Defining Hospitality

Dan Ryan
  • 5.0 (73)
  • Design
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Defining Hospitality, the podcast focused on highlighting the most influential figures in the hospitality industry. In each episode we provide 1 on 1, in depth interviews with experts in the industry to learn what hospitality means to them. We feature expert advice on working in the industry, behind the scenes looks at some of your favorite brands, and in depth explorations of unique hospitality projects. Defining Hospitality is hosted by Founder and CEO of Agency 967, Dan Ryan. With over 30 years of experience in hospitality, Dan brings his expertise and passion to each episode as he delves into the latest trends and challenges facing the industry. Episodes are released every week on Wednesday mornings. To listen to episodes, visit https://www.defininghospitality.live/ or subscribe to Defining Hospitality wherever you get your podcasts.

  1. 4d ago

    Designing for Wonder - Paolo Ferrari - Defining Hospitality

    What if a hotel could change the way you see the world? Dan sits down with Paolo Ferrari, founder of Studio Paolo Ferrari, to talk about design that goes beyond beautiful and into transformational. They get into why luxury lives in the stitch and not the chair, how film shapes the way he designs urban hotels, and why constraints and friction make for better work. Paolo also explains why shared values matter more than any pitch, how to protect a big vision when the budget gets real, and why physical spaces will matter more than ever as life moves online. Paolo Ferrari is the founder and principal designer of Studio Paolo Ferrari and was named Boutique Design's 2025 Designer of the Year. For over 20 years he has been shaping some of the most ambitious hospitality projects in the world, including the cave-carved Desert Rock resort in Saudi Arabia. He is known for blending timelessness with courageous invention, and for chasing that moment when someone walks into a space and feels something they never expected. Chapters:00:00 Ambition And Uncertainty 00:31 Podcast Mission And Sponsor 01:06 Meet Paolo Ferrari 03:03 Optimism And Joyful Energy 03:57 Defining Hospitality As Generosity 04:41 Luxury Lives In Details 09:34 From Experience To Transformation 16:04 Programming And Urban Wonder 22:04 Designing For The Future 33:53 Friction Fuels Excellence 34:58 Sponsor Sustainability Update 35:23 Why Budgets Must Be Shared 36:55 Start With Vision 39:06 Value Engineering Creativity 43:01 Paradigm Shifting Projects 46:16 Design As Optimism 49:26 Choosing Aligned Clients 54:17 Analog Spaces Matter Quote of the Show:"Those physical spaces are gonna carry so much more weight. They're not just indulgent. They're how we connect." - Paolo Ferrari Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on. Links: Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1 Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/ Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/studio-paolo-ferrari/?originalSubdomain=ca Guests Website: https://www.paoloferrari.com/ Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/ 🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/  Ways to Tune In:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

    Designing for Wonder - Paolo Ferrari - Defining Hospitality

  2. Oct 14

    Frictionless by Design - Drew Stuart - Defining Hospitality

    What if the best sign of great hospitality is that nothing ever gets in your way? Dan Ryan sits down for a live recording of Defining Hospitality, set in a podcast studio tucked inside a former 1930s sandwich shop at Rockefeller Center. The conversation moves from frictionless guest experiences to the habit of saying “we” instead of “I,” with stops along the way for world building, big stakeholder rooms, and the fears that grow as a business does. It’s candid, funny, and built on a friendship that came before any business did. Drew Stewart is an architect, interior designer, and occasional developer, and a founding partner and director of construction and development at INC Architecture & Design. He has spent 20 years growing the New York studio into a powerhouse, earning a spot in the Interior Design Hall of Fame along the way. His work includes the TWA Hotel, 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, and the Atlas Hotel at Harvard, and he is celebrating the milestone with a monograph, Us Is More, hitting shelves TODAY October 14th. Chapters: 00:00 Why Hospitality Matters 00:35 Meet Drew Stewart 01:22 Recording at Rock Center 03:00 A Designer’s Eye for Detail 04:09 Defining Frictionless Hospitality 05:44 Managing Mega Projects 11:19 Tech That Aligns Stakeholders 14:52 Hall of Fame Moment 19:07 Us Is More and The Book 34:38 Spending Your Own Money 35:10 Fine Tuning Design Value 35:54 New Empathy For Developers 37:06 Entrepreneurship And Risk 38:04 Fear Grows With Success 39:08 TWA And World Building 41:06 Rockefeller Concourse Redesign 47:29 Building 1 Hotel With Barry 50:51 Book Future And Farewell Quote of the Show: “Having creative, thoughtful people across the table turns out to be the single most important thing about any project.” - Drew Stuart Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on. Links: Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1 Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/ Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-stuart-22bb286/ Guests Website: https://inc.nyc/Us is More Book: https://a.co/d/01ctnv2F Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/  Ways to Tune In:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

    Frictionless by Design - Drew Stuart - Defining Hospitality

  3. Oct 7

    The Design Starter Kit - Ashley Squires - Defining Hospitality

    What if the biggest advantage in hospitality design isn't having more options, but fewer, better ones?  On this episode of Defining Hospitality, Ashley Squires walks through how The Stylist Group is rethinking the front end of design sourcing. She breaks down how her team narrows a project down to a tailored "starter kit" pulled from dozens of premier manufacturers, why a fast turnaround can save a firm real time and money, and how she's working to bring a sense of joy back into a process that too often feels like a grind. Ashley Squires is an interior designer, hospitality design expert, and creative strategist with more than 25 years of experience across hospitality, multifamily, and private aviation spaces. She's led design work for major hotel brands, multifamily developments, and cruise lines, giving her firsthand insight into where the sourcing process breaks down for design teams. Alongside her partner Andrea, she co-founded The Stylist Group to turn that experience into a free resource other designers could lean on. Chapters:00:00 Stylist Group Promise 00:24 Show Mission Intro 00:48 Sponsor Message 00:57 Meet Ashley Squires 01:23 Time Is Money Setup 02:57 Defining Hospitality 03:25 What Stylus Group Does 04:50 Library Space Problem 06:24 Curating From 27 Makers 09:26 Designer Testimonials 11:26 Fast Turnarounds 15:33 How Palettes Get Picked 18:25 Christmas Day Unboxing 19:54 Sustainability Break 20:19 Measurable Time Savings 22:06 How To Get Started 25:12 Recent Project Wins 33:27 Wrap Up And Contact Quote of the Show: "No matter what the needs are, whether you're a big firm or you're just starting out, consider us your design resource library." - Ashley Squires Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on. Links: Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1 Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/ Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyksquires/ Guests Website: https://www.stylist-group.com/ Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/  Ways to Tune In:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

    The Design Starter Kit - Ashley Squires - Defining Hospitality

  4. Sep 30

    Hospitality Is a Mindset - Matthew Boone - Defining Hospitality

    Matthew Boone joins Dan Ryan to break down what it actually takes to turn a hospitality project from blueprint to guest ready. They dig into the tension between design vision and hard budget numbers, why cost estimating works so differently around the world, and the on the job lessons that shaped how he leads projects today. Matthew Boone is head of hospitality at Rider Levett Bucknall  (RLB), bringing 20+ years of architecture, construction and project management experience to some of the industry's most complex hotel developments. Trained as an architect, his work includes San Francisco's Huntington Hotel, a project that landed in Architectural Digest. He now leads RLB's hospitality growth across North America, pairing design instinct with financial discipline. Chapters:00:00 Architectural Digest Moment 00:56 Meet Matthew Boone 02:31 Architecture Roots 04:17 Defining Hospitality 07:12 Front vs Back of House 07:57 ROI and Budget Tradeoffs 10:07 QS vs US Project Model 16:13 Transparency and True Costs 23:50 CapEx and Aging Systems 31:07 Shower Controls Code 32:10 Sponsor Sustainability Update 32:35 RLB Roots In Hawaii 35:10 Hilton Hawaiian Village Lessons 37:59 Clift Hotel Crunch Renovation 41:59 Erin And RLB Culture 43:38 Mainland Growth Markets 47:51 LA Olympics Hotel Conundrum 54:19 Wrap Up And How To Connect Quote of the Show: "Hospitality is thinking about what people need, what people want, before they even know they need it." - Matthew Boone Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on. Links: Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1 Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/ Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mboonebayarea/ Guests Website: https://www.rlb.com/americas/ Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/  Ways to Tune In:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

    Hospitality Is a Mindset - Matthew Boone - Defining Hospitality

  5. Sep 16

    Hospitality the Sacred Duty - Colleen Rafferty - Defining Hospitality

    Hospitality has ancient roots, and this week's guest traces her own path in the industry back to something surprising: a master's degree in philosophy. What started as bartending to pay for grad school became a full blown philosophy of service, one built on presence, reciprocity, and treating every guest interaction as its own small act of care. From building a team that turned an old motel into a two Michelin Key destination to launching a groundbreaking childcare pilot for hospitality workers, this conversation covers what it really takes to scale a business without losing the soul that made it special in the first place. Colleen Rafferty is the President of Tourists, an award winning hotel in North Adams, Massachusetts that has earned two Michelin Keys and national recognition from outlets like Vanity Fair. She rose through the ranks from guest experience manager to the top leadership seat, helping build a culture so strong that her own team members have collectively logged 40 years of tenure at a hotel that has only been open eight. Beyond the hotel, Colleen is leading a new pilot childcare program funded by the state of Massachusetts in partnership with the Governor's Office, built specifically for hospitality workers whose schedules don't run Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. Chapters:00:00 Housekeeping Meltdown 00:36 Podcast Mission Intro 01:09 Meet Colleen Rafferty 01:50 Berkshires Festival Vibes 03:32 Defining Hospitality Xenia 06:35 Philosophy to Hospitality 13:57 Tourists Growth Michelin Keys 19:28 Scaling Culture and Structure 26:58 Childcare Pilot for Workers 33:02 Funding and Coalition 33:47 Red Tape Worries 35:23 Pilot Program Unknowns 36:10 Universal Pre-K Lessons 37:14 Michelin Inspector Details 38:10 Sing for Your Slumber 41:01 Tourists Expansion Plans 44:11 Scaling Without Losing Magic 48:28 Mentors and Gratitude Quote of the Show: "This isn't really about you. This is about this moment and what the space can provide and what the guest is looking for." - Colleen Rafferty Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on. Links: Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1 Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/ Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-rafferty-88603072/ Guests Website: https://www.touristswelcome.com/ Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/ 🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/  Ways to Tune In:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

    Hospitality the Sacred Duty - Colleen Rafferty - Defining Hospitality

  6. Sep 9

    Slow Down to Connect - David Rich - Defining Hospitality

    What if the best conversations aren't about being interesting, but about being present? In this episode, Dan sits down with his close friend and mentor to explore why so many of us struggle to truly connect, even with people we've known for years. The conversation covers vulnerability, the difference between listening to respond and listening to understand, and why removing performance from a room changes everything. David Rich is the founder of Palabra, a story driven event format he has hosted hundreds of times across nearly every continent, from intimate dinners to gatherings of over 100 people. What started as a personal search for deeper friendships after moving back from Spain has grown into a platform used by corporations, families, and entrepreneurs to build genuine relationships. His approach to storytelling and presence has made him one of the most sought after voices on modern connection. Chapters: 00:00 Stories Over Opinions 00:53 Meet David Rich 02:00 What Hospitality Means 03:42 Palabra Born in Spain 07:27 Designing the Container 09:53 Conversation First Format 13:03 Vulnerability and Story Prep 15:58 Listening With Heart 23:32 Opinion Free Safe Space 31:16 Sales Through Trust 32:34 Sponsor Sustainability Note 32:59 Forum Style Story Learning 34:34 Introverts Love Structure 35:57 Long Tail Impact Stories 38:13 Scaling Palabra Formats 39:58 Everest Circle Experiment 43:36 Analog Connection In AI Age 48:42 Guardrails And Closing Reflections Quote of the Show: "A good event isn't that someone cried, so it was a good event. It's that people become a little bit more of themselves." - David RIch  Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on. Links: Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1 Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/ Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjrich/ Guests Website: https://www.palabra.co/ Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/ 🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/  Ways to Tune In:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

    Slow Down to Connect - David Rich - Defining Hospitality

  7. Sep 2

    Slow Partnerships, Fast Loyalty - Diarmaid O'Sullivan - Defining Hospitality

    What does luxury actually mean once you strip away the thread counts and marble bathrooms? Dan sits down with Diarmaid O'Sullivan, Director of Marketing at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, a Fairmont Hotel in Bermuda, for a conversation about connection, patience, and the moments that turn a guest into a regular. Diarmaid brings more than 30 years of international experience in hospitality marketing, tourism strategy, and luxury brand building, and has spent over a decade shaping some of the industry's most talked about lifestyle partnerships, including collaborations with Steamline Luggage and a custom fragrance created with Bermuda's oldest perfumery. The two dig into what luxury means as a moving target, how far patience can take a brand partnership, and why the first five minutes of a stay might matter more than the room itself. Chapters: 00:00 Show Mission Intro 00:35 Meet Diarmaid 02:01 Hospitality Means People 05:25 Bermuda Move Story 07:30 Partnership Playbook 11:09 Fairmont Brand Legacy 15:32 Redefining Luxury 20:10 Curated Art Experiences 23:57 Tech Versus Human Touch 32:53 Mentoring With Honesty 34:12 Helping Staff Move On 35:11 I Want Your Job 36:13 Six Months To Prove It 38:01 Boss As Your Guide 40:38 Networking On A Small Island 43:56 Bermuda Awareness Challenge 47:52 New Opportunities And Partnerships 50:21 Measuring Wins And Wrapping Up Quote of the Show: "You can teach someone the skills to operate a system, how to make a bed, how to make a dish. But you cannot teach someone to have empathy, to connect with people, or just be happy." - Diarmaid OSullivan Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on. Links: Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1 Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/ Luggage Collab: https://steamlineluggage.com/collections/the-hamilton-princess-hotelGuest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diarmaidosullivan/ Guests Website: https://www.thehamiltonprincess.com/ Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/  Ways to Tune In:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

    Slow Partnerships, Fast Loyalty - Diarmaid O'Sullivan - Defining Hospitality

  8. Aug 26

    Culture By Design - Adam Lara - Defining Hospitality

    In this episode of Defining Hospitality, Dan sits down with Adam Lara, principal at KTGY Interior Design and Branded Environments, to talk about career, culture, and what it really takes to build a studio that works. From formative early experiences to his latest chapter leading a growing team in Chicago, Adam offers a grounded look at what shapes great design work over the long haul. Adam Lara has spent nearly three decades moving across architecture, interiors, and brand side operations, giving him a rare, well rounded view of the hospitality design world. His career has included time at Hyatt, a formative stretch under acclaimed designer Jordan Mosher, and now a leadership role at KTGY. That range makes him one of the more thoughtful voices working in hospitality design today. Chapters: 00:00 Why Hospitality Matters 00:35 Meet Adam Lara 01:55 Defining Hospitality 02:53 Career Pivot After 9/11 04:22 Inside-Out Design Thinking 05:29 Why Architects Avoid Interiors 07:26 Hyatt HQ Memories 08:31 Brand Side Lessons at Hyatt 10:27 Ops and Owner Mindset 13:40 Jordan Mozer Maker Culture 16:27 Micro to Macro Design 18:40 Joining Simeone Deary 20:25 Merging Into KTGY 22:44 Learning From Gina and Lisa 24:48 New Office and Integration 28:49 Venetian Bars Storytelling 34:59 Leadership and Culture 45:06 In-Person Collaboration Finale Quote of the Show: "It's not just design, it's basically problem solving." - Adam Lara Building a hotel, brand, or guest experience? Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on. Links: Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@defininghospitality?sub_confirmation=1 Substack: https://www.defininghospitality.live/ Guest’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-lara-aia-leed-ap-ishc-7aa04751/ Guests Website: https://ktgy.com/ Dan Ryan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedailydanryan/ 🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/  Ways to Tune In:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/

    Culture By Design - Adam Lara - Defining Hospitality
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5
out of 5
73 Ratings

About

Welcome to Defining Hospitality, the podcast focused on highlighting the most influential figures in the hospitality industry. In each episode we provide 1 on 1, in depth interviews with experts in the industry to learn what hospitality means to them. We feature expert advice on working in the industry, behind the scenes looks at some of your favorite brands, and in depth explorations of unique hospitality projects. Defining Hospitality is hosted by Founder and CEO of Agency 967, Dan Ryan. With over 30 years of experience in hospitality, Dan brings his expertise and passion to each episode as he delves into the latest trends and challenges facing the industry. Episodes are released every week on Wednesday mornings. To listen to episodes, visit https://www.defininghospitality.live/ or subscribe to Defining Hospitality wherever you get your podcasts.

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Ryan
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    272
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Defining Hospitality

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