Defining hospitality concepts in 2025 with Omar Boubess (Studio Circa)

What does brand really mean in hospitality in 2025?

In this English episode of LOBBY Talks, I’m joined by Omar Boubess, founder of Studio Circa and Heni restaurant co-owner, calling in from Canada.

We go deep into the foundations: not logos, not moodboards but the real mechanics of building a hospitality brand that holds, guides decisions, and creates a clear guest perception.

We talk about:

• why concept comes before design (and why most projects do it backwards)

• brand as a strategic compass, not a visual layer

• the real definition of brand: perception in the guest’s mind

• how to build desire before the stay (not just sell rooms)

• passion vs “executive hospitality”: when it helps, when it hurts

• partnerships, media, community: how brands extend beyond the property

• and the tricky question everyone asks: what’s the ROI of branding?

If you’re building a hotel, a restaurant, or a hospitality concept, this is the real-world version, not the pretty one.

Welcome to LOBBY Talks.

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