#272: The Companies Supporting & Innovating Independent Hospitality | from the Independent Lodging Congress — The Modern Hotelier

In this episode, host David Millili brings listeners inside Indie Cultivate Boston, hosted in partnership with ILC.

David sits down with leading vendors and innovators including Airbnb, Watermelon Ghost, Direct Booker, Stash Rewards, Cloudbeds, Directful, and Canary Technologies. Across these conversations, a clear theme emerges: the independent hotel space is at a turning point driven by AI, evolving guest expectations, and the ongoing battle for direct bookings versus OTAs.

Guests discuss how AI is reshaping discoverability, guest engagement, and operations, while also raising critical questions about visibility in AI-driven search. From loyalty programs and retention platforms to booking infrastructure and guest experience tools, each guest shares how they’re helping independent hotels compete, differentiate, and thrive.

You’ll hear perspectives on:

How AI is changing hotel discovery and booking behavior
The future of direct bookings and OTA dependency
Experiential stays and evolving guest expectations
Why independent hotels have a unique opportunity in the AI era

Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wZUi1eIuS5A

LinkedIn Links:
Audrey Yates - VP of Hotel Partnerships, Stash Rewards
Adam Harris - CEO, Cloudbeds
Tim Kinsella - Global Sales - Strategy, Canary Technologies
Ron Sandel - Director of Hotels, Airbnb
Georgie Downie - Co-Founder & CEO, Watermelon Ghost
Lindsay Wenger - VP of Sales, Directful

Sanjay Vakil - Co-Founder & CEO, Direct Booker
Meg Gutowski - ILC

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/272

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