Welcome to the NextGen Hospitality Podcast with me, Paul Borg. This podcast is designed for ambitious young professionals eager to jumpstart their careers in hospitality and grow into impactful leadership roles.

Today, I’m joined by Nicholas Northam. Nicholas has over 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry, spanning operational leadership roles with Whitbread and Marriott, asset management expertise at Realstar Group, and executive leadership at Interstate Hotels & Resorts, now Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA. He is currently a Non-Executive Director at Bowling Green Asset Management and also lectures at the Glion Institute of Higher Education.

In this episode, Nicholas shares how his career began washing up in a small hotel kitchen before studying hospitality management and building his way up through operational leadership roles across the UK. He reflects on the pivotal decisions, flexibility and hard work that enabled him to move from General Manager into regional leadership and eventually into asset management and board-level positions.

Nicholas also discusses the differences between operating hotels and thinking like an owner, what it takes to lead at scale across multiple properties, and why respect, performance and decisive leadership remain critical to long-term success in hospitality.

Connect with Nicholas:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasnortham/

Connect with me:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-borg-crowneplaza/

Welcome to the NextGen Hospitality Podcast with me, Paul Borg. This podcast is designed for ambitious young professionals eager to jumpstart their careers in hospitality and grow into impactful leadership roles.

Today, I’m joined by Chris Naylor, Managing Director of the Boutique Hotel Group. Chris leads three distinctive country house hotels and wedding venues across Cheshire and the Wirral: Peckforton Castle, Nunsmere Hall and Inglewood Manor. With nearly 20 years in hospitality and a background in rugby league, he brings resilience, teamwork and a strong competitive mindset to his leadership.

In this episode, Chris shares how he moved from the family design business into hotel ownership after spotting an opportunity at his own wedding venue. He reflects on taking the leap in 2006 to acquire Peckforton Castle, expanding the group through further acquisitions, and building a portfolio of unique properties with strong reputations in the UK wedding and events market.

Chris discusses leading without coming through the traditional hospitality route, explaining why surrounding yourself with experts, staying visible within the business and leading from the front are essential. He also talks about his role as Chairman of the UK Wedding Venue Taskforce during the pandemic, representing the industry at government level and supporting venues through an unprecedented period.

We also explore how the Boutique Hotel Group develops future leaders through apprenticeships and its in house academy, why retention and internal progression matter, and what young professionals must do if they want to rise to the top in hospitality.

Learn more about Boutique Hotel Group: https://boutiquehotelgroup.co.uk

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-borg-crowneplaza

Welcome to the NextGen Hospitality Podcast with me, Paul Borg. This podcast is designed for ambitious young professionals eager to jumpstart their careers in hospitality and grow into impactful leadership roles.

Today, I’m joined by Mark Foster. Mark is the Managing Director of Centre Island and has led the company since 2013. He is responsible for the operational performance and development of the group, shaping strategic direction, managing franchise relationships, and ensuring both customer satisfaction and employee engagement remain at the heart of the business.

In this episode, Mark shares how his career in hospitality began almost by accident, choosing a shift in a local restaurant over a paper round, before studying Hospitality Management at the University of Manchester and gaining international experience in Gibraltar that set him on a hotel career path. He reflects on how relationships, networking and taking opportunities have shaped his journey from hotel operations to group leadership.

Mark also discusses what it takes to build and retain high-performing hotel teams, why Centre Island develops so many leaders from within, and how giving people autonomy, trust and consistent support drives long-term success.

Learn more about Centre Island:

https://www.centreisland.co.uk/

Connect with Me:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-borg-crowneplaza/