The Art of Presence in Hospitality: Lessons from Maayan

“My grandmother never eats with a knife and fork. She taught me that food tastes better with your hands.”

Zaylan: I appreciate your time today, Maayan. Where are you calling in from?

Maayan: From Tenerife, the Canary Islands—just south of Spain.

Zaylan: Is that near Morocco?

Maayan: Very close—about a 40-minute flight. We even get the winds coming in from North Africa.

Zaylan: Sounds fantastic. And where are you from originally?

Maayan: Tel Aviv. I’m the first generation born there, but my family’s heritage is from Georgia.

Zaylan: Georgia.

Maayan: The country, yes. They call it the land of God and Wine, because it 's just taking your breath away.

Zaylan: Ah the Caucasus Mountains. What are your favourite foods and drinks?

Maayan: It depends on the season, but I’ll always go for a fresh salad—I love vegetables, crunch, juice in my food. As for drinks, it’s hard to choose just one… probably somewhere between a martini, a daiquiri, a Manhattan, or a good glass of wine.

Zaylan: Anything works!

Maayan: I’ve learned not to put boundaries on my desires.

Zaylan: And in all your travels, what’s the most memorable hotel you’ve stayed at?

Maayan: I’d have to say W Prague. It’s mesmerizing. The building itself is historic—outside, it looks like something straight out of The Grand Budapest Hotel, which I love. And inside, it’s breathtaking.

Zaylan: How about your favourite travel destination?

Maayan: New York—before the late 2000s. In the ’90s and early 2000s, it still felt very “New York”—urban, full of culture, and people were friendly. For me, as a 12-year-old girl, it was skyscrapers, history, subways, eating my first hot dog at Union Square. You see the world for how big it is—through a child’s eyes. It keeps you curious. You have to look at life like a kid: eat it with big spoons.

Zaylan: Amazing. What’s a place you dream of visiting?

Maayan: Mexico or Japan. Both have such rich culinary traditions and beautiful cultures. They’re not places you can “do” in two days—I’d want to really travel.

Zaylan: Favourite movie, sport, and book—rapid fire.

Maayan: Oh, that’s dangerous. We could be here for hours! And don’t get me started on music.

Favourite movie—Reservation Dogs.
Favorite book—"King Of Badolina”. It’s about culture, human psychology, and how we experience the world through food.

If you grow up eating formally, with fork and knife, versus eating with your hands around a table, it changes the way you connect to food. There’s nothing between you and what you put in your body. The taste stays on your fingertips—the memory, the texture. It’s like your fingers become taste buds.

Zaylan: That’s amazing. I’ve only eaten like that at a Moroccan restaurant in Seattle, and once in Namibia. It did feel more authentic and communal.

Maayan: My grandmother is 75 and never eats with a knife and fork unless she has to in a restaurant—which she doesn’t really enjoy. She eats with her hands, even if the food is boiling hot. That’s what she taught me. Later, when I read it in a book, I thought: “Okay, my grandma said it, and now the book says it—it must be true.”

“You might be the pinpoint everything moves around, but it’s never about you.”

Zaylan: You could still eat with your hands in restaurants, right? They might kick you out, but…

Maayan: Yeah. I always look at people funny when they eat chicken wings with a knife and fork. Some food, you just need to eat with your fingers—honestly, most food.

Zaylan: But salads—fork or hand?

Maayan: A Spoon or by hand – Get that juice.

Zaylan: Okay, wow. Awesome. And your favourite sport?

Maayan: Tennis.

Zaylan: Nice.

Maayan: I actually went on a trip to London with my grandma and uncle just to see Wimbledon.

Zaylan: Oh wow.

Maayan: We queued for two hours. She was in her 60s then, standing the whole time. It’s her passion—and she passed it on to us. Now we all watch every Grand Slam together. She knows all the gossip about the players.

I remember one match—there was a break, which is the only time you can move in or out of the stadium. I slipped into Court No. 1 without a ticket, just to snap a photo. The second I stepped in, the match restarted—and I couldn’t leave.

So I ended up standing there, frozen, watching Federer vs. Ferrer live. My uncle kept calling me, and I just said, “I can’t come out—they won’t let me.” Watching two giants of the game in person—it was incredible.

Zaylan: That’s a dream come true.

Maayan: It really was.

Zaylan: You’ve lived and worked in some of the most inspiring cities—Tel Aviv, Paris, Rome, Berlin. If you had to pick one that shaped your perspective the most, which would it be?

Maayan: Rome. It was the first place I lived where no one spoke my language. In hospitality, words and nuances are everything. Humour, ease—that’s how you connect. Doing hospitality in a new language taught me a lot. I had to find my rhythm again, build confidence, and learn a whole new culture.

People work differently in different countries. So, I became both a student and a creator—and that shaped me.

Zaylan: And before hospitality, you learned sports communication, interior design, and worked, managed and opened bars, how did those roles shape how you lead today?

Maayan: They all helped me understand where my passion lies. But more importantly, they taught me this industry is built on people. And human beings are the most fascinating creatures in nature.

The more I learn outside of hospitality, the better I understand people. The wider my knowledge, the more curious I stay, and the more experiences I can create with my team. It could be art, music, sport games, graffiti, flamenco, visits to the local libraries, wonders of vintage markets and food markets—anything. The more you enrich yourself, the more you have to give to others.

Master your profession. But be curious as f***.

Zaylan: Was there a moment in your career where it clicked, “This is where I’m meant to be”?

Maayan: Honestly, it happens all the time—any time you touch people. When you realize it’s not about you, that’s the lesson. Hospitality teaches humility.

You might be the pinpoint everything moves around, but it’s never about you.

And when you see you’ve impacted someone’s life—maybe a team member who comes to you with personal problems, or a guest whose mood you’ve shifted with something small—that moment stays. They may remember you, your team, or that day for the rest of their life.

“Hospitality is about people. If you don’t talk to your people, nothing gets created.”

Zaylan: Any advice for a bartender or server on how to quickly connect with a new table? Maybe despite cultural differences, what’s one lesson you’d share with anyone trying to build that human connection?

Maayan: Be present. Put your phone aside. Put your worries aside. Even put aside the will to make an impact—and just make an impact. That only happens if you’re fully engaged with the table.

You don’t need to look like the person next to you—you’re two different people with different approaches. What works for me might not work for you. But what works for me—that’s what I need to bring. And that’s not less—or more—than anyone else’s skill.

So find your skill. Work on the things you know you lack. Be curious. Keep learning. Don’t sit still, don’t wait for things to happen—move them. Engage.

Hospitality is about people. If you don’t talk to your people, nothing gets created.

Gaby: Those are great answers. Let’s go into the creativity side. From building playlists to managing high-energy teams, you clearly love setting the tone. If someone walked into a space you designed or led, what feeling would you want them to leave with?

Maayan: That they want to come back. That they can’t wait to come back.

Because it’s not just about your mood—it’s the mood of the space. When you’re curating the playlist, adjusting the lighting, turning the music up or down—you’re shaping a whole scenery. The energy is alive. You just need to walk with it, not above it or beneath it.

Gaby: Does that change depending on the space or project?

Maayan: Every space is different, yes. And even different hours in the evening will provide different needs. The music and lights at 6 p.m. don’t work at 10 p.m.

At six, the light outside is softer. The room is quiet, only two tables, music low – but not low enough that they feel alone and too seen. As more people arrive, the vibe builds—drinks, laughter, relaxation. The music should evolve with that.

And then there’s the lighting—I call it “smoked whiskey light.” That golden glow that makes everyone look good. It’s not too dark, not too bright—just right. It creates comfort, freedom.

That’s part of why people go out. They’ve dressed up, put on perfume, styled their hair. They want to look their best—and the right lighting enhances that. It lets them sit comfortably, enjoy their drink, their date, their company. Maybe even meet someone new.

That’s the power of music and lighting: you make people feel comfortable. You take away their armour the moment they walk in. If everything goes smoothly—the drink, the food, the care—that’s the magic.

Gaby: You really do create magic with intention. So your time at Drink-It Cocktails must have been a creative playground. What’s a memory from that role that sticks with you?

Maayan: I love storytelling—especially face-to-face. Drink-It was an opportunity for me to create that feeling through writing. How do you mimic a human connection through something that appears on a phone or laptop?

How do you create a community on a social media page? You have to find the language of the product. What is it? Who’s going to drink it? In what moment?

How do you plant the thought: “This is the perfect moment for a Drink-It martini”?

That was the challenge. And challenge is always good. You need to think outside the box—and sometimes completely off the box.

It wasn’t about service or training. It was about creativity: How do my words make someone, sitting five hours away, feel?

“With every new chapter or project, you evolve—you yourself are different, too.”

Gaby: Was there a turning point where you saw yourself differently—creatively speaking?

Maayan: I think it’s happening now, actually. With every new chapter or project, you evolve. You’re surrounded by different people, different cultures—and you yourself are different, too. You’ve gained experience, memories, skills.

And I know I still have—if not more—the hunger, the drive, the curiosity. Those are always growing. Of course, the insecurities grow too. Every time you step into something a little bigger, a little higher, you start questioning:

Am I doing this right? Am I teaching right? Am I impacting people the right way? Am I being a good role model?

It’s constant self-reflection, because in the end, you’re responsible for people. If you choose to lead, if you put yourself in the eye of the storm, you have to keep asking: Who am I in this moment? Am I doing well? Do I need to revisit something?

I’m not here to be a trendsetter or influencer. I’m here because I want to teach people something I love—something I’m passionate about. If we don’t do that, this will disappear. Hospitality will disappear. Taking care of people. Going out just because.

So yes—creatively, you always have to evolve. The world is changing. People are changing. And the way they consume all of this is changing too.

Gaby: I love that perspective. Okay, last question in this section. You also studied interior design, which is such a visual and spatial discipline. Do you find yourself naturally seeing service or guest flow in a more design-forward way?

Maayan: Every time I walk into a place, it’s inevitable. I look at the lighting. I listen to the music—both the volume and the sound quality. I notice whether the spotlight above the table is cantered so guests can actually see their food. Is it too crowded? Too spacious? Are the bar stools the right height for the counter? Yes—always. And it will never disappear.

But sometimes you have to tune it down. Because if you can’t enjoy the experience as a guest—if it’s only work—you lose something. And this field is just too fantastic to feel like only work.

Gaby: Do you find yourself spotting little friction points others might miss?

Maayan: I used to. But I don’t want to do that anymore. I’m not there to judge—I’m there to have an experience. If I sit in my chair only judging, I might miss something beautiful that someone is trying to create for me.

If I’m there for work, then yes—I’ll see everything. That’s when I’m really observing, trying to understand the vision. But otherwise? I deserve to be a guest too. I deserve to have experiences. Maybe I’ll learn something. Maybe I’ll feel something new. Maybe I’ll get inspired.

It took me five years to finally walk into a place and say: I’m just here to wine and dine with my friends.

Gaby: You sound like you’ve got the soul of an artist, Maayan.

Maayan: Kinda, yeah. Georgian—I told you.

“It becomes their place—not just somewhere they work, but theirs. That sense of pride is what builds community.”

Zaylan: Awesome. I think you’re going to love this next one: You spoke about bringing back “the art of the maître d’.”  What does that role mean to you? And why do you think it should make a comeback in today’s hospitality world?

Maayan: You might not like where this goes… but I think with social media and phones, some of the romance has disappeared. It’s become too technical, too focused on procedures—like, “Check on tables every three minutes.” “Follow this script.”

But something important got lost—the sensitivity, the feeling of it.

Am I really feeling the room? Am I seeing my guests? Am I hosting them—do they feel like they’re walking into my home, into my living room?

That’s what I did for years. I didn’t just create bars or restaurants—I created communities. Places where people gathered. And yes, I’ve seen guests meet at my place over a beer, become best friends, even get married. I got the wedding invite.

Humans are the most interesting animal in nature. And hospitality is the biggest amusement park in the world. We get people in their leisure time—and we have to respect that.

We need to host them, make them feel like they can drop their guard. Like going to your mom’s house—your mom would never make you wait. Or like a first date—you want to impress, so you never make them wait. It’s about anticipation. And we’ve lost that.

That’s why the role of the maître d’ has to come back. Because it’s not about checklists or procedures. It’s about people. And people are emotions.

Zaylan: So… not a fan of server robots then?

Maayan: They can work—because sometimes guests just want smooth service with no interruptions. But the point is, you need the intelligence to recognize that. It’s not about what kind of service you deliver—it’s about recognizing what this specific table needs.

Zaylan: Yeah.

Maayan: Because you are the leader of their experience.

Zaylan: I feel like the only reason robots are being considered is because of undertrained staff—people who don’t know how to create those experiences. Then it’s easy to say, “Let’s just replace them with machines.”

But if you have a well-trained, emotionally intelligent team—one that really connects with people—you’d never consider replacing them. Because hospitality is fundamentally human-to-human. And I hope we protect that.

Leading into that—you’ve been part of so many different openings and concepts, from luxury hotels to cozy neighbourhood bars. How do you foster community in each? And how do you know when it’s working?

Maayan: You know it’s working when you’re no longer the energy shifter—when guests are coming for your team.

I remember telling my team about five years ago: we’d just opened, and for the first month, I stood at the front. I navigated the energy, welcomed guests, set the tone. Meanwhile, I let my team find their rhythm—get comfortable with each other, build their own connections with guests.

After a month, people started coming back for them too. That’s when I told my team: “I could keep being the anchor here, but I alone will never attract the number of guests that you, as a team of five, can attract together.”

We built a place where guests knew everyone. A regular could walk in and always have someone to talk to, no matter who was working.

When you put your team in front—when you give them skills, confidence, trust, and time—that’s when the magic happens.

Because I can’t expect someone with 1 year of experience to have the same ease I do after 20. Their curiosity is still evolving, their voice is still forming. But if you give them the space, they grow. And when they grow, they create the community.

It becomes their place—not just somewhere they work, but theirs. That sense of pride is what builds community.

Zaylan: Because then it feels like their home—and when guests walk into their home, of course they want to give the best service.

Maayan: Exactly. And because they know the guests personally, they’ll never give less than excellence. Even if that guest has been in 50 times, they’ll still want them to leave with a smile.

“You take care of your people—and they take care of their people. That’s what lasts.”

Zaylan: Is there a moment in your career—with a guest or a team member—where you thought, This is why I do this?

Maayan: Actually, yes. I got a phone call two weeks ago from a former teammate. She had just gotten married in Tel Aviv.

She told me that during her wedding, one of the guests raised a glass of champagne and said: “I want to thank Maayan for hiring you. Because coming to Peacock, and meeting you, made you one of the most important people in my life.”

And that’s it. That’s the heart of it. You take care of your people—and they take care of their people. That’s what lasts. It’s not just a workplace. It’s a community. You take care of your own.

Zaylan: That is beautiful!

Gaby: Let’s talk a little bit about your connection to Ellis Adams Group. What drew you to EAG? Was there something about their way of working or values that made you feel, “This is my next chapter”?

Maayan: For quite some time, I found myself thinking, Maybe I see things wrong. Maybe my values, or the way I approach hospitality, are off. Because I kept ending up in projects with people who didn’t see this industry the way I did.

Then I met Chris and Maricela. They came one day to a property I was managing, and we had a chat. It felt so natural. And I remember thinking, Wait—I’m not alone. I’m not alone in the way I see things, the way I believe hospitality should be done.

So when I got the call: “We’re opening EMEA and we’d love for you to join,” I was shocked—in the best way. It was the best news I’d had in a long time.

Because this way of seeing things—it’s natural for us. And at the same time, you’re inspired by the people around you. You want to be better. You want to learn more.

I’ve always said—when you’re in a place that doesn’t inspire you, where you don’t want to learn from anyone… you start questioning everything. Not in a good way that helps you grow, but in a way that makes you wonder, Do I even want to keep doing this?

So finding myself here, with EAG? It’s amazing. It’s a supernova.

Gaby: That’s great. Sounds like a real alignment in values! You’re now leading front-of-house excellence for Marriott luxury openings in EMEA. What’s been the most exciting challenge so far, and how do you help teams deliver those next-level guest moments?

Maayan: The biggest challenge is always internal. It’s self-reflection.

When we go on property, it’s between five to fourteen days. And in that short time, we want to set them up for success. We want to make them see that emotional connection matters—that they can feel the difference, and guests can feel it too.

So the challenge is always: Did we do enough?

And I know we’re doing a lot—because we hold ourselves to very high standards, and honest to God we really truly care. But it never feels like we’ve done enough.

It’s like being a mother. You ask yourself, Have I raised them right? That question never ends. They’re your kids. And you want to give them the best tools, the best foundation, so they can stand tall on their own and succeed.

“If you speak of something in a mechanic way, they’ll forget. If you tell a story, they’ll remember.”

Gaby: Beautifully said. Okay, last question in this section. Ellis Adams Group believes in design and service as storytelling. What kind of stories do you try to tell—whether through atmosphere, service, or how your team shows up each day?

Maayan: I think—showing up, period.

We teach the value of simply being there. Once you decide to be part of something—show up.

It doesn’t matter if you fail, or if you try something innovative and it doesn’t work. Let’s sit down, understand what happened, and try again.

Bring your stories with you. Bring the people behind you. Integrate it into your service, into your values, into your presence—around the table, around your team.

Are you leading them? Are you helping them? Are you walking a little slower to let the one who’s struggling catch up? Or are you just running ahead and leaving someone behind?

I don’t know if that answers your question exactly—because you mentioned design. But I always come back to this:

If you tell someone mechanics, they’ll forget. But if you tell a story, they’ll remember—from beginning to end.

So we wrap everything around this beautiful thing called vitality. Storytelling is part of that—because storytelling evokes emotion. And through emotion, we create experiences.

Gaby: I love that framing. That was a beautiful answer.

Zaylan: Great. And one more thing on the Ellis Adams Group side before we head to our final questions.

If there’s a hotelier or bar manager—someone in hospitality—who might benefit from working with EAG, what would you say to them? When should they reach out to the EAG EMEA team? Is it when they’re opening a hotel? Struggling with repeat guests? What’s the moment they should call you?

Maayan: It can start in a lot of different ways, because it has many forms and needs

Sometimes it’s about creating a concept. You meet people who have the money and want to open a bar, restaurant, or hotel. But then they realize—you need to know what you’re doing. And many are humble enough to say: “I want this, but I want the best to help me build it.”

They want something excellent. Cutting edge. Futuristic. But above all—something that puts humans at the centre, that will help them shape their culture.

Other times it’s pure industry support—lack of resources, needing a beverage menu, building a concept, training a new team, or helping leaders understand how to train and lead.

It’s to say - “hey we’ve might have finished our role here, but we are always a phone call away’ and mean it. And then we keep in touch, and they are amazed by that fact. Yes, we might not be next to you physically, but we’re still here.”

That’s Ellis Adams Group. Even when we’re “done”—we’re never really done. We stay.

Zaylan: Awesome. And what about on the beverage side? Say there’s a winery in Italy—how could they get involved with Ellis Adams Group EMEA?

Maayan: We have an Italian guy.

Zaylan: Yeah?

Maayan: It would happen through us creating those connections—and we do have connections.

That’s the beauty of EMEA. The world is too big, and when people put their trust into something like this, they need a constant. They need a company. We’re the ones who reassure them, who make sure their baby is represented in the best possible way.

It all comes down to trust. If we’re putting our name and word on something, it’s because we believe in it. I won’t speak on behalf of anything I don’t believe in—and I don’t think anyone at Ellis Adams Group would.

So if you hear from people you respect—whose professional opinion and character you admire—and they say, “Come meet these guys,” you reach out. I’ll take your hand, and we’ll go on the journey together.

“The four walls don’t matter. What matters is the people. I’d invest everything into the people.”

Zaylan: Amazing. Okay, last few questions. If you could dream up a hospitality concept from scratch—with no budget limits—what would it look like?

Maayan: My grandmother’s kitchen.

That feeling of stepping into Georgian culture. Honestly, everything is made of four walls -  What matters are the people you meet in those 4 walls, and what can they create for you. So I’d invest everything into the people.

Zaylan: Yeah, awesome. You’ve taken a very winding path into this industry. What advice would you give to someone just starting out who wants to make a big impact in hospitality?

Maayan: Do the path. There are no shortcuts.

Start as a barback. Start as an assistant server. Run around. Ask millions of questions. Don’t hold back. Questions are important.

Whenever I interviewed someone and they didn’t ask me any questions—I wouldn’t hire them. Because either they thought, I already know everything—and that’s not the kind of person I want. Or they just weren’t that interested.

What I’m sharing in that conversation is important to me. Fascinating to me. And if you’re not invested in this conversation, how can I trust that you’ll be invested in our guests? Or in your team?

So—ask questions. Do the hard work. Your time will come.

It doesn’t happen overnight. Hospitality is a balance of knowledge, logic, instinct, and experience. You have to go through the path.

It’s like acting. A 15-year-old actress can’t portray a 35-year-old woman—not really—because she hasn’t lived those years yet. She hasn’t gone through the heartbreaks, the moves, the transitions.

So allow yourself to be there. Embrace the beginning. Embrace every step. Ace that—then move forward.

Zaylan: Beautiful. Final question. After all these years, all these cities… what has hospitality taught you most—about people, culture, or even yourself?

Maayan: Being humble. Always learning. Always being respectful. Seeing the world differently.

Hospitality makes you a better person. You hold the door at the supermarket.

You see someone sitting outside with nothing—no food, no money—and now you go in and come back out with a snack and a cold drink. Because you can. If I can help someone not be hungry today, I will.

And our industry has always shown up like that—especially during COVID. We were there—fundraising, helping, nurturing.

It’s not just service. It’s a value. It’s a way of life.

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