What do guests expect in 2026? Is AI overhyped? How do you earn more 5 star reviews?
Hospitality Matters with Frank tackles the questions hospitality leaders are really asking. In each episode, Frank van den Berg sits down with experts from across the sector for honest conversations about guest experience, operations, technology, and what is actually working on the ground today.
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Hospitality Matters with Frank is brought to you by Runnr.ai. Have suggestions for future guests? Get in touch with Frank on LinkedIn.
Why Most Hotel Tech Fails Before It Even Gets Started
Getting hotel technology to actually work across multiple properties, with teams who have different skill levels and preferences, is harder than most tech vendors admit.
Victor Tofan joined the hospitality sector back in 2002 when hotels were run with a reservation book and a fax machine. Today he serves as Director of Customer Solutions at Cloudbeds and also manages properties in Europe and Latin America. That combination gives him a unique perspective on the impact of tech in hotels on the ground.
In this episode, he and host Frank van den Berg get into how technology gives hotel teams the time to provide real hospitality instead of staring at screens all day. They discuss managing internal resistance to new tools, using ‘hyperdistribution’ to capture direct bookings and what AI means for hospitality jobs.
If you want to continue the conversation, connect with Frank and Victor on LinkedIn:
Frank van den Berg (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fvdberg1/)
Victor Tofan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/victortofan/)
13 May 2026
How To Create 5-Star Experiences At Every Guest Touchpoint
Have you ever been a guest at the property you operate? If not, you're missing the most honest review on what’s working for guests, and what isn’t.
That's just one of the pieces of advice that Danica Smith of MorningStar GX shares with Frank van den Berg. Together, they unpack what really makes a guest experience worth a 5-star review, and the hidden costs of having too many disconnected tools.
Danica has spent her 15-year career addressing this gap between what hotels provide and what guests expect. Today, she advises hotels on how to turn data into actions that improve the guest experience, and helps tech vendors build the solutions hotels actually need.
If you want to continue the conversation, connect with Frank and Danica on LinkedIn:
Frank van den Berg (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fvdberg1/)
Danica Smith (https://www.linkedin.com/in/danicaleesmith/)
8 Apr 2026
Three Steps Every Hotel Should Take Before Adopting New Tech
Hotels can often feel pressure to adopt the latest tech, without first asking themselves: do we really need this? And what impact will it actually have for our guests and teams?
In this episode, Frank van den Berg sits down with Eddie Ignatius of Dubai-based TIME Hotels, to talk about why a 9 out of 10 guest score can be just as dangerous as a bad one, and how they dig deep into guest feedback to find what really needs fixing.
Eddie has been with TIME Hotels since the very beginning in 2012, so he knows better than most which new and exciting tech has delivered over the years, and which hasn't. He shares insights from his experience and walks through his three-step approach to technology adoption: building the business case, determining where the existing systems are truly failing, and making sure any new solution can flex to the needs of individual properties.
If you want to continue the conversation, connect with Frank and Eddie on LinkedIn:
Frank van den Berg (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fvdberg1/)
Eddie Ignatius (https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddie-i-02382117/)
11 Mar 2026
Is WhatsApp the Future of Guest Communication at Holiday Parks?
Not so long ago, holiday park guests would phone or walk to reception if they had a question. Today, they send a quick WhatsApp message. But with guest queries on the rise, many holiday parks are struggling to keep up.
In this episode, Frank van den Berg sits down with Filiz Yogurtcu and Kilian Gorczynski from Center Parcs Allgäu to talk about what guests expect in 2026, why holiday parks receive so many more questions than hotels, and how their central office now handles up to 40,000 WhatsApp messages a month.
Having both joined the park soon after it opened, Filiz and Kilian bring first-hand experience of how guest preferences have changed and how front desk operations have had to evolve to keep up. They also share practical advice on implementing new technology while making sure the human touch is never lost.
If you want to continue the conversation, connect with Frank, Filiz, and Kilian on LinkedIn:
Frank van den Berg (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fvdberg1/)
Filiz Yogurtcu (https://www.linkedin.com/in/filiz-yogurtcu-997106204/)
Kilian Gorczynski (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kilian-g-4a9424333/)
18 Feb 2026
How to Automate Pricing Without Losing Control
Manually setting room prices is time-consuming and leaves revenue on the table, yet many independent hotels are still hesitant to automate it.
In this episode, Frank van den Berg chats with Leon Pijpers, CCO of RoomPriceGenie, about how revenue management has changed over the past decade and how hotels of all sizes can introduce dynamic pricing while staying fully in control of their pricing strategy.
Having worked with hundreds of independent hotels, Leon shares practical tips on how hotels can choose the right tools for their specific needs and explains why there is no one size fits all solution.
If you want to continue the conversation, connect with Frank and Leon on LinkedIn:
Frank van den Berg (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fvdberg1/)
Leon Pijpers (https://www.linkedin.com/in/leon-pijpers/)
4 Feb 2026
Why AI Is the Key to More Human Hospitality
Hotels have invested heavily in technology in recent years, yet many guest experiences still feel slow, awkward, and impersonal.
In this episode, Frank van den Berg sits down with Matthijs Welle, CEO of Mews, to talk about where many hotels go wrong and how technology can be used to deliver more human-centric experiences, while freeing up time for staff to spend with guests.
After spending almost a decade working in Hilton hotels, Matthijs knows first-hand the operational challenges hotel teams face. Combined with his experience building Mews since 2013, he has a true understanding of what it really takes to implement new technology in hospitality.
If you want to continue the conversation, connect with Frank and Matthijs on LinkedIn:
Frank van den Berg (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fvdberg1/)
Matthijs Welle (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthijswelle/)
21 Jan 2026
Taking a Guest-First Approach to Front Office Operations
Guest expectations are changing fast. What does that mean for accommodation providers, and how can teams meet those expectations without putting extra pressure on front office staff or hiring more people?
In this episode, Frank van den Berg sits down with Michiel de Vor to talk about how guest expectations have changed, why he founded Runnr.ai, and the importance of taking a guest-first approach to front office operations.
With more than a decade of experience working with accommodation providers, including time at Booking.com and Briq Bookings, Michiel shares what he has seen at scale and the challenges teams face when trying to deliver timely, personalised guest communication.
If you want to continue the conversation, connect with Frank and Michiel on LinkedIn:
Frank van den Berg (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fvdberg1/)
Michiel de Vor (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michiel-de-vor/)
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