What a NYC Luxury Hotel Operator Sees Coming Next - Sofia Vandaele, IHG

In this episode, Sofia Vandaele, General Manager of the InterContinental New York Barclay and Regional Director for IHG Lifestyle and Luxury, shares an operator's read on running a flagship hotel in 2026. You'll hear how she manages cost discipline when expenses have outpaced ADR recovery, why she frames union work as a framework to build on, where AI is showing up in her operation, and how the Barclay is using its 100th anniversary to deepen guest connection. Sofia closes on what she sees as the real pressure on hotel leaders right now: the gap between staying competitive and staying relevant.Sofia is interviewed by Emily Goldfischer, founder of hertelier and Hospitality Daily's career correspondent. Read the companion article on Hertelier: Sofia Vandaele on her career journey.Listen to part one of their conversation here: Career Growth Comes From Saying Yes Before You're Ready A few more resources:If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestionsIf you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands