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 New data suggests travelers care more about trust, recognition, and real value than price alone — exposing just how outdated many loyalty programs have become.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