187 | Fixing the Curve

Michael Blank is a hospitality veteran who's worked every angle of the hotel biz—from slinging room keys at the Willard in D.C. to steering multimillion-dollar acquisitions. Now the Principal of Woodmont Lodging, he owns and asset-manages properties across the U.S., with a soft spot for extended stay. Susan and Michael talk about counterintuitive takes on the hotel industry.  What You'll Learn About: 🚮 Pick Up Club! Why picking up hallway trash speaks volumes 🏩 The extended stay segment decoded: housing shortage, high margins, and why the hype is justified 🪄 Why AI is not the magic wand everyone thinks it is 📏 Why RevPAR might be obsolete, and why smart hoteliers should be thinking in square feet, not just room nights 🪙 One big change hotels should make: owning their guest data like it's gold