LODGING LEADERS
124 | A New Generation of Lifestyle Hostels with Rafael Museri
LODGING LEADERS
Rafael Museri has over fifteen years of experience in international real estate development. Eight years ago, Rafael moved from Tel Aviv to Panama City, Panama. In 2008, he founded the Dekel Group where his knowledge and expertise have been invaluable in the aggregation of Dekel’s extensive portfolio of real estate assets. Rafael’s vision has facilitated the growth of Dekel and its team – it took Rafael three years to find the village of Pedasi through careful research and then he found the correct team to help take his imagination and turn it into reality. He is the founder and CEO of Selina, a rapidly growing, new generation of lifestyle hostels with 13 locations in Latin America. His personal and successful business record has drawn a lot of successful business groups with great influences to invest in his company.
In This Episode, Rafi Reveals:
- The inspiration for Selina, how was the idea born, and where it all started.
- Their target demographic, digital nomads ages 20-35, and why he believes their product is such a good fit for them.
- What makes Selina different than other hostels in the hospitality industry, including Summer Camps, Retreats, Educational Programs, Eco-Tourism and more.
- The positive effect their Hospitality Academy has had on Selina employees and interns.
- Why social responsibility is important to them, how they get involved in local communities, and the steps they take to ensure that they have a positive impact wherever they choose to develop.
Resources & Links
Rafael Museri
- rafael@selinahostels.com
Selina Hostels
LODGING LEADERS
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330 | Youthful Perspective: Industry leader Bijal Patel mourns the loss of ‘an entire generation’ of hospitality workers
Bijal Patel, 31, is CEO of Coast Redwood Hospitality and the youngest chair of the California Hotel & Lodging Association. He’s made even more history at CHLA by agreeing to serve an unprecedented second term as the lodging industry emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. Patel is a third-generation hotelier. Being so steeped in hospitality at such a young age is not new for members of the Indian American hotelier community, but Patel fears the pandemic has drained the industry of emerging talent. Lodging Leaders spotlights Patel, who represents a leadership demographic that is fighting for the life of the hospitality industry as they watch their peers veer toward other career paths.
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329 | Ruff and Ready: ADA gives hotels a short leash when accommodating guests with service animals
Many hotels these days have made room for guests with disabilities. Hotel managers and staff should also know what the Americans with Disabilities Act says about accommodating guests with pets. During the pandemic lockdowns, a lot of people added a pet to their household and now they’re bringing Fido along on vacation. Hotel employees need to know how to cater to both consumers who are pet owners as well as guests who travel with a trained service animal. Episode 329 of Lodging Leaders podcast reports on how the ADA defines a service animal and how a hotel is legally obligated to serve a guest who comes with a dog or any other animal.