Hospitality podcasts are a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of the industry. Podcasts are an ideal way to stay up to date with the latest industry news and explore relevant topics in depth. Because they’re an audio medium, they easily fit into your busy day. In this article, you’ll discover 23 excellent hospitality podcasts to enjoy.

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What Is the Hospitality Industry?

Hospitality podcasts reflect what’s going on in the hospitality industry. Before discussing hospitality podcasts, it’s useful to consider the industry and what it involves. Hospitality is a huge subsection of the wider service industry.

Hospitality as an industry is concerned with four general areas: Food and beverage services, such as restaurants and cafes; travel and tourism, which includes travel agencies and transportation; accommodation or lodging, which includes the hotel industry and other accommodation providers; and recreation, which covers entertainment, sports and various forms of recreation.

The hospitality industry is a significant economic force, generating massive revenue and providing countless jobs at all levels. Despite its size and significance, the hospitality industry is easily affected by external forces.

Factors impacting the hospitality industry include the health of the wider economy, changes in travel and leisure preferences, and advances in technology. For an in-depth look at the hospitality industry, read “Hospitality Industry: The No. 1 Hospitality Information Guide!”

What Is a Hospitality Podcast?

A hospitality podcast is an audio program that covers some aspects of hospitality, such as the restaurant industry. You can think of podcasts as radio shows distributed via the internet. They can be instructive and entertaining and are perfect for busy professionals who don’t have time to watch videos or wade through the trade press.

The medium has exploded in recent years, with many experts in the industry jumping in to make their podcasts on hospitality topics. Podcasts offer a wealth of information on topics relating to the hospitality sector from all kinds of contributors.

Why Is It Beneficial to Follow Hospitality Podcasts?

Hospitality podcasts are a great way to stay current with the latest trends. Unsurprisingly, podcasts are becoming an increasingly popular way for people in the industry to keep up with news and innovations. You can listen to a podcast in your car while working, exercising, or doing chores.

This is great news for hoteliers and other industry professionals, who can gain useful information without taking time out of their increasingly busy schedules. Another benefit of podcasts is the range of topics and regions represented. Podcasts often cover themes that are too niche for mainstream media.

22 Excellent Hospitality Podcasts Every Hospitality Professional Should Know About

In this section, you’ll discover some of the top hospitality podcasts, what they cover, and why you should consider following them. Whether you’re a hotel owner, a restaurant manager, or a property investor, this list has a podcast for you.

General Hospitality Podcasts

The hospitality podcasts selected below cover a wide range of topics of the entire hospitality industry, so they provide more general information on trends, marketing technolgoy and strategies for professionals.

All in the Industry

Presented by Shari Bayer, the founder and president of Bayer Public Relations, All in the Industry is a hospitality podcast with a wide-ranging scope. Through conversations with experienced professionals from across the industry, Shari provides in-depth information about everything from hotel operations to the latest marketing trends.

There are also quizzes, games, PR tips, and lively discussions of current events. Each episode of the podcast ends with Shari inviting her guest to contribute a burning question they have for the guest appearing on the next episode.

   

Hospitality Hangout

One of the most entertaining hospitality podcasts around, Hospitality Hangout is hosted by two engaging personalities: Michael Schatzberg (known as “The Restaurant Guy”) and Jimmy Frischling (known as “The Finance Guy”). Both have more than 25 years of experience in their respective fields and share their unique insights.

In addition to discussing their own areas of expertise, the hosts speak to guests on the show, discussing topics ranging from business ownership and the most exciting trends in hospitality, to the latest technology and innovations.

     

Video: The Hospitality Hangout

Hospitality FM

Hospitality FM is a network of podcasts from around the hospitality industry. These podcasts dive into technology, food and beverages, hospitality management, diversity and inclusion, and guest experiences. The network originally began as a single podcast hosted by founder Wil Slickers, steadily developing and growing to become a stable for all kinds of hospitality-related audio.

Podcasts within the network include The Fearless Investor, aimed at those investing in the hospitality sector. Better Events, an event management-focused show, and Principle of Hospitality, which delves into the meaning of hospitality as a service.

SMACK Podcast

The SMACK Podcast is one of the most entertaining hospitality podcasts around, adopting an unscripted approach to conversations with some of the most successful professionals working in the field. Episodes typically feature a single guest, who engages in a flowing conversation that is recorded in one take.

The choice of guests on the podcast is varied, including founders, CEOs, directors and other senior professionals from across the hospitality industry. Guests are specifically selected to try to provide listeners with unique insights and stories that have not previously been told on the podcast, keeping every episode fresh.

     

Video: SMACK Hospitality Season 5 Intro

How Great Events Happen

Created by Cvent, this hospitality podcast focuses on the world of event planning. Hosted by senior marketing manager Brooke Gracey and senior event planner Cody Liskh, each episode features a guest from the world of event planning and organizing.

Listeners will hear about all the latest trends in the world of events, important new regulations for the industry, and a range of actionable real-world advice for event planners. Every episode is accompanied by supplementary resources, including bonus content, training tools for planners, and downloadable materials. How Great Events Happen is ideal for event planners who want a big-picture view of the industry.

     

Video: Waste Free Events

Hospitality Forward

The Hospitality Forward podcast targets professionals in the travel and hospitality spaces. It’s focused on PR, marketing and other issues relating to media attention. Hosted by PR professional Hanna Lee, and food and beverage writer Michael Ansending, Hospitality Forward aims to help listeners garner more media attention for their businesses.

The show’s lineup features major players in the media, including journalists attached to big-name publications: Esquire, Condé Nast Traveler and Fortune, to name but a few. Each episode provides listeners with insider tips and advice on topics such as media interviews and creating compelling narratives that attract media attention.

   

Video: Hospitality Forward Episode #21

Hospitality Design Podcast

Hosted by industry professional Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, the editor-in-chief of Hospitality Design Magazine, the Hospitality Design Podcast aims to explore the complex world of hospitality design. Speaking to industry professionals from various sectors, from architecture and interior design to hotel development, the podcast takes an in-depth look at all the many aspects of design in the realm of hospitality.

Listeners will gain important insights into the latest design trends, how technology is changing the hospitality landscape, and how excellence in design can optimize guest experiences. The podcast is especially focused on creativity, innovation, and sustainable design.

     

Hospitality Podcasts Focusing on Hotel Industry

Below are a selection of hospitality podcasts that delve deeper into the trends and topics of the hotel industry .

The Modern Hotelier

The Modern Hotelier is an engaging and informative podcast aimed at professionals in the hotel industry. It’s hosted by David Millili, the CEO of LodgeIQ, and hotel technology expert Steve Carran.

Every episode features experts from across the accommodation sector, discussing topics such as “The future of hotels and events in the metaverse,” “Empowering independent resorts,” and “Creating revenue through technology.” Covering everything from modern hotel operations to the power of storytelling in marketing, this podcast has something to interest anyone in the hotel business.

   

Video: The Modern Hotelier Trailer

Lodging Leaders

Focused primarily on the hotel industry, Lodging Leaders is a weekly show that looks at issues, trends, and current events that are impacting the modern hospitality industry. A range of different guests joins Jon Albano and Judy Maxwell to discuss topics such as hotel marketing, the rise in conversions versus new builds, and senior living as an opportunity for hospitality companies.

The podcast has closed captions and an expanded multimedia report for each episode, including transcriptions that listeners can download. Lodging Leaders is a long-running podcast with multiple awards to its credit.

 

HospitalityMD

Every week, HospitalityMD shares outstanding stories from professionals in the hospitality and accommodation sectors. The stories are varied and individual but are united by a common theme: “hospitality in action.”

Each inspirational tale comes from an individual who works in the hospitality industry, representing a diverse range of professional levels and backgrounds, with input from around the world. This format makes for a show that listeners have praised for its passion and authenticity. Listeners can gain inspiration and ideas, learn about different aspects of the hotel industry, and benefit from global insights.

   

Video: Laura Lee Blake, President & CEO of AAHOA

Marriott’s Travel by Design

Produced by Marriott Traveler, Travel by Design is a look into the topic of hotel design. It’s an audio re-imagining of the popular Travel by Design style blog. In each episode, Traveler’s editor-in-chief Marc Graser and Marriott’s global design manager Megan Nadolski introduce a specific theme connected with Marriott Hotels’ design decisions.

Topics include airport hotel design, luxury overwater villas in the Maldives, and the design details of the Matild Palace Hotel in Budapest. Every episode features input from Marriott’s in-house design teams and professionals from outside the company. Travel by Design offers a fascinating look at a neglected topic.

   

Video: Uncover the Stories Travel by Design

Checking In with Rosanna Caira

Rosanna Caira is the editor and publisher of two magazines, “Foodservice and Hospitality” and “Hotelier,” and has an impressive list of accomplishments. She co-founded the Women in Tourism and Hospitality Summit. In “Checking In…” she meets with business leaders from the hotel industry to discuss the hospitality landscape.

Listeners can discover how industry leaders are thriving in the world of modern hotels, discussing topics that range from property development to training and education for careers in the industry. Insightful and intriguing, it’s a fascinating podcast for listeners who want to advance in the hotel industry.

 

Hotel Insights by eHotelier

The name eHotelier should be familiar to many in the hotel business — they’re the world’s premier provider of online education for the hotel industry, providing over 200 courses and 15 certifications for professionals in the sector. Hotel Insights is their flagship podcast, aiming to cover all the most crucial aspects of hotel and hospitality management, including the most challenging issues confronting hoteliers today.

The podcast covers a wide range of key topics, including operations management, hospitality marketing, leadership, human resources, finance and more. A diverse lineup of guests from across the hotel industry answer questions and provide valuable experience-based insights in every episode.

   

Find More Hotel Podcasts

You’ll discover the most popular and celebrated podcasts for the accommodation sector, with programs covering a range of topics from resort management to hotel restaurant marketing.

With hosts from all over the hotel industry interviewing thought leaders, industry professionals and leading lights in hotel media, there’s sure to be a podcast that will intrigue you. Read “Hotel Podcasts; Top Podcasts for Hotel Managers & Executives” to find out about the shows you just can’t miss.

Hospitality Podcasts Focusing on the Restaurants & Cafes

Below is a selection of hospitality podcasts that focus on the restaurant, food and beverage sector, as well as cafes.

Restaurant Strategy Podcast

As the name indicates, Restaurant Strategy is one of the ideal hospitality podcasts to listen to if you are specifically interested in the restaurant industry. New episodes are released on a weekly basis, and the host of the show is Chip Klose, a restaurant coach based out of New York City.

Chip Klose brings extensive experience to the show, having opened Michelin-starred restaurants and having worked with world-class chefs. Episodes jump between interview and monologue formats. A major point of focus for the podcast is providing insights on making a restaurant business profitable in the modern age.

     

Restaurant Prosperity Formula

Another example of a restaurant-centric hospitality podcast, Restaurant Prosperity Formula, is hosted by David Scott Peters, who made his name by coaching restaurant owners to success. The episodes vary from interviews to stories to more overt restaurant management lessons, with plenty of useful insights along the way.

Many episodes focus on specific topics, like mistakes restaurants make when hiring new staff or the importance of restaurant owners becoming real leaders. You will also be able to listen to practical tips, like ways to reduce food costs or how to keep labor costs under control so that you can maximize restaurant profits.

     

The Hospitality Leadership Podcast – Café Hustle Hospitality

The Hospitality Leadership Podcast is published by Cafe Hustle Hospitality. As with many of the other hospitality podcasts on this list, the format sees the host, Andy Jones, speaking with leaders and other experts from across the hospitality industry. Jones also frequently draws upon his own leadership experience.

The end result is a podcast that contains plenty of actionable tips and useful insights, which are relevant across many different fields. Guests are taken from the hotel industry, as well as from restaurants, cafes and other fields. Topics covered include effective leadership, mentorship, the guest experience, marketing and plenty more.

     

The Coffee Podcast

Cafes and coffee shops play a vital role in the hospitality industry and this helps to make The Coffee Podcast one of the most important hospitality podcasts around. The long-running series explores all aspects of coffee, from the process of making great coffee to some of the rituals and social behaviors that surround its consumption.

Early episodes were particularly focused on how to master your coffee-making skills, but the podcast has since branched out to cover much wider topics, including the coffee trade, coffee science, the impact coffee production has on the environment, coffee agriculture techniques, and the cultural aspects associated with coffee drinking.

     

Keys to the Shop

Keys to the Shop is another of the popular hospitality podcasts tackling issues related to coffee shops and similar businesses. Created by Keys to the Shop Consulting, the episodes look to provide coffee shop owners, coffee shop workers and other professionals in the industry with useful tips and inspirational stories.

The focus of this podcast is more narrowly on issues that are relevant to people working in the hospitality industry. For instance, it discusses coffee shop marketing strategies, the equipment used in coffee shops and issues like creating schedules and managing a team. Interviews with experts and thought leaders are also featured.

     

Video: Keys to the Shop Episode #435

Hospitality Podcasts Focusing on Clubs & Bars

Below is a selection of hospitality podcasts, focusing on club & bar management and topics.

Club Management Podcast

Club Management is a bi-weekly podcast, hosted by DJ and radio host, Shannon Dawson. It is one of the best hospitality podcasts for listeners who want to understand nightclubs and other nightlife venues that form part of hospitality.

Shannon Dawson uses her platform to shine a light on stories from nightlife venues, musicians and DJs. In particular, the podcast takes a look at the ways that music and music venues help to shape the communities they are in. A variety of guests appear on the show along the way, helping to keep the content fresh and engaging.

     

The History of the World’s Greatest Nightclubs

Another hospitality podcast focused on the nightclub industry, the History of the World’s Greatest Nightclubs is a 12-part podcast series, which is hosted by American singer, songwriter, DJ and producer, Ultra Naté. The podcast is executive produced by Paris Hilton as part of a collaboration with London Audio and iHeartRadio.

Each episode takes a look at the history of a specific nightclub, with examples from the United States, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Nigeria. In each case, the podcast explores the impact the nightclub had on the local community and the ways these clubs have helped to popularize new genres of music.

     

Video: The History of the World’s Greatest Nightclubs Trailer

The Bar Business Podcast

The Bar Business Podcast is among the very best hospitality podcasts for anyone running or managing a bar or similar business. Hosted by Chris Schneider, who has been working in the industry for more than 30 years, the episodes explore almost all avenues relevant to achieving success with bar ownership.

Do you want to learn some useful marketing strategies? Are you interested in tips on how to boost employee morale, or how to create a great bar menu? Maybe you want to know more about successful pricing strategies, or perhaps your interest is more related to bar design. The great news is, you will find episodes covering all of these topics and more.

   

The RealBarman Podcast

If you are looking for alternative hospitality podcasts that discuss bar work and management, look at the RealBarman Podcast. The podcast’s host is Dave Allred, who is also known as “The RealBarman” and he uses the podcast episodes to share his expertise, insights and experiences with listeners.

Many topics of interest are covered on the show, from how to actually land a job as a bartender to specific tips on how to do the job itself. For those working in more senior positions, you will hear great tips on managing your inventory, providing a great customer experience, or optimising other aspects of your business.

     

Video: Bartender License/Certificate: Do You Need One?

 

In this article, you’ve learned why podcasts are so popular for industry professionals and how they can benefit you. Hopefully, you’ve discovered your ideal hospitality podcast, and you’re looking forward to many hours of insight and inspiration.

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Revfine.com is a knowledge platform for the hospitality & travel industry. Professionals use our insights, strategies and actionable tips to get inspired, optimise revenue, innovate processes and improve customer experience. You can find all hotel & hospitality tips in the categories Revenue Management, Marketing & Distribution, Hotel Operations, Staffing & Career, Technology and Software.

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This article is written by:

Martijn Barten

Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I specialize in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have successfully developed, implemented, and managed revenue management and marketing strategies for individual properties and multi-property portfolios.