Frictionless Innkeeper Podcast Steve Short

Often overlooked, having a professionally designed interior can make your property truly stand out, reflect your brand and maximize the guest experience.
Starting out as a designer of home furnishings, James Kuester of Küster Design, transitioned his business to focus on interior design for the independent lodging sector. His firm’s focus is on interior branding in a way that enhances how guests interact with all aspects of a property. 
 
We are very thankful to James Kuester for sharing their insights with us. You can learn more about Küster Design at kusterdesign.com.
 
 

When it comes to elevating the guest experience, serving high-quality coffee can really make a difference.
When Ann Brownell and Jeff Raybourn purchased the Cozy Cup Coffee Company in 2023, they had a vision of expanding their small batch roasted coffee beyond the walls of their coffee shop and into the innkeeping arena. They now have a customized innkeepers package that allows any property to provide the highest quality coffee.
We are very thankful to Ann and Jeff for sharing their insights with us. You can learn more about the Cozy Cup Coffee Company at cozycupcoffee.com.
 
Our podcast is presented by the Frictionless Guest App, the digital concierge that helps your guests live like locals. To learn more, visit frictionlessguest.com.
 
 
 

A number of years ago, aerospace engineer Craig Steele’s frustration over a malfunctioning hotel shower head led him on a journey to design a better version of a device typically taken for granted.

This quest led Craig to bootstrap Samson Shower Systems, which offers high pressure, water-saving shower heads that are made from quality, aerospace-grade materials and expected to outlast most products on the market. His offering can provide great value to lodging properties and his story should resonate with independent lodging professionals who will likely relate to his high level of commitment and persistence.
We are very thankful to Craig for sharing his insights with us. You can learn more about Samson Shower Systems at samsonshower.com.
 
Our podcast is presented by the Frictionless Guest App, the digital concierge that helps your guests live like locals. To learn more, visit frictionlessguest.com.

From hosting expanded educational events, enhancing partnerships, advancing regional efforts to increasing membership and launching a new website, it’s been a busy first year for Sarah Gazi in her role as the CEO of the Association of Lodging Professionals (ALP).
The must-attend 2024 ALP Conference & Marketplace is also around the corner on March 2nd to 6th in Orlando, Florida. In addition to the main conference, this year’s event will offer educational opportunities for new property owners, as well as culinary training in an on-site professional kitchen.
We are very thankful to Sarah and Erik for sharing their insights with us. You can learn more about ALP at alplodging.org.
 
Our podcast is presented by the Frictionless Guest App, the digital concierge that helps your guests live like locals. To learn more, visit frictionlessguest.com.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has officially made its way into the hospitality industry with TakeUp, a recent start-up that offers a dynamic pricing platform which leverages the power of AI and machine learning to optimize room rates and increase revenue.
Patty Sung, Founder and CEO at TakeUp; and Chris McPherson, Founder & CTO at TakeUp, tell us about their offering, explain how they leverage AI to help lodging professionals, and make an excellent case for why their approach is the way of the future.
We are very thankful to Patty and Chris for sharing their insights with us. You can learn more about TakeUp at takeup.ai.
 
Our podcast is presented by the Frictionless Guest App, the digital concierge that helps your guests live like locals. To learn more, visit frictionlessguest.com.

Google Business Profile helps lodging professionals manage their business information across Google products like Search and Maps. 
In addition to ensuring that potential guests can find information about their property and eventually book, lodging owners can use their account to review traffic metrics, gather customer insights, as well as view and respond to Google Reviews.
Annie Buck, Education and Local Marketing Manager at Acorn Marketing, breaks down everything lodging businesses need to know about leveraging Google Business Profile to maximize their bookings.
 
We are very thankful to Annie for sharing her insights with us. You can learn more about Acorn Marketing at acorn-is.com.