Host Steve Turk introduces Josef Forstmayr, managing director of Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Jamaica. Forstmayr shares growing up working in his parents’ Austrian farm restaurant, attending hotel school in Salzburg, and arriving in Jamaica in 1979 as a German tutor before quickly becoming an assistant manager and advancing to GM roles, including rebuilding Trident after Hurricane Allen.

Hired in 1989 to convert Round Hill from a winter-only operation to a year-round resort, he describes evolving the property into a family- and group-friendly luxury destination guided by “timeless elegance, understated luxury, warm Jamaican heart,” with design input from shareholder Ralph Lauren and tech perspective from Bob Pittman.

He emphasizes Jamaica’s authentic luxury, staff legacy across generations, strong community investment and charity work, rapid recovery after Hurricane Melissa, and advises young hoteliers to learn multiple languages to build international careers.

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

00:31 Sponsor Lodgify Message

01:34 Meet Josef in Jamaica

01:57 First Job and Jamaica Move

04:13 Hurricanes and Career Growth

06:11 Transforming Round Hill Year Round

09:02 Growing Up in Family Restaurant

11:23 Why He Stayed in Jamaica

14:27 Round Hill Owners and Design

19:08 Evolving with Core Values

23:53 Real Jamaica Beyond Cruises

29:52 Community Hikes and Belonging

31:27 Running Long Term with Locals

33:32 Giving Back and Hurricane Recovery

36:33 Future of Authentic Luxury Jamaica

39:27 Advice Learn More Languages

42:04 Wrap Up and Where to Visit