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Sam Bakhshandehpour Heads to Bilt to Create a New Kind of Hospitality Platform

Bilt's A.I. concierge helps restaurants tailor experiences for guests, but this is about much more than dinner.

Sam Bakhshandehpour left his high-profile role as CEO of José Andrés Group because he saw an opportunity to make an impact that goes far beyond the four walls of a restaurant.

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He had been advising Bilt, a startup that enables members to earn rewards on housing, for about two years, and realized that this financial technology company had the power to transform the hospitality industry. In February, Bakhshandehpour joined Bilt as president of merchants, a role that involves growing Bilt’s partnerships with restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, retail, pharmacies and much more.

Bilt, which launched in 2021, lets members earn points on monthly rent payments without transaction fees. And it’s since grown beyond its Bilt Alliance of rental buildings into a program that applies to other housing payments.

Bilt members can use reward points to, among other things, eat, party, shop and book fitness classes in their neighborhood and beyond. They can also earn points by frequenting neighborhood businesses and booking travel. 

Bakhshandehpour’s initial conversation with Bilt founder and CEO Ankur Jain was about “delivering hospitality to residential.” Bakhshandehpour and Jain brainstormed ways to enhance guest experiences and help restaurants identify, satisfy and retain important customers.

“You start with housing, and you would always reference this hotel analogy,” Bakhshandehpour........

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