# #256 - Hospitality Meets Adam Hamadache - Data, Dogs & Direct Bookings

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hospitality-meets-with-phil-street-122320/256-hospitality-meets-adam-hamadache-data-dogs-direct-bookings.md
Podcast: [Hospitality Meets... with Phil Street](https://stenobird.com/podcast/hospitality-meets-with-phil-street-122320)
Published: 2026-05-20T19:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.hospitalitymeets.co.uk/
Audio file: https://pdcn.co/e/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/0d583741-8456-4213-9a17-a16bc2c6e402.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3367

## Resource

This week I sat down with Adam Hamadache , founder of Formula and host of the Hotel Growth Podcast, a man who has spent the last 15 years helping hotels figure out how to grow in an industry that never seems to sit still for more than five minutes. What followed was part hospitality strategy masterclass, part therapy session for modern business owners, and part beautifully chaotic conversation about AI, audience-less keynote speeches, and why hiring experts only to tell them exactly what to do might be “the definition of madness.” From working in a shoe shop during school work experience while dreaming of hotels, to shouting orders on the grill in a Sydney restaurant kitchen overlooking the Opera House, Adam’s journey is full of sharp pivots, curiosity, and a relentless obsession with solving problems properly. Along the way we get into the terrifying speed of AI, why hospitality still massively underuses its own data, what business owners can learn from bad football defending, and the deeply humbling experience of delivering a keynote presentation to an audience of… one. And honestly? The audience of one story alone is worth the price of admission (Which is free by the way) In this episode, Adam and I get into… • Why careers often evolve through curiosity rather than rigid planning • How a failed hotel promotion model accidentally launched an entire hospitality marketing career • The ongoing battle between hotels and OTAs, and why direct bookings still matter so much • What operators misunderstand about marketing partnerships • Why Formula made the bold decision to hire only highly experienced people • The power of friction, challenge and healthy disagreement in great businesses • Why “slow down to speed up” might be the most important business lesson of all • The ter…

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## Transcript

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