One-on-One with Julieta Chan

The hospitality industry is undergoing a profound transformation. Once defined by status and profitability, it now faces an ethical crossroads—where the question is not just how we build, but why we build, and for whom. In this Coffee Table Chat, Julieta Chan invites us into that reflection, sharing her journey of navigating complexity while holding onto purpose.

Her perspective is rooted in both pragmatism and vision: the belief that structure—those often invisible systems that create coherence and trust—must coexist with soul, the values and intuition that give hospitality its deeper meaning.

What emerges is a portrait of leadership grounded in listening, curiosity, and compassion. For Julieta, building a company is not about selling beds but about creating the conditions for transformative experiences—moments where travelers reconnect with nature, with culture, and with themselves.

1. How has your perception of the industry evolved since joining Experiential Hospitality?

This is a personal perspective, shaped by my own experiences and interpretation of what’s happening in the industry, in the world, and in the communities we serve.

I believe the industry is facing a moral and ethical crossroads. Profitability has become the dominant metric, accelerated by platforms like Airbnb that opened the sector to players without a tourism background. While this brought innovation, it also disrupted governance and reshaped the commercial landscape. The pace of change has been so rapid that governments and corporations are still struggling to respond—some are searching for solutions, while others remain passive or unaware.

Since joining Experiential Hospitality, my perception has remained consistent: in times of chaos, it is essential to return to the core of why we exist. For me, that purpose has never been solely about profitability (though financial sustainability matters). It has always been about connecting people to nature, to different cultures, and to themselves through meaningful experiences—creating the possibility of a more tolerant and humane world through travel.

Experiential Hospitality has become the strategy I discovered—or that discovered me—to fulfill that purpose. It offers the alignment, innovation, and sense of meaning that this industry urgently needs.

2. In building internal systems for a company that values emotion and intuition, how do you balance structure with soul?

Building structure is not glamorous work—it’s heavy lifting. But it is essential. Structure creates coherence, alignment, and trust across every part of the company. When I design systems or documents, I try to approach them not as rigid rules, but as tools a mentor might use to teach or to create shared understanding—something that enables the team to move together with clarity.

The “soul” of the system comes from the lens through which we create it. Every framework must be tested against our values, our philosophy, and our ethical compass.

If a system doesn’t serve our purpose or align with our mission, then it needs to be revised and adapted. In this way, structure doesn’t constrain us—it becomes the backbone that gives life to our vision.

3. You’ve been one of the quiet architects of Experiential Hospitality’s growth. What has surprised you most about your own growth through this journey?

Earlier in my career, I worked in hotels as a front-of-house manager, ensuring systems ran smoothly and that every guest’s experience was consistently exceptional. My focus was on delivering what was already designed.

Now, my role is fundamentally different. I am helping to design the “behind-the-scenes formula” itself—everything from the architecture of a lodge, to the operational strategy, to the way the guest journey is imagined from the very beginning. It’s a rare privilege to sit at the intersection of design, operations, and finance—offering feedback to architects from an operational lens, while also learning how vision gets translated into a physical space, and then ensuring a strong commercial model backs it.

4. What have you learned about leadership from working across cultures, disciplines, and geographies at Experiential Hospitality?

First and foremost, to listen deeply. To clear my mind, make quiet judgments, and be fully present with others. Listening in this way is not easy, but it is the key to truly understanding what matters.

Second, to stay curious. Curiosity is the foundation of learning, and one of the greatest gifts I’ve cultivated here. It pushes me to ask questions, to uncover what lies beneath, and to keep expanding my understanding through others.

Finally, to practice compassion—for myself and for others. Building a company from scratch is full of challenges. We don’t always get it right the first time—or the third. In the past, I judged myself harshly for that. Today, I see vulnerability as strength. Compassion allows me to ask for help when needed and to recognize that what we are building is bold and complex. We are not selling beds; we are selling transformative experiences. That is not an easy story to tell or a simple model to execute. Compassion helps me—and us—stay grounded in patience and persistence as we work to build the global community we envision.