Checking In - The Power of Presence and Attention to Transform Hospitality

A powerful rethinking of hospitality - showing why attention, presence, and human connection are the true luxuries of modern life.

What does it mean to care well for others today?

In a world shaped by distraction, automation, and overconsumption, Checking In: The Power of Presence and Attention to Transform Hospitality offers a deeply considered rethinking of hospitality - not as an industry, but as a fundamentally human practice.

At its heart is a simple idea: before we can serve others well, we must first learn to truly check in - to be present, attentive, and aware of what people actually need.

Drawing on decades of experience at the highest levels of luxury hospitality, the authors explore how attention, presence, and genuine human connection have quietly become the rarest and most valuable forms of modern luxury. Through real-world insight, cultural reflection, and practical examples, they show how hospitality - when practiced with intention - can restore meaning not only to guest experiences, but to the way we work, lead, and live.

In doing so, it points towards more human workplaces, a deeper connection to place and culture, and a more thoughtful, conscious way of living.

This is not a book about more.

It is a book about better:

Better service, better decisions, better relationships.

A more human way of doing business in a changing world.

For hoteliers, business leaders, and anyone interested in how human-centred thinking can shape the future, this book offers both a clear-eyed critique of modern challenges and a hopeful, grounded path forward.

JANNES SORENSEN became one of the UK's youngest General Managers when he joined The Beaumont Hotel in London. Over five years, he transformed it into an award-winning destination, earning multiple international accolades and being named World's Best General Manager two years in a row. His career includes senior roles at some of the world's most prestigious hotels, including the Four Seasons George V in Paris, The Ritz-Carlton in Barcelona, The Plaza in New York, The Connaught in London, and Le Bristol in Paris. He is the founder of Kepler Hotel Group and the Kepler International Hospitality Academy (KIHA), focused on cultivating a new generation of human-centred hospitality leaders.

PHILIPPE KRENZER managed some of the world's most renowned hotels, including The Ritz, The Savoy and Claridge's in London, the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, the Oberoi in Bali, and Four Seasons properties in London and Chicago. As well as running a consultancy advising leading hospitality organisations worldwide, Philippe also served as Professor of Service Strategy (MBA) at HEC Paris and held visiting professorships at Les Roches International School of Hotel Management. He was Founding Academic Lead at the Kepler International Hospitality Academy (KIHA).