What Hotel Owners Want From Brands Right Now
No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
Release Date: 10/16/2026
What Happened When This Independent Hotel Joined Marriott?
No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
Hotel owners looking for clarity in the transaction market might be waiting a very long time. But waiting for perfect conditions isn't much of a growth strategy either. During The Lodging Conference, which recently wrapped up in Phoenix, I caught up with Kirk Pedersen, COO, and Paul Sacco, Chief Growth & Development Officer at PM Hotel Group. Two years after PM Hotel Group joined forces with Sightline Hospitality, they're pursuing growth opportunities in luxury, lifestyle and outdoor hospitality despite the uncertainty in the #HotelInvestment market. At Reset, an outdoor hospitality...
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Are Hotels Automating Away the Guest Experience?
No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
During The Lodging Conference I caught up with Sara Masterson, President, and John Schultzel, Chief Growth Officer at Olympia Hospitality, about an interesting contradiction in the #HotelIndustry. Were automating more of the guest experience while travelers increasingly crave technology breaks. John shared how guests at an Olympia hotel in Chicago love playing vinyl records in their rooms, and Sara questions whether every new #HotelTechnology investment actually improves the guest experience. Plus, why personal recommendations beat online reviews and why Sara favors automating...
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Why Aren't More Hotel Deals Getting Done?
No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
During The Lodging Conference, I caught up with Ryan Bodine, SVP at NewGen Advisory, who sees plenty of buyers and plenty of hotels for sale. So why is it still so difficult for buyers and sellers to agree on a price? Ryan believes today's #HotelInvestment economics demand a different approach, especially as higher borrowing costs force investors to reconsider valuations and returns. Cheap financing made hotel deals easier to justify a few years ago, but many buyers still judge opportunities by expectations that no longer reflect today's #HotelTransactions market. Ryan and I also get into the...
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How hoteliers can build resilience through operational agility
No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
The latest Hotel Business Hot Topics session, “Planning Through Uncertainty: A Resilience Playbook for Hotel Leaders,” presented in partnership with , featured a panel of industry executives, along with moderator Glenn Haussman, founder/host, No Vacancy Live podcast, who explored how hotel leaders can build resilience amid ongoing uncertainty by focusing on operational fundamentals, empowering property-level teams and using technology strategically. Panelists also discussed how AI can streamline administrative tasks and support decision-making without replacing human expertise.
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FNA 222: The Quest for Hospitality Avalon
No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
Michael Goldstein has a cocktail for every time of day and a succession plan that apparently depends on how much hes had to drink. Naturally, we invited him onto Friday Night Audit! Michael and of join Glenn, , and for a few drinks and plenty of laughs. We get into absurd hotel brand requirements, the latest from The Lodging Conference, and Michaels tradition of holding staff meetings on his boat. David also weighs in on when he might inherit the keys to the company. Plus, its the championship round of our Hotel Pet Peeves Tournament! Outlet Desert takes on Always Hidden Lamp Switches...
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What Hotel Owners Want From Brands Right Now
No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
During , , Chief Development Officer, Americas, at , and I talk about a shift reshaping hotel development: owners at the end of a franchise agreement care far more about performance than the deal they signed years ago. Mark hears the same message again and again from owners: key money, fees and term length still count, but stronger results drive the next decision. That helps explain why IHG says Garner now ranks as the fastest-scaling brand in company history. Mark also shares how IHG uses brands like Hotel Indigo and Ruby to give owners more options across and conversions. Hear how Mark...
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How My Place Hotels Makes Small-Market Hotel Development Work
No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
Hotel development costs keep climbing, and smaller markets present an even tougher challenge. But My Place Hotels fits 63 extended-stay rooms on just 1.25 acres, creating opportunities where larger hotel projects struggle to pencil out. Last month, when I attended the My Place Hotels of America conference, I caught up with COO Matt Campbell about the company's growth strategy and its decision to bring back Trend Hotels by My Place, a flexible brand that gives owners another option in the #HotelConversion market. My Place is expanding its footprint across the country, and Matt shared that the...
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The Hidden Cost of Hiring the Wrong Hotel Employees
No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
During The Lodging Conference, Greg O'Stean, Chief Development Officer at Hotel Equities, and I tackled a familiar #Hospitality hiring dilemma. You need people, you've got open positions, and the temptation to fill those vacancies quickly is enormous. But hiring the wrong person creates problems for management, disrupts the entire team and leaves everyone dealing with the consequences long after the new employee starts. Greg calls it "locker room poison," and his philosophy applies to everyone from front desk associates to senior executives. He's taking his time filling positions on his own...
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Outrigger Is Reinventing Its Hotels. Here's the Strategy.
No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
Outrigger Hospitality Group is spending $100 million renovating Outrigger Waikiki, taking the property, as CEO Jeff Wagoner puts it, "all the way down to the concrete." And the company is preparing to relaunch its brand after an extensive transformation of its hotel and resort portfolio. During The Lodging Conference, No Vacancy News host Glenn Haussman catches up with Jeff Wagoner, President & CEO of Outrigger Hospitality Group, about the company's ambitious renovation strategy and what comes next for one of hospitality's most recognizable resort brands. With major projects in Hawaii and...
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The Hidden Inefficiencies Costing Hotels Money
No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
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...
info_outlineDuring The Lodging Conference, Mark Sergot, Chief Development Officer, Americas, at IHG Hotels & Resorts, and I talk about a shift reshaping hotel development: owners at the end of a franchise agreement care far more about performance than the deal they signed years ago.
Mark hears the same message again and again from owners: key money, fees and term length still count, but stronger results drive the next decision. That helps explain why IHG says Garner now ranks as the fastest-scaling brand in company history.
Mark also shares how IHG uses brands like Hotel Indigo and Ruby to give owners more options across #HotelDevelopment and conversions.
Hear how Mark thinks about #HotelPerformance, what owners tell him directly and why those conversations shape IHG’s growth strategy across #Hospitality.
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