The PMS has been at the heart of every hotel for decades. Has it changed at all? What does the next generation PMS look like? Some of hospitality’s most well-known voices, Ira Vouk and Simone Puorto, join Matt to trace the full arc of hotel tech: why big brands are stuck on legacy systems, why hoteliers keep picking the wrong PMS and what every hotelier should ask before signing their next contract. 

Ira Vouk is a hospitality tech advisor, speaker, and author of Hospitality 2.0. She’s led product strategy for PMS and revenue platforms with a focus on automation, pricing, and profitability.


Simone Puorto is a consultant, author, and Head of Emerging Trends and Strategic Innovation at HospitalityNet. He advises global tech companies and runs ventures like Travel Singularity and Elegia.


Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0


#hoteltech #hospitalitypodcast #mews #hotelmanagementsystem #pms #hotelrevenue



Matt Talks Hospitality is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Matt arrived at an 800-room Marriott and ended up in a line that went out the door. In this episode, he breaks down what he'd do differently if he were running that front desk today. You’ll hear about the best housekeeping practices, early check-in charges, kiosks, online check-in and how all of it works together to shrink lines and drive revenue at the same time.

After years in the trenches of hospitality, Matt joined the Mews journey during its early days in 2013. Since then, he’s been the company’s CEO, leading Mews and the industry forward.


 Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0


#hoteltech #hospitalitypodcast #mews #hotelmanagementsystem #pms #hotelrevenue

Matt Talks Hospitality is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

When Gorjan Lazarov became the CEO of OREA Hotels & Resorts in 2016, direct bookings were at zero and guests chose the brand mainly for its locations. Ten years and 20 hotels later, guest ratings are through the roof and 60% of revenue comes in through OREA’s own platform. Gorjan shares how the group rebuilt its culture, utilized innovative tech and turned OREA into one of the Czech Republic’s most beloved hotel brands.

Gorjan is the CEO of OREA Hotels & Resorts, a Czech hotel group he’s been leading since 2016 after starting his career in hotel operations. During that time, OREA has grown its portfolio and introduced new technologies to support that growth, from robot concierges and contactless check-in to real-time pricing.


 Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0


#hoteltech #hospitalitypodcast #mews #hotelmanagementsystem #pms #hotelrevenue


Matt Talks Hospitality is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Hotels have always been in the business of trust: guests hand over their passports, their credit cards, their personal information and expect it to be safe. But this industry is a prime target for cybercrime. What are some of the most common threats to data security in hospitality and how can hoteliers protect against them? Matt talks to CISO/Security expert Fleur van Leusden and Terry Brown, Senior Director of Engineering at Mews.

Fleur van Leusden works as a CISO in the public sector, with a background that includes one of the earliest internet investigation roles at the Dutch National Police. She also hosts her own podcast, CISO Praat, where she shares her industry expertise.

Terry Brown brings decades of experience as a developer and engineer. Currently, he is a Senior Director of Engineering at Mews, where he builds and maintains the systems thousands of hotels rely on daily and sees the threat landscape from the inside. 

Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0

#hoteltech #hospitalitypodcast #mews #hotelmanagementsystem #pms #hotelrevenue


Matt Talks Hospitality is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

The best guest experiences don’t come from SOPs. Hotels invest in training programs, but the moments guests talk about long after checkout are rarely the ones anyone planned for. Miru Schuurman, Guest Performance & Product Quality Manager at Amrâth Hotels, shares how too much structure can create staff that sticks to scripts instead of reading rooms, and what that can cost you on OTA ratings.


Miru Schuurman is a Guest Performance & Product Quality Manager at Amrâth Hotels, a collection of hotels spread out across the Netherlands. Miru has spent her career deep in hotel operations, including more than a decade with NH Hotel Group, before moving into a role focused on guest experience, quality and training.


Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0


#hoteltech #hospitalitypodcast #mews #hotelmanagementsystem #pms #hotelrevenue



Matt Talks Hospitality is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Is it time we thought about the PMS as profit, not property management? Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) represents nearly 20,000 hotel owners who operate 60% of all hotels in the US. Mews has recently become AAHOA’s official PMS. The association’s Chairman, Kamalesh (KP) Patel, joins Matt to talk about the partnership’s impact, along with why technology is now a profit decision, especially if you’re an independent hotelier.
Meet KP and Mews at AAHOACON
Kamalesh (KP) Patel is the 35th Chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the largest hotel owners association in the world, representing nearly 20,000 members who collectively own over 60% of hotels across the United States. A second-generation hotelier, KP grew up in the business and today owns and operates hotels with his family in California. Alongside running properties, he has spent years working inside AAHOA, serving as ambassador, regional director and secretary before becoming its chairman.

Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0


#hoteltech #hospitalitypodcast #mews #hotelmanagementsystem #pms #hotelrevenue
 

0:00 - AAHOA’s origin story
5:35 - Why Mews became AAHOA's official PMS
9:01 - Why PMS is now a profit management system
14:45 - On hotel franchise fees
19:40 - Building a tech ecosystem for independent hoteliers
23:28 - Why hoteliers still fear cloud


Matt Talks Hospitality is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

What makes your guests return? And why do some stays become stories people keep telling instead of just rating? Guido Lips has the answers to this. He is the Co-founder and Head of Guest Experience and Culture at The July, a group of unique aparthotels that blend hotel service with the feeling of living in a neighborhood. Guido joins Matt to talk aparthotels, mindful check-ins and what it takes to make guests feel like they belong.


Guido Lips is the Co-founder and Head of Guest Experience and Culture at The July. He works with properties in London and Amsterdam, focusing on how spaces are run day-to-day and how guests and staff interact.


Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0


#hoteltech #hospitalitypodcast #mews #hotelmanagementsystem #pms #hotelrevenue 


0:00 - What guests really want today

2:36 - Aparthotels, long stays and pricing

7:25 - Building The July brand

9:08 - Culture always comes first

16:05 - Personality vs skills in hiring

20:57 - The mindful check-in

28:20 - What's next for The July


Matt Talks Hospitality is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

This hotel doesn’t have a lobby, but it also doesn’t need one. Scattered around Amsterdam's canals, 28 abandoned bridge keeper houses have been transformed into SWEETS hotel, a collection of standalone suites. Suzanne Oxenaar, SWEETS' Curator and Artistic Director, shares how the hotel came to life and how technology helps manage rooms when they’re spread across the entire city.


Suzanne Oxenaar is a Curator and Artistic Director at SWEETS and a co-founder behind several concept hotels in Amsterdam, including Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy, LLove Hotel in Tokyo and Hotel The Exchange.

Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0

#hoteltech #hospitalitypodcast #mews #hotelmanagementsystem #pms #hotelrevenue 

0:00 – An unconventional hotelier 

2:46 – The 1-to-5-star hotel concept 

4:25 – Turning bridge houses into hotel rooms 

9:39 – Running a hotel across the entire city 

14:19 – When guests can’t find the hotel

19:03 – Hospitality and homelessness  


Matt Talks Hospitality is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

De L’Europe Amsterdam recently became the first hotel in the Netherlands to earn a record three MICHELIN Keys. Open since 1896, De L’Europe Amsterdam carries a long history. What makes it stand out? And what comes with running the landmark everyone measures themselves against? De L’Europe’s Managing Director Robert-Jan Woltering talks heritage, luxury and the kind of hospitality that keeps a hotel at the top.

Robert-Jan has over 30 years of hospitality experience and has led hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa across several major luxury brands before returning to Amsterdam to take on De L’Europe.


Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0

#hoteltech #hospitalitypodcast #mews #hotelmanagementsystem #pms #hotelrevenue 

0:00 - What earned D L’Europe 3 MICHELIN Keys 

3:26 - Leading a landmark hotel 

7:24 - Great service starts with “why” 

10:36 - Dutch directness and hospitality 

12:45 - The golden future of hotels 

19:56 - Small gestures that win guests for life


 Matt Talks Hospitality is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

How do you grow from one hotel into a group and don’t become a rigid chain? Inge Decuypere, Owner of C-Hotels, breaks down the operational choices and technology decisions that enabled their growth from a single property to a multi-hotel group along the Belgian coast. Inge also shares how walking away from a global franchise meant gaining control over their own operations, without sacrificing the occupancy they'd built.


Inge Decuypere is the Owner of C-Hotels, a Belgian hotel group, which she has scaled significantly over the past decade. With expertise in hospitality operations, revenue management, and technology integration, Inge has successfully navigated the transition from independent properties to a distinctive multi-hotel brand while maintaining quality and culture at every location.


Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0

#hoteltech #hospitalitypodcast #mews #hotelmanagementsystem #pms #hotelrevenue

0:00 - Introducing C-Hotels

2:58 - Growing from one hotel to a group

6:10 - Taking a bet on Mews early on

9:30 - Walking away from a global brand

13:08 - Why a Revenue Management System is a must

17:00 - Scaling without losing soul


 Matt Talks Hospitality is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Vicky Irwin has spent over six years shaping how Mews looks, sounds and feels as the company's Creative Director. In light of Mews launching a new identity, she joins Matt to talk about branding in hospitality. What is a brand when you strip away the logo? What makes hotels feel disconnected from their own identity? And when does a rebrand become necessary? Listen in.

 
Vicky Irwin is the Creative Director at Mews and has spent over six years shaping how the brand looks, sounds and feels. Prior to this, she studied at the University of the Arts London and has worked across several creative agencies.


Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0

#hoteltech #hospitalitypodcast #mews #hotelmanagementsystem #pms #hotelrevenue

0:00 – What makes a brand?
4:17 – Brand stagnation and copycats
6:22 – What’s behind Mews branding
8:35 – Standing out at industry events
13:33 – Why designing by committee fails
26:01 – Hotel branding with a small budget
29:41 – Branding pitfalls and rebranding


Matt Talks Hospitality is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so