Hospitality at Work, a new podcast sponsored by Xclusive Services, brings together leaders from across the hospitality industry for candid conversations about how they build, lead, and motivate the teams that bring the guest experience to life.
These discussions reach beyond any single approach to hospitality leadership. What works for one property, market, or organization may not work for another. But every hospitality organization ultimately depends on the people who can deliver the experience it has promised its guests.
Hospitality at Work is about the leaders responsible for making it happen. These leaders have stories to share, insights to offer, and perspectives worth considering.
Hotel leaders are balancing changing guest expectations, labor challenges, operating costs, technology, property standards, and the constant demands of running a successful operation. Hosted by James Krouse, the podcast explores the decisions those leaders make every day, from developing employees and creating strong property cultures to navigating workforce challenges and changing operating demands.
Each conversation draws on the experience of people who have built careers in hospitality and understand what it takes to lead the teams behind the guest experience. Together, their stories offer a practical look at hospitality leadership from the people doing the work.
Listen or watch below!
The Hospitality at Work Podcast explores the people, practices, and leadership decisions behind exceptional guest experiences. Through conversations with hospitality leaders, host James Krouse examines what it takes to hire, manage, motivate, and retain the property-level teams that keep hotels, resorts, casinos, and other hospitality venues running.
Each episode offers a practical look at the workforce challenges shaping the industry, from changing employee expectations and seasonal demand to training, culture, retention, and operational readiness. Brought to you by Xclusive Services, Hospitality at Work shares the experiences and ideas of leaders who understand that great hospitality begins with the people delivering it.
In the inaugural episode of Hospitality at Work, host James Krouse speaks with Justin Bell, General Manager of the Residence Inn by Marriott Dallas Grand Prairie, about what it takes to build a property-level team capable of delivering a consistently strong guest experience. Justin shares how his team established a clear vision for the hotel, hired for attitude and fit rather than hospitality experience alone, and invested in training employees to deliver the kind of service the property wanted to be known for.
The conversation also explores how honest communication, cross-training, and genuine concern for employees have helped the hotel maintain remarkably low turnover while remaining prepared for seasonal demand and unexpected staffing challenges. From understanding employees’ family responsibilities to empowering team members to solve problems themselves, Justin explains why taking care of the guest begins with a simple but often overlooked principle: treat the people behind the property like people.
