Matt Talks Hospitality: Real conversations for innovative hoteliers
How small properties can outrun chains with tech ft. Elise Roberts of Happiness Hospitality
June 24, 2026
How should small hotels think about building and investing in a tech stack when they don’t have the data, the team size or the budget of large properties? Elise Roberts is the Managing Director of Happiness Hospitality, the operator behind The Gallivant, a beautiful boutique coastal hotel in East Sussex that holds a MICHELIN key and VisitEngland's Small Hotel of the Year. Elise joins Matt to talk about why 18 systems are not too many for a small hotel, what every hotelier should ask before buying software and how independent properties can outrun the big chains.
How should small hotels think about building and investing in a tech stack when they don’t have the data, the team size or the budget of large properties? Elise Roberts is the Managing Director of Happiness Hospitality, the operator behind The Gallivant, a beautiful boutique coastal hotel in East Sussex that holds a MICHELIN key and VisitEngland's Small Hotel of the Year. Elise joins Matt to talk about why 18 systems are not too many for a small hotel, what every hotelier should ask before buying software and how independent properties can outrun the big chains. 


Elise Roberts is the Managing Director of Happiness Hospitality, the company behind The Gallivant, a beautiful boutique coastal hotel in East Sussex that holds a MICHEIN key and VisitEngland's Small Hotel of the Year. Elise has held sales and marketing roles at Hilton and Aviator, giving her a rare perspective on what technology looks like at scale and what changes when you move to an independent property.


Learn more about the podcast here: https://hubs.ly/Q0350wrf0


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