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Hospitality’s latest puzzle? Making smarter bets when everything costs more. Managing inflation takes more than hunting for the lowest number—it means looking beyond the price tag and balancing “What could this be?” with “What can we afford to repeat?”
This week, we look at how that thinking plays out in procurement and operations, where lower costs can boost EBITDA—and, ultimately, asset value. A few strategic decisions can add up to a much bigger win.
And in your inbox tomorrow: A Mint Pillow Q&A with Porcelain Collective founder and creative director Jessica Gidari, who shares why the guest moments worth investing in aren’t always the ones guests see, but the ones they feel.
QUICK CLICKS
A better talent pipeline. Here’s a refreshingly tangible way to invest in the next generation of hotel talent: paid internships with access to hotel operations. Swissôtel Chicago is working with the All Stars Project of Chicago to give young people six weeks of hands-on experience across the property, guided by mentorship.
So you want to buy a hotel. She Has a Deal is taking hotel ownership out of the “someday” bucket and putting it into a five-day intensive at a boutique hotel in California wine country. The small, women-only cohort gets hands-on with deal analysis and ownership strategy, then leaves with a personalized roadmap—and potentially a path to pitching for up to $1 million.
Consider your feed curated. Holly Phillips rounded up 23 hospitality podcasts for anyone who’d rather hear what the industry is thinking than wait for the next conference panel. Save the list now; your next long drive just found its agenda.
You'll have the time of your life—again. The Catskills resort that helped inspire “Dirty Dancing” is getting another shot at the spotlight. PPG Development plans to turn the long-vacant Grossinger’s site into a year-round luxury resort and residential destination, with the first phase bringing a new hotel and cottages back to the property.
Hotel etiquette, anyone? Lufthansa just turned the unwritten rules of flying into merch, complete with opinions on middle-seat armrests, responsible reclining and the great post-landing scramble. This raises an obvious question for hoteliers: what would make the cut if we put hotel etiquette on a hoodie?
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SPACE & DESIGN
Urban Cowboy Denver guestroom. (Courtesy)
A mansion with moxie
Urban Cowboy Denver gives a historic 1880s mansion a decidedly modern dose of personality. Original oak floors with geometric parquet borders and elaborate plaster moldings are complemented by found objects and hand-picked antiques, including Louis XIII poofs and settees from Sweden. Each of the 16 suites has its own look, anchored by a handmade copper soaking tub.
Why it matters: The property is a compelling reminder that preservation can leave plenty of room for personality. The spaces feel considered but not overly coordinated, approached more like a collage than a matching set. That sensibility gives the historic property room to retain its quirks while the furnishings add a layer of discovery from room to room. (Modern Luxury)
TECHNOLOGY
Tech spending that earns its keep
A hotel in downtown San Jose saved almost $600,000 in electricity costs over two years by cutting guestroom HVAC runtime by 48%. The bigger surprise? The property also increased its asset value by $2.5 million. For owners looking at tech through a revenue lens, those numbers deserve a closer look.
Why it matters: Technology can do more than trim an expense line. When lower operating costs flow through to EBITDA, they can have a direct effect on what an asset is worth. And when workforce tools help managers spot labor risk before it becomes a payroll hit, the financial upside gets even more interesting. (Hospitality Investor)
REVENUE & INVESTMENTS
When costs rise, our instinct is often straightforward: negotiate harder, find an alternative, get a lower price. And those are all reasonable responses. But managing inflation requires more than finding something cheaper.”
Keep more of the margin
Say the market moves 5%. Does your P&L have to move 5% too? Not necessarily. Savvy negotiation can trim the supplier increase, while sharper operations can recover more ground—turning a 5% market hit into a 2% P&L impact.
Why it matters: Protecting margin can come down to what happens between the supplier quote and the bottom line. “Price matters,” says Preston. “But price isn’t the same thing as cost.” A lower purchase price can still cost more if the product creates extra work or delivers poorer yield, so looking at the full cost gives you a better read on where your money is really going. (Visible by Design)
GUEST EXPERIENCE
What are you willing to lose?
Every hotel has a moment when the question changes from “What could this be?” to “What can we afford to repeat?” That tension sits at the heart of boutique hospitality, where the things guests love most are often the hardest to standardize. The danger isn’t that a hotel suddenly becomes generic; it’s that a series of perfectly reasonable decisions slowly erodes what made the place special.
Why it matters: Independent hoteliers live much closer to that original spark. You can still make a decision because it feels right for the property rather than because it fits a system built somewhere else. As you grow, the better question may be less about what can be replicated and more about what should remain specific to your hotel, your town and your guests. (Precursor Hospitality)
POLL
When demand spikes, are you capping rate surges to keep regulars happy or seeking maximum revenue?
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Mint Pillow is curated and written by Jennifer Glatt and edited by Bianca Prieto.
