Million Fitness Empire
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with entrepreneur and boutique fitness executive Adam Shane for a conversation about hospitality…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe Cold DM That Sparked a Real Estate Movement
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Grace Gudenkauf and Amelia McGee, co-founders of WIIRE (Women Invest in Real Estate), the…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHow This Founder’s Cancer Diagnosis Sparked One of the World’s Most Unique Wellness Retreats
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Marina Efraimoglou, the founder of Euphoria Retreat, to uncover the deeply personal story…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHow to Buy a Hotel (Without Being Rich)
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Davonne Reaves—hotel owner, asset manager, and founder of The Vonne Group—to break down how…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHow This Owner Bought a Property with No Money Down and Turned it into a Top 50 Hotel
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Jim Nagle, owner and managing partner of the Drake Oak Brook, an Autograph Collection Hotel…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityFrom Laguna Beach to Luxury Hotels: The Reality TV Star Who Built a Serious Career in Hospitality
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Dieter Schmitz, an original cast member of Laguna Beach who has since built a distinguished…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHow Viral Content Built a $120M Private Aviation Brand
What does it really take to break into one of the most exclusive industries in the world? On this episode of Suite Success, Katie sits down with Kolin Jones…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityAfter Selling Match.com, She Built Again—and Then Took It to Shark Tank
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline is joined by Fran Maier—entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of Match.com. After helping build one of the…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityIs Good Design No Longer Enough? What Actually Makes Guests Come Back
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline is joined by architect and hospitality design expert David Shove-Brown, co-founder of the award-winning firm…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThis CEO on The Branding Mistake Almost Every Destination Makes
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Gary Sherwin, President and CEO of Visit Newport Beach, to unpack the strategy behind building a…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityShe Turned a 300-Year-Old Italian Estate Into a Luxury Destination
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Carlotta Carabba Tettamanti, owner of Tenuta di Murlo, an 18,000-acre Umbrian estate in Italy…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHotelier Barry Collymore on The Caribbean’s Untapped Advantage
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline speaks with Barry Collymore, a prominent Barbadian-born hotelier, developer, and tourism leader based in…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe #1 Secret Only the World’s Best Concierges Know
What does it really take to deliver true five-star service? On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Sarah Dandashy, world-class…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe “Rookie Advantage” that Changed this CMO’s Career Trajectory
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Nicole Robinson, Chief Marketing Officer of andBeyond, the luxury adventure company operating in…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe Google Doc That Turned Into a Global Hospitality Movement
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with journalist-turned-founder Samantha Shankman to explore how an eight-year obsession with farm…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityTwo Best Friends Bought a Motel — Then Netflix Called
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline is joined by Netflix stars and owners of The June Motel, April Brown and Sarah Sklash. April and Sarah are…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityBuild in Public: The Marketing Move Most Hospitality Brands Avoid
In this episode of Suite Success, Katie Cline sits down with Steph Weber, founder and CEO of The Weber Co. and co-owner of Cabins on the Cumberland — a…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityBe Interested, Not Interesting: An Emmy-Winning Journalist’s Golden Rule
On this episode of Suite Success, Katie Cline sits down with Peter Greenberg—Emmy Award–winning journalist, CBS News travel editor, and one of the most trusted…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityNew from Skift: Executive Conversations Shaping the Travel Industry
We’re sharing a preview of a new podcast from Skift called Skift Take Sessions. Skift Take Sessions is a weekly, journalist-led podcast built from the most…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityGensler’s 2026 Design Forecast: The 4 Shifts That Will Redefine Hotels
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Lori Mukoyama, Principal and Global Hospitality Leader at Gensler, to get a first look at…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThis CEO Says Travel’s Next Big Shift Isn’t AI — It’s Demographics
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Rafat Ali, CEO and Founder of Skift, to unpack the forces quietly reshaping travel right now, and…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe Top AI Trends that Will Shape Hospitality in 2026
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes back Chris Sanderson, co-founder of The Future Laboratory, to discuss the transformative role of AI…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityTen New Year's Resolutions, Inspired by the World’s Top Hospitality Leaders
Rather than approaching the new year with generic goal-setting, this episode revisits the conversations that defined Suite Success in 2025. The moments that…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHospitality’s Leading Voices on 2025’s Biggest Trends and Bold Predictions for 2026
On this special holiday episode of Suite Success, Katie Cline hosts a roundtable discussion with some of the leading voices in the hospitality industry…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityWhy This Founder Built Hotels for People Who’d Rather Be Outside
What if the best hotels weren’t designed to keep you inside—but to get you out into the world? On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThis Founder Bet On AI 11 Years Ago – Now The Industry Is Catching Up
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Richie Khandelwal, Co-Founder of PriceLabs, the dynamic pricing and revenue management platform…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe Co-Founder of Stacy’s Pita Chips on Selling to Pepsi & Building a Jungle Hotel
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Mark Andrus, the co-founder of Stacy’s Pita Chips, whose career path is one of the most unexpected…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe Power of Silence: Practical Tips for Rest and Reflection
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Dr. Brittany Conners, founder and CEO of Optimistic Theory, who has pioneered in-home silent…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityPassport to Success: The International Childhood that Shaped a Global Hospitality Leader
What happens when someone grows up across multiple countries, works nearly every job inside a hotel, and then spends 30 years rising through one of the world’s…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityCan a Brand Still Be “Boutique” After a Buyout? IHG VP on Why Scaling isn’t Bad
What really happens when an independent brand gets acquired by a global hotel company—and can it stay “boutique” after the buyout? On this episode of Suite…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityFinding Your Unfair Advantage: How Two Architects Turned a Desert Relic into an Award-Winning Hotel
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline speaks with Diana Ossa and Josh Dobken, two professional architects turned passionate hoteliers. When they…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityShe Bought a House in Labor—Now it’s a Top 1% Airbnb Featured in Arch Digest
When most people go into the delivery room, they’re focused on diapers and nap schedules. But Haley Brosa was buying a house. What started as an idea to…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHow Culture, Fashion, and Hospitality Collided to Redefine a Sports Brand, with the NY Liberty’s Chief Brand Officer
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Shana Stephenson, Chief Brand Officer of the New York Liberty, to explore how culture…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe Hospitality Blueprint: Meet the Designer Behind Some of the World’s Most Iconic Hotels
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline welcomes Julie Frank, Vice President of Design at Aspen Hospitality Group. Originally from South Africa…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityOne Year of Suite Success: Your Most Loved Conversations and What They Taught Us
On this special one year anniversary episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline reflects on the podcast's journey over the past year. Tune in for heartfelt…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHow This CEO Turned Mentorship Into a Superpower at a 100+ Year Old Company
On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline sits down with Agnelo Fernandes, CEO of Cote Hospitality, to explore how he harnessed the power of…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityHow Living in 7 Countries Made This CEO a Master of Transferable Skills
On this episode of Suite Success, Katie Cline sits down with Phil McAveety, CEO of Iberostar Hotels and Resorts, together in New York City at Skift Global…
Suite Success: Masters of HospitalityThe Design Secrets That Built a Business (and a Marriage)
On this episode of Suite Success, Katie Cline chats with Bella and Levi Linchenko, the powerhouse couple who co-founded co-founders of Let's Go Design Co. As…