#222 - Hospitality Meets Rob Flinter - Sweat, Royals & Rock ’n’ Roll

Episode Summary

In this laugh out loud episode of Hospitality Meets, I sit down with the brilliant Rob Flinter, Area General Manager for London and Westmont Hospitality Group. Rob’s career has taken him from the frontline of hotels to rubbing shoulders with rockstars, rugby legends, and royalty with plenty of mishaps, laughs, and wisdom along the way.

Expect tales of sweaty lift rides with Prince Philip, rockstars passed out under tables, and the moment Rob realised he was officially old (hint: it involves Kylie Minogue).

Alongside the comedy, Rob shares refreshingly honest insights on leadership, vulnerability, and why hospitality is one of the most rewarding industries out there.

We covered:

• Getting stuck in a lift with Prince Philip (and his twitchy bodyguard)
• Hosting rockstars, rugby icons, and pop legends
• The allergy question that broke hospitality
• Why “fake it till you make it” is terrible advice
• How vulnerability and honesty beat blagging every time
• Hospitality = Career & Comedy – A serious profession filled with ridiculous stories.

Memorable Quotes

• "I’m not sure how calm I came across… more like a blabbering idiot sweating profusely in the corner of a lift.”
• “Fake it till you make it? Absolute rubbish.”
• “Kylie Minogue walked in and the kids went, ‘who’s that?’… I thought, oh God, I’m ancient.”
• “Hospitality is a career that can take you anywhere — and you’ll laugh a lot along the way.”

Final Thoughts

Rob’s journey is a reminder that hospitality is equal parts chaos, comedy, and camaraderie. From royal encounters to rock ’n’ roll mayhem, he shows that leading with honesty and humour makes for not just a better GM, but a better human being.

Show Partners

A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil