Hello everyone, happy Tuesday.
The Stanza is the best independent media platform discussing the business of luxury hospitality, and I owe much of that to my time at Cain. I'm excited to share a special interview with my former boss, Jonathan Goldstein, about what it takes to build one of the world's leading luxury hospitality & real estate portfolios.
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Part I: AI and the Future of Hospitality
Every hospitality operator is asking the same question right now: what does AI actually mean for my business? Marc Lotenberg, founder of Dorsia, has a clear thesis: the operators who will define the next era of hospitality are not the ones who chase the technology, but the ones who double down on the art, the craft, and the magic that no algorithm can replicate.
In Part 1 of this episode, Marc shares why AI will finally deliver the hyper-personalized, frictionless experience that modern luxury has always promised, how it will change everything from the kitchen to the moment a guest walks out the door, and why the pace of that disruption is arriving far faster than most people in the industry expect.
This episode is made possible in partnership with Dorsia. To get access to Dorsia’s curation of impossible tables and cultural events, download the app and use code THESTANZA.
Part II: Early Conviction: Investing in Aman and the Future of Luxury Hospitality
Jonathan Goldstein is the founder and CEO of Cain International, a real estate investment and operating company managing over $14 billion in assets across luxury residential, hospitality, sports, and entertainment. Cain was formed in partnership with Todd Boehly and Eldridge Industries, built on a shared conviction that gateway cities and branded experiential real estate represented a generational investment opportunity.
Cain’s real estate portfolio spans some of the most scrutinized assets in luxury hospitality. At the center of it is One Beverly Hills, a $5 billion, 17.5-acre mixed-use development flagged by Aman in the heart of Beverly Hills. Jonathan also co-led the $900 million investment into Aman Group alongside Saudi PIF, subsequently partnering with Mubadala Capital to finance the brand’s expansion. Other assets in the portfolio include Six Senses Courchevel, Raffles Boston, the Delano Miami, and a stake in the Delano brand in partnership with Ennismore & Accor. Cain was investing in luxury and experiential real estate long before the pandemic made the thesis obvious to the broader market.
I worked on One Beverly Hills for Jonathan at Cain, which gives this conversation a level of access and specificity that is rarely present in interviews at this level of the industry.
Interview Highlights:
Approach to risk and creating an asymmetrical outcome in business
The story behind the Aman investment opportunity
What sets Aman apart from the rest
What it takes to earn the trust of sovereign wealth funds
How Cain assembled the One Beverly Hills site
The buyer profile of Aman Residences in Beverly Hills
Developing other luxury projects: Six Senses Courchevel & Raffles Boston
Repositioning the Delano brand & Miami hotel
Jonathan’s approach to choosing a hotel management partner
The personalization problem luxury hospitality has yet to solve
Learn more about Cain’s portfolio here.
