In this special collaborative episode of The Modern Hotelier, recorded at the Hunter Conference with Josiah McKenzie of Hospitality Daily, we share a compelling conversation with Azim Saju, CEO of ARK Holdings.

Azim discusses his multi-faceted role in hospitality—from hotel ownership and third-party management to development, acquisitions, and renovations—and unpacks how culture, financial literacy, and technology are reshaping modern hotel operations.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How ARK Holdings operates across management, acquisitions, development, and renovations
• Why increasing financial literacy among frontline staff (including housekeepers and breakfast attendants) directly impacts hotel performance and valuation
• How teaching team members, the “life cycle of a hotel” improves both business outcomes and personal financial well-being
• The critical role of forecasting and labor modeling in driving profitability and long-term asset value
• How culture and growth reinforce each other as a competitive advantage at ARK

This episode highlights a powerful shift in hospitality: moving from pure cost optimization toward education, empowerment, and long-term value creation.

Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qrF6xn9XJIA

Links:
Azim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azimsaju/
ARK Holdings: http://arkhospitality.com/

Josiah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josiahmackenzie/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/277

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-..

Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page

Connect with Steve and David:
Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...
David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.

In this episode, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Roman Pedan, the founder and CEO of Kasa, to discuss the future of hospitality, the role of AI in hotel operations, and how technology is reshaping the guest experience.

Roman shares his journey from immigrating to the United States from Ukraine to studying at the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University, before building one of the hospitality industry’s most innovative tech-enabled brands. He dives into the inspiration behind Kasa, lessons learned from private equity at KKR and Walton Street Capital, and why he believes hospitality operators need tighter integration between technology and operations.

The conversation explores:

• How AI is transforming hospitality operations and guest communication
• The future of apartment hotels and flexible real estate
• Why traditional hotel tech stacks are broken
• The importance of balancing automation with human hospitality
• Kasa’s acquisition of Mint House and the company’s rapid growth

If you're interested in hospitality innovation, hotel operations, real estate, or the future of travel technology, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/n-j4XSvUyLA

Links:
Roman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roman-pedan/
Kasa: https://kasa.com/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/276

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-..

Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page

Connect with Steve and David:
Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...
David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.

In this episode, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Maura Zambarano, President of Mattress Concierge, for an honest and wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship, resilience, and the evolving role of sleep in hospitality.

From a lightning-round icebreaker revealing Maura’s calm-inducing superpower to a deeply personal story of unexpectedly taking over a company after tragedy, this episode explores how life experience, adaptability, and customer obsession can shape leadership in powerful ways.

Maura shares her unconventional journey—from studying economics at Colorado State after a last-minute major switch, to grassroots sales launching a sauce business out of a converted Airstream, to building a career in senior living and ultimately stepping into the hospitality world through Mattress Concierge. She also dives into what makes boutique hospitality unique and why sleep has become one of the most overlooked yet critical components of the guest experience.

The conversation highlights how boutique hotels are redefining comfort, why mattresses are a strategic investment rather than just a cost, and how personalization and wellness trends are shaping the future of hotel stays.

In this episode you’ll discover:

• How Maura Zambarano unexpectedly became President of Mattress Concierge and rebuilt a company from the ground up
• Why sleep is one of the most undervalued drivers of guest satisfaction in hospitality
• What boutique hotels are getting right (and wrong) about the guest experience
• The future of personalized sleep experiences in hotels, from pillow menus to wellness-focused rooms
• Why durability and design matter more than ever when selecting hotel mattresses

Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2OX8QmpMmIw

This episode is sponsored by Mattress Concierge: https://www.mattressconcierge.com/

Links:
Maura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maura-zambarano-95403911/

Mattress Concierge: https://www.mattressconcierge.com/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/275

Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-..

Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page

Connect with Steve and David:
Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...
David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.