From Blackpool to Istanbul, via Kenya, Australia, Hong Kong, Vegas, Budapest, Kuwait and Dresden — this episode of Hospitality Huddles is our full 2025 Wrapped.
Recorded in early December, Scot Turner and Bal Mahey reflect on a year of global travel, concept development, hotel openings, operational toolkits, market research and big learnings. It’s a relaxed, honest recap of where the year took us, what stood out, and why 2026 will be the year the hard work of 2025 really comes to life.

Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome & setting the scene01:10 – January: Blackpool market research02:48 – Kenya and Nairobi market insights03:40 – Toolkits, SOPs and early-year groundwork04:04 – Asia trip: Bali, Australia and Hong Kong04:18 – Windsor and the Castle Hotel concept04:41 – Vegas and Bar & Restaurant Expo06:27 – Spring concepts and Foxhills development07:58 – Budapest: To The Table08:50 – Noreen opening and summer momentum09:59 – Mayfair flagship hotel concept11:27 – Kuwait reconnaissance and toolkit deep-dive15:23 – Dresden market research and strategy15:56 – Kensington Hideaway opening prep16:18 – Istanbul Hilton opening17:39 – Reflections on 2025 and looking ahead
To learn more about our work at Auden Hospitality, visit our website www.audenhospitality.com

AI can transform hospitality, but not in the way most people think. It’s not about shortcuts or replacing humans — it’s about efficiency, validation, and support.
In this episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner and Bal Mahey share how they use ChatGPT and other AI tools to deliver projects faster and more accurately. From validating financial narratives to analysing competitor sets, they explain how AI can reduce workload while keeping human experience at the centre.
Expect insights on:
- Why AI should support, not replace, human expertise
- How transcripts and project files can build efficiency
- The role of AI in financial validation and tone of voice alignment
- Real-world case studies: competitor analysis, sales mix reviews, andfeasibility studies
- Why guest-facing language still requires human oversight

Chapters:
00:00 – Using ChatGPT for efficiency, not shortcuts
01:45 – Travel case study: testing ChatGPT in Bulgaria
04:41 – Building client transcripts into project workflows
05:40 – Efficiency vs. validation: why speed matters
08:25 – Human vs AI: the back-and-forth process
10:44 – Teaching AI brand tone of voice
13:00 – Market study for a London five-star hotel
15:02 – Using sentiment search and AI to validate data
17:21 – Cutting 2–3 days’ work down to 3 hours
20:44 – Risks of AI “ghosting” and false assumptions
22:30 – The restaurant analogy: AI as the AGM, humans as the GM
22:52 – Closing reflections: AI as support, not replacement

Hotels have a common problem, food & beverage profitability.

So if we could give you a solution that provides you with market intelligence, people-less automation and takes care of the operation, it would sound too good to be true.

Wrong, you just haven't heard about Wundermart. In this week's episode of Hospitality Huddles, Scot Turner sits with Wundermart Co-Founder, Laurens de Kleine to chat about hotel F&B and also the future of breakfast dissecting work Auden Hospitality and Wundermart have carried out together on a forward-thinking breakfast solution.

This is a truly great episode if you are wanting to think differently about what hotel F&B looks like.

To learn more about Wundermart - visit their website https://wundermart.com/

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:57 What are you seeing in Hotels

05:08 Why hotels keep looking back

08:08 How data helps make a difference

10:35 How AI can optimise performance

14:22 How Wundermart helps hoteliers

15:30 Why it works for Guests and Hoteliers

20:00 Why convenience trumps price

25:00 Frictionless Breakfast

33:40 40% Opportunity

37:20 Quality over Quantity

43:00 People are Predictable