We’re back with this month’s edition of The Hospitality Mentor newsletter, highlighting hospitality trends and happenings like TV shows inspiring your next trip, a craft mango liqueur that will give your cocktails authentic Florida flair, and our first-ever networking event hosted by The Hospitality Mentor.

We’re still scouting locations, so let me know if you have a venue recommendation for this first meetup!

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☕️ This issue is brought to you by Biscayne Coffee, delicious coffee roasted in Miami with the mission of saving Biscayne Bay. Use promo code MENTOR for 10% off your order at checkout. Don’t forget – we always donate 10% of your purchase to Biscayne Bay Foundation to help preserve the bay. ☕️

🛎 What's Hot in Hospitality

Be careful what you watch. It just may inspire your next vacation. Conde Nast Traveller has deemed “set-jetting” (a play on the word jet-setting that describes booking a trip to a destination you saw on TV) one of the biggest travel trends of 2023, and an Expedia report showed that 39% of travelers have booked trips to destinations after seeing them on streamed shows or movies.

Lord of the Rings fans have been known to flock to New Zealand, but lately hit TV shows are also inspiring glamorous French getaways thanks to Emily in Paris, trips to Bath for a taste of Bridgerton, and cruise excursions to England’s Highclere Castle, the backdrop of Downton Abbey. Google searches for Sicily spiked after Season 2 of “White Lotus” aired, and so did website traffic to the Four Seasons hotel that starred in the series, according to Travel Weekly. For whichever Thailand property gets the honor of being the host hotel for next season, The Points Guy called it “the hotel industry’s equivalent of landing the Summer Olympics.”

We can’t all be lucky enough to have hit TV series filmed on property (though if you’re ever presented with the opportunity, I say take it!), but all of our guests are social media stars of their own these days (just look at how many people are creating cinematic Wes Anderson-style TikToks of their daily life). Travelers love nothing more than to share their escapades with friends and followers online, so as hoteliers, we should make sure we’re giving our guests a reason to post about their stay by offering memorable (and Instagrammable) experiences.

Here are 3 ways to generate social media buzz for your hotel, à la Emily in Paris:

Tip 1: Create Spaces and Experiences
Design and curate spaces within your hotel that are visually appealing and have a unique charm, giving your guests the perfect backdrop for their social media posts. Additionally, offer immersive experiences like themed events, workshops, or local tours that can be shared online, showcasing your hotel as a one-of-a-kind destination.

Tip 2: Collaborate with Influencers and Content Creators
Partner with influencers and content creators to promote your hotel and its offerings. By inviting them for a stay or hosting special events, you can tap into their audience, showcasing your hotel's unique features and experiences. This will generate buzz and potentially drive more bookings from travelers inspired by the content.

Tip 3: Leverage User-Generated Content and Social Media
Encourage your guests to share their experiences by creating a specific hashtag for your hotel and promoting it throughout their stay. Feature the best user-generated content on your hotel's social media channels, website, or even in physical displays on the property. This not only showcases your hotel through the eyes of your guests, but also helps build a sense of community and connection with your brand.

🍸 What I'm Sipping

J.F. Haden's Mango Liqueur is a small-batch craft liqueur made in Florida with 100% real mangoes, giving any cocktail an irresistible burst of tropical flavor that will transport your guest to Miami’s sun-soaked beaches with every sip. Known as America’s craft liqueur company, J.F. Haden also produces artisanal lychee, citrus, and espresso flavors, and the brand name comes from the story of how Florida mangoes evolved from the Mulgoba fruits that were first brought by the Haden family to South Florida from India in the early 1900s.

The vibrant and authentic mango taste opens up endless creative possibilities for your mixologists to whip up innovative tropical-inspired concoctions, from refreshing margaritas to a sophisticated spritz. I’ve introduced it at Miami hotel bar programs I worked with as a way to give guests an authentic taste of Miami with a locally produced liqueur.

We previously had J.F. Haden's CEO Buzzy Sklar on The Hospitality Mentor podcast and chatted with him about how he was inspired to launch a craft mango liqueur and open Tropical Distillers in Miami, where you can sip on cocktails made with J.F. Haden's craft liqueurs. To hear more, listen here.

📝 What I'm Working On

I love connecting with everyone in the hospitality community on social media, through the podcast, and in your inboxes. But it’s time to meet up in real life! I'm excited to share that I'm organizing my first Hospitality Networking Event here in Miami to bring together hospitality leaders of all levels, from any sector in the hospitality industry – cruising, hotels, vacation rentals, restaurants and beyond.

Don’t think of this as your typical networking event that’s exclusive to GMs. By offering a space for leaders from all areas of hospitality to meet and connect, we’re hoping to foster better cross-sector collaboration and give hospitality professionals an opportunity to connect and learn from each other’s experiences. 

Our goal is that you’ll walk away with valuable insights into the unique challenges and opportunities faced by each area of the hospitality industry, and find ways to leverage this knowledge to enhance your own operations. You can join us to expand your professional network, build meaningful connections, and forge partnerships that can drive innovation across the industry.

We’re still scouting locations for our first meetup. Where do you think we should go? If you have a venue recommendation or your property is interested in partnering, email me at Steve@TurkHV.com. 

💭 What I'm Inspired By

I finished watching The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy, an Apple TV+ series where the “Schitt’s Creek” star visits some of the world’s most remarkable destinations, from Costa Rica to the Maldives to South Africa – even though he’s an anxious traveler. He finds himself adventure ice fishing in Finland, journeying into the jungle and more, all while visiting stunning hotels. It inspired me to seek some adventure here in South Florida, so my family and I made a trip out to the Everglades and took an airboat tour (my first time ever!). Now I’m ready for my own travel adventure, but Eugene Levy-style – it has to be paired with a top-notch luxury hotel that will provide the ultimate comfort to guests in the midst of these exotic locations.

Hospitality friends – think about what opportunities might lie within your hotel’s own backyard. Our local attractions can be easy to overlook or take for granted, but we can take advantage by partnering with tour operators or area attractions and designing adventure packages to attract guests.

And if you’re looking for your own taste of adventure, check out this list of the top 10 luxury adventure hotels in the world on The Hospitality Mentor.

🎙 Listen: The Podcast

In our latest podcast interview compilations, you can hear from Top Restaurateurs (Memphis Garrett, Donatella Arpaia, Matt Dinkell and Jennifer Kaminski) as they share the savory stories of their success, as well as a mashup of past guests who are Vacation Rental Trailblazers (Nick Falcone, Victor Feria, Steph Farr and Jeremy Gall) that’s out this week. These industry insiders will give you the keys to success by sharing their vacation rental victories and best practices.

Plus, coming out later this month, tune into upcoming episodes as I chat with Kathleen and Amy Smith, owners of the historic Saratoga Arms Hotel in Saratoga Springs, and Joey Simons, CEO of Montclair Hospitality Group.

🎥 Watch: On YouTube

Tune into new episodes of The Hospitality Minute for a look at the latest hospitality trends in 60 seconds! We’re highlighting trends shaping the hospitality sector and delivering essential insights into the industry's ever-changing landscape.

So far we’ve covered:

• The Future of Luxury Living: Unveiling Hospitality-Branded Residence Condos

• The Essential Ingredient for Miami's Top Membership Clubs’ Success

• What Is Culinary Tourism And How Can You Participate?

If you’ve read this far, send me a short reply and let me know what you enjoyed most from this newsletter. See you again in June!