Housekeeping Didn't Come
Lessons from the road, the classroom, and the minibar.
Welcome to Housekeeping Didn’t Come — where hospitality, adventure, and a little chaos all check in for the night.
Hosted by Rob W. Powell, former casino exec, improv comic, mountaineer, and hospitality professor (aka the Indiana Jones of hospitality education), this podcast dives into the wild, weird, and wonderfully human side of the hospitality world. From luxury lodges to national park cabins, cruise ships to classroom chaos, we explore what it really takes to deliver unforgettable guest experiences—and what happens when things go hilariously off script.
Whether you're a student, a hospitality pro, a curious traveler, or just here for the stories, you'll find something to love. Expect candid interviews, bite-sized insights, unforgettable blunders, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from years in the trenches (and a few nights without housekeeping).
So grab a coffee (or a cocktail), and join Rob as he unpacks the business of making people feel welcome, even when the bed isn’t made.
Episodes
35 episodes
Forecasts Look Fine Until People Showed Up
A clean forecast feels comforting—right up until guests arrive early, hungry, and convinced your operation runs on their schedule. We open the door to the real world of hospitality, where tidy plans meet messy peaks, and show how great operator...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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4:11
If Mardi Gras Were A Hotel It Would Be Over Budget
We stress-test a favorite thought experiment: if Mardi Gras were a single hotel, revenue would soar while margins tighten, and the only way through is smart judgment under pressure. We share a real event-weekend cascade that proves why budgets ...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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5:04
Tipping Doesn’t Reward Great Service (And the Research Proves It) S1E29
Feel that pinch of judgment when a tip screen spins your way before you even take a sip? We dig into why that awkward pause exists, what 50 years of research actually says about tipping, and how digital prompts have turned generosity into an ex...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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8:11
Why Hospitality Demands More Than A Smile
Think hospitality begins and ends with a smile? We open the door on what the work truly demands: operations, logistics, finance, labor management, risk, and leadership under pressure. The goal isn’t to look friendly while chaos swirls. The goal...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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11:22
Mardi Gras 101: The Business of Beads, Balls, and Organized Chaos.
We unpack how Mardi Gras actually runs: krewes as volunteer-driven engines, throws as branded inventory, and citywide logistics that keep guests delighted while operators manage risk and cost. The result is a playbook for festivals, hotels at p...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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11:23
New Year’s Eve Chaos
New Year’s Eve looks like glitter from the front and a pressure cooker from the back. We open the doors on the most volatile night in hospitality and map the patterns that repeat every year: surging crowds, elastic time, drinks that multiply pr...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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2:59
How Hospitality Leaders Survive Holiday Scheduling Without Losing Their Minds S1EP25
The calendar says holiday, the operation says stress test. We open the doors on December and talk honestly about what it takes to build a Christmas schedule that doesn’t break your team—or your spirit. Rob Powell, hospitality lecturer and indus...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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5:22
Silent Night, Fully Booked
We take apart the holiday myth of “silent night” and show how sold-out rooms, strained kitchens, and flickering lights reveal the real work and real heart of hospitality. Through absurd guest requests and staffing puzzles, we find the meaning t...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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5:25
Finals Week Isn’t The Finish Line: Grades are In, I'm Out!
The finish line is a lie, especially when you teach hospitality. Grades are due, coffee runs dry, and the inbox lights up with pleas, confessions, and the occasional miracle. We open the door on what finals week really feels like for a hospital...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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5:25
We Found Your Lost Earring. And Your Dignity. S1E22
Lost and Found departments in hotels are memory banks of misadventures where hospitality meets humanity through the forgotten items guests leave behind. The things we abandon and how staff returns them reveal profound truths about exceptional s...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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2:06
The Lights Are On, But the GM’s in a Budget Meeting S1E21
The mysterious world of hotel budget meetings takes center stage as we reveal what really happens when hospitality leaders gather to plan their financial future. Far more than a simple accounting exercise, these high-stakes sessions determine e...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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2:46
Part 2 of 4: “The Butler, the Buffet, and the Brand Promise” S1E24
A captain who hands his hat to a guest and says everyone gets a turn at the helm sets the tone for everything that follows. We take you aboard Silver Sea to unpack how leadership by presence, empowered teams, and intentional systems turn servic...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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7:51
Part 1 of 4: “Welcome Aboard: Service at Sea and the Silversea Standard” S1E23
The story starts where most vacations don’t: on a loading dock at dawn. Forklifts hum, pallets of champagne and butter stack like sheet music, and a quiet army turns chaos into calm. From that first backstage beat to a water taxi skimming acros...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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9:41
Don’t Lick the Buffet Tongs (And Other Management Philosophies) S1E20
The elegant chaos of hospitality leadership reveals that your greatest challenge isn't occupancy or food costs, but preventing staff from doing something weird when you're not watching. This episode explores how witnessing a server lick their f...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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2:46
Spa Robes and Power Plays: Tales from the VIP Floor S1E19
Ever witnessed a Fortune 500 CEO storming through a hotel lobby in a spa robe, arguing about a $14 minibar charge? Welcome to the fascinating world of luxury hospitality, where exceptional service goes far beyond accommodating eccentric request...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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2:44
Sir, This Is a Courtyard, Not a Castle S1E18
Ever had a guest who expected Versailles but booked a standard room with two queen beds? You're not alone! Hospitality professionals everywhere are facing an expectations crisis. Guests walk in with dreams shaped by perfectly filte...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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2:37
Your 10am Check-Out Is Not a Suggestion. S1E17
Ever wonder why checkout time—that clearly stated policy—becomes a battleground in hotels worldwide? Join me, Rob Powell, as I pull back the curtain on what might be hospitality's most contested boundary.Checkout time isn't just a numbe...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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2:19
Don’t Eat the Guests’ Cookies. And Other Survival Tips S1E16
Ever wondered what really happens behind the pristine facade of hotels and restaurants? Welcome to the unfiltered world of hospitality where cookies disappear, lobbies transform into chaos zones, and maintaining your sanity requires an unwritte...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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3:04
Welcome to the Team. Here’s a Mop and a Prayer - Onboarding S1E15
Remember your first day in hospitality? That moment when someone handed you a uniform, pointed vaguely at your workstation, and left you to fend for yourself? This episode of "Housekeeping, Didn't Come?" dives into the chaotic world of hospital...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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2:32
Middle Management- Where Dreams and Sandwich Orders Die S1E14
Ever watched someone plunge a toilet while simultaneously taking a corporate call about metrics and coordinating a birthday dessert? That's not multitasking—that's the daily reality for middle managers in hospitality, the unsung heroes keeping ...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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2:42
We’re Sorry About the Rooster. Here’s a Muffin. The Art of Service Recovery S1E13
Have you ever wondered what separates good hospitality from unforgettable hospitality? It's not perfection—it's what happens when things go hilariously, epically wrong.Welcome to the world of service recovery, where a prehistoric-scream...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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3:42
Just Breathe, You're Not Actually on Fire (Yet) S1E12
We unpack the power of pausing before reacting in hospitality situations, demonstrating how strategic thinking transforms service outcomes. Taking a moment to think intentionally creates space between stimulus and response, turning potential cr...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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3:42
Leadership in the Wild S1E11a
Have you ever wondered what leadership looks like when there's nowhere to hide? Rob Powell takes us on a gripping journey through the rugged terrain of adventure hospitality, revealing profound leadership lessons that emerge when the trail lite...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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7:33
The 5 Numbers That Haunt Hotel GMs (and 1 That Might Save You) Sleep is for Guests. You Have A Dashboard. S1E10a
Rob Powell takes us behind the scenes of hotel management to reveal the five critical numbers that determine success or failure in hospitality operations. The metrics that haunt great general managers go beyond guest complaints to the financial...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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2:25
Please Hold for Applause: Your Lobby Is a Stage. The Theater of Hospitality S1E9a
Hospitality is theatrical performance where every guest interaction requires both scripted elements and authentic improvisation. Disney pioneered this approach decades ago with their "on stage" and "off stage" concept that transforms how staff ...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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2:10
