Going Indie: How Jennifer Barnwel...

Going Indie: How Jennifer Barnwell Built a Home for Boutique Hotels

What She Does Podcast por Annie Sinzinger & Liane Starr
T1 · E27
23 jun 2026
36:17

Notas del episodio

Jennifer Barnwell didn't plan to end up in hotels — but a nudge from her older sister at Cornell changed everything. Today she's the President of Curator Hotel & Resort Collection, a membership platform she launched in the middle of a global pandemic to champion the independent and boutique hotels that go it alone.

In this episode, Jen pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to build something new in a tough industry, how Curator helps small properties compete with big brands, and why being an 'indie rebel' is more than just a tagline.

In this episode:

• What Curator Hotel & Resort Collection does — and why it exists

• How independent hotels compete with major brands using collective leverage

• The Airbnb and OTA distribution question every boutique property faces

• What it was really like to launch a business during COVID-19

• How the K-shaped economy is affecting the hospitality industry right now

• The technology improvements that are changing the hotel guest experience

• The career path she didn't see coming — and the sister who changed it

• Her honest advice to her younger self: take risks, travel more, find a mentor

#WhatSheDoes #WomenInHospitality #BoutiqueHotels #IndependentHotels #WomenInBusiness #HospitalityIndustry #CuratorHotels #Podcast

Palabras clave

what she does
women in business
women in hospitality
boutique hotels
independent hotels
hospitality industry
curator hotels
podcast