EP #18 – Dancing At The Fountain – Insights from the World’s Leading Hoteliers

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to run a world-class hotel – the finest of the finest where the rich and famous stay? You don’t have to wonder any longer, our guest for today’s show has written a book about that very topic. Conor Kenny’s second book, Dancing At The Fountain, is a compilation of stories shared by 7 of the world’s leading hoteliers. They tell their stories and share anecdotes from running the most prestigious hotels on the planet. On this episode of Hospitality Academy Conor graciously shares what brought this book to life, what insights he gained from these hoteliers, and more. Essential Learning Points From This Show: * Why everything you do teaches you a valuable lesson. * How did he select the seven hoteliers in the book? * What is the pursuit of infinity? * Good hoteliers have two markets: what are they? * Traits of a successful hotelier. * And so much more! Today Conor Kenny is a twice-published author who runs Ireland’s leading training professional development and HR company for the hotel industry. He has a fascination with the psychology of people, with hotels and the people who run hotels, however. He had a chance to dive into that fascination after the success of his first book, Sales Tales. His passion for learning from others, and then passing that learning on is what has made his books so successful.  On this episode, Conor says anything he has ever learned was given to him by someone else, and he is passionate about passing along that knowledge. We delve deeper into some of that knowledge on this show, specifically what he learned about the hoteliers that make them so successful. There are a few common traits among the seven hoteliers, according to Conor: humility, self-awareness, charisma, a desire to learn, a desire for legacy and a love of service. By having those traits along with more obvious ones (like hard work and attention to detail), the hoteliers he included in this book show why they are some of the best in the world at providing exemplary service. Another aspect they share is they understand they serve two markets: their guests and their staff. At the core of both of those markets is one thing: people. By putting aside ego, letting go of the need to control everything as well as a willingness not to be king or queen of everything, these seven hoteliers are leaders in the industry. Also on this episode, Conor talks about the three types of people he wrote this book for: people already in the hospitality industry who want to learn from the best, people considering entering the industry and people who are interested in hotels. Whether you’re one of those three types of people or just someone who wants to read about the rich and famous in the most lavish of hotels, you’ll enjoy Conor’s book and his visit to the show. Listen in as he shares all of that, plus a few stories that didn’t make it in. You’ll be entertained and educated by today’s guest, Conor Kenny. Be sure to hear all of the wisdom he has on episode 18 of Hospitality Academy. [ctt title=”No time for egos in this business!” tweet=”No time for egos in this business!” coverup=”1i17w”]   Important Links & Mentions From This Episode: * Conor Kenny website * Dancing At The Fountain, by Conor Kenny * Conor Kenny on LinkedIn * Connect with me on Twitter!