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Reinventing the Art of Hospitality
with Bashar Wali, Practice Hospitality
Josiah Mackenzie
August 17, 2023
My goal every day is to find and share the best ideas in hospitality. Usually that requires a lot of editing. But Bashar Wali made it easy for me (and you) today on our podcast. Back-to-back rapid-fire insights. Zero fluff.
Today, we get to hear his latest thoughts on reinventing the art of hospitality gathered as an owner, operator - and someone who stays in a new hotel every single night when he’s on the road. I think you’ll really like this one.
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Reinventing the Art of Hospitality
with Bashar Wali, CEO, Practice Hospitality
Bashar Wali
Hospitality has a problem
Bashar Wali believes hospitality has a problem. Even the “cool” hotels mostly look and feel the same. So he’s on a mission to fix this as an investor, operator, and brand designer - and today shares his latest thinking on what hospitality can and should look like.
Even though we’re in a “sexy business” all the new model hotel rooms I see look the same.
Doing the research
When traveling, Bashar stays at a new hotel every single night. He believes a tour isn’t enough - you have to actually sleep in the hotel to learn how it delivers on its promise.
Further, he believes inspiration can come from anywhere…
I will stay at a $2,000 a night Baccarat or Aman, but I'll also stay at a $50 a night hostel, because sometimes your least expected offering will be the one you learn the most from.
It all comes back to the people
The industry has become too focused on shock and awe, Bashar says, and people should be more thoughtful and intentional in their actions. In hospitality, it’s the personal interactions that make a hotel memorable and create a lasting impact.
If you make someone feel special, they will forgive many of your sins.
I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Bashar, and encourage you to listen to the whole episode to hear more of his latest observations on what makes great hospitality:
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From our community
Hospitality Daily is a community of creators and doers. Some cool things for today:
Michael Hraba calls for donations to the Maui Food Bank.
Gabriel Ornelas highlights the importance of having a supportive community around you.
Lorenzo Tang shares inspiration for arrival and turn-down amenities.
Shelley Brown has an equation for finding belonging in your work, inspired by her hospitality career: safety and choice = belonging.
Christopher Cano talks to Eileen Andrade and Hector Pachon on how they build real connections, and grow trust in their operations.
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Stories I’m reading
Trends: 5 Lessons Learned at the 2023 Hotel Data Conference (by Jason Freed for MDO)
Trends: Could high-end RV parks be the next hot category for lodging? (by Derek Catron for Phocuswire)
Strategy: Hoteliers Stay Focused on Guests as Hotel Demand Levels Out (by Dana Miller by CoStar Group)
Tech: Guest Service in Hotel F&B Is Changing: How Technology Is Bridging the Gap (by Shiji Group & AWS)
Investment: PIPs on a pendulum (by Jeffrey Weinstein for Hotel Investment Today)
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