The Hospitality Mentor

Hosted by Steve Turk

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183

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Join me, Steve Turk, on the Hospitality Mentor podcast as we dive into the personal stories of some of the world's best Hospitality Professionals. We follow the journey of their ups, downs and wild turns and find out what it truly takes to make it in the amazing world of hospitality.

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September 8, 202650 min

What It Takes to Build a Luxury Resort | Michael Tibbetts

How do you build a luxury resort on an island most travelers have never visited? Michael Tibbetts shares the story behind Salterra in South Caicos and the decisions that made it possible. Michael is the founder and CEO of Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa. Before committing fully to hospitality, he was an ophthalmologist balancing patient care with responsibility for his family's resorts in the Cayman Islands. In this episode of The Hospitality Mentor Podcast, he joins Steve Turk to discuss what medicine taught him about trust, how he made the decision to change careers and what it took to turn an existing property into a luxury resort with a clear sense of place. We get into: What caring for patients taught Michael about caring for guests and leading teams Why outside experience can make you a stronger leader in a family business How South Caicos' salt history shaped Salterra's design and guest experience The shipping, staffing and access challenges behind a small-island resort Why he chose Marriott's Luxury Collection for Salterra Why a major hotel affiliation still requires personal sales and relationship work The human skills Michael believes future hospitality leaders should develop Explore Salterra: https://www.salterra.com/ Presented by Lodgify. Use promo code THM60 for the show's Lodgify offer. See Lodgify for current terms and eligible plans: https://www.lodgify.com/ Subscribe to The Hospitality Mentor for conversations with the people building, operating and leading hospitality businesses. 00:00 Welcome and Lodgify 00:44 Meet Michael Tibbetts 02:33 A first job on the landscaping crew 03:16 His family's Cayman Islands resort legacy 04:51 Choosing a career in medicine 07:10 What patient care taught him about hospitality 10:22 How to handle difficult conversations 13:02 Choosing between medicine and the family business 17:01 Finding the South Caicos opportunity 21:28 Rethinking the project during COVID 23:19 The story behind Salterra's design 27:35 Partners, construction and island logistics 29:00 Making South Caicos easier to reach 31:28 Staff housing and a global team 33:12 Why join Marriott's Luxury Collection? 34:50 Why the owner still has to build relationships 37:34 Gelato, family and the moments guests remember 39:04 Michael's vision for Salterra's next chapter 41:07 Advice for future hospitality leaders

August 21, 202644 min

Melissa Blettner on Ancient Lore Village: Building a Fantasy Themed Boutique Resort with Hospitality Purpose

Host Steve Turk interviews Melissa Blettner, CEO of Boyd Hollow Resorts and Ancient Lore Village in Knoxville, Tennessee . Melissa explains founder Tom Boyd’s book inspired mission to create a fantasy village where only good exists and guests leave happier, kinder, and friendlier. She shares her hospitality start from an XL Inn front desk job to studying hospitality management, advancing through roles in front office, sales, and leadership, and spending 20 years at Great Wolf Lodge building brand culture, openings, and a large call center with strong standards. After Great Wolf’s culture shifted following Blackstone’s acquisition and a corporate move to Chicago, she consulted before joining Boyd Hollow. Ancient Lore Village offers 14 themed dwellings on 67 acres, day passes, dining, axe throwing, archery, events, retreats, and weddings, and is expanding with Boki’s Trek Experience and an Ancient Lore Wellbeing Retreat. 00:00 Show Kickoff 00:31 Sponsor Lodgify 01:34 Meet Melissa 02:23 Ancient Lore Origin 04:03 First Hospitality Job 06:08 Breaking Into Hotels 07:51 Career Steps Forward 10:18 Great Wolf Breakthrough 12:44 Growing at Great Wolf 16:13 Call Center Culture 17:41 Brand Building Playbook 21:19 Leaving After 20 Years 22:12 From Mars To Buyout 22:49 Dream Big Consulting Reality 24:24 Finding Boyne Hollow 26:19 What Ancient Lore Offers 28:23 Managing Crowds And Groups 30:39 Small Resort Big Opening 32:20 Guests Define The Magic 34:41 Future Attractions And Wellness 36:02 Luxury Not Kitschy Design 40:13 Team Growth And Mentorship 42:10 Advice And Farewell

August 7, 202642 min

Josef Forstmayr on Building Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Jamaica into a Timeless Luxury Resort

Host Steve Turk introduces Josef Forstmayr, managing director of Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Jamaica. Forstmayr shares growing up working in his parents’ Austrian farm restaurant, attending hotel school in Salzburg, and arriving in Jamaica in 1979 as a German tutor before quickly becoming an assistant manager and advancing to GM roles, including rebuilding Trident after Hurricane Allen. Hired in 1989 to convert Round Hill from a winter-only operation to a year-round resort, he describes evolving the property into a family- and group-friendly luxury destination guided by “timeless elegance, understated luxury, warm Jamaican heart,” with design input from shareholder Ralph Lauren and tech perspective from Bob Pittman. He emphasizes Jamaica’s authentic luxury, staff legacy across generations, strong community investment and charity work, rapid recovery after Hurricane Melissa, and advises young hoteliers to learn multiple languages to build international careers. 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 00:31 Sponsor Lodgify Message 01:34 Meet Josef in Jamaica 01:57 First Job and Jamaica Move 04:13 Hurricanes and Career Growth 06:11 Transforming Round Hill Year Round 09:02 Growing Up in Family Restaurant 11:23 Why He Stayed in Jamaica 14:27 Round Hill Owners and Design 19:08 Evolving with Core Values 23:53 Real Jamaica Beyond Cruises 29:52 Community Hikes and Belonging 31:27 Running Long Term with Locals 33:32 Giving Back and Hurricane Recovery 36:33 Future of Authentic Luxury Jamaica 39:27 Advice Learn More Languages 42:04 Wrap Up and Where to Visit

July 31, 202614 min

Miami Beach Hotels, Brightline Train to Orlando, Disney Travel Tips + Baya Miami & The Hospitality Power Breakfast

In this “random show” episode of The Hospitality Mentor Podcast, Steve Turk shares a multi-generational Miami Beach staycation at the Marriott Stanton South Beach , highlighting the South of Fifth location, Michelin star-winning The Den inside Azabu, and strong beach service and guest acknowledgment as a key hospitality lesson. He also recommends the Loews Miami Beach Hotel’ s Sushi Bar inside Bar Collins, praising Chef Khaleel Ali and the value of standout culinary “hidden gems” in big hotels. The family then takes the Brightline train from Miami to Orlando for a Disney trip, emphasizing assigned seating, onboard amenities, and the productivity and low-stress benefits versus driving. In Orlando, he reviews the Signia by Hilton (connected to Waldorf Astoria) as a strong value with great rooms, pool, restaurants, and fireworks views, noting slower bus transport to the parks, and shares a Disney day tip: book an air-conditioned sit-down meal like the Brown Derby. He announces the launch of staybaya.com for Baya , his upscale resort on a tropical fruit farm in Miami’s Redland area targeting a mid-year opening next summer with a $50 VIP program offering 40% discounts, and he confirms plans for a Hospitality Power Breakfast series, with the first eight-person event hosted at The Moor in the Design District. Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Lodgif y. Make sure to use promo code THM60 for 60% off. 00:00 Welcome and Topics 00:39 Sponsor Lodgify 01:25 Miami Beach Staycation 02:37 South Beach Service Lesson 03:54 Loews Sushi Find 05:28 Brightline to Orlando 07:31 Signia Hotel Review 09:41 Disney Dining Tip 11:05 Train Back and Florida Travel 12:08 Baya Resort Announcement 13:31 Hospitality Power Breakfast 14:14 Wrap Up and Subscribe

July 24, 202616 min

The Random Show: Soggy Dollar Bar Lessons, Florida Stays, and the Hospitality Power Breakfast

In a solo “random show” episode, Steve shares recent travel experiences and hospitality takeaways. He recaps six weeks of travel from HITEC in San Antonio to San Francisco with the Baya team, a visit to One Thread Farm, scouting land in Desert Hot Springs, and a last-minute trip to St. John in the US Virgin Islands, noting “island time” and the national-park beaches. A highlight is chartering to Jost Van Dyke to swim ashore to the Soggy Dollar Bar, home of the original Painkiller, and lessons on memorable arrival, history, and premium branding. He previews upcoming stays at Marriott Stanton Miami Beach and a family trip to Disney via Brightline, discussing hotel and Disney upsells and reducing purchase friction. He announces a new Hospitality Power Breakfast launching next month at The Moore in Miami, and gives a Baya Miami update, including site work, a 2027 opening plan, and an upcoming website launch. This episode is brought to you by Lodgify with code THM60 for 60% off yearly products 00:00 Solo Random Show 00:25 Sponsor Lodgify 01:36 Travel Whirlwind Recap 02:34 Island Time St John 03:24 Soggy Dollar Adventure 04:33 Painkiller And Vibes 07:06 Lessons And Branding 08:07 Miami Beach Birthday Stay 09:01 Brightline To Disney 10:14 Upsells And Disney Planning 12:05 Hospitality Power Breakfast 13:32 Launching At The Moore 14:47 Topics And Third Places 15:44 Baya Miami Update 16:17 Wrap Up And Farewell

July 10, 202647 min

Mario Del Duca on Growing Nuba in the Americas, Luxury Travel, and Why Relationships Matter More Than AI

Host Steve Turk interviews Mario Del Duca, Managing Director of Nuba , a 30+ year-old luxury travel company focused on high end outbound leisure that expanded into the Americas via acquisitions in Mexico and Miami. Mario oversees the Americas and says the business has nearly tripled under his leadership. Mario shares his nontraditional path from banking in London/New York to an MBA at IE in Madrid, entrepreneurship in Mexico, and a year and a half of world travel that led to social media driven hotel partnerships and eventually becoming an independent travel consultant before Nuba acquired his agency. They discuss serving high and ultra-high net worth clients, the importance of client profiling and problem solving, using technology and AI to enhance (not replace) advisors, growth plans across Latin America, and travel trends like Japan and slower, secondary destination travel. The Hospitality Mentor Podcast is sponsored by Lodgify (60% off yearly/bi-yearly plans with code THM60) 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:31 Sponsor Lodgify 01:34 Meet Mario Del Duca 01:53 What Is Nuba 03:31 From Banking To Travel 07:22 Quitting Banking For MBA 10:54 Entrepreneur Roots 12:02 Moving To Mexico 13:03 Remote Work World Travel 17:44 From Influencer To Advisor 20:50 Luxury Advisor Reality Check 22:31 Owning Client Problems 23:51 Perks and Lifestyle 24:48 Remote Discipline 26:25 Nuba Client Profile 29:51 Designing Bespoke Trips 32:38 AI Versus Human Touch 37:18 Growth and Hiring Advisors 40:48 Hot Destinations Trends 44:37 Career Advice Closing

June 25, 202642 min

Nikheel Advani on Building Grace Bay Resorts: Mentorship, Luxury Service, and Branded Residences in Turks and Caicos

Host Steve Turk interviews Nikheel Advani , co-founder and COO of Grace Bay Resorts , who shares how he entered hospitality at 16 after his father pushed him to work, leading to dishwashing, banqueting, and founding a small events company in Singapore. He trained at UMass Amherst, worked in restaurants and hotels, joined a Pizza Uno turnaround team, then spent years with Ritz-Carlton opening multiple properties and emphasizing mentorship. He became hotel manager at Singapore’s Raffles, helped elevate its global ranking, then moved to Turks and Caicos to build a hotel into Grace Bay Resorts, focusing on training, local talent, service excellence, food and beverage, airlift, and a luxury branded-residence model that funds development and gives owners hotel access and rental income. It's an amazing episode with fantastic stories and pieces of advice that you should listen to today. A big thank you to our sponsor, Lodgify . Make sure to use promo code THM60 when you sign up at Lodgify 00:00 Sponsor Lodgify 01:07 Meet Nikheel Advani 01:48 First Hospitality Job 02:08 Dad’s Tough Lesson 03:21 Starting a Company at 16 04:42 Choosing Hotel School 07:18 UMass and Working Through School 08:42 Pizza Turnaround Years 10:09 Breaking Into Ritz Carlton 11:48 Mentors That Changed Everything 14:42 Leaving for Raffles Singapore 16:24 Running an Iconic Hotel 17:28 Profit Meets Guest Experience 18:35 Leap to Turks and Caicos 20:57 Caribbean Service Reset 21:55 Risk and Ownership Leap 22:55 Partners and Fast Decisions 23:56 Awards and Signature Wins 25:43 Building Local Talent 28:29 Selling a New Destination 31:46 Airlift and Island Strategy 34:08 Next Projects Pipeline 36:06 Branded Residences Model 38:59 Advice and Farewell

June 17, 202618 min

Live from HITEC San Antonio: Hospitality Creator Summit Highlights, Content Strategy, and Tech Trends

Live from HITEC in San Antonio, the Steve Turk and Sarah Dandashy recap the inaugural Hospitality Creator Summit , created by Anna Blue and Anthony Melchiorri, which drew 200+ attendees for a full day of networking and creator-focused education. Sara shares first impressions of the high-energy event, meeting online peers in person, and the supportive, low-ego atmosphere. A panel on “behind the brand deal” featured Margaritaville and My Place Hotels discussing how brands choose creators, partnership paths from in-kind to paid, and the challenge of tracking bookings driven by content, including working with small-audience creators for fit and aesthetic. They note sessions on newsletters and podcasting milestones, HITEC’s creator booth with interview and green-screen setups, and floor trends like better booth experiences, fewer AI buzzwords but more specific integrations, data consolidation, and room automation savings, plus a push for brands to create personality-driven, value-first content. A big shout out to our sponsor Lodgify ! Starting June 17th to June 30th, use promo code THM60 for 60% off 00:00 Live From HITEC 00:21 Sponsor Shoutout - Lodgify 00:58 Creator Summit Recap 02:55 Brand Deals Panel 05:09 Creator Growth Tips 05:50 Meet Tyler Behind Scenes 06:37 Content Booth Setup 07:31 HITEC Floor Highlights 08:27 Tech Trends And AI 09:57 Venue Vibes San Antonio 10:16 Creators Take Over 10:57 Booth Snacks and Vibes 11:24 Why Brands Need Content 12:55 Make Value Not Ads 14:19 One Post Big Impact 16:05 HCS First Day Energy 17:54 After Party and Wrap

June 4, 202655 min

From Nightlife to Wellness: Milan Mijatovic on Building SILA Miami

Host Steve Turk interviews Milan Mijatovic, founder of SILA Miami . Milan explains SILA as a social wellness club in Upper Buena Vista featuring longevity services (float tank, hyperbaric oxygen, lymphatic suit, red light therapy, bioscan/bodywork), outdoor classes (yoga, Pilates, functional strength, kettlebells), and contrast therapy (cold plunges and a 14-person sauna). He recounts starting in hospitality as a dishwasher at Atlanta’s Dante’s Down the Hatch, moving to Chicago to become a bartender and competition mixologist, then relocating to Miami where he worked at the Versace Mansion reopening, Regent Cocktail Bar alongside Julio Cabrera, and as a cachaça brand ambassador. After nightlife management at Rockwell and reflecting on industry excesses, a trucking-business detour, and a renewed focus on recovery and nature, he launched SILA without a formal business plan, emphasizing community support, systems, and a goal of a second location and future beach flagship. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:31 Sponsor Lodgify 01:34 Meet Milan 02:48 What Is Sila 04:13 Steve Joins Sila 05:17 First Hospitality Job 09:52 Chicago Hustle 12:13 Cocktail Roots 14:18 Mixology Rise 15:31 Miami Calling 17:31 Cuba Turning Point 20:58 Versace And Regent 22:32 Brand Ambassador Era 23:48 Nightlife Management 26:43 Surviving The Scene 28:59 Wellness Seeds 30:11 COVID Pivot to Trucking 31:34 Owning the Leap 33:17 Back to Nightlife Again 34:31 Wellness Aha Moment 35:35 Cold Plunge Origins 38:11 Third Shot at Business 40:25 CELA Vision and Nature 42:37 Finding the Perfect Space 46:08 Building Sila Community 50:08 Next 12 Months Vision 51:57 Trust the Journey 52:59 Closing and Sponsor

May 22, 202652 min

Larry Korman on Building AKA Hotel Residences, Intentional Hospitality, and Scaling Service Driven Living

Host Steve Turk welcomes Larry Korman, co-CEO of Korman Communities and president of AKA Hotel Residences , to discuss his lifelong path in hospitality and residential real estate, from childhood work in the family business to leading a five-generation legacy. Korman explains how his father’s pie-shaped Philadelphia apartments sparked the furnished-apartment concept, later branded as Korman Suites, and how Larry and his brother built Korman Communities and evolved the model into luxury hotel residences under AKA, now spanning 16 properties over 22 years. He shares formative training in England, insights from Japanese hospitality, and a leadership philosophy centered on earning respect by doing frontline work, supporting teams and staying on property. Korman details AKA’s partnership with Airbnb that helped shape Airbnb Luxe, a strategy of optimizing cash flow, and plans to repurpose iconic hotels, expand in Florida, and grow globally with a strong health and wellness focus. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:31 Sponsor Lodgify 01:34 Meet Larry Korman 02:03 Early Hospitality Roots 02:57 Five Generation Legacy 04:11 Birth of Furnished Stays 04:51 Branding Korman Suites 07:03 Design Passion Duke Days 08:17 Old School Training 09:28 Japan Hospitality Lessons 12:27 Earning Team Respect 15:21 COVID Leadership Onsite 16:29 Synergy And Marketing 20:31 Why Residences Win 23:14 Airbnb Luxe Partnership 27:07 Scaling AKA And Ave 30:03 Collaboration Culture 30:49 Leading Without Dashboards 31:28 On Site Hospitality 32:29 Home Away From Home 33:36 Brother Partnership Split 35:28 Growth Through Repurposing 38:34 Miami Florida Expansion 40:01 Global Wellness Vision 43:08 Hospitality Role Models 45:30 Keeping Teams Loyal 49:33 Advice To Younger Self 50:54 Wrap Up Sponsor Biscayne Coffee