Behind the Stays

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality This week, the guys unpack a massive shift happening across hospitality — and what it means for who actually owns demand. Hotel executives are finally admitting what’s been true for years: discovery is no longer happening on their platforms. It’s happening on social, in group chats, and increasingly through AI. If you’re not part of the inspiration phase, you don’t exist. At the same time, food is stepping into the spotlight as a true demand driver—not just an amenity. From chef-led concepts to destination restaurants, hotels are betting big on F&B to differentiate, drive rate, and create relevance. But with thin margins and fierce competition, most will underestimate how hard it is to win. And then there’s loyalty. New data suggests travelers care more about trust, recognition, and real value than price alone — exposing just how outdated many loyalty programs have become. Points aren’t enough anymore. Guests want to feel known. We break down what all of this means for operators, brands, and investors—and why the hotels that win next won’t just distribute demand… they’ll create it. This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 06:39 — Story #1: Discovery Moved Upstream 32:16 — Story #2: Hotels Bet on Food as Identity 47:15 — Story #3: Trust Beats Price 56:01 — Spice of the Week Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality Hilton just rewrote the rules on growth—without buying brands. Marriott keeps flooding the market with more flags. And underneath it all, a bigger question is emerging: who actually owns demand in hospitality? This week, we break down Hilton’s Yotel deal and what it signals about the future of “platformized” hotel brands, Marriott’s relentless expansion strategy (and whether guests even care anymore), and why distribution—not differentiation—is becoming the real battleground. We also get into Four Seasons’ move into luxury yachts, Thailand’s push to own wellness travel, and how Netflix is quietly reshaping restaurant demand. If you’re building, investing in, or operating hospitality, this episode is about one thing: control the guest—or rent them from someone who does. This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 02:06 — Story #1: Hilton’s Yotel Deal Turns Brand Into Distribution 27:18 — Story #2: Four Seasons Bets That Luxury Belongs at Sea 40:31 — Story #3: Thailand Makes Wellness a National Strategy 51:11 — Story #4: Netflix Is Now a Travel Demand Engine 01:04:37 — Spice of the Week Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

Connect with David Connect with Zach Apply to join the Journey Alliance David Kaplan didn't come up through the industry the traditional way. He went to art school, never tended bar a day in his life, and opened Death & Co in New York's East Village on New Year's Eve 2006 with a vintage cash register and zero business experience. What followed was twenty years of one of the most influential runs in American hospitality — a craft cocktail institution that helped shape how a generation drinks, thinks about bars, and expects to be taken care of. But David was never just building a bar. He was building a brand, a culture, and eventually a company — Gin & Luck — that now spans consulting, multiple Death & Co locations, and his newest venture: Midnight Auteur Hotels, whose first property, Municipal Grand in Savannah, is already turning heads. In this episode, David traces the full arc. We get into the origin story, the partnership drama that stalled expansion for years, why he walked away from a family office overlooking Central Park to raise $18 million from 5,000 individual investors instead, and what it actually takes to scale hospitality without losing the thing that made it special in the first place. Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality This week in hospitality, three big shifts are colliding — and none of them are getting enough attention. Hotel restaurants are no longer an afterthought. What was once a margin-draining “amenity” is now becoming one of the most powerful demand drivers a hotel can have. So what changed… and why are lenders suddenly bullish on F&B? At the same time, Hyatt is making a major move into secondary and tertiary markets — a clear signal that distribution, not differentiation, is the game they’re trying to win. But does scaling faster come at the cost of brand soul? And then there’s LOGE. Once one of the most talked-about outdoor hospitality brands, it’s now facing a brutal reality — rapid expansion, rising costs, and the hard truth about scaling experience-driven stays. We break down: Why hotel F&B is becoming a growth engine (not a cost center) Hyatt’s aggressive expansion strategy — and what it says about the market What LOGE’s struggles reveal about outdoor hospitality Why “manufacturing demand” is now the only strategy that works And how hotels are losing (or winning) relevance faster than ever If you’re building, investing in, or operating hospitality brands — this is the conversation you need to be paying attention to. This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 06:26 — Story #1: Hotel F&B Shifts from Cost Center to Demand Driver 23:06 — Story #2: Hyatt Expands into Secondary Markets to Fix Distribution Gap 48:04 — Story #3: World Cup Demand Reality Falls Short of Industry Expectations 01:07:46 — Spice of the Week Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

In this episode of Behind the Stays, Zach Busekrus sits down with Scott Wiseman, CEO of Nocturne Luxury Villas, to explore what luxury vacation rental brands can learn from hotels — and where the villa category is building a playbook all its own. Drawing on leadership experience across Accor, Abercrombie & Kent, Cox & Kings, Apple Leisure Group, and now Nocturne, Scott shares a clear-eyed perspective on brand building, loyalty, service, acquisitions, and the future of luxury travel. From why recognition matters more than rewards to how Nocturne balances local brand identity with platform-scale infrastructure, this conversation is a thoughtful look at what it takes to build trust in a category where no two homes are the same. The conversation explores: What luxury hotels get right about marketing experience over function Why the tension between hotels and vacation rentals may have been overstated How Nocturne thinks about portfolio branding, local brand identity, and direct bookings What repeat rate, guest journey design, and live feedback reveal about true brand value How Scott evaluates acquisitions, luxury markets, and homeowner acquisition in an increasingly competitive landscape This is a practical, strategic conversation for anyone building, marketing, or scaling a hospitality brand in the luxury travel space. Connect with Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottfwiseman/ Explore Nocturne Luxury Villas: https://www.nocturneluxuryvillas.com/ Connect with Zach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharybusekrus/ Apply to join the Journey Alliance: http://journey.com/alliance/ Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality This week’s episode of This Week in Hospitality starts on a deeply human note, with the crew reflecting on the escalating conflict in Iran and the ripple effects being felt across the Middle East and global travel. Edwin, Scott, Ben, and Zach share firsthand accounts from friends and colleagues across Dubai, Kuwait, Doha, Beirut, and beyond — a sobering reminder that hospitality often becomes both refuge and frontline in moments of crisis. From bombed airports to stranded travelers to terrified interns far from home, the conversation grounds the industry in what matters most: people caring for people. From there, the episode pivots hard into one of the biggest questions facing travel right now: what happens when AI stops being a novelty and starts becoming the interface? The panel unpacks Skift’s “Claude Effect” thesis — the idea that travel may be next in line for the same investor panic and business-model disruption already hitting legal, finance, and cybersecurity. Ben argues the OTAs are in the blast zone. Scott says the markets always overreact — but something big is clearly coming. Edwin drops a scorching hot take: the real endgame may not be Booking vs. Expedia, but an AI giant partnering with or buying one of them outright. The back half of the episode tackles hotel brand sprawl and whether the industry has finally reached a saturation point. Are soft brands actually helping, or have they become watered-down middle children that confuse consumers and dilute meaning? The crew debates whether AI-powered discovery will make “brand count” irrelevant and force hotel groups to compete on clarity, trust, and true personalization instead. Finally, the episode closes with a fascinating look at Kimpton, one of the rare boutique brands that seems to have scaled without completely losing its soul after acquisition. Scott and Edwin explain why Kimpton has worked when so many others have failed: separate teams, protected identity, and the discipline to let the back-end scale quietly without flattening the front-end experience. Oh, and in true This Week in Hospitality fashion, the episode wraps with a spicy final challenge for the industry: if you’re a travel executive talking about AI but not personally using it every day, what exactly are you leading? This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 15:15 — Story #1: AI’s “Claude Effect” Comes for Travel Booking 34:53 — Story #2: Have Hotel Soft Brands Hit a Saturation Point? 45:58 — Story #3: Can Kimpton Scale Without Losing Its Soul? 53:12 — Spice of the Week Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

Explore The Stanza: https://www.thestanzamedia.com/ Apply to join the Journey Alliance: http://journey.com/alliance/ Before she built one of hospitality’s most thoughtful media brands, Nadine Choe was underwriting some of the most ambitious luxury developments in the world — including Aman Beverly Hills, a $5B project years in the making. She understands air rights, entitlement risk, capital stacks, branded residences, and why the “flag” can make or break a deal. And then she walked away. Moved to Europe. Started publishing ideas on the internet. Went viral by dissecting how lifestyle brands become hospitality empires — and why most projects fail before they ever break ground. That experiment became The Stanza — a media platform where capital meets culture, and where taste isn’t aesthetic decoration… it’s strategic advantage. In this episode, we explore: What really goes into building ultra-luxury hospitality Distribution vs. desire — and why the best brands don’t optimize for everyone Why most pitch decks fail (and what investors actually want to see) How authenticity becomes a moat in both hotels and media And why the future of luxury may belong to smaller, family-led operators who treat hospitality like art If you’re building a brand, raising capital, or trying to create something truly one-of-one in an increasingly algorithmic world — this conversation will recalibrate how you think about luxury. Taste, Nadine argues, is not decoration. It’s defense. Stream below or wherever you get your podcasts

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality The episode opens with a “ground truth” dispatch from Jason Henzell of Jake’s Hotel in Treasure Beach, Jamaica, laying out how community tourism, agritourism, and repeat-guest loyalty can anchor a destination—then how two major hurricanes force an operator to turn resilience into strategy. From there, the hosts dissect Airbnb’s widening blast radius: airport transfers, grocery delivery tests, revived experiences, a bigger hotel push, and (again) a non-points loyalty experiment. Ben argues the ambition is coherent but execution has historically lagged—so the question is what Airbnb actually nails in the next 6–12 months. Then the episode turns to the bigger tectonic shift: agentic AI and whether it breaks the OTA model. Scott calls it noise until it works; Ben and Edwin push that consumers will prefer conversational planning to endless deal-scrolling, pressuring commissions and “propping up mediocrity” less and less. Spice of the Week closes on the coming job title nobody’s staffed for yet: the people who manage fleets of agents—and the businesses that still win because humans show up. This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 01:44 — Ground Truth from the Owner: Jake’s Hotel & Treasure Beach rebuild 24:57 — Story #1: Airbnb’s “super app” push: transfers, hotels, loyalty 38:05 — Story #2: Agentic AI vs OTAs: Marriott/Wyndham integrations and Booking fears 53:01 — Story #3: Choice Hotels trims low-performing U.S. economy inventory 1:00:11 — Spice of the Week Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

In an era where AI is optimizing everything—from pricing to property descriptions—the real competitive advantage in hospitality may no longer be data. It may be identity. In this episode, Janice Wilson, founder of the luxury forest retreat Menizei, and experiential designer Paula Oblen, founder of Hotelements®, break down what it actually means to build a “Category-of-One” hospitality brand. Drawing from Janice’s background in large-scale AI systems and Paula’s two decades designing high-performing experiential properties—including Casa Tierra with Bobby Berk—they argue that optimization alone leads to sameness. Instead, they explore how identity, emotional intention, and strategic design create durable moats that algorithms can’t replicate. From forest cocooning and longevity-themed A-frames to Return on Design™ and anticipatory guest experiences, this conversation reframes hospitality as both art and capital strategy. If you’re an investor, operator, or designer wondering how to stand out in an increasingly automated world, this episode is your blueprint for building something unforgettable—and financially defensible. Behind the Stays Listeners get an exclusive discount when they enroll in "From Place to Category" a destination.design educational experience by Janice and Paula. Use the code "BTS" (or simply reference it when you apply) to qualify. Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality Accor isn’t just polishing the Orient Express legend — it’s trying to industrialize it. With LVMH in the mix, the play shifts from “luxury assets” to a full ecosystem built on narrative: trains, hotels, yachts, and a throughline of romance and mythology. Scott sees the upside in that long-game brand equity, but the panel keeps circling the same risk: storytelling can sell the dream, yet only flawless operations keep it from collapsing into cosplay. Then the mood turns pragmatic with Casago’s post-Vacasa reality check. A founder-led franchise business runs on trust and alignment as much as tech and scale, and Steve Schwab’s CEO transition lands as a stress test for franchisees already bracing for integration chaos. Ben argues owners should protect optionality while the dust settles; Scott and Edwin frame it as a “psychological contract” moment where perception matters as much as governance. Finally, Hyatt’s ChatGPT integration signals that AI discovery is becoming a real distribution layer, not a gimmick. If travelers are asking for “the right stay” conversationally, brands will win by training the narrative, not bidding on keywords. Spice of the Week closes with a blunt takeaway: creative is the only differentiator left — and hotels are still wasting money boosting the wrong posts instead of scaling what actually works. This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 09:40 — Story #1: Accor + LVMH build Orient Express into a full luxury ecosystem 24:32 — Story #2: Casago’s Vacasa-era growing pains trigger franchisee unease 33:31 — Story #3: Hyatt embraces ChatGPT discovery as the next distribution layer 46:29 — Spice of the Week Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

Meet Jeremy Hill, Co-Founder and CEO of Arcana — a next generation nature resort complete with seasonally immersive science-based experiences that help guests feel nature’s true restorative powers. In this return episode, Jeremy shares what’s changed (and what hasn’t), plus Arcana’s biggest leap yet: a newly acquired 56-acre property that gives the brand the zoning, septic capacity, and infrastructure required to scale — without diluting the Arcana promise. In this conversation, Jeremy and I discuss: How Arcana performed in the real world after launch (and why the early guests helped propel the waitlist) What the team learned from the pilot site — from cabin entrances and guest flow to privacy, operability, and experience design The truth about “tiny cabins” and how Arcana thinks about unit size, outdoor space, and central amenities What Jeremy’s acquisition checklist looks like (proximity to a major city, the right zoning, and why septic is everything) How Arcana is repositioning an existing, cash-flowing resort with seven cottages and two houses into an Arcana-level experience Brand strategy: how to expand into new sites while still honoring the flagship brand promise (and when a sub-brand might make sense) How Jeremy is weighing construction loan options (traditional bank vs private lender) and the realities of taking on debt in Canada The longer-term vision: Arcana across North America, what an exit could look like, and why consistency is the superpower in experiential hospitality Arcana is targeting a summer 2027 opening for the fully repositioned property. Learn more about Arcana Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality In this week’s episode, the guys jump from Sub-Saharan Africa to budget roadside America to biohacking on a Caribbean beach—and somehow tie it all together. The throughline? Hotel groups are searching for growth in a market that feels mature at home and increasingly demanding everywhere else. They start with Choice’s plan to open 100 hotels in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2035. Edwin argues that the real opportunity isn’t safari escapism, but dense capital-city demand driven by business travel, NGOs, and intra-African growth. With new-build pipelines lagging, conversions and franchising become the strategic edge. Ben adds that in markets without decades of “economy brand” stigma, Choice may find a cleaner runway than it has in the U.S. Next, they unpack Wyndham’s contrarian stance on the struggling economy segment. While revenue has slid for more than a year, Wyndham’s CEO insists the downturn is cyclical—not structural—and teases a push into “budget lifestyle.” The guys debate whether affordability can actually feel aspirational, and whether travelers want to identify with “budget,” even when it’s cleverly rebranded. Finally, they explore the shift from wellness to longevity—better framed as healthspan—as luxury hotels move beyond spa aesthetics into diagnostics, personalization, and clinic-level programming. In Spice of the Week, they take aim at hotels adopting performative anti-AI creative policies, arguing that resisting innovation in the name of authenticity may be the fastest way to fall behind. This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 08:22 — Story #1: Choice Hotels targets 100 hotels in Africa by 2035 20:28 — Story #2: Wyndham doubles down on economy as budget hotels struggle 36:30 — Story #3: Wellness is out, “longevity” becomes luxury hospitality’s new hook 47:37 — Spice of the Week Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

This week on Behind The Stays, Zach shares a more personal story—and then connects it to three major shifts reshaping hospitality. After uncovering the story of his grandfather, an early travel entrepreneur who helped open tourism from North America to Tahiti, Zach reflects on why meaningful travel experiences matter more than ever—and what that legacy means for the future of stays. From there, he breaks down three trends every hospitality leader should be thinking about: Why hotels may be becoming the new “third place” in a hybrid-work world How AI is transforming hotel discovery—and why independent brands have a real opportunity right now The overlooked data advantage hotels have (and how it could shape the next era of personalization) If you’re building, investing in, or operating unique stays, this episode is a call to think more intentionally about the spaces you create—and the signals you’re sending. Because in an increasingly automated world, thoughtfully designed places may matter more than ever. Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality This week, the guys zero in on where real leadership in hospitality is showing up — and where it isn’t. Accor’s ChatGPT partnership leads the conversation, not as a booking play, but as a signal that intent is shifting away from websites and toward questions. The takeaway is clear: brands willing to test behavior, learn how guests search, and show up early in the decision journey are already ahead. Scott brings ground truth from Thailand and Jamaica, exposing a widening mindset gap. In Asia, hospitality is still treated as craft — GMs obsess over service, personalization, and staying relevant in hyper-competitive markets. In much of the Caribbean, demand is more destination-driven, and innovation often feels defensive. Edwin adds Europe’s perspective, framing it as split between tradition, efficiency, and emotion — with each region defining “success” differently. The episode closes with Ian Schrager partnering with Highgate to scale Public Hotels — a smart handoff of execution without sacrificing creative control — and Disney’s CEO succession as a reminder that physical experiences still beat disposable content. Spice of the Week lands the point: attention is expensive, but emotion is what actually builds loyalty. This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at alliance.journey.com. Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniquestaysguy/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

In this episode of Behind the Stays, Zach Busekrus sits down with Rohit Bezewada, CEO of AirDNA, to unpack what may be the most important shift yet in short-term rentals. From Airbnb’s evolving relationship with hotels to the fading “thrill” of discovery, Rohit shares what happens when a marketplace grows up — and what comes next for brand building, investing, and operating at scale. Drawing on his experience at Uber and now at the helm of one of the industry’s most influential data platforms, Rohit offers a clear-eyed view of a sector moving from side hustle to institutional asset class. The conversation explores: Why Airbnb’s move toward hotels signals a deeper strategic shift How short-term rentals are professionalizing — and who benefits most What the data reveals that headlines miss The coming consolidation of STR tech and the real role of AI Why confidence, not just inventory, is the next competitive edge This is a candid, future-facing conversation about where short-term rentals are headed — and how the next frontier will be built. Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality 2025 was a year where the hospitality world stopped playing offense and started getting sorted — by who could scale, who could actually operate, and who was still living in the low-rate, high-growth fantasy of the last cycle. In this special year-end episode of This Week in Hospitality, Zach is joined by Ben Wolff, Edwin Kramer, and Scott Eddy to break down the biggest winners, biggest losses, and biggest storylines that defined the year — and then go all-in on the predictions that will matter most in 2026. This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at alliance.journey.com. Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 4:07 — 2025 in Review: Winners That Defined the Year 17:01 — The Biggest Losers of 2025: What Broke and Why 24:52 — Innovation in 2025: What Actually Mattered 34:15 — The Biggest Plot Twists of 2025 39:14 — 2026 Predictions: Companies, Bets, and Shifts to Watch 1:06:54 — Rapid Fire: Buzzwords, Disruptions, and What’s Next Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniquestaysguy/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

In this special roundtable episode, Katie Cline (Suite Success) brings together some of the most influential voices in hospitality podcasting for an unfiltered reflection on the moments, movements, and hard truths that shaped 2025 — and what operators should be paying attention to as the industry looks toward 2026. The conversation features yours truly, Zach Busekrus (Behind the Stays), David Millili and Steve Carran (The Modern Hotelier), and Glenn Haussman (No Vacancy). Together, they move past headlines and hot takes to examine what’s really happening behind the scenes of hospitality today. Drawing on hundreds of candid conversations with founders, operators, and industry leaders, the group explores luxury’s continued ascent, the evolving (and often conflicted) state of loyalty, where AI delivered meaningful impact—and where it fell short—along with trade show fatigue, shifting guest expectations, and the creative ways operators protected profitability in a challenging year. This episode isn’t about predictions for prediction’s sake. It’s a grounded, experience-driven discussion for hospitality leaders who want to understand not just what changed in 2025, but why it mattered — and how those lessons will shape smarter, more resilient businesses in the year ahead.

On today’s episode of Behind the Stays, you’re going to meet a guy who has made a habit of burning the ships… twice. Josh went from helping people write on their walls with his first company, Writeyboard – the e-commerce brand that turned boring offices into floor-to-ceiling whiteboards – to designing the kinds of spaces people dream about escaping to.In his early 30s, sitting on a house in LA and feeling a quarter-life crisis creeping in, he looked at his girlfriend and said, “This year, we’re moving to Bali.” He sold the house, unwound a decade-long business, and flew halfway across the world to start over in real estate in a place where the rules, language, and rhythm of life were completely different. That leap set off a chain of projects and partnerships that eventually led to Tiba – a Bali-inspired hospitality brand – and now to his boldest undertaking yet: a highly designed, nature-immersed resort in the hills of Tennessee that blends luxury, landscape, and a whole lot of soul.In this conversation, we get into how Josh thinks about risk, why he keeps selling everything to chase the next build, and what it actually looks like to try and create the next generation of stays from scratch. Website: https://tibaliving.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiba_tennessee/ Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality A big week of structural shifts in travel and hospitality. Capital One moves to acquire Hopper’s installed software and hire key hotel and engineering teams — signaling a deeper push into owning the traveler journey. The team explores the LuxUrban collapse which predates the Sondor fall out but has an eerily similar story. And Google announces that hotel and flight bookings are coming directly into AI Mode, collapsing research and booking into a single conversational experience. We break down what these moves mean for distribution, loyalty, hotel operators, and the future relationship between brands, banks, and big tech. This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at alliance.journey.com. Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 03:10 — Story #1: Capital One Set to Acquire Hopper Travel Software 15:22 — Story #2: Yet Another Hospitality Company Files For Bankruptcy: LuxUrban 30:34 — Story #3: Hotel and flight bookings are coming to Google's AI Mode 44:30 — "Spice of the Week" Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniquestaysguy/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

For the final episode in this special Future of Travel series, I sat down with someone who has quietly shaped more of the vacation rental industry than almost anyone working in it today: Tim Rosolio, VP of Vacation Rental Partner Success at Expedia Group. If you’ve ever wondered how VRBO evolved from a subscription classifieds site to a global e-commerce engine—or what the next decade of supply, demand, and distribution will actually look like—this is the conversation insiders will be talking about. Tim has spent the better part of a decade helping lead VRBO through some of the most dramatic shifts the category has ever seen: the end of inquiry-based booking, the rise of instant book, the professionalization of hosts, the explosion of supply post-2020, and now, the dawn of a new era where quality, trust, and distribution matter more than raw inventory. In this conversation, we get into: When vacation rentals truly went mainstream Why Vrbo is prioritizing quality over raw supply The rise of branded portfolios and social-led demand Expedia Group’s distribution advantage How One Key changes the funnel The real take on OTAs vs. direct Connect with Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-rosolio-434b2a98/ Connect with Zach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharybusekrus/ Apply to join the Journey Alliance: http://journey.com/alliance/ Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality In this episode of This Week in Hospitality, Zach Busekrus sits down with Scott Eddy, Ben Wolff, and Edwin Kramer to unpack three major stories dominating the travel and hospitality world. From Sonder’s dramatic collapse following Marriott’s termination, to Hilton’s launch of the Outset Collection, to Airbnb’s bold embrace of hotels — this was one of the most consequential weeks the industry has seen in years. The team brings perspectives spanning global travel, hotel development, luxury operations, and hospitality tech. Fast-paced, unfiltered, and deeply informed — this is the weekly breakdown every hotelier, operator, developer, and investor should be listening to. This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at alliance.journey.com. Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Introductions & why this podcast exists 09:12 — Story #1: Sonder × Marriott partnership collapses 17:08 — Ben’s take: STR brand value & commodity product problem 23:45 — Marriott, scale, loyalty, and future brand strategy 25:47 — Story #2: Hilton launches The Outset Collection 33:50 — Owner perspective: data, flag strategies, ROI trade-offs 39:01 — Independents vs. major flags: the next 10 years 42:11 — Story #3: Airbnb officially welcomes hotels 45:42 — Airbnb’s evolution into a hospitality ecosystem 50:51 — Does Airbnb need a total rebrand? 54:00 — “Back to hospitality roots” debate 54:53 — Wrap-up & what’s coming next Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniquestaysguy/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

Greg Schulze has spent more than two decades helping build one of the most influential companies in modern travel — Expedia Group. But here’s the thing about Greg — he doesn’t talk like a corporate executive. He talks like a traveler. He’s lived and worked all over the world. He named his dog Kaya after a coconut jam he discovered while living in Southeast Asia. And he still lights up when describing what it feels like to walk through an airport on the cusp of somewhere new. Greg’s career has spanned from American Airlines in the early 2000s to leading Expedia Group’s global commercial strategy today — a period that’s seen the birth of OTAs, the rise of mobile, and now, the dawn of the AI-powered traveler. In this episode, Greg and I explore: How Expedia has evolved from a dot-com upstart to a travel empire spanning Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. What he’s learned from 20 years of guiding one of the most complex, global marketplaces in the world. The real story behind Expedia’s relationship with independent operators — and what “partner forward” actually means. How the tension between discovery and control will define the next decade of travel planning. And why he believes the future of OTAs will be built not on ads or algorithms — but on trust, clarity, and flexibility. Greg’s a global citizen in the truest sense of the word — deeply thoughtful about the human side of technology and the emotional heartbeat of travel itself. This conversation is the second episode in my new Behind the Stays series, The Future of Travel, recorded live at EXPLORE Connect in Austin, Texas — a gathering of the world’s top vacation rental operators and hospitality leaders. If you care about where the industry is headed — and how the people behind its biggest brands are thinking about discovery, booking, and guest experience in the years ahead — this is a must-listen. Connect with Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregschulze/?originalSubdomain=uk Connect with Zach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharybusekrus/ Apply to join the Journey Alliance: http://journey.com/alliance/ Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.