The Future of Hospitality in Latin America | with Rocco Bova

The Modern Hotelier - Episode #343: The Future of Hospitality in Latin America | with Rocco Bova In this episode, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Rocco Bova, founder of the Summit Latinoamericano Branded Residences, to discuss the future of hospitality in Mexico and Latin America, the growth of luxury branded residences, and the importance of human connection in the guest experience. With a career spanning international hospitality brands such as Jumeirah, Four Seasons, Hilton, Aman, and St. Regis, Rocco shares how his global experiences shaped his leadership philosophy and inspired him to launch hospitality-focused summits and challenge traditional approaches to industry education. In This Episode, You'll Learn About: How working across different countries and cultures shapes better hospitality leaders and strengthens people-management skills. Why hospitality education needs to evolve to attract younger generations through shorter, more practical training programs. What is driving the growth of branded residences in Mexico and what developers and investors need to understand about these business models. Why Mexico presents significant opportunities for luxury hospitality development and investment. How hotels can build financial resilience and prepare for economic uncertainty without relying primarily on workforce reductions. ************ TIMESTAMPS ************ 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Meet Rocco and Lightning Round 03:10 Growing Up in Scylla Italy 04:41 Fast Track Hospitality Degree 06:36 Wine Roots and F&B Passion 08:15 Seashells and Favorite Beaches 09:30 Early Career Lessons Worldwide 12:51 Leadership Across Cultures 15:33 Launching the Hospitality Summits 19:45 Why Branded Residences Boom 21:38 Defining Branded Residences 22:45 Hospitality Education Crisis 24:19 Disrupting with Spanish Academy 25:22 Building Regional Industry Events 25:45 Airbnb Versus Hotels 27:24 Mexico Politics and Tourism 28:52 Crisis Strategy and Workforce 31:43 Why Invest in Mexico 34:09 Guest Questions and Pet Peeves 35:42 AI Promises and Future Check In 36:47 Event Invite and Closing Plugs ************ LINKS & RESOURCES ************ For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode... Links: Rocco on LinkedIn:   / roccobova   Summit Latinoamericano Branded Residences: https://sumexhosp.com/ Join the conversation on LinkedIn:   / the-modern-hotelier   Connect with Steve and David: Steve:   / %f0%9f%8e%99%ef%b8%8fsteve-carran-00914510   David:   / david-millili   #hospitalitypodcast #hotelindustry #hotelmanagement #hoteloperations #guestexperience #hoteliers #hotelbusiness #luxuryhospitality