EP 232: What My Stay at Bolt Farm Treehouse Taught Me About Guest Experience
Release Date: 02/24/2026
EP 236: Designing for Experience (and ROI): How Altitude 22 Hit $100K in 60 Days with Yash Bhatt
Branded & Booked
$100K in bookings in the first 60 days. Not from luck. Not from “just listing it on Airbnb.” But from building something intentionally different. In this episode of Branded and Booked, Steph sits down with Yash Bhatt to break down what happens when you approach your short-term rental like a hospitality brand instead of just an investment. After launching their property, Altitude 22, in December 2025, Yash shares that they secured over $100,000 in bookings within the first 60 days and are now on track to exceed $200,000 in their first year, outperforming...
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EP 235: The Marketing Strategy That Generated 3.7x ROI and 45% Direct Bookings
Branded & Booked
Influencer marketing is one of the most polarizing topics in the short-term rental industry. Some hosts swear by it. Others say it’s a complete waste of time. In this episode, I’m sharing what influencer marketing has actually looked like for our clients... and the results it’s produced when it’s done strategically. We’re talking about a boutique hotel campaign that generated a 3.7x ROI, and another property that went from zero direct bookings to 45% direct bookings after implementing the right marketing foundations and influencer partnerships. But those results didn’t happen...
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EP 234: The 90-Day Hotel Transformation (And How It’s Already Driving 30% Direct Bookings) with Andrés Pérez
Branded & Booked
What happens when you take an underperforming boutique hotel… and completely reimagine it? In this episode, I’m joined by former client Andrés Pérez, co-owner of The Iceberg Tahoe, and we’re breaking down the story behind transforming what was once the Avalon Lodge in South Lake Tahoe. Andres spent nearly a decade working at Google before transitioning into real estate investing. Like many investors, he started with long-term rentals, then moved into short-term rentals. But eventually he realized something a lot of people in this industry are starting to discover. Scaling single...
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EP 233: The Strategy Behind Branding and Marketing That Actually Drives Direct Bookings
Branded & Booked
You don’t have a marketing problem. You have a branding problem. I know that might sound bold, but after dozens of strategy calls with short-term rental owners and boutique hotel founders, I can tell you this with confidence: most marketing issues are actually brand clarity issues. As we head into peak season, so many of you are thinking about ads, influencers, social posts, email campaigns, SEO. And yes, marketing matters. But if the foundation underneath it isn’t solid, none of it will convert the way you want it to. In this episode, I break down the real relationship between branding...
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EP 232: What My Stay at Bolt Farm Treehouse Taught Me About Guest Experience
Branded & Booked
Colin and I just spent two nights at Bolt Farm Treehouse and I’ll be honest… I can’t turn the hospitality side of my brain off. If you’re in the short-term rental or boutique hotel world, you already know their story. It’s talked about a lot. But this episode isn’t about the hype. It’s about what it actually feels like to check in as a guest at a high-end brand everyone admires. What surprised me. What impressed me. What made me pause. Because here’s the truth: not everything was perfect. There was a last-minute room switch. An “all-inclusive” experience that wasn’t fully...
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EP 231: Your Name Is Your First Marketing Asset (And Most STR Owners Get It Wrong)
Branded & Booked
Let’s talk about something that feels personal… but is actually wildly strategic. Naming your short-term rental or micro resort sounds fun (and it is!), but more importantly... it’s positioning. It’s perception. It’s your first marketing asset. And I see so many owners starting with the name before they’ve ever gotten clear on their guest, their brand messaging, or the experience they’re actually building. In this episode, I’m walking you through why that’s backwards, and what to do instead. We’re diving into real client stories, including why Freestone Lodge became , how ...
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EP 230: The Parts of Boutique Hospitality No One Talks About with Beata Lornic
Branded & Booked
I need you to hear this story. A stay-at-home mom with a traveling husband hit a breaking point with suburban life and said, “If I’m doing this, I might as well be at the beach.” Her husband agreed to buying a beach house only if it made financial sense. So she made it work. Ninety days later, they closed on their first short-term rental on the coast of North Carolina. It performed not because she followed a guru or a playbook, but because she designed the experience the way she wanted to vacation. That mom is Beata Lornic, and this episode of Branded & Booked is one of the most...
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EP 229: 5-Star Hotel Principles Every STR & Boutique Hotel Owner Should Know with Katie Cline
Branded & Booked
The moment a guest opens your door, you’re no longer just a real estate investor, you’re running a hospitality business. In this episode, I’m sitting down with my friend Katie to talk about something a lot of hosts say they care about, but don’t always know how to execute: true hospitality. Katie spent years in global PR and communications for brands like W Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, Le Méridien, and more, and now owns and operates three short-term rentals while co-hosting a fourth. She’s lived on both sides of the industry, and she has a very grounded perspective on what it...
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EP 228: What Actually Built Our Wealth (And What Didn’t)
Branded & Booked
In this episode, I’m talking honestly about wealth, real estate, and the parts of the journey that usually get left out online. The “we went from nothing to millions” stories can make it feel like you’re behind, when in reality, a lot of those results were shaped by timing, market conditions, and decisions that can’t be duplicated today. Colin and I walk through our actual financial path, from student loan debt and modest incomes to buying and selling homes, paying off debt, and building equity in ways we never could have predicted. I share what worked, what I would do differently,...
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EP 227: $300K Revenue Increase Breakdown: How Marketing Assets Impact Revenue and Valuation
Branded & Booked
In this episode, I’m breaking down the real ROI of marketing for boutique hotels, micro resorts, and short-term rental owners, and I’m doing it with actual numbers, not fluffy marketing talk. One of the biggest questions I hear from owners is, “What’s my ROI on marketing?” And the truth is, most hospitality businesses are looking at marketing the wrong way. It’s not an expense you justify month to month. It’s an income-producing asset that impacts revenue, margins, and the long-term value of the business you’re building. I walk through a realistic boutique hotel example and...
info_outlineColin and I just spent two nights at Bolt Farm Treehouse and I’ll be honest… I can’t turn the hospitality side of my brain off.
If you’re in the short-term rental or boutique hotel world, you already know their story. It’s talked about a lot. But this episode isn’t about the hype. It’s about what it actually feels like to check in as a guest at a high-end brand everyone admires. What surprised me. What impressed me. What made me pause.
Because here’s the truth: not everything was perfect.
There was a last-minute room switch. An “all-inclusive” experience that wasn’t fully inclusive for dietary needs. A few small design and communication hiccups. And yet… it still worked. We still left feeling connected. Rested. Thought about.
Why?
Because the welcome was strong. The intention was clear. The storytelling was emotional. From the curated in-room upgrades to the cocktail hour experience to the way they invited guests into something bigger than just a place to sleep, there were so many moments that reminded me what hospitality is actually about.
In this episode, I break down:
➡️What they did exceptionally well
➡️Where clarity and alignment could have been stronger
➡️What “all-inclusive” really needs to mean
➡️How guest flow impacts shared spaces like wellness areas
➡️Why appealing to all five senses changes everything
And the biggest takeaway? Your property does not have to be flawless to be unforgettable.
Excellence isn’t perfection. It’s thoughtfulness. It’s alignment. It’s making sure the experience you promise is the experience your guest actually walks into.
If you’re building a micro-resort, refining your STR, or dreaming about something bigger, this one will challenge you in the best way.
Let’s get into it.
Connect with Steph: @theweberco
Apply to work with us: theweberco.com