The Modern Hotelier #187: We're Halfway Through 2025: Looking Back & Looking Forward
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David Millili: Welcome to a special edition of The Modern Hotelier Hospitality's Most Engaged podcast. I'm David Millili
Jon Bumhoffer: I'm Steve Carran.
Jon Bumhoffer: And I'm Jon Bumhoffer. 
David Millili: Today we are gonna do a looking back and looking forward midway point of 2025.
Steve Carran: So I'm gonna kick it off here guys. What was something so far this year, whether it was a moment or maybe a podcast interview that we did, that was one of your favorites? 
David Millili: Well, for me, I don't have a specific, but I think what was just great this year, even just recently, we were here in Chicago, with the Staypineapple Group just the laughter and kind of the fun that not only we have, I think as a group, but that our, guests have and the people that we're interviewing or whether we're in person or at a trade show. So for me, I'll say it's been the laughter. 
Jon Bumhoffer: Yeah. For me, laughter's great. I thought, our hotel experience tour of the Lafayette was a highlight for me. I think just seeing a property of that uniqueness was something that was really cool. I'd never seen anything like it. And not only was it just unique, it was like very well done. The staff was great. The food and beverage outlets were awesome. So that was just a highlight for me overall. 
Steve Carran: Yeah, I'm with you. I'm hotel experiences. I'm just gonna go all of them. just 'cause it's so awesome to see how properties are different, what makes these properties unique, and also the teams that work at these properties, how they're different, but still showing amazing hospitality to us. 
Jon Bumhoffer: So we've attended a number of trade shows and events this year. What stood out most at those events? For you, Steve? 
Steve Carran: Yeah, so I think they've all been great. We've gone to quite a few by Tech ILC, high Tech, um, direct Booking Summit. One of the highlights for me, I thought by was really exciting. That was my first time attending. Um, and I'm a huge Top Gun fan and there was a Tom Cruise impersonator there, which made an awesome event for me and it was a blast.
David Millili: David, what about you? Yeah, I think for me it, you know, the, the, we've talked about it in the past, but the kind of the COVID. Hangover is a hundred percent over, so nobody e everybody's back. All these shows are very well attended. I think we've been to one event this year where we're like, oh, this event, there's not a lot of people here. There's not a lot going on. There's not a lot of after parties or things of that nature. So for me, I feel it's just we're back. 
Steve Carran: Yeah. 
Jon Bumhoffer: That's it. And I think what stood out for me the most was just the fact that all these events are great, but they're also different. You got high tech, which is massive, huge event.
There's a lot going on, a lot to see. You've got things that like BI that are very small, very intimate, but are very focused. And then, you know, we're at ILC here and this is a very focused, fun, um, unique event too. And I think they all have their place and there's something for everyone. So I think that's kind of what I took away with, took away from these events is like there's something for everyone in the industry to, to, to go, to, go to. And, um, there's value there for everybody. 
David Millili: So what were a behind the scenes or what was a behind the scenes moment for you that stood out? 
Jon Bumhoffer: There's a lot of behind the scenes because I'm mostly behind the scenes. That's your lane. So I think doing the hotel experiences. I can't recall like one moment, but just all of the moving pieces that go into it, working with people behind the scenes and, and like, to your point, the laughter of just like, kind of between the takes when you're, when you're kind of figuring things out and you're getting to interact with the people at hotels, um, and really getting to know 'em on a personal level outside of like the on-camera stuff.
I think that's the cool stuff for me. So, Steve, did you have anything in I kind of, you know kinda copped out there and didn't give a specific. Do you have anything? It's a broad answer. Do you have anything? Do you have anything more specific? 
Steve Carran: So I think with the hotel experience episodes, we've done the food and beverage portion has been my favorite. It's just been awesome. Like at ti um, chef fed us more than we could handle and people were looking at us like, who are these guys? A chef is bringing out food and multiple, multiple portions of everything, tower 23, amazing seafood Stay pineapple. Which is coming out that was incredible against, just kept bringing out food.
And it's always great to see the behind the scenes and see how things are made and you know, also get to know the chefs on a personal level. I think they all have really interesting backgrounds. 
David Millili: What about you, David? So for me, sorry Jon, you weren't there, but Indianapolis was a lot of work in high tech this year for us, and a group of us got stuck at the airport bar hoping that we could get out of Indianapolis and we posted the picture of who was there and somebody commented and misspelled, the word team and Steve was laughing so hard that I think everybody in the bar bar thought that maybe a wild animal got let loose or something. So for me that was one of those moments where you're exhausted, you just wanna get home and you're like, but thank God I'm sitting here with some great people just, you know, having a drink and I'll weather it out. But that, that was it for me. 
Steve Carran: Absolutely. So has there been a guest that's really surprised you guys, that we've had on this year? David, what about you? 
David Millili: So, Chef from Quixote was my guy because I think as we go through and we interview a lot of these people, it's all just about hospitality.
And sometimes we get into people's lives and we don't, I mean, he's talking about his grandmother and his father dying and selling rice pudding to, to pay bills. And just like you said, the way he took care of us the night before, it's kind of tough not to love the guys. So it was just, that was my, that was my favorite. I would just say moment with a guest. Yeah. 
Jon Bumhoffer: For me, the guess that most surprised me or the episode was probably Ben Webster Hotel Marcel, just because I didn't really know what to expect it. That was the, um, zero emission or, you know, carbon free episode. And I learned a lot on that one. Yeah, I was like, a lot of things I didn't even know about and, um, it was just a kind of an eye-opener and or something that I think is gonna be trending forward. And to see somebody, to see a hotel do it on such a high level was really cool, and I learned a lot from that episode. 
Steve Carran: What do you have, Steve? So I think one of my favorites was Colin Hughes. So far from Virgin Voyages, our first cruise guest, the cruise industry is doing very, very well. And you know, I don't know a ton about the cruise industry, so it was kind of fun to get a different perspective of, you know, that industry, how it's so similar to hotels, but you know, it's got a lot of differences as well. So that one was a fun time for me. 
Jon Bumhoffer: Yeah, as producers, you know, hosts of this podcast in Modern Hotelier, what is one thing you've learned this year? That's made the show better you think? 
Steve Carran: I think I've realized as we've kind of expanded, we're not just a podcast. We've always launched, we also launched a media company as well.
The organization that goes into it makes everything better. The more organized you are, the better production. Whether that's the podcast or the hotel experiences, episodes just makes everything just flow better. So that's one thing I'm always working to be better on is. Being more organized. What about you, David?
David Millili: Yeah, I mean, that's it. Organization. I mean, we haven't killed each other and we've been in some pretty, uh, you know, we did one day in San Diego where we were at three different properties doing three different kind of shoots in essence. And, um, and I think, like Steve said, just the organization and just the, this consistent trying to get better and produce high quality.
Jon Bumhoffer: For me, it's the whole hospitality mindset of leaning into the human element always makes the content better. Like if we, if we just focus on the people in front of us and their stories, I think that's just gonna deliver a better podcast, a better result, more value for the audience. And I think that's something I want to continue to do is just like, focus on like, being organized helps us to focus on the people 'cause we got that stuff taken care of. 
David Millili: Yeah. Alright guys, so now we're gonna look ahead. We're gonna see what we think about what's up and coming. So what are you guys most excited about for the second half, whether it be hotel experience, interviews, events, Jon second half?
Jon Bumhoffer: We've got a couple of trips coming up, but maybe I know Steve, you might say this one. So, the hotel Polaris in Denver or in Colorado Springs, that one, just looking at the pictures of the property. Everything there, I'm really excited about going there. I haven't been to Colorado in a, you know, a couple years. I'm excited to get back out there for that. 
Steve Carran: Yeah, I'm kind of kind of go on the same boat, the hotel experience episodes, they're just so fun to film.
We're all in person. It's great to see you guys, you know? Yeah. Aside from behind a screen. So excited to have a home game in Colorado, but excited to go to Miami. We've been talking about Miami for quite a bit and you know, we recently talked about going to the great cheese state of Wisconsin, so if we can make it up there, you know, your boy's gonna be right at home. What about you, David? 
David Millili: I'm probably most excited about what I don't know because we don't know, you know, we didn't know, you know, sometimes we find out 60 days out that we either like we just kinda invited to go to event or we, you know, something pops up and we get contacted and they wanna do something on property, do an experience.
And so for me, I'm kind of most excited about what I don't know is coming up. 
Steve Carran: I love that. I love that. So guys, I'm gonna ask you, if you could have one person on the podcast, who would it be? David, what do you think? 
David Millili: This is not true. I'm gonna give a run, but shit. So if you don't know, go to CHIT on Instagram. But anyway, I would like to have, now I'll get serious. I would actually like to have, um, Jeff Laurie, who's the owners of the owner of the Eagles, obviously I'm a eagle sandwich. You know that 'cause of two reasons, because I think it's amazing this idea of owning. A sports franchise, uh, and how long he's owned it.
And him coming from entertainment and film mm-hmm. Is where he originated. And also, uh, he has a autistic brother. They've raised millions of dollars for autism. So I kind of like this, not only 'cause I have an autism connection, but it's my team. But I would, I would love to just sit down with the guy and just kind of listen to about how he feels about like his team. So that's it. Yeah. 
Jon Bumhoffer: For me, it's interesting in hospitality there, there'd be a few people, but I think he's all over the place these days and people know who he is. Rick Rubin would be somebody because his, like, as a producer, he has no technical skill. Right. His whole value he brings is being kind of that, uh, that guidepost or that, you know, the audience perspective.
And I think that'd be really interesting to hear. W you know, like his take on how that plays out in hospitality. I think that'd be really interesting to see the parallels there. So I think that would be a cool, 
Steve Carran: Have you read his book yet? 
Jon Bumhoffer: Yeah, I haven't. It's incredible. The guy. Yeah. 
Steve Carran: Awesome. Yeah, me too. Yeah. Awesome. I would've to go with my guy, David Grutman. Uh, from group hospitality. He comes from more of the nightclub side of hospitality, and now he has a hotel as well. The good Time Hotel seems like just a really fun guy to hang out with, and I'd love to hear how he's incorporated his past experiences into the hotel side of things.
Jon Bumhoffer: So what's one goal that you have? For the show or for yourselves even, um, to make, to make things better before the year ends. 
Steve Carran: I think the one I'm excited about is continuing to think outside of the box. Um, we start as a podcast media company, the hotel experience episodes, and we have been, you know, talking about different ideas, how we can constantly keep changing, evolving, and growing the Medium podcast company and we don't really have any boundaries, which is exciting.
David Millili: Yeah, I think for me it's when we've already done a lot, but it's really just, you know, just really striving for high quality and also just, and being creative and not trying to just do what's the norm. And I think that's even coming out of the hotel experiences, which is, you know, a cribs and TV cribs style theme.
I mean, I think we're kind of setting a new bar for what really hospitality media or podcasts are doing in this space, and I'd like us to continue to push that. 
Jon Bumhoffer: Yeah. On a similar vein, I think the same, the same way as like a technical, creative, I'm always striving whether that's the, the gear or how we're doing things to always make things look and sound great, beautiful, that match the places we're in.
But also like, like you said, it can be easy once you get something that's relatively high quality to just kind of stay in that place. So my goal is to keep kind of trying new things and experimenting to see what, um, what. Is great, what we're excited about, but also what what the audience is excited about too.
David Millili: So the final question for us as a group is gonna be, what would somebody listening to this, to this be surprised to learn about pulling together a podcast? 
Jon Bumhoffer: I think that one of the most surprising things, and one I tell people all the time when they ask me about like, what's it like to start podcasts?
It's like, especially if you have guests, right? The scheduling component is like the hardest part of it all, honestly, like especially when you have two hosts and a producer and then another guest like. It's a lot. It's, it's hard to schedule people, um, consistently, reliably. And so that's a lot of like our back and forth.
It's just scheduling stuff. So I think that's one of the biggest things. It's not the, it's not the most glamorous, but it is something that's surprising. Usually people are like, oh yeah, I never thought about that. Yeah. But yeah. 
Steve Carran: What about for you? I agree with you. I mean, the scheduling, that's one thing as we've been in person more this year, definitely something to keep in mind, but just how rewarding it is to be honest with you.
You know, working with you guys and growing as not only a company, but seeing how far we've come in three years really excited about the next 30 years and, uh, where we'll be then. And you know, just being around so many great people in hospitality and, you know, that's our job is getting to know people and hospitality and bringing their personality to life.
And I love when people leave our podcast and they're like, I was so stressed out for this. You guys made me comfortable and it was just a phenomenal experience. And, and when people say that, I'm just like, that's what we're going for. 
David Millili: Yeah. For me, I think what I would tell people is that at the end of the day, it's hard.
I mean, people don't realize that it can be mentally exhausting. I mean, we're worried about who's the guest gonna be, you know, what are the questions gonna be to, like Steve said, are they comfortable, uh, the lighting, the camera angles. You know, getting to the next, if we're doing an event, getting to the next booth or you know, we're doing a cribs episode and we're running around like crazy and we're like, what are we doing on time?
How are we doing? And did we get the right shot? Is this gonna end up looking good? Which Sean always makes us look good, but for me, that's it. I think people just don't know that it's hard and I think people don't know that I. Important it is to care about what you're doing, especially when you're doing something like this.
So. All right guys. Well, that does it for another episode of The Modern Hotelier Hospitality's Most Engaged Podcast. Whether you're watching or listening, we hope you continue with us not only through the rest of this year, but onward. Thank you so much.