🍍Why Rami Zeidan started Life House Hotels

Plus: the Lisbon hotelier who just wants you to dance

Today we’re looking at:

  • Why Rami Zeidan started Life House Hotels

  • A Lisbon hotelier who just wants you to dance

  • The German hotel that uses optical illusions to stop running in the hall

Why Rami Zeidan started Life House Hotels

It’s no surprise I’m obsessed with Monocle. I mean, this was my idea of a good morning:

So when I saw an interview with Life House founder Rami Zeidan pop up in my podcast app I couldn’t wait to listen and promptly left my desk for a 30 minute walk around San Francisco to hear it.

I appreciated both Rami’s vulnerability in his story and the perspective he shared. Some takeaways:

  • Travel is a social good - it’s a way to define your identity

  • There’s a real estate problem that needs to be solved at the center of any hospitality brand

  • So many low value activities in hospitality can be done with software so hosts can focus on serving their guests

Creating good vibes in Lisbon

While other brands sell cool, Mama Shelter sells warmth—inclusivity, eccentricity, sass, fun, affordability and accessibility. For Julien Leroy, owner of the Mama Shelter Lisbon, that’s important. “Our property is special because you can dance and be free.”

There’s live music on the property 5+ nights most weeks. “The amount we pay live artists per month is the same as what other hotels pay in a year,” says Leroy, also noting his commitment to give women DJs and other performers half of the programming slots.

Who else is doing interesting things with music like this?

The German hotel that uses optical illusions to stop running in the hall

OK I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure if I should include this one - but it’s so weird I had to.

Apparently, there’s a German hotel that uses optical illusions in their hall carpeting to prevent running in the halls. (Is that still a thing?!)

And apparently, it’s more than just the halls. You can see the whole story if you must.