Can AI Make Hospitality More Human? The Future of Guest Experience with Jessie Fischer TSHS – 163

Can technology make hospitality feel more human?

That’s the question at the center of this conversation with Jessie Fischer, Founder of GuestOS.

Growing up in a family-owned hotel business at the gateway to Yosemite National Park, Jessie learned early that great hospitality isn’t about technology, amenities, or luxury. It’s about helping people navigate unfamiliar places, solving problems when things go wrong, and creating moments that guests remember long after they’ve returned home.

Today, she’s applying those lessons to build GuestOS, an AI-powered communication platform helping hotels, destinations, tourism organizations, and visitor attractions provide better information, faster responses, and more personalized experiences.

But this episode goes far beyond artificial intelligence.

Thumbnail

We explore what happens when hospitality extends beyond hotel walls, why guest experience increasingly depends on destination-wide communication, how travel is changing in the era of instant information, and why the most successful hospitality businesses of the future may be the ones that use technology to create more human connection, not less.

“The best technology gives us more time to spend with each other.”

Whether you’re a hotel leader, entrepreneur, tourism professional, startup founder, investor, or simply curious about the future of travel, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on where hospitality is headed next.

What You’ll Learn

✅ Why growing up in Yosemite shaped Jessie’s hospitality philosophy

✅ The hidden communication challenges most hotels still struggle with

✅ How AI can improve guest experience without replacing people

✅ Why destination experience is becoming more important than hotel amenities

✅ The future of hospitality during FIFA, the Olympics, and major global events

✅ Lessons from wildfires, road closures, and crisis communication

✅ What travelers actually remember from a great trip

✅ Why simplicity may be hospitality’s biggest competitive advantage

✅ How technology can help hotels focus more on people

✅ The future role of front desks, guest services, and human interaction

Connect with Jessie Fischer

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessiefischer/ 

🌐 GuestOS: https://guestos.ai

From Michelin-rated Kitchens to CEO Mindset: The Truth About Hospitality Leadership. TSHS – 161

From Michelin-rated Kitchens to CEO Mindset: The Truth About Hospitality Leadership

What does true excellence in luxury hospitality really look like behind the scenes? In this episode of the Social Hotelier Podcast, Sam Erik Ruttmann sits down with Chef Franck Desplechin to explore the realities of leadership, culture, and transformation in high-performance hospitality environments.

From Michelin-star kitchens and global luxury resorts to building his own consultancy, Franck shares powerful insights on leadership development, operational excellence, mentorship, and entrepreneurship—including why culture, not strategy, defines success, and how today’s leaders can build teams that truly deliver world-class guest experiences. Franck Desplechin is a seasoned hospitality leader, former Executive Chef, and Director of Food & Beverage with over 25 years of global experience in luxury hotels and resorts.

 

“Excellence has to become personal… without waiting for someone to tell you what to do.”

He is the founder of Incrementum, a consultancy focused on leadership development, coaching, and operational transformation in hospitality. Franck is also the author of Relentless Growth, where he distills decades of experience into a framework for personal and professional excellence. Known for his focus on culture, mentorship, and sustainable leadership, he works with organizations worldwide to elevate performance and redefine modern hospitality leadership.

✅Social and website placeholders

✅Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franck-desplechin/

📺Guest Website: https://www.cheffranck.com/

✅Host Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-erik/

🎙️Podcast Website: https://podcast.show/the_social_hotelier_show/

✍🏻Newsletter / Substack: https://substack.com/@samerikruttmann

Sponsorship Inquiries: https://b8bhospitality.com/contact-us/

✅If you’re serious about building high-performing teams and redefining excellence in hospitality, this episode is a must-watch.
👉 Subscribe for more conversations with industry leaders
👉 Comment your biggest takeaway or leadership insight below
👉 Share this episode with colleagues and professionals in hospitality

VidIQ thumbnail

Hotel Industry challenges during a pandemic! TSHS-0021

In this segment of Hospitality Talks, Sam-Erik Ruttmann and Abid Butt invited.industry professionals to discuss industry challenges in the current environment. Guests include Alex Cabanas – CEO Benchmark Global Hospitality, Dr. Erinn Tucker, PhD, MBA, MS, CDMP. – Faculty Director & Associate Professor Georgetown University and Michael Frenkel – President MFC Public Relations.

Here are the talking points of the episode, called, ¨ Industry challenges during a pandemic ¨

Dr. Erinn Tucker
Faculty Director & Associate Professor
Global Hospitality Leadership
Georgetown University

* • What can the students learn from this chapter?
* • How will the education evolve?
* • What questions have the students brought-up during this time?
* • How will the industry change with this pandemic?

Alex Cabanas
Chief Executive Officer
Benchmark Hospitality

* • What have Benchmark done to address the various stake holders, associates, guests & owners?
* • What can the industry learn from this episode in preparing the associates?
* • How do we balance the safety and the fiscal responsibility?
* • What can be done to prepare for the restart?
* • How will the industry change with this pandemic?

Michael Frenkel
President – MFC Public Relations

* • Communication is pivotal in emergency situations? What can the industry do to stay connected with all stake holders, associates, guests and owners?
* • What are the lessons learnt from communication perspective?
* • How can the industry gain consumer confidence moving forward?
* • How will the industry change with this pandemic?.