Live from HITEC in San Antonio, the Steve Turk and Sarah Dandashy recap the inaugural Hospitality Creator Summit, created by Anna Blue and Anthony Melchiorri, which drew 200+ attendees for a full day of networking and creator-focused education. Sara shares first impressions of the high-energy event, meeting online peers in person, and the supportive, low-ego atmosphere.

A panel on “behind the brand deal” featured Margaritaville and My Place Hotels discussing how brands choose creators, partnership paths from in-kind to paid, and the challenge of tracking bookings driven by content, including working with small-audience creators for fit and aesthetic.

They note sessions on newsletters and podcasting milestones, HITEC’s creator booth with interview and green-screen setups, and floor trends like better booth experiences, fewer AI buzzwords but more specific integrations, data consolidation, and room automation savings, plus a push for brands to create personality-driven, value-first content.

A big shout out to our sponsor Lodgify! Starting June 17th to June 30th, use promo code THM60 for 60% off

00:00 Live From HITEC

00:21 Sponsor Shoutout - Lodgify

00:58 Creator Summit Recap

02:55 Brand Deals Panel

05:09 Creator Growth Tips

05:50 Meet Tyler Behind Scenes

06:37 Content Booth Setup

07:31 HITEC Floor Highlights

08:27 Tech Trends And AI

09:57 Venue Vibes San Antonio

10:16 Creators Take Over

10:57 Booth Snacks and Vibes

11:24 Why Brands Need Content

12:55 Make Value Not Ads

14:19 One Post Big Impact

16:05 HCS First Day Energy

17:54 After Party and Wrap

Host Steve Turk interviews Milan Mijatovic, founder of SILA Miami. Milan explains SILA as a social wellness club in Upper Buena Vista featuring longevity services (float tank, hyperbaric oxygen, lymphatic suit, red light therapy, bioscan/bodywork), outdoor classes (yoga, Pilates, functional strength, kettlebells), and contrast therapy (cold plunges and a 14-person sauna).

He recounts starting in hospitality as a dishwasher at Atlanta’s Dante’s Down the Hatch, moving to Chicago to become a bartender and competition mixologist, then relocating to Miami where he worked at the Versace Mansion reopening, Regent Cocktail Bar alongside Julio Cabrera, and as a cachaça brand ambassador.

After nightlife management at Rockwell and reflecting on industry excesses, a trucking-business detour, and a renewed focus on recovery and nature, he launched SILA without a formal business plan, emphasizing community support, systems, and a goal of a second location and future beach flagship.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:31 Sponsor Lodgify

01:34 Meet Milan

02:48 What Is Sila

04:13 Steve Joins Sila

05:17 First Hospitality Job

09:52 Chicago Hustle

12:13 Cocktail Roots

14:18 Mixology Rise

15:31 Miami Calling

17:31 Cuba Turning Point

20:58 Versace And Regent

22:32 Brand Ambassador Era

23:48 Nightlife Management

26:43 Surviving The Scene

28:59 Wellness Seeds

30:11 COVID Pivot to Trucking

31:34 Owning the Leap

33:17 Back to Nightlife Again

34:31 Wellness Aha Moment

35:35 Cold Plunge Origins

38:11 Third Shot at Business

40:25 CELA Vision and Nature

42:37 Finding the Perfect Space

46:08 Building Sila Community

50:08 Next 12 Months Vision

51:57 Trust the Journey

52:59 Closing and Sponsor

Host Steve Turk welcomes Larry Korman, co-CEO of Korman Communities and president of AKA Hotel Residences, to discuss his lifelong path in hospitality and residential real estate, from childhood work in the family business to leading a five-generation legacy. Korman explains how his father’s pie-shaped Philadelphia apartments sparked the furnished-apartment concept, later branded as Korman Suites, and how Larry and his brother built Korman Communities and evolved the model into luxury hotel residences under AKA, now spanning 16 properties over 22 years.

He shares formative training in England, insights from Japanese hospitality, and a leadership philosophy centered on earning respect by doing frontline work, supporting teams and staying on property. Korman details AKA’s partnership with Airbnb that helped shape Airbnb Luxe, a strategy of optimizing cash flow, and plans to repurpose iconic hotels, expand in Florida, and grow globally with a strong health and wellness focus.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:31 Sponsor Lodgify

01:34 Meet Larry Korman

02:03 Early Hospitality Roots

02:57 Five Generation Legacy

04:11 Birth of Furnished Stays

04:51 Branding Korman Suites

07:03 Design Passion Duke Days

08:17 Old School Training

09:28 Japan Hospitality Lessons

12:27 Earning Team Respect

15:21 COVID Leadership Onsite

16:29 Synergy And Marketing

20:31 Why Residences Win

23:14 Airbnb Luxe Partnership

27:07 Scaling AKA And Ave

30:03 Collaboration Culture

30:49 Leading Without Dashboards

31:28 On Site Hospitality

32:29 Home Away From Home

33:36 Brother Partnership Split

35:28 Growth Through Repurposing

38:34 Miami Florida Expansion

40:01 Global Wellness Vision

43:08 Hospitality Role Models

45:30 Keeping Teams Loyal

49:33 Advice To Younger Self

50:54 Wrap Up Sponsor Biscayne Coffee

Host Steve Turk revisits an archived Hospitality Mentor Podcast episode featuring award-winning chef and restaurateur David Burke, who shares his path from dishwasher at a Sheraton to culinary school, Europe, and major New York kitchens. Burke recounts being mentored by a country club chef named Jose, attending the CIA, traveling through Europe, and working in top French restaurants and pastry school despite language barriers. He describes returning to the U.S. to work with, Daniel Boulud, and Charlie Palmer, then becoming executive chef at The River Café, earning a three-star New York Times review with a notable photo and winning the 1988 Tokyo culinary Olympics. Burke discusses opening and expanding restaurants, learning business under Alan Stillman, fighting for signature dishes like his pork shank, navigating partnerships, mentoring teams, and advising young cooks to stay focused, learn constantly, document, embrace mistakes, and find balance.

Thank you to our sponsor Lodgify for this episode. Make sure to try Lodgify with our promo code THM60.

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

00:33 Sponsor Lodgify Platform

01:35 Chef David Burke Intro

02:19 First Kitchen Job

03:25 Jose Tough Lesson

06:34 Parents and Early Drive

10:14 Culinary School Path

11:21 CIA Mindset and Growth

12:57 Europe Opportunity

16:13 Chefs and Styles Abroad

18:59 Back to New York Rise

21:33 Leading River Cafe

24:48 Finding Personal Style

26:08 Critics and Pressure

27:37 Fearless Creativity Basics

28:23 NYT Three Star Breakthrough

29:21 Chocolate Butterfly Story

30:25 Park Avenue Cafe Deal

31:34 Miami Beach Opening Chaos

33:22 Pork Shank Menu Fight

35:13 First Restaurant Renegades

37:21 Expansion Partner Fallout

38:21 Choosing Business Partners

40:14 How Chef Culture Changed

43:52 Cookbooks Nightlife Pitfalls

45:56 Building Restaurants Today

47:08 Mentoring Creative Chefs

48:13 Advice To Young Dishwasher

50:45 Closing Thanks Sponsor

Host Steve Turk introduces an archived 2022 Hospitality Mentor Podcast episode featuring Raul Leal, then CEO of SH Hotels & Resorts (now CEO of Starwood). Leal recounts starting at Miami’s Everglades Hotel working with his Cuban-immigrant father, setting early goals to become a GM, and progressing through front desk and food-and-beverage roles, including managing a Sheraton with a major nightclub, before becoming a GM in La Jolla and later leading larger Sheraton properties in Denver, Chicago, Cleveland, and Miami. He describes launching and scaling Teton Hospitality and its boutique arm, Desires Hotels, driven by frustration with legacy-brand sameness and belief in internet-driven distribution. Leal shares how meeting Richard Branson led him to build Virgin Hotels from scratch, and why he later joined Starwood/SH Hotels to lead brands including 1 Hotels, Baccarat Hotels, and Treehouse, emphasizing sustainability, better back-of-house spaces, mentorship, clear goals, and kindness in leadership.

Try Lodgify with a 60 percent discount on all their yearly and bi-yearly plans with our code THM60 , and that's THM60

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:33 Sponsor Lodgify

01:38 Archive Episode Setup

02:10 First Hospitality Job

04:12 Choosing Hospitality Career

05:18 Learning Without College

05:55 Climbing Into Management

08:21 First GM Move West

09:27 Mentors And GM Life

10:24 Big Hotels Career Ladder

11:59 Entrepreneurial Leap

14:10 Building Boutique Portfolio

15:47 Travel Reality Check

17:40 Why Launch Desires

20:26 First Boutique Wins

21:43 Lifestyle Hotel Edge

23:00 Richard Branson Connection

23:43 Meeting Richard Branson

25:12 Consulting Turns Into Leadership

26:41 Inside Virgin Culture

28:45 Building Virgin Hotels From Scratch

31:00 Choosing The First Property

32:24 Chicago Launch And Expansion

34:20 Leaving Virgin For SH Hotels

36:16 SH Brands And Sustainability

40:31 Growth Plans And Openings

41:28 Reimagining Back Of House

44:04 Advice For Young Leaders

45:46 Closing And Sponsor Message

Host Steve Turk welcomes Elizabeth Mullins, President of Evermore Hospitality, who shares her start as a server at New Hampshire’s Lobster Shack and her first hotel role as a Ritz-Carlton Boston management trainee after earning hospitality and business degrees.

Mullins recounts being inspired by a childhood Ritz-Carlton visit, spending 28 years with Ritz-Carlton as it grew from six to 99 hotels, opening multiple properties across Asia, becoming a GM multiple times, and later an area vice president. Recruited to Disney, she led global hotel development, renovations, premium services, and worked through the pandemic including the NBA bubble.

She then helped open New York’s Fifth Avenue Hotel as COO/Managing Director, learning independent distribution and culture measurement, before joining Evermore after being approached for her luxury-and-scale expertise.

She describes Evermore’s “togetherness” concept, Conrad Orlando anchor, 300+ villas/homes around an 8-acre Crystal Lagoon, extensive amenities, and plans for growth, and closes with career advice on courage, speaking up, integrity, and hospitality as a lifestyle.

This episode was brought to you by Lodgify. Use code THM60.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:33 Sponsor Lodgify

01:38 Meet Elizabeth Mullins

02:00 First Hospitality Jobs

03:17 Ritz Spark at Five

05:44 Ritz Career Growth

09:28 Asia Expat Adventure

17:04 Service Lessons Abroad

18:54 Leaving for Disney

21:07 Disney Hotels Role

23:15 Frictionless Check In

26:14 Independent Hotel Leap

28:36 Independent Hotel Wins

29:17 No SOP Reality Check

30:06 Distribution Lessons

30:54 Agritourism Marketing Advice

32:34 Building Culture Systems

35:25 Evermore Recruitment Story

38:49 Togetherness Travel Concept

42:27 Evermore Scale and Amenities

44:53 Service Model Evolution

46:50 Growth Plans and Year Three

49:23 Advice to Younger Self

53:58 Wrap Up and Sponsor

Host Steve Turk interviews Jessica and Damien Zouaoui, founders of Oakwell Beer Spa in Denver, a social wellness concept combining a craft beer and wine self-pour taproom with four private spa suites featuring infrared saunas, rain showers, and hydrotherapy tubs infused with hops, malt, and herbs, plus optional zero-gravity robotic massage chairs and room-service refills.

They share their hospitality backgrounds, leaving corporate jobs in New York City, and traveling to 25 countries to find a scalable U.S. concept after discovering a beer spa in Poland in 2018.

They detail market research that led to Denver, funding challenges solved through Denver’s economic development loan program and a nonprofit SBA lender, difficulty securing a lease, and a DIY buildout using auctions during COVID. Oakwell opened February 26, 2021, emphasizing five-star yet non-stuffy service, adding non-alcoholic options, and aiming to franchise within a year.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:33 Sponsor Lodgify

01:38 Meet Oakwell Founders

02:10 Beer Spa Explained

02:36 Suites And Addons

04:22 First Hospitality Jobs

05:44 Quitting Corporate Life

07:20 World Trip For Ideas

10:18 Discovering Beer Spa

12:34 Why It Clicked

14:49 From Idea To Plan

17:09 Funding And Finding Space

20:29 Landing the Space

20:52 SBA Loan Reality

21:35 From Church to Spa

22:39 DIY Build and Auctions

25:18 Opening Day Playbook

26:58 Michelin Casual Service

29:35 Touchless Spa Model

33:09 Wellness and Moderation

36:15 Franchise Plans Ahead

37:28 Leap of Faith Advice

39:09 Wrap Up and Sponsor

Host Steve Turk welcomes Tim Major, CEO of Operto, to discuss how AI is reshaping hospitality through “agentic teammates” designed role by role to assist or replace specific hotel tasks.

Tim shares his path from early hospitality exposure as a Volkswagen tour guide in Vancouver/Whistler to building computers, creating award-nominated music-industry websites, founding a hospitality-focused development company that was acquired by RoomKey, and rising from VP roles to CEO.

He explains RoomKey’s early PMS integrations (including with Expedia), the industry’s fragmented tech landscape, and how RoomKey was acquired by Full Steam to consolidate and standardize PMS capabilities across North America. Tim describes using multiple LLMs across departments, AI-driven productivity and potential burnout, and why Operto focuses on outcomes—especially direct bookings, distribution, fraud detection in brand-search ads, and surfacing real-time operational insights—while avoiding AI that harms guest experience. He emphasizes hotels being discoverable in LLMs and advises professionals to start using AI tools now.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:33 Sponsor Lodgify

01:38 Meet Tim Major

02:26 Aperto AI Agents

03:57 First Hospitality Taste

05:34 Early Tech Roots

06:36 Music Websites Breakthrough

08:09 Founding in Hospitality Tech

09:48 RoomKey Career Rise

11:40 Mentors and Learning

13:42 Hard Lessons Contracts

14:58 Full Steam Consolidation

17:47 Joining Maestro AI Strategy

18:50 Building Aperto AI Native

21:26 AI Shift Reflections

22:33 Everyday AI Workflows

24:39 Adoption Gaps and Burnout

25:47 Hospitality AI Strategy

27:06 Distribution Monitoring Agents

27:53 Stopping Brand Ad Fraud

31:21 Back of House Automation

32:16 Unifying Hotel Data

35:56 Personalized Direct Booking

38:42 Wellness Itinerary Curation

40:16 Next 12 Months Focus

41:58 Career Advice and Wrap