The Wellness in Hospitality Podcast · 2026-06-07 · 28 min
Most hotels focus on creating a better stay. Disney focuses on creating a stronger emotional connection. And that subtle makes all the difference. In this episode, I explore what the hospitality industry can learn from Walt Disney and why I believe many of us have become so focused on luxury that we've forgotten something far more powerful: wonder. While writing the first chapter of my second book, I found myself asking a simple question. Why do families save for years to go to Disneyland? Why do children dream about it? Why are people willing to spend extraordinary amounts of money and invest so much emotional energy into an experience long before they arrive? Here’s what came up. People don't save for luxury. They save for wonder. Walt Disney understood that his job wasn't to build attractions. His job was to build a world. A place where something extraordinary might happen. And the more I thought about it, the more I realised that hospitality has become exceptionally good at creating luxury, but not necessarily wonder. In today’s episode, we’ll cover the following 3 things: 1.- The Wonder Deficit I believe many hotels suffer from what I call a wonder deficit.
167. Find The People Who Can Build And Hold Your Dream44 / 100166. Build The World First165. The Ripple That Starts With An Impossible Idea163. The Self-Audit: Know Exactly Where Your Wellness Offering Stands162. You Can’t Standardise A Soul