Hotel Moment

WITH KAREN STEPHENS

Episode 173

From concept to culture: How passion shapes hotel design & guest loyalty

Struggling to stand out in a crowded hotel market? It’s not about more rooms or more discounts. It’s about identity.

In this episode of Hotel Moment, Diego Calvo (CEO and Co-founder of Concept Hotel Group) joins Dylan Cole (Revinate’s Managing Director, EMEA) to discuss how cultural identity drives results. By building a brand guests actually want to be part of, Diego’s team sees up to 43% direct bookings — without relying on OTAs or heavy discounting.

Diego starts with the story. Music, mood, and narrative are defined before a single architect is briefed. The result? Hotels so distinct and memorable that guests search for them by name.

Diego also explores a different approach to loyalty that rewards connection over spend and community over transactions.

Listen and learn how to build a brand that guests search for my name.

Media

Why every hotel should be created with passion

Does cultural relevance drive direct bookings?

Guests notice the details

What’s it like to design a hotel?

Meet your host

Karen Stephens

As Chief Marketing Officer at Revinate, Karen is focused on driving long-term growth by building Revinate’s brand equity, product marketing, and customer acquisition strategies. Her deep connections with hospitality industry leaders play a key role in crafting strategic partnerships. Karen has more than 25 years of expertise in global hospitality technology and online distribution — including managing global accounts in travel and hospitality organizations such as Travelocity and lastminute.com

As the host of The Hotel Moment podcast, she interviews top players in the hospitality industry. Karen has been with Revinate for over 11 years, leading our global GTM teams. Her most recent transition was from Chief Revenue Officer, where she led the team in their highest booking quarter to date in Q4 2023.

Connect with Karen

Meet your host

Dylan Cole

Dylan Cole began his career as a TV personality in South Korea. He then brought his love for travel and technology to Revinate where he played a vital part in establishing Revinate’s position in the US market, followed by the Asia Pacific region and now in Europe. Dylan is currently the Managing Director of Revinate Europe and is based in Amsterdam.

Connect with Dylan