How We Grew While the Market Shrank - Rob Smith, Stonebridge Companies — Hospitality Daily Podcast

In this episode, Rob Smith, the President and CEO at Stonebridge Companies, shares an operator's read on why top-line growth — not cost-cutting — is a sustainable path through today's environment of profit pressure. He explains how Stonebridge grew same-store revenue by 7.8% in 2024 while the market grew by 1.8%, why their revenue-management-first approach drives 41% direct bookings at their independent hotels, and what a deliberate culture of accountability looks like when you're a 174-hotel pure third-party manager.

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