Today’s guest is Ian Schrager, the legendary hotelier, entrepreneur, and cultural pioneer who reshaped nightlife and hospitality as we know it.
Ian first made his mark in the 1970s as the co-founder of Studio 54, the iconic New York nightclub that became a symbol of glamour, freedom, and cultural revolution. Alongside his partner Steve Rubell, Ian created an experience that transcended nightlife, merging design, celebrity, and theatricality into something entirely new.
After Studio 54, Ian continued to reinvent hospitality. In the 1980s, he launched the Morgans Hotel Group, introducing the world’s first “boutique hotel” : a concept that blended art, design, and service in a way that changed the industry forever. At a time when hotels were seen purely as places to sleep, Ian reimagined them as vibrant social hubs, activating lobbies, bars, and restaurants as dynamic public spaces that reflected and contributed to the cultural life of a city. With properties like Morgans, the Royalton, and the Delano, he transformed the hotel from a travel necessity into a cornerstone of the modern urban landscape: a place where design, community, and experience converged.
In more recent years, Ian has continued to redefine hospitality with two visionary brands. EDITION Hotels, created in partnership with Marriott International, brings his boutique sensibility to a global stage. With around 22 properties worldwide, from New York and Miami Beach to London, Barcelona, Tokyo, and Dubai, each EDITION is designed as a one-of-a-kind reflection of its city, combining understated luxury, cutting-edge design, and activated social spaces that feel both intimate and electric.
By contrast, PUBLIC represents Ian’s evolution of the idea: “luxury for all.” Its flagship on New York’s Lower East Side, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, reimagines the hotel experience through high style, technology, and inclusivity, featuring self check-in, vibrant communal areas, and nightlife-driven energy at a democratic price point. With plans to expand to West Hollywood and beyond, PUBLIC distills Schrager’s decades of innovation into an accessible, modern model for the next generation of travelers.
Across every chapter of his career, Ian Schrager has consistently challenged convention, blurring the lines between hospitality, art, and lifestyle, and influencing generations of hoteliers, designers, and creatives along the way.
In this episode, Ian reflects on his incredible journey, from Studio 54 to the present, and shares the insights, risks, and instincts that have defined his enduring legacy.
A heartfelt thank you to Peoplevine for sponsoring The Stanza podcast this year (and for supporting The Stanza since the beginning). If you run a members club or a hotel that needs a CRM for top performance, Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at peoplevine.com.
Interview Highlights:
How Ian Schrager brought the lessons of Studio 54 into hospitality
Turning hotel lobbies into social and cultural spaces
The $60,000 deal that led to his first hotel, Morgans
What “boutique hotel” really meant in its original form
Ian’s perspective on copycats
How creativity and independence can survive inside big hotel brands
Redefining luxury as an experience, not a price point
Ian’s advice for young hoteliers
Follow Ian on Instagram
Follow Public Hotels and Edition Hotels
Follow The Stanza on Instagram
Dr. Jonathan Leary is the founder of Remedy Place, the social wellness club reimagining how we gather, recover, and connect. Trained in medicine and drawn to a more human, preventative approach, Jonathan spent years building a concierge sports-medicine practice while refining a 150-page business plan for a new kind of health club - one that could make self-care social and compelling. He opened the first Remedy Place in Los Angeles and has since expanded to New York and Boston, with a growing movement around contrast therapy, IV lounges, and community-driven rituals that help people feel better together.
In this conversation, Jonathan shares his founder story: from the pivot that gave him five years of real-world data, to why he personally guaranteed his first lease. We unpack the idea of “social self-care” and why drink dates blunt connection, the business model behind Remedy Place, and what he’s learned scaling from two to four clubs in just months.Thank you to Peoplevine for sponsoring the 2025 season of The Stanza. Peoplevine is the trusted CRM software for the best brands in hospitality. Book a free demo to see why at peoplevine.com.
Interview Highlights:
Being early to a global trend
How rejection led to building a data-backed business
Defining “social wellness”
Health as a tool for success in other aspects of your life
Why Remedy Place didn’t include a gym
Jonathan’s views on copycats
The role of brand design, accessibility, and perceived exclusivity
Convincing skeptical investors
Personally guaranteeing his first lease and Jonathan’s attitude towards risk
What stabilization looks like for new wellness clubs
Being comfortable being misunderstood
Jonathan’s advice for wellness entrepreneurs
Follow Jonathan on Instagram
Follow Remedy Place on Instagram and learn more here
Follow The Stanza on Instagram
Subscribe to The Stanza on Substack
Today's guest is Eugene Remm, who co-founded Catch Hospitality Group in 2011. Eugene has opened Catch locations in 7 different markets throughout the U.S. and most recently, The Corner Store in New York, which has been a big success. Eugene started his hospitality career in the New York nightlife business in the 2000's, launching hit concepts such as Tenjune and SL, before pivoting to large format restaurants post 2008. Following this defining moment in his career, Eugene doubled down on the Catch concept and took a bold step forward by launching the LA location. In 2017, upon the success of Catch LA, Tilman Fertitta became a partner in Catch Hospitality Group. In this interview, we chatted about Eugene's background as a Russian immigrant and his attitude towards entrepreneurship, and building longevity in hospitality through the humility to learn from mistakes and relentlessly evolving the guest experience.
Thank you Peoplevine for making this podcast possible. Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at peoplevine.com.
Interview Highlights:
Follow Eugene on Instagram
Learn more about Catch Hospitality Group
Follow The Stanza on Instagram
Subscribe to The Stanza on Substack
Jeff Klein started his hospitality career in 1993 as a bellman at The Franklin Hotel, where he learned the ropes of running a hotel in various operational roles. His first hotel project was the successful repositioning of a midtown office building into The City Club hotel. After The City Club, Jeff raised capital to acquire the dilapidated Argyle Hotel on Sunset Boulevard, and repositioned it to The Sunset Tower Hotel, an iconic LA destination. The Tower Bar at that hotel was his first restaurant, and remains an elegant destination for celebrities, Hollywood elite, and cultural tastemakers.
In 2013, Jeff acquired the San Vicente Inn, which was a run-down seedy motel in the heart of West Hollywood, and transformed it into the San Vicente Bungalows, an exclusive private members club known for attracting high profile industry executives. Most recently, due to the demand for the privacy and discretion that the club distinctly offers, Jeff has expanded San Vicente Bungalows to Santa Monica on Ocean Boulevard and at the Jane Hotel in New York's West Village.
Jeff is one of the rare hospitality entrepreneurs that has an intuitive understanding of how to buy good real estate and how to curate a timeless experience that fosters longevity and loyalty. In this interview, Jeff shares the stories behind the deals that made his career, and the valuable lessons learned along the way. Thank you Peoplevine for making this podcast possible. Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at peoplevine.com.
Interview Highlights:
Learn more about JK Hotel Group here.
Follow The Stanza on Instagram
Subscribe to The Stanza on Substack
Dasha Zhukova Niarchos is the founder of Ray, a residential lifestyle brand and real estate development company that builds art-forward residences. Ray's inaugural building in Philly's Fishtown neighborhood comprises 110 residential units and several amenities geared towards creatives and art & design lovers, such as artist studios, co-working space, a gym, a community kitchen, a green roof deck, a lobby living room and an independent art bookstore. One of the best perks of living at Ray is the cultural programming for residents, which includes art classes, gallery openings, and other social activities. The launch of the Philly building was a success, completing lease up in 8 months and proving the thesis that renters want to live in beautifully designed spaces that enhance their everyday experience. Ray's next building in Harlem is designed by Frida Escobedo and includes a new home for the National Black Theatre. The building comprises 222 mixed-income units, a similar suite of amenities, and stunning views of New York from its rooftop terrace.
Prior to founding Ray, Dasha founded the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow in 2008. The Museum was designed by Rem Koolhaas and is Russia's first and only contemporary art archive. In 2011, she founded Garage Magazine, which she sold and bought back from Vice Magazine. Dasha is also a co-founder of Artsy, a digital art marketplace and discovery platform. She also serves on the board of several organizations and companies, such as the LA County Museum of Art, Soho House, The Met, and more.
In this interview, we dove into the business of combining art, design, and real estate development into a cohesive lifestyle brand. I'm excited about Ray because I believe that branded real estate will be a big consumer trend, and I also like the way that Dasha is executing her vision with thoughtfulness and attention to detail.
Thank you Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode. Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at peoplevine.com. Thank you to the team at NeueHouse for supporting The Stanza. NeueHouse is the premier work space in NYC and LA for those in the creative industries. Use code THESTANZA for a special offer when applying for your membership.Interview Highlights:
Connect with Dasha here.
Follow Ray here.
Follow The Stanza here.
Subscribe to the newsletter here.
Today's guest is hospitality veteran Noah Tepperberg, co-founder of Tao Group Hospitality. Over the course of his 30+ year career in hospitality, Noah and his team have launched several iconic venues, under brands including Marquee, Lavo, Tao, Hakkasan, and many others. Tao Group currently has over 80 branded outlets globally in the broader portfolio. In 2017, Noah and his co-founder’s including his long time business partner and Co-CEO Jason Strauss sold a majority stake in Tao Group to the Madison Square Garden Company, and in 2021 the company acquired 100% of Hakkasan Group creating one of the world's largest premium hospitality platforms with outlets in over 20 cities. In 2023, the company was acquired by Mohari Hospitality. This conversation highlights Noah's laser focused and disciplined approach to building a highly successful hospitality business that stands the test of time.
Thank you Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode. Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at peoplevine.com.
Interview Highlights:
This episode was recorded at NeueHouse Madison Square. NeueHouse is the premier work space in NYC and LA for those in the creative industries. Use code THESTANZA for a special offer when applying for your membership.
Connect with Noah here.
Follow The Stanza here.
Subscribe to the newsletter here.
Today's guest is Gaetano Guarducci of Sant Ambroeus Hospitality Group. Gaetano grew up in the restaurant business that his father, Gherardo Guarducci, co-founded in 2003, and has been working for the family business since graduating from university. The New York-based group comprises 29 restaurants across 3 brands - Sant Ambroeus, Felice, and Casa Lever - and is opening 3 to 4 restaurants per year with the backing of Italian British private equity fund Three Hills Capital. Sant Ambroeus, in particular, is unique in the way they combine Milanese tradition while embracing fashion & culture trends. They've done creative collaborations with brands such as Saint Laurent, The Attico, Alaia, Le Labo, and several others. It's part of their approach to maintaining longevity and desire throughout several market cycles, along with prioritizing consistency in the customer experience and the food.
Thank you Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode. Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at peoplevine.com.
This episode was recorded at NeueHouse Madison Square. NeueHouse is the premier work space in NYC and LA for those in the creative industries. Use code THESTANZA for a special offer when applying for your membership.
Learn more about Sant Ambroeus Hospitality Group here
Follow Sant Ambroeus on Instagram
Connect with The Stanza on Instagram
Subscribe to the newsletter for the full experience
Interview Highlights:
Thank you Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode. Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at peoplevine.com.
Today's guests are David Rodolitz and Gary Vaynerchuk, co-founders of VCR Group, a hospitality company operating concepts such as Flyfish Club, Ito, and Little Maven in New York and Las Vegas. Flyfish Club, which opened in September 2024, is the world's first blockchain-based members club focused on fine dining. In this conversation, we dove into the details of what it's like to build a hospitality group in one of the most competitive markets in the world (NYC). What I enjoyed most about this conversation is their forward-thinking perspectives when it comes to hospitality, especially in the fine dining space. We also talked in depth about the private members club landscape in New York and entering the space as a young hospitality group.
Gary Vaynerchuk, AKA Gary Vee, is a serial entrepreneur and leads VaynerMedia, VaynerX, and VCR Group. In 2014, Gary co-founded Resy and sold it to American Express in 2019 and is also an early investor in notable companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Uber, Coinbase, Slack, and more.
David Rodolitz is a NYC hospitality veteran and a co-founder of VCR Group. Prior to founding VCR Group, David was a founding partner of Empellon, a group of restaurants in NYC.
To learn more about VCR Group's restaurants, click here
Connect with Gary and David on Instagram
Connect with The Stanza on Instagram
Subscribe to the newsletter for the full experience.
Interview Highlights:
**This interview was made publicly available thanks to the support of Peoplevine, the CRM software trusted by the best hospitality brands. Book your free demo here.
Today's guest is Jamie Caring, founder of Sevengage Consultancy, through which he advises hospitality entrepreneurs and real estate owners on brand creation and community building. Prior to his consulting career, Jamie was the CMO of Soho House, the Commercial Director at Caprice Holdings, the holding company behind restaurant brands such as The Ivy, Le Caprice, and Sexy Fish, and the Commercial Director at The Birley Clubs, which owns club brands such as Annabel's and Mark's. Prior to hospitality, Jamie had a 15-year career in music and entertainment at MTV and VH1.
Jamie started at Soho House in 2008 when there wasn't a marketing team, and during his tenure, helped shape it into the global category-defining lifestyle brand that it is today. This was my longest interview to date, and I definitely could have continued the interview. We went in-depth on Jamie's knowledge and insights coming from both of his lives in entertainment and hospitality, and especially focused on strategy for launching and scaling hospitality businesses, as well as the psychology of members clubs. He truly understands how to build an enduring hospitality brand that is a reference for other emerging brands, and I know anyone listening to this episode will learn a lot from Jamie's experience.Connect with Jamie here.
If you enjoyed this episode, please share with a friend or colleague :)
Subscribe to The Stanza, a newsletter at the intersection of investing, hospitality, & fashion.
Today's guest is Annabel Schwartz, founder of hospitality consultancy House of Talana.
Annabel was the former west coast memberships manager at Soho House and most recently the director of member relations & culture at San Vicente Bungalows. We did a deep dive on all the fun topics within hospitality - curating and designing a members club, the consumer psychology of exclusivity, the meaning of great hospitality, and trend predictions on the future of the industry. Annabel has so much unique experience and insight into the business from a behind the scenes angle and I know you're all going to love this episode.
On another note - this interview is the final guest episode of the season. The podcast will come back later this year, but for now definitely be sure to subscribe to the newsletter and follow along on Instagram and TikTok (@thestanzamedia). Thanks for tuning in and enjoy the show.
Episode Highlights
Thank you to Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode. Peoplevine is the CRM loved by the best members clubs in the industry. Check out which clubs use Peoplevine and book your free demo here.