Inside HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof: Why This Extended Stay Model Works
No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
Release Date: 09/29/2026
The Hidden Inefficiencies Costing Hotels Money
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During The Lodging Conference, Shozib Khan, SVP of Strategic Asset Performance at Spire Hospitality, and I tackled a frustrating reality of #HotelTechnology: Hotels collect mountains of data, yet employees still waste time hunting for basic information. Think about a room attendant knocking on five doors just to find an empty room. Multiply those wasted minutes across an entire hotel portfolio, and the opportunity for #AI becomes obvious. But Shozib challenges the industry's focus on cutting labor hours. He sees a bigger opportunity in giving employees their time back, improving productivity...
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How Raines Finds More Profit Inside Existing Hotels
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During The Lodging Conference, Kerry Ranson, President Operations/Partner of Raines, and I talk about why more hotel owners now question whether their management company still fits the asset. Debt costs rise, expenses squeeze margins and topline growth doesn’t guarantee stronger profit. Raines owns hotels, so Kerry looks at third-party management through the same lens as the owner. He explains where fresh eyes uncover missed revenue, why asset value deserves more attention than a month-end statement and how Raines finds additional income inside hotels without chasing growth for growth’s...
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Why Hoteliers Have More Pricing Power Right Now
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During , , President of told me his Q4 booking pace is up double digits across group, transient, meetings and events, with Q1 tracking the same way. That’s quite the different story than the broader economic mood. Low supply gives hoteliers pricing power, and Joseph thinks they need the confidence to use it. We also get into the value-minded traveler and how AI helps hotel teams spend more time with guests, create a more personal experience and support stronger pricing without losing the human side of . Watch this one to hear why Joseph feels so bullish on and where he thinks hoteliers...
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How Higher Interest Rates Are Reshaping Hotel Investment
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I’m at with , CEO of , talking about what happens when the cost of money moves faster than the economics of a hotel deal. Greg walks through a hypothetical $25 million loan where annual interest expense jumps from about $1 million to $2 million. Add higher operating costs and the margin for error gets very thin. Owners must drive more revenue, protect NOI and take a much harder look at what an asset is really worth. We also get into the odd split in today’s market: developers face tougher economics while existing owners benefit from less new supply. Higher rates keep changing ...
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What Higher Interest Rates Mean for Hotel Deals
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Ryan Bosch of Arriba Capital joined me at The Lodging Conference to talk through one of the toughest parts of the hotel investment market right now: the numbers keep moving faster than the deals. Treasury yields jumped more than 100 basis points, refinancing got more expensive and buyers started reworking assumptions almost overnight. Ryan explains why that could slow acquisitions, push some owners toward a sale and put more pressure on hotel values as the market adjusts. At the same time, there’s still plenty of debt capital looking for a home, which creates a very different dynamic than...
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How Hotel Leaders Build Relationships at The Lodging Conference
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I’m at with , President of , and we get into something most people never really think about: how much value you can create from the conversations between the sessions. Wayne comes to events like this with a plan. He knows who he wants to see, what he wants to ask and where those conversations can sharpen the way he thinks about brands, competitors and the business overall. We also get into why he stays focused on adapting instead of waiting for the noise to clear, and what he’s seeing across as travel demand keeps holding this one for a sharper look at how experienced leaders use...
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Red Roof’s Growth Strategy as Economy Hotels Gain Ground
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Consumers don’t shop for “economy hotels.” They shop for a price point, a product they like and an experience that works for them. That’s a big reason I think Red Roof has an interesting opportunity right now. At its conference in Fort Lauderdale, the company laid out plans to grow Red Roof Plus+, the traditional Red Roof brand and HomeTowne Studios, while also strengthening RediRewards and putting more focus on lighting, personalization and the guest experience. My takeaway: as hotel rates keep climbing, #EconomyHotels have a chance to compete for travelers who care less about our...
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Hotel Marinas Turn Boat Traffic Into Revenue
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A marina gives hotel owners another customer base without adding a single guestroom. Jeremy Parks, President of Trident Marine Group, joins me on No Vacancy to explain how boaters drive spending across restaurants, bars, pools, spas and other resort amenities. His point is simple: every marina slip creates another revenue-generating opportunity from people already arriving at the property. For #HotelOwners, that means looking beyond room count and thinking about how every asset on the property contributes to #HotelRevenue and the overall #GuestExperience. Watch this one to see how waterfront...
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Hotel Staffing: The Talent Pool Hotels Keep Overlooking
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Hotels keep saying they can’t find people. PRIDE Industries is showing them where to look. Darleyn Pazdel, SVP of Workforce Inclusion at PRIDE Industries, joins me on No Vacancy to talk about a workforce hotels still overlook: people with disabilities. PRIDE already puts this into practice across hospitality, including 56 employees with disabilities at Thunder Valley Casino Resort processing more than 3 million pounds of laundry a year. This isn’t charity. It’s #WorkforceInclusion tied directly to one of hospitality’s biggest challenges: finding and keeping great people. Watch this one...
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Inside HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof: Why This Extended Stay Model Works
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There’s a big difference between hearing about a hotel brand and actually getting inside one with the people building and operating it. I toured a brand-new HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof in Bradenton, Florida with Hiten Patel of Dhruv Management, which operates the hotel, and Matt Hostetler, Chief Development Officer for Red Roof. HomeTowne Studios is an extended-stay brand, and this tour gives us a closer look at what makes that model work. We get into the operating efficiencies, the lower-cost structure compared with a more traditional hotel operation, and the design decisions helping...
info_outlineThere’s a big difference between hearing about a hotel brand and actually getting inside one with the people building and operating it.
I toured a brand-new HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof in Bradenton, Florida with Hiten Patel of Dhruv Management, which operates the hotel, and Matt Hostetler, Chief Development Officer for Red Roof.
HomeTowne Studios is an extended-stay brand, and this tour gives us a closer look at what makes that model work. We get into the operating efficiencies, the lower-cost structure compared with a more traditional hotel operation, and the design decisions helping owners run the property with fewer moving parts.
We also look at how the prototype comes together from both sides: the operator actually running the hotel and the brand team focused on development and growth.
Watch the full tour and see how HomeTowne Studios approaches extended stay from the ground up.