Host Steve Turk interviews Mario Del Duca, Managing Director of Nuba, a 30+ year-old luxury travel company focused on high end outbound leisure that expanded into the Americas via acquisitions in Mexico and Miami.

Mario oversees the Americas and says the business has nearly tripled under his leadership. Mario shares his nontraditional path from banking in London/New York to an MBA at IE in Madrid, entrepreneurship in Mexico, and a year and a half of world travel that led to social media driven hotel partnerships and eventually becoming an independent travel consultant before Nuba acquired his agency.

They discuss serving high and ultra-high net worth clients, the importance of client profiling and problem solving, using technology and AI to enhance (not replace) advisors, growth plans across Latin America, and travel trends like Japan and slower, secondary destination travel.

The Hospitality Mentor Podcast is sponsored by Lodgify (60% off yearly/bi-yearly plans with code THM60)

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:31 Sponsor Lodgify

01:34 Meet Mario Del Duca

01:53 What Is Nuba

03:31 From Banking To Travel

07:22 Quitting Banking For MBA

10:54 Entrepreneur Roots

12:02 Moving To Mexico

13:03 Remote Work World Travel

17:44 From Influencer To Advisor

20:50 Luxury Advisor Reality Check

22:31 Owning Client Problems

23:51 Perks and Lifestyle

24:48 Remote Discipline

26:25 Nuba Client Profile

29:51 Designing Bespoke Trips

32:38 AI Versus Human Touch

37:18 Growth and Hiring Advisors

40:48 Hot Destinations Trends

44:37 Career Advice Closing

Host Steve Turk interviews Nikheel Advani , co-founder and COO of Grace Bay Resorts, who shares how he entered hospitality at 16 after his father pushed him to work, leading to dishwashing, banqueting, and founding a small events company in Singapore. He trained at UMass Amherst, worked in restaurants and hotels, joined a Pizza Uno turnaround team, then spent years with Ritz-Carlton opening multiple properties and emphasizing mentorship.

He became hotel manager at Singapore’s Raffles, helped elevate its global ranking, then moved to Turks and Caicos to build a hotel into Grace Bay Resorts, focusing on training, local talent, service excellence, food and beverage, airlift, and a luxury branded-residence model that funds development and gives owners hotel access and rental income.

It's an amazing episode with fantastic stories and pieces of advice that you should listen to today.

A big thank you to our sponsor, Lodgify. Make sure to use promo code THM60 when you sign up at Lodgify

00:00 Sponsor Lodgify

01:07 Meet Nikheel Advani

01:48 First Hospitality Job

02:08 Dad’s Tough Lesson

03:21 Starting a Company at 16

04:42 Choosing Hotel School

07:18 UMass and Working Through School

08:42 Pizza Turnaround Years

10:09 Breaking Into Ritz Carlton

11:48 Mentors That Changed Everything

14:42 Leaving for Raffles Singapore

16:24 Running an Iconic Hotel

17:28 Profit Meets Guest Experience

18:35 Leap to Turks and Caicos

20:57 Caribbean Service Reset

21:55 Risk and Ownership Leap

22:55 Partners and Fast Decisions

23:56 Awards and Signature Wins

25:43 Building Local Talent

28:29 Selling a New Destination

31:46 Airlift and Island Strategy

34:08 Next Projects Pipeline

36:06 Branded Residences Model

38:59 Advice and Farewell

Live from HITEC in San Antonio, the Steve Turk and Sarah Dandashy recap the inaugural Hospitality Creator Summit, created by Anna Blue and Anthony Melchiorri, which drew 200+ attendees for a full day of networking and creator-focused education. Sara shares first impressions of the high-energy event, meeting online peers in person, and the supportive, low-ego atmosphere.

A panel on “behind the brand deal” featured Margaritaville and My Place Hotels discussing how brands choose creators, partnership paths from in-kind to paid, and the challenge of tracking bookings driven by content, including working with small-audience creators for fit and aesthetic.

They note sessions on newsletters and podcasting milestones, HITEC’s creator booth with interview and green-screen setups, and floor trends like better booth experiences, fewer AI buzzwords but more specific integrations, data consolidation, and room automation savings, plus a push for brands to create personality-driven, value-first content.

A big shout out to our sponsor Lodgify! Starting June 17th to June 30th, use promo code THM60 for 60% off

00:00 Live From HITEC

00:21 Sponsor Shoutout - Lodgify

00:58 Creator Summit Recap

02:55 Brand Deals Panel

05:09 Creator Growth Tips

05:50 Meet Tyler Behind Scenes

06:37 Content Booth Setup

07:31 HITEC Floor Highlights

08:27 Tech Trends And AI

09:57 Venue Vibes San Antonio

10:16 Creators Take Over

10:57 Booth Snacks and Vibes

11:24 Why Brands Need Content

12:55 Make Value Not Ads

14:19 One Post Big Impact

16:05 HCS First Day Energy

17:54 After Party and Wrap