No Vacancy Live and No Vacancy News
Your home for No Vacancy with Glenn Haussman as well as Friday Night Audit and more! Each show features incredible hospitality leaders that educate and empower listeners.
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Outrigger Is Reinventing Its Hotels. Here's the Strategy.
10/14/2026
Outrigger Is Reinventing Its Hotels. Here's the Strategy.
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 Thailand nearing completion, Outrigger is preparing a new chapter that emphasizes the history, culture and character of each destination. Jeff shares how the company incorporates local storytelling into its properties, including artwork and design elements featuring recycled materials and rope recovered from the ocean. But how does Outrigger translate hundreds of millions of dollars in property improvements into a stronger brand identity that resonates with today's travelers? And what does Jeff envision for the company's next chapter? Hear Jeff's perspective on Outrigger's transformation and the strategy behind its investments. Thanks so much to Unifocus for supporting this podcast. Unifocus: Workforce Management Redefined. Visit unifocus.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866. #OutriggerHotels #HotelDevelopment #Hospitality
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The Hidden Inefficiencies Costing Hotels Money
10/13/2026
The Hidden Inefficiencies Costing Hotels Money
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 and boosting profitability. His approach to #HotelOperations offers a different perspective on where technology delivers the greatest value. Hear why Shozib believes hoteliers are overlooking some of their biggest opportunities to improve performance. Thanks so much to Unifocus for supporting this podcast. Unifocus: Workforce Management Redefined. Visit unifocus.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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How Raines Finds More Profit Inside Existing Hotels
10/10/2026
How Raines Finds More Profit Inside Existing Hotels
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 sake. If you own, operate or manage hotels, his take on #HotelOperations, #HotelRevenue and management performance gives you plenty to think about. Thanks so much to Unifocus for supporting this podcast. Unifocus: Workforce Management Redefined. Visit unifocus.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Why Hoteliers Have More Pricing Power Right Now
10/09/2026
Why Hoteliers Have More Pricing Power Right Now
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 still have room to push . Thanks so much to for supporting this podcast. Unifocus: Workforce Management Redefined. Visit . Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from ? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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How Higher Interest Rates Are Reshaping Hotel Investment
10/08/2026
How Higher Interest Rates Are Reshaping Hotel Investment
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 decisions, but Greg still sees opportunity for people who understand the fundamentals and know where to look. Watch this one for a sharper read on hotel values, development and ownership strategy across . Thanks to for supporting this podcast. Unifocus: Workforce Management Redefined. Visit . Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from ? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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What Higher Interest Rates Mean for Hotel Deals
10/06/2026
What Higher Interest Rates Mean for Hotel Deals
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 you’d expect in a higher-rate environment. That tension between expensive money and available capital is where the #HotelInvestment story gets interesting. Thanks so much to Actabl for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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How Hotel Leaders Build Relationships at The Lodging Conference
10/05/2026
How Hotel Leaders Build Relationships at The Lodging Conference
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 industry relationships to make better decisions. Thanks so much to for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit . Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from ? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Red Roof’s Growth Strategy as Economy Hotels Gain Ground
10/03/2026
Red Roof’s Growth Strategy as Economy Hotels Gain Ground
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 industry labels and more about what they’re actually getting for the money. Here’s my quick wrap-up from the conference and where I think Red Roof fits into the #Hospitality conversation. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Hotel Marinas Turn Boat Traffic Into Revenue
10/01/2026
Hotel Marinas Turn Boat Traffic Into Revenue
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 hotels turn marina traffic into more business across the entire property. Thanks so much to Actabl for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Hotel Staffing: The Talent Pool Hotels Keep Overlooking
09/30/2026
Hotel Staffing: The Talent Pool Hotels Keep Overlooking
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 to see how you can widen your labor pool and strengthen your #HotelWorkforce. Thanks so much to Actabl for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Inside HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof: Why This Extended Stay Model Works
09/29/2026
Inside HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof: Why This Extended Stay Model Works
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 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.
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Hotel Marketing With AI: How My Place Hotels Competes With Bigger Brands
09/28/2026
Hotel Marketing With AI: How My Place Hotels Competes With Bigger Brands
Last week at the My Place Hotels of America conference, I talked with Jeff Thomas, VP of Marketing, about how a smaller hotel company competes against brands with much bigger marketing budgets. Jeff says My Place started experimenting with AI back in 2022, using it to create visual content at scale, personalize marketing and improve how travelers find its hotels through ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and other AI tools. His team tests aggressively, learns quickly and tracks revenue coming through AI-driven discovery. We also get into #HotelMarketing, AI search and why Jeff keeps his team focused on a clear strategy instead of chasing every new platform that pops up. Watch this one to hear how My Place uses #AI to compete more effectively across #Hospitality. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Why Hotel Conversions Are Driving My Place Growth
09/27/2026
Why Hotel Conversions Are Driving My Place Growth
Glenn Haussman talks with Brian Quinn, Chief Development Officer at My Place Hotels, from the My Place Hotels of America conference about one of the biggest forces shaping hotel development right now: conversions. Brian explains why owners keep bringing conversion opportunities to My Place, how the company is expanding its development options, and how it protects the core My Place prototype while opening the door to more markets. They also get into guest demand, construction headwinds and why conversions are creating a bigger opportunity across extended stay. Watch to hear how My Place is approaching conversions, development growth and new opportunities for hotel owners. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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My Place Hotels: Growth, Leadership and the Next Generation
09/26/2026
My Place Hotels: Growth, Leadership and the Next Generation
Glenn Haussman talks with Sarah Dinger, EVP of Franchise Relations at My Place Hotels, from the My Place Hotels of America conference about Trend, the company’s new conversion offering. Sarah explains how Trend gives owners more flexibility to adapt a property to its market while My Place keeps its original brand focused on a consistent prototype. They also talk about how Sarah supports operators, her work growing the AHLA Forward network from 200 to more than 1,000 people, and why she puts so much energy into mentorship and bringing younger people into hospitality Watch to hear how Trend expands My Place’s hotel development options, where conversions fit into the company’s strategy and how Sarah sees the brand growing from here. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Inside My Place Hotels’ Extended Stay Growth Strategy
09/24/2026
Inside My Place Hotels’ Extended Stay Growth Strategy
Glenn Haussman talks with Ryan Rivett, President and CEO of My Place Hotels, at the My Place Hotels of America conference in Fort Lauderdale about how the company approaches growth in extended stay. My Place owns, operates, develops and franchises hotels, and Ryan explains how that experience shapes development decisions, franchise support and the way the company evaluates opportunities in both small communities and major metros. They also talk about the brand’s growth, vertical integration and how My Place connects ownership, operations, development and franchising into one strategy. Watch to hear how My Place is thinking about #ExtendedStay growth, #HotelDevelopment and franchise expansion across Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Why Hospitality Leaders Must Stay Uncomfortable
09/24/2026
Why Hospitality Leaders Must Stay Uncomfortable
The minute you get too comfortable, somebody else passes you. Gary Hernbroth, author of Twist the Familiar, joins me on No Vacancy to talk about questioning how we work, how we lead and how we build relationships. His point is simple: confidence moves you forward, but comfort turns into complacency fast. That applies to careers, #HotelLeadership, sales and pretty much every part of #Hospitality. We also get into failure and why people who fall down, learn and adjust often bring more value than people pretending they never screw up. Watch this one to challenge a few habits, rethink how you approach people and keep yourself from getting too comfortable. Gary’s book, Twist the Familiar, is here: Thanks so much to Actabl for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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The Group Business Edge Hotels Keep Missing
09/22/2026
The Group Business Edge Hotels Keep Missing
One in three room nights globally comes from meetings and groups, with 60% of that demand coming from small and medium meetings. Lukasz Dabrowski, SVP of Global Supplier Relations at HRS, joins me on No Vacancy to explain where that group business is hiding and how hotels are getting better at finding it. Companies are combining transient travel, meetings, groups and extended stays to better understand their total buying power, while better data is helping hotels spot demand faster and respond before the opportunity disappears. Watch this one to see how you can uncover more group demand, respond faster and turn more of that business into #HotelRevenue. Thanks so much to Actabl for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Is AI Getting Your Hotel Wrong?
09/21/2026
Is AI Getting Your Hotel Wrong?
AI is starting to decide which hotels travelers see — and what it says about your property may not even be right. Michael Bennett, CEO of Cendyn, and Nicki Graham, CMO, join me on No Vacancy to talk about what happens when travelers start asking ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI tools where they should stay — and the information those tools return doesn’t match what the hotel actually wants people to know. That’s the drift problem. AI pulls from multiple sources, and once the wrong information starts showing up, hotels risk losing bookings or disappointing guests who arrive expecting something the property never promised. The opportunity here is bigger than simply fixing bad information. Hotels need to think differently about content, visibility and direct booking as search becomes more conversational. See why Michael and Nicki believe hoteliers need to take control of their story now, before AI-driven hotel search really takes off. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Virtual Hotel Industry Happy Hour: Pet Peeves, Dynamic Pricing & Bad Decisions
09/19/2026
Virtual Hotel Industry Happy Hour: Pet Peeves, Dynamic Pricing & Bad Decisions
We’ve spent months asking one completely unnecessary but surprisingly important question: Which hotel pet peeve annoys us most? We started with 32. Now Always Hidden Lamp Switches and Water Pressure Roulette fight for the last spot against Outlet Desert in the championship round. Vote now on my LinkedIn page and help decide who gets there. On this week’s Friday Night Audit, , Dr. Producer and I track the voting in real time, argue over the bracket and treat this tournament with a level of seriousness normally reserved for actual sports. Somewhere along the way, the bracket itself becomes a pet peeve. We also go after dynamic grocery pricing, terrible buffet tongs, Gen Z slang and an upcoming lazy-river race where finishing last counts as a competitive strategy. That’s : , happy hour and entirely too much passion for hotel annoyances.
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Relational Wellness Is Next Big Hospitality Trend
09/17/2026
Relational Wellness Is Next Big Hospitality Trend
I’m calling it now: Relational wellness is the next major hospitality trend. The opportunity is we’re spending more time with screens and less time with each other. Hospitality reverses that by bringing people back together. My proof is the Evermore Orlando Resort, purpose-built for connection. Families and friends stay together instead of scattering across separate hotel rooms, with large homes, shared kitchens, big gathering spaces, private pools and room around the table for everyone. For years, we’ve talked about wellness through spas, sleep, fitness and nutrition. Relational wellness expands that conversation to something people desperately need right now: connection. Here chef Vincent Cani and I talk about bringing this vision to life while my family and closest friends for decades get to reconnect. Hotels and resorts have a huge opportunity here. Create spaces bringing people together. Build food and beverage around sharing. Give families and friends reasons to put the phones down, sit around a table, talk, laugh and create memories together. Thanks to Elizabeth Mullins, President of Evermore Hospitality for awakening me to a new way to enjoy being with the people we love that deepens those bonds while creating forever memories. Watch this one with #RelationalWellness in mind. I’m convinced this is the next big #Hospitality conversation. Do you see relational wellness becoming a real hospitality category, or are we still thinking too narrowly about what wellness means? Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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How Hotels Use AI Without Losing Control of Guest Data
09/16/2026
How Hotels Use AI Without Losing Control of Guest Data
Hotel employees already juggle enough. They don’t need 10,000 system steps standing between them and the guest. Kevin King, CEO of Shiji Group, joins me on No Vacancy to talk about how #AI strips away that complexity so hotel teams spend more time focusing on hospitality. But Kevin keeps coming back to another issue: protecting the enormous amount of guest data powering all this technology. As hotels ask AI to do more, they also need to know exactly where that information goes and who gets access to it. That puts #Hospitality in an interesting spot: move fast enough to capture the upside, but build the safeguards before the technology outruns the operation. Watch why Kevin thinks hotels need to get this balance right now — before #HotelOperations gets a whole lot smarter and a whole lot more complicated. Visit https://shijigroup.com/ Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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How Hotels Cut Laundry Costs by 30%
09/15/2026
How Hotels Cut Laundry Costs by 30%
Hotels spend a lot of time and money dealing with linens, from buying and storing them to running equipment and making sure housekeeping always has what it needs. Bart Begley with Integrity Laundry Services joins me on No Vacancy to explain a different model: total linen management. Instead of owning the linens and managing the laundry operation in-house, hotels use a system that adjusts supply based on occupancy and keeps backup inventory available. Bart says some properties are seeing up to 30% savings in annual laundry and linen costs, but what interested me just as much is the operational side. Fewer equipment headaches, less time managing inventory and fewer distractions for housekeeping teams. Make the job easier and more manageable, and you’re also creating a better environment for employees to stick around. It’s a different way to think about a very basic part of #HotelOperations that most properties simply accept as part of doing business. See how this model changes the way hotels think about linen ownership, laundry and the people dealing with it every day. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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They Turned a 12th-Century Monastery Into a Luxury Hotel
09/11/2026
They Turned a 12th-Century Monastery Into a Luxury Hotel
Most people don’t look at a 12th-century monastery in rural Umbria and think, “We should turn this into a hotel.” Cathi Lutjens and Fred Kubierschki did. They left the corporate hospitality world, took a chance on an unlikely opportunity and created Vocabolo Moscatelli around a simple idea: build the kind of place people would travel specifically to experience. They shaped it around the monastery, the region, the food, the local culture and the kind of hospitality they wanted to create themselves. What I love about this story is the courage behind it. They didn’t just open a #Hotel. They created something deeply personal and trusted that the right guests would find them. See how Cathi and Fred turned an old monastery in an under-the-radar part of Italy into the kind of #LuxuryHospitality experience people remember long after they leave. Thanks so much to Actabl for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Where Hotel Growth Is Happening Next
09/10/2026
Where Hotel Growth Is Happening Next
The next wave of hotel growth won’t look like the last one. Bruce Ford with Lodging Econometrics joins me on No Vacancy to look at how the global #HotelDevelopment pipeline is shifting — and where the industry’s next big opportunities are starting to emerge. Conversions increasingly drive growth in mature markets, while new construction tells a very different story across Asia, the Middle East and other parts of the world. Bruce also makes a strong case for why India could become one of the most important #Hospitality growth stories in the years ahead. The numbers get even more interesting when you compare what’s under construction today with what’s actually likely to open over the next few years. See where hotel companies are chasing #HotelGrowth now — and why the map looks very different depending on how you measure it. Thanks so much to Actabl for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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What Luxury Hotel Guests Really Want
09/09/2026
What Luxury Hotel Guests Really Want
True luxury means not having to think about the details. Almando Rigby, general manager of Windjammer Landing in Saint Lucia, joins me on No Vacancy to explain why today’s #LuxuryTravel guest expects a hotel to understand what they want before they ever have to ask. That creates an interesting challenge. Hotels now have more technology, data and AI at their disposal, but Almando argues that the most memorable #GuestExperience still depends on something much more human. His perspective on what technology should do — and where people still make the difference — says a lot about where #LuxuryHospitality is heading. Hear how Almando thinks about creating the kind of trip where the guest simply gets to enjoy it. Thanks so much to Actabl for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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What Hotels Stop Knowing After the Guest Checks In
09/08/2026
What Hotels Stop Knowing After the Guest Checks In
Hotels spend years collecting guest data, then lose sight of what people want the moment they’re actually staying in the room. Kevin Rohani, founder and CEO of Camo Hospitality, joins me on No Vacancy to talk about that blind spot. Guests order food, transportation, entertainment and other services during their stay, but much of that activity happens outside the hotel’s ecosystem. So the property sacrifices more than revenue. It also misses valuable insight into what guests actually want while they’re on site and how to create a better experience the next time they return. Kevin makes the case that the guest room shouldn’t be where the relationship goes dark. It should be where hotels learn the most. See why one of the biggest opportunities in #HotelOperations may be understanding what guests do after check-in — and what that reveals about improving #GuestExperience and revenue at the same time. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Labor Day Flashback: Marriott Vacations Worldwide Launches Experience-Driven Ownership: Inner Circle
09/07/2026
Labor Day Flashback: Marriott Vacations Worldwide Launches Experience-Driven Ownership: Inner Circle
Live experiences drive operating success because they create reasons to travel, reasons to spend, and reasons to come back. That’s why Marriott Vacations Worldwide is building Inner Circle around them. During , I talked with , President and COO of , about what changes when the offer expands beyond the villa and into the full trip. 🎟️ Inner Circle launches June 22 and centers music, culinary, sports, and TV experiences 🎸 Launch example: a Lee Brice show in Orlando for about 300 owners 📊 Only about 6% of eligible North American households own vacation ownership today 🏨 The portfolio spans brands like , , , , , and , with about 700,000 owner families 💳 Points give flexibility: choose unit size, choose trip length, bank the difference, and use points for flights, cruises, or Marriott Bonvoy 📍 The development lens shifts toward markets with big distribution potential, with Nashville high on the radar Thanks to for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit . Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from ? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Holiday Flashback: How Wyndham Uses Experiences to Drive Direct Bookings
09/04/2026
Holiday Flashback: How Wyndham Uses Experiences to Drive Direct Bookings
To ease us into the holiday weekend, here's a rerun of a fun video I recorded in a Puerto Rican rainforest! Wyndham Rewards pushes beyond hotel nights into experiences, and Michael Shiwdin, Global VP of Loyalty at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, explains why: engagement drives direct bookings, and direct bookings drive owner value. I talked with Michael at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Rainforest Beach & Golf Resort about how Wyndham Rewards Experiences works and what it means for hotels in the portfolio. 🌿 Members earn points on experiences through Viator, including activities like kayaking 🎟️ Wyndham partners with Ticketmaster and Madison Square Garden for concert opportunities and VIP experiences 📈 Michael says Wyndham saw almost a 5X increase in member engagement after launching Wyndham Rewards Experiences, plus double-digit lifts tied to members booking direct 💰 He frames the owner angle: members book direct at a lower cost channel, then return to the Wyndham portfolio for the next stay Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from hashtag#NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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Holiday Rerun: How Starwood Makes Its Hotels Feel Different: Nature, Soul, and Experience
09/03/2026
Holiday Rerun: How Starwood Makes Its Hotels Feel Different: Nature, Soul, and Experience
To ease us into the holiday weekend, here's one of my favorite chats from the year: Starwood Hotels operates 1 Hotels, Treehouse Hotels and Baccarat Hotels & Resorts around one idea: products need emotion and soul, not templates. While hosting Starwood’s annual conference, I talked with Raul Leal, CEO of Starwood Hotels, about differentiation through nature-led design, human experience, and AI-driven personalization that stays human. 🌿 Raul says nature-led “hardware” sets the tone the second guests walk in 🤖 He uses AI to understand preferences and deliver better moments on-property without creeping people out 🍽️ He treats F&B as brand identity, not a side business 💰 He focuses on total revenue per customer instead of RevPAR-only thinking 🎁 He frames the mission program as affiliation plus perks, not points for points’ sake 👥 He uses guest and employee focus groups to keep the brands honest Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed? Text HOTEL to 66866 for hashtag#NoVacancyNews.
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How Hotel Teams Build Collective Excellence
09/02/2026
How Hotel Teams Build Collective Excellence
Collective excellence starts when hotel teams stop operating in separate lanes and start moving in the same direction. Glenn Haussman talks with Ben Campbell, President and CEO of Hospitality America, from **PEACHCON, the company’s annual conference**, where team members come together to connect, learn and align around what comes next. Ben’s focus is simple: get better today than yesterday and better tomorrow than today. That means stronger talent, stronger relationships and more value for team members, owners and guests. See what changes when a hotel company stops thinking one property at a time and starts building one organization. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might’ve missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.
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