Richard Kessler: Building a legacy in independent luxury hotels

The Turndown: The podcast for Hoteliers - Season 3: Episode 1

What does it take to shape the future of hotel development while staying true to your vision? In this episode of The Turndown, Richard Kessler, Founder of The Kessler Collection, shares his journey from building budget hotels to becoming a visionary in boutique luxury.

What does it take to shape the future of hotel development while staying true to your vision? In this episode of The Turndown, Richard Kessler, Founder of The Kessler Collection, shares his journey from building budget hotels to becoming a visionary in boutique luxury. From his first boutique hotel (before anyone really knew what that meant) to shaping the Autograph Collection with Mariott, Richard explains how art, music, and innovative design create guest experiences that keep people coming back. This conversation explores the realities of hotel development today and what it takes to succeed as an independent in a brand-driven world.

About Cloudbeds

Cloudbeds is the hospitality management system built for ambitious hoteliers who demand more. The Cloudbeds platform unifies operations, distribution, guest experience, and revenue marketing, giving operators a breadth of tools to capture demand, grow direct bookings, optimize pricing, maximize upsell revenue, and act on real-time intelligence within a single system.

Designed to scale with independent hotels, large hotel groups, and multi-property portfolios, Cloudbeds is trusted by tens of thousands of properties in more than 150 countries.  Founded in 2012, Cloudbeds is recognized as a top Hotel Management System, PMS, and Channel Manager — and Best Place to Work — by Hotel Tech Report for eight consecutive years.

About The Kessler Collection

The Kessler Collection's portfolio of passionately created and artistically inspired boutique hotels boasts chic design, luxurious accommodations, enriching ambiance and intuitive service. Whether visiting properties in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina or South Carolina, each hotel's exquisite art, music and cultural influences are deliberately approachable. Designed to inspire mystique and to encourage unforgettable experiences, Kessler guests are immersed in redefined Bohemian luxury, from a cutting-edge downtown icon to a premier luxury lodge, Savannah's entertainment destination and an elite ski lodge. The Kessler Collection was the founding member of the Marriott Autograph Collection, introduced with seven Autograph Collection branded hotels. Each property is a bold, original hotel carefully created with style and the individualist traveler in mind. For more information about The Kessler Collection, please visit kesslercollection.com or call 888.472.6312.

Media Contact

Paula Carreirao

PR & Partner Marketing Specialist [email protected]

Operations & Strategy Operations & Strategy

Cloudbeds is the hospitality management system built for ambitious hoteliers who demand more. The Cloudbeds platform unifies operations, distribution, guest experience, and revenue marketing, giving operators a breadth of tools to capture demand, grow direct bookings, optimize pricing, maximize upsell revenue, and act on real-time intelligence within a single system.

Created by Richard Kessler, we are a visionary hospitality brand and the founding members of Marriott's Autograph Collection. Everything we do is meant to inspire. We spark curiosity when our extraordinary people invite guests to wander-through captivating hotels, inspired dining, art galleries, signature spas, cooking schools, wine blending and exceptional events. Each is artfully unique and delivered with its own Bohemian twist.