When Chet Pipkin moved from founding Belkin to creating Desolation Hotel, he brought with him a deep curiosity about how people experience the world—and a lifelong habit of solving problems through design.

In this episode, Chet shares how he and his team built Desolation Hotel to create what he calls “aha moments”—those small surprises that make a guest’s stay effortless and memorable. From EV chargers and Dyson hair dryers to stocked kitchenettes and heated floors, every detail is intentional. But what matters most isn’t the amenities themselves—it’s the way Chet thinks about hospitality: removing friction, anticipating needs, and empowering guests to have the experience they want.

If you care about designing thoughtful guest experiences, leading with authenticity, and learning how product thinking can elevate hospitality, this conversation offers powerful insight into what true care looks like in practice.

A few more resources:

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Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

Chet Pipkin, founder of Belkin and now Desolation Hotel, shares how he’s applying decades of experience in innovation and leadership to reimagine what a hospitality business can be. After growing Belkin into a global technology brand, Chet turned his attention to creating meaningful, sustainable experiences in Lake Tahoe—guided by a one-page business plan rooted in simplicity, clarity, and purpose.

In this conversation, he explains the five principles behind Desolation Hotel, how focusing first on people leads to exceptional guest experiences, and why profitability and positive impact don’t have to be at odds. Listeners will gain insight into how clarity of intent can transform both business performance and community contribution in hospitality today.

Also see:

• Why I’m Building Hotels as "Immersive Portals" - Chet Pipkin, Desolation Hotel
• Reconnecting With What Feeds the Soul - Chet Pipkin, Desolation Hotel

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

What makes someone who’s reached the highest levels of entrepreneurship and corporate leadership step into the world of hospitality? In this episode, Chet Pipkin—founder of Belkin and now Desolation Hotel—shares the experiences that shaped his vision of hotels as an "immersive portal."

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

Today we’re kicking off a new series with Chet Pipkin, founder of Belkin, who’s now building Desolation Hotel — a hospitality brand rooted in nature, balance, and meaning.

In this episode, we get into why he’s doing this work. You’ll hear how time in nature grounds him, what “feeding the soul” means in a world of constant connection, and how that personal motivation is shaping the hospitality he’s now creating in the Lake Tahoe area.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
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If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Jannes Sörensen, founder of Kepler Hotel Group and the Kepler International Hospitality Academy, shares reflections on leadership and inspiration with our innovation correspondent Matthias Huettebraeuker.

Drawing from his experience leading executive teams at the highest levels of hospitality, he reveals why the higher you rise in hospitality, the lonelier it can become, and why true leadership starts with how you lead yourself.

Jannes explains the importance of cultivating your own sources of inspiration and building teams that don’t depend solely on their leader for motivation. Listeners will come away with a more sustainable approach to leadership -- one that nurtures both individual well-being and organizational strength.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
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• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this special bonus episode, we share a recent Actabl webinar where Head of Editorial Sarah McCay Tams and Senior Vice President Lindsey Goedeker unpack the real story behind 2025 hotel performance.

>> Access the slides with data from this presentation here <<

Drawing on data from thousands of U.S. properties, they reveal how operators protected profit despite a 15% revenue shortfall, and why agile labor management became the story of the year. Lindsey also shares what this means for 2026 planning, from grounding budgets in reality to building more responsive, data-driven operations.

More:

• Slides from this presentation & access to Q3 update webinar
• HotelData.com
• Learn more about Actabl

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
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• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Jannes Sörensen, founder of Kepler Hotel Group and the Kepler International Hospitality Academy, joins our innovation correspondent Matthias Huettebraeuker to explore how hotels can design experiences that really meet guests' needs. Drawing from his background leading award-winning luxury properties such as The Beaumont in London, Jannes challenges the industry’s habit of thinking “solutions before problems.” He shares how re-centering on fundamental human needs—from rest and attention to connection and understanding—creates more meaningful, memorable stays.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
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• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this conversation, Jannes Sörensen, founder of Kepler Hotel Group and the Kepler International Hospitality Academy, shares a contrarian view of hospitality in an age of abundance with our innovation correspondent Matthias Huettebraeuker. Drawing on two decades leading some of the world’s finest hotels, Jannes shares why fulfillment for many often comes not from comfort, but from challenge, purpose, and intentional living.

Together, they discuss how luxury hospitality can evolve beyond pampering and abundance to help guests sustain meaningful routines, pursue well-being, and reconnect with what really matters. For hospitality leaders, this episode offers a thought-provoking look at how difficulty may become the next true differentiator in a world where “more” is no longer enough.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
• Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands