Meet Carolyn Schneider

We were lucky to catch up with Carolyn Schneider recently and have shared our conversation below.

Carolyn, thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?

I take the time for real conversations when onboarding a new client. Being quick and meeting deadlines is clearly important once the project kicks off, but when starting a project, it’s important for me to get to know them and figure out what makes them excited. Being an entrepreneur in hospitality isn’t for the faint of heart and people go into it for many different reasons. Going through the Discovery phase to establish the core values of the brand always gets things off to the right start.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Corner Booth is a creative hospitality agency. We care deeply about the details, building in partnership and creating magic spaces to enjoy. We’ll help you to clearly envision your hotel, restaurant, flower shop, bar, bodega (any communal space for humans, really). Together we’ll plan for its development and turn it into a welcoming place.

Some background : I Co-founded a boutique hospitality brand called Casetta Hotels, where I oversaw all creative teams for the boutique hotel brands, Casa Cody in Palm Springs, The Pearl Hotel in San Diego, Hotel Marina Riviera in Big Bear and Hotel Willa in Taos, NM, under it. Prior to Casetta, I was part of the pre-development and opening for landmark boutique hotels in Los Angeles, including properties for Ace Hotel Group, Proper Hospitality and NoMad Hotels.

In 2021, I was named Boutique Design Magazine’s Up-and-Coming Hotelier, an award that recognizes the hoteliers who are redefining guests’ expectations regarding how hotels look and operate.

Corner Booth, established in 2023, lends a hand to others in the business of creating extra special hospitality spaces.

What I find most exciting about developing hospitality spaces is creating worlds that guests want to return to. As cheesy as it sounds – hotels are memory makers. I like traveling to experience hotels; I’ll go somewhere new just to check-in at a hotel I’ve had my eye on. There’s so much work that goes into making hotels and food and beverage establishments feel really special in ways that extends beyond the interior design. The music, the uniforms, the plateware, the service and all of the details are key elements.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Some qualities that have been impactful on my journey are curiosity, communication and the willingness to just jump in and try something. I may not have all of the answers, but my work is very collaborative. I serve as a conductor to make sure all of the moving parts of hospitality are in sync and speaking the same language.

For people considering a career in hospitality; something important to remember is the industry doesn’t require a Masters Degree. Of course, you can get a great one from top hospitality schools, but depending on what you want to do in the industry, I think that simply working in it is the best education. The hospitality industry is big, but everyone ends up getting to know each other – it’s a very social space. So in that regard, some advice is to keep positive relationships always. You’re likely to cross paths again.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

Traveling, eating and spending time with my family are at the top of the list.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://corner-booth.com
• Instagram: @lecornerbooth
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-schneider-7aab928/

Image Credits

Jordan Rose