The Layover
The Layover
Podcast Description
LOST iN presents The Layover - a podcast at the intersection of travel culture and creative industry. Built for brand leaders, designers, hoteliers, and forward-thinking marketers, the series unpacks the people, ideas, and trends redefining global travel.From evolving consumer behavior to destination storytelling and innovation in hospitality, each episode delivers sharp insight through the distinct voice of LOST iN.If you're building the future of travel, The Layover is your essential briefing.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Focuses on contemporary travel culture, consumer behavior, destination storytelling, and innovations in hospitality with episodes covering topics like the evolution of ski travel, the impact of data and community in tourism, and sustainability in travel experiences.
LOST iN presents The Layover – a podcast at the intersection of travel culture and creative industry. Built for brand leaders, designers, hoteliers, and forward-thinking marketers, the series unpacks the people, ideas, and trends redefining global travel.
From evolving consumer behavior to destination storytelling and innovation in hospitality, each episode delivers sharp insight through the distinct voice of LOST iN.
If you’re building the future of travel, The Layover is your essential briefing.
In this episode of The Layover, we sit down with Alex Schellenberger, former Global Chief Marketing Officer of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, to explore how one of the world’s most iconic luxury hospitality brands balances heritage, growth, and modern brand building.
From his early career at Procter & Gamble, Hugo Boss, Coty, and Accor to leading brand strategy for Mandarin Oriental, Alex shares how classical brand management principles translate into the world of ultra-luxury travel—where emotion, recognition, and service define the guest experience.
Alex unpacks how luxury hospitality is evolving through:
- Preserving brand DNA while scaling Mandarin Oriental’s global footprint
- Building loyalty among ultra-high-net-worth travelers through recognition, access, and emotional connection
- Keeping the iconic “I’m a Fan” campaign relevant after more than two decades
- Using celebrities and cultural figures as authentic brand ambassadors, not just paid endorsers
- Applying AI and guest data to improve personalization while keeping the human touch at the center
- Designing transformational experiences, from monk-led retreats in Japan to private museum access and champagne house immersions
The conversation also explores why service memories matter more than room design, how Asian hospitality continues to shape global luxury, and why the future of high-end travel depends on both technology and deeply human moments.
Whether you’re a luxury traveler, hotelier, brand marketer, or simply fascinated by what makes a hospitality brand iconic, this episode offers a rare look inside the strategy behind one of the most respected names in global travel.
🏨 Learn More Explore Mandarin Oriental’s hotels, residences, and experiences at mandarinoriental.com.
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