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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 ARDA, I talked with Mike Flaskey, President and COO of Marriott Vacations Worldwide, 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 hashtag#timeshare portfolio spans brands like The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, and Hyatt Vacation Ownership, 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

A busy airport hotel never really slows down. Guests come and go at all hours, plans change quickly and the team needs to stay ready for whatever walks through the door next. Alicia Augustine, GM of the Hyatt Place Pensacola Airport, joins me on No Vacancy and explains how she keeps her team prepared. Every morning at 9:00, they meet to cover priorities, talk through what needs to happen and spend a few minutes laughing together before getting to work. That #HotelLeadership approach carries straight into the guest experience. Alicia treats her team with dignity and kindness because she expects them to give guests that same care. Her best advice for GMs might be even simpler: listen. Really listen. Hear how Alicia mixes preparation, personality and a little silliness to create a #Hotel culture that guests actually feel. 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.

Hotel operating costs keep climbing, but revenue isn't keeping pace. That's forcing operators to rethink where the money comes from. Rhiannon Reynolds, VP of Operations with Innisfree Hotels, joins me on No Vacancy from Pensacola, Florida, where we talk about how essential it is to shift from an ADR mindset to thinking about the total value of every guest. Once someone arrives, the opportunity extends well beyond the room rate. Food, drinks and other on-property experiences add revenue while giving guests more reasons to enjoy the hotel itself. That's the real opportunity: generate more #Hotel profitability while increasing guest happiness at the same time. Better experiences create more value for the guest and more value for the hotel. Hear how Innisfree approaches that win-win strategy and why the #GuestExperience plays such a big role in total revenue. 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.

A beachfront resort in peak season puts plenty of pressure on a hotel team. The GM of the Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach found a way to keep hers. Sandy Beebe-Osipov joins me on No Vacancy and tells me she went more than a year without hiring a housekeeper because not a single team member quit. That's a remarkable #HotelLeadership stat in a business that constantly wrestles with turnover. Her approach isn't complicated. Sandy connects with employees, runs daily huddles, sets expectations and keeps her team focused on the guests enjoying everything from the beach and lazy river to face painting and mermaid classes. Great #Hospitality starts with people who actually want to stay and deliver it. Hear why Sandy's housekeeping team stayed when so many hotel teams struggle with turnover. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Putting my wife on Friday Night Audit seemed like a good idea. It was not. Helene Stein joins Craig Sullivan, Dr. Producer Suzanne Bagnera and me, and very quickly discovers the real purpose of the show: publicly correcting me while drinking. She gets into my travel habits, my complete lack of home-repair skills and hotel pet peeves, right as our Worst Hotel Pet Peeve bracket hits a semifinal showdown: Water Pressure Roulette vs. Constantly Hidden Lamp Switches. See which hotel annoyance wins — and how much damage Helene does to my reputation along the way. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

A coffee shop knows your name, loyalty status, order and how you paid — then calls out, "Whoever ordered the Americano." That pretty much sums up where service goes wrong. Bart Berkey, keynote speaker, author of Most People Don't and former Ritz-Carlton sales leader, joins Dr. Producer Suzanne Bagnera and me on No Vacancy to talk about Humanality: using #Technology without forgetting to see the human being standing in front of us. Hotels spend fortunes on systems and personalization, yet saying someone's name, looking them in the eye and making them feel noticed costs nothing. Bart argues those small acts create a real #Hospitality advantage. Hear why more technology makes genuine human connection more valuable, not less. Thanks to our friends at Actabl for supporting No Vacancy. 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.

Some of Australia's strongest extended-stay demand sits in places most travelers would never think about. Damien Gallace, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Extended Stay Australasia, joins me on No Vacancy with a very different way to look at the #HotelDevelopment map. His team follows demand from steel, mining, ports, defence, hospitals and universities, then looks for places where people need to stay for weeks or months and the right accommodations don't exist yet. That gets even more compelling when Damien says Australia's #ExtendedStay market trails the U.S. by roughly 15 to 20 years. His team already identifies more than 50 locations where the model fits.Sometimes the biggest #Hospitality opportunities aren't where people want to vacation. They're where people need to be. Listen to this one and you'll look at Australia's hotel map very differently. Thanks to our friends at Actabl for supporting No Vacancy. 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.

Westgate Las Vegas is betting on something Vegas can't manufacture: history. Dawn Rawle, SVP of Marketing, Advertising and Guest Experience, joins me on No Vacancy from the very stage where Elvis performed, standing on the original planking he walked across decades ago. Westgate doesn't treat that #LasVegas history like something trapped in a display case. The team uses it to shape what guests experience right now. That means Barry Manilow today, memories of Elvis and Liberace everywhere, and team members who've spent decades creating the kind of personal service guests remember. Westgate takes all of that heritage and turns it into a very current #GuestExperience rather than chasing whatever happens to look newest. There's a reason this place still feels connected to the Vegas people fell in love with in the first place. See how Westgate turns its #Hospitality history into something guests still want to experience today. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

The Peabody just opened a luxury hotel inside The Peabody. Doug Browne, President of Peabody Hotels & Resorts, joins me on No Vacancy to explain the thinking behind the new Pembroke Club. The hotel takes an already premium experience, creates an even higher #Luxury tier and gives guests who want more service a reason to pay for it. The Pembroke Club team starts working with guests before they arrive, coordinates their arrival and stays involved through departure. The Peabody doesn't simply charge more — it adds enough value to justify the rate. That's a smart #Hotel business idea, especially for established luxury properties looking for new revenue without changing the entire operation. And yes, because this is The Peabody, Doug and I also end up talking ducks and expensive booze. See why this hotel-within-a-hotel strategy gives #Hospitality leaders something worth thinking about. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Glenn Haussman, Craig Sullivan and Dr. Producer Suzanne Bagnera finally did Friday Night Audit together in the same room, and Memphis got the honor of dealing with all three of them. They broadcast from Kooky Canuck, right across the street from the famed Peabody Hotel, with giant drinks on the table and friends from the Southern Lodging Summit dropping in throughout the show. Producer Dave joined remotely, the conversation went wherever it wanted to go, and the original live audio decided it wanted its own starring role. Good news: this rebroadcast fixes the audio, so now everyone can actually hear the nonsense properly. This is Friday Night Audit exactly where it belongs: friends around a table, cocktails in hand, hotel people wandering into the conversation and absolutely no commitment to staying on topic.  Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

A major hotel brand doesn't need to make every property feel the same. I toured the Embassy Suites Downtown Asheville with Jack Benton, Area Director of Sales & Marketing, and this hotel takes plenty of inspiration from its surroundings. Appalachian textures, mountain-inspired design, open public spaces, meeting areas that connect naturally with the rest of the hotel and guest rooms with unobstructed views give the property a strong sense of #Asheville. The hotel also packs in more than you might expect. Its 188 suites include flexible connecting-room configurations, its meeting spaces handle groups of up to 300 people, and the Michelin Guide recommends its rooftop restaurant. What I really wanted to understand was how a major #HotelBrand creates this much individuality within a familiar flag. Jack explains how the hotel team worked with the brand to develop an experience that connects directly to Asheville and the surrounding mountains. Take the tour and see how this #EmbassySuites uses design, location and the Asheville experience to give guests something much more specific than a standard branded hotel. Subscribe to No Vacancy for more hotel tours, conversations and behind-the-scenes looks at the people and properties shaping hospitality. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

A popular band you've never heard of announces a tour, demand suddenly takes off in a market, and a short-term rental owner misses the signal and leaves money on the table. That's one of the examples Anurag Verma, co-founder of PriceLabs, and I get into while walking along the Chicago River. PriceLabs watches what's happening across individual markets and combines those signals with an operator's own data, giving #ShortTermRental owners a much broader view of demand than one property alone provides. And the scale gets pretty wild. PriceLabs works across 600,000 listings and prices inventory 18 months to two years into the future. Anurag explains how that data gives smaller operators access to sophisticated #RevenueManagement tools without forcing them to become professional revenue managers themselves. We get into demand signals, last-minute pricing, when discounting makes sense and when it doesn't, and how technology gives operators more confidence in the rates they choose. Plus, we do all of this while walking the #ChicagoRiver on a day when Chicago apparently decides to impersonate the surface of the sun. Listen to this one and see how much smarter pricing gets when you stop relying on one property's data and start looking at what the entire market tells you. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

The hotel room someone books online sits at the end of a massive web of technology, partnerships and decisions most of us never see. Danielle Von Weyhrother, Head of Sales North America at HBX Group, joins me on No Vacancy to pull back the curtain on #HotelDistribution. HBX connects hotels with airlines, travel agencies, OTAs, loyalty programs and more than 100,000 clients worldwide, helping hotels reach demand far beyond the obvious booking channels. Then #AI changes the equation. Danielle explains why rates, inventory and room photos don't tell technology enough about a hotel. The details that make a property unique now matter more in connecting the right traveler with the right experience. And yes, rainbow-colored ice cream somehow becomes a great example of exactly what she means. There's a lot happening between "I need a hotel" and "I booked this one." This conversation reveals how much #Hospitality technology influences that decision before most of us ever realize it. Thanks to our friends at Actabl for supporting No Vacancy. 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.

Something enormous is happening with hotels in India, and I don't think enough people realize the scale of it yet. I brought Bruce Ford, SVP of Lodging Econometrics, back to No Vacancy because the numbers coming out of #India are pretty staggering, but the real story goes much deeper than the size of the pipeline. Global hotel companies are making major moves across the country, investment is accelerating, and Bruce sees development spreading into markets that barely register on most people's radar today. And this isn't simply another #HotelDevelopment boom. Bruce explains why this cycle looks very different from the last big push into India, what changed, where the opportunities are emerging, and why the #Hospitality industry should start looking at India very differently. Some of the numbers Bruce drops during this conversation genuinely surprised me, and they may change how you think about where the next major era of hotel growth will come from. Thanks to our friends at Actabl for supporting No Vacancy. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. And if you want more conversations like this, subscribe to No Vacancy so you don't miss what's coming next. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Friday Night Audit gives hotel company presidents a dangerous combination: cocktails, bad ideas and three people absolutely convinced they know how to run the business better. Red Roof President Zack Gharib made the mistake of joining us this week. We insisted our advice was genius. Zack knew better. Between drinks, Craig Sullivan started designing a red-jacket tradition for Red Roof, Suzanne Bagnera battled technical problems, I kept one eye on a pork butt creeping toward 205 degrees, and Zack kept the whole thing moving despite the rest of us. Then we reached the Final Four of the Friday Night Audit Hotel Pet Peeves contest — the Four Horsemen of Hotel Misery — with Outlet Desert facing Identical Dispenser Bottles for a trip to the championship round. Suzanne picked a side. Zack picked a side. Craig picked a side. I mostly tried to keep the pork alive. See who Zack backed, hear the ideas we tried to foist on him, and find out how much nonsense one hotel president tolerates before happy hour ends. #FridayNightAudit #RedRoof #HospitalityIndustry Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

What happens when you build a hotel around elves, orcs, fairies and leprechauns — and commit fully to the idea? Ancient Lore Village has just 14 rooms, yet some of its social videos draw millions of views, including one that topped 25 million. Now CEO Melissa Blattner is taking the concept much further. I spoke with Melissa about why immersive storytelling connects so strongly with guests and what separates a real experience from something a hotel simply calls an "experience." Plenty of hotels deliver perfectly good stays. Far fewer create something guests remember, talk about and share. That's what Ancient Lore Village is trying to do every day. See how Melissa builds those experiences and why she thinks the idea can grow far beyond 14 rooms. Thanks to our friends at Actabl for supporting No Vacancy. 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.

What if the biggest problem at your hotel isn't what you're missing? Heidi Stone knows that trap well. She took over Mountain Lake Lodge — the Virginia resort made famous by Dirty Dancing — when the lake had dried up and the property had plenty working against it. Her answer wasn't to obsess over everything that was wrong. That mindset changed the property, and it shapes how she looks at independent hotels today. If you own or operate a hotel, there's a very good chance you're spending time and money fixing the wrong things. Heidi explains where she'd look first — and why some of the most valuable changes may cost far less than you think. Thanks to our friends at Actabl for supporting No Vacancy. 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.  

Some of the biggest hotel construction opportunities in the world right now are taking shape across Asia Pacific — and India is accelerating fast. I spoke with Lodging Econometrics' Bruce Ford about where hotel companies are placing their bets next. India's hotel pipeline nearly tripled over the past three years, and Bruce expects a construction wave there for the next five to seven years. China brings a different story, with huge numbers of rooms opening, major renovation activity and development patterns that look very different from what we typically see in the U.S. If you want to understand where global hotel growth is heading next, see which Asia Pacific markets Bruce thinks deserve the closest attention now. Thanks to our friends at Actabl for supporting No Vacancy. 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.

What if the SBA's $5 million hotel loan limit doesn't actually limit you to $5 million? At LendingCon, SBA Regional Administrator Tyler Teresa explained how hotel owners now use the 7(a) and 504 programs together for as much as $10 million in total financing. Congress never raised the $5 million limit. The SBA found another route. Then Tyler dropped another number every hotel buyer should hear: 15%. Under the 504 program, hotel buyers contribute 15% toward the deal. Tyler also took me through an $8 million hotel acquisition and showed exactly where the 7(a) and 504 pieces fit. I spend plenty of time talking with hotel owners about the struggle to find capital that makes deals pencil. This conversation gave me a financing strategy I didn't know about, and I suspect plenty of hotel owners don't know about it either. If hotel acquisitions factor into your plans, Tyler's explanation deserves five minutes of your attention. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Waiting for "uncertainty" to disappear before making your next hotel deal? Dan Lesser has a technical term for that: a cop-out. I caught up with the LW Hospitality Advisors president and CEO at LendingCon 2026, and Dan sees considerably more activity in the hotel market than all the hand-wringing might suggest. He says the first half of the year has been phenomenal, people continue to travel, substantial hotel transactions are getting done and there's money available for acquisitions, refinancing and construction when the economics work. Then we got into what could drive even more deals. Owners who financed three, five or seven years ago now face debt maturities at significantly higher interest rates, while brands are also pushing properties that postponed renovations to get the work done. Some owners will refinance. Some will renovate. Others are going to decide they've had enough and sell. That's when things get interesting for everyone else. Dan explains why he doesn't believe the money ever really disappeared to the sidelines, where he's seeing hotels repriced and why his business currently spans everything from proposed new developments to distressed and bankruptcy-related assets. There's a lot happening underneath all that "uncertainty." Thanks to my friends at Actabl for supporting #NoVacancyNews. 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.

Staypineapple Hotels President Dina Belon joined us for Friday Night Audit, and within minutes we were talking about underground printer-paper markets, retired Peabody ducks and why her early Google results once featured photos from the Playboy Club. So, pretty much a standard Friday Night Audit. Craig Sullivan and Dr. Producer Suzanne Bagnera were along for the ride, while I broadcast from EPCOT, questioned ducks about their employment history and went five-for-five on a Phish quiz. After more than 200 shows, I would've been embarrassed if I missed one. Dina also had plenty to say about what Staypineapple is doing with AI, guest experience, technology and those famous pineapple chunks. 🍍 Pineapples 🦆 Ducks 🎸 Phish 🖨️ An office-paper black market 🍸 And eventually, drinks Watch the latest Friday Night Audit and see how far we managed to wander while still technically talking about hotels. #NoVacancyNews Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

During LendingCon 2026, Glenn Haussman asks Red Roof's Lina Patel why conversions now account for roughly 80% of the company's hotels this year. Lina also explains how Red Roof's RIDE initiative has helped 40 people become hotel owners and why the company sees more room to grow that number. Watch the conversation to hear what Red Roof sees happening in the hotel deal market right now. #NoVacancyNews #RedRoof #LendingCon Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

LivAway Suites made a bold choice: give long-term guests more room and still protect the economics behind the hotel. The company builds rooms about 20% larger than typical economy extended-stay rooms, places the kitchen at the center of the space and adds features that matter when someone lives in a hotel for weeks at a time. Fast Wi-Fi, better sound control, package lockers, useful storage and stronger ventilation all play a role. I spoke with LivAway Suites CEO Mike Nielson with Dr. Producer Suzanne Bagnera about how LivAway makes that model work. Mike explains how the company controls construction costs, improves housekeeping efficiency and builds an independent brand around the way extended-stay guests actually live. LivAway now operates 14 hotels and plans many more across the country, but the most interesting part of the story comes from the math behind the room. Click through and watch my latest #NoVacancyNews video to hear how LivAway gives guests more space without giving up the margins that make the model work. 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.

A Michelin-recommended restaurant on top of an Embassy Suites changes the conversation pretty quickly. I spoke with Bonnie Campagnolo, Global Head of Embassy Suites, from the rooftop of the brand's Asheville hotel, where the restaurant draws customers seven nights a week. The property combines two-room suites, breakfast and the evening reception with meeting space, serious food and beverage, and a rooftop experience befitting the Asheville market. Bonnie explains how Embassy Suites gives developers more flexibility to shape each hotel around local demand while protecting the elements that keep guests choosing the brand. That approach lets owners add restaurants, bars, meeting space and other revenue drivers without turning every Embassy Suites into the same building. Click through and watch my latest #NoVacancyNews video to see how this Asheville property pushes the brand in a new direction and hear where Bonnie plans to take Embassy Suites next. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Curator Hotel & Resort Collection brings together some seriously cool independent hotels without sanding away the qualities that make them interesting. New Waterloo offers a great example. The company creates distinctive hotels inside historic buildings, connecting each property to its surrounding community. Curator gives the team greater buying power, stronger vendor relationships, broader marketing support and tools that help each hotel compete—while New Waterloo protects the identity and guest experience. I spoke with Jennifer Barnwell, President of Curator Hotel & Resort Collection, and Sarah Swenson, Corporate Director of Marketing at New Waterloo, about how that partnership works in practice. Sarah explains why independent hoteliers need strong partners, and Jennifer shares how Curator supports those hotels without forcing them to follow a brand playbook. That balance creates the real story: independent hotels gain the reach and resources of a larger collection while protecting the personality that gives travelers a reason to choose them. Click through and watch my latest #NoVacancyNews video to see how Curator and New Waterloo make that partnership work—and get a look at some of the standout hotels inside the collection. 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.

Anthony Klok keeps 80% of his hotel staff for more than 20 years, and he doesn't credit software, surveys or another employee engagement program. I visited Anthony, Principal of Rebel Hospitality, at the Best Western Plus Hawthorne Terrace in Chicago while he cooked for his staff and handed out appreciation bonuses. He explained why people stay, why so many hotel companies still get this wrong and how owners directly shape the culture inside their properties. Anthony also connects that loyalty to stronger guest service and better business performance. His hotel just recorded its best summer in four or five years after a $1.5 million renovation, but the most interesting part of our #NoVacancyNews conversation had nothing to do with the building. It came down to what owners do every day and what employees notice long before any customer does. Click through and watch the video to hear Anthony explain what keeps his team in place for decades and why more hotel owners should pay attention. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Every hotel brand makes a promise on a slide deck somewhere. There's a real gap between what a hotel brand promises and what actually happens at the front desk. I got brand strategist Philipp Mirow, CEO of Meridian Thinking, on the show with Dr. Producer Suzanne to figure out exactly where that promise falls apart. Philipp ran the Radisson brand while at Choice Hotels, then founded Meridian Thinking, the consultancy behind brand work for Hilton, Starwood, and 1 Hotels, among others. He's also got an unusual detour on his resume that shapes how he thinks about all of it. This conversation gets into: The unlikely operational job on his resume that still shapes how he builds brand strategy today Why a 500-page brand standards document rarely survives contact with an actual front desk A guest-recognition problem he says airlines solved years ago that most #hotels still haven't touched How a brand nobody was excited about turned pure nostalgia into a real growth strategy Where he thinks AI genuinely belongs in guest service, and where handing it to guests backfires A special thanks to our advertiser Actabl. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit them at Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Picture 100% occupancy on your busiest weekend of the year — then picture running out of towels. Rooms sit unsellable, guests grow furious, and the hotel writes refunds and credits just to get through the night. Bart Begley built Integrity Laundry Services so no hotel has to live through that scenario, and I went to Destin, Florida to see how. Under Bart's model, hotels don't own a single towel or sheet anymore — Integrity owns every piece of linen outright and delivers a fresh set the night before a hotel even needs it. His proprietary system pulls reservation data straight from a property's own systems to know exactly what a property needs and when. This tour covers: The Mardi Gras scramble that leaves guests without a room and hotels writing refunds and credits Why hotels no longer own their linens at all under this model, and what that eliminates from their budget How a proprietary system reads a hotel's reservations and restocks linen before anyone calls The water and utility numbers behind linen that arrives spotless and hospital-clean What happened across an entire holiday weekend at 100% occupancy — and how not one room came up short Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

The hotel business apparently didn't get the memo that everything is supposed to be terrible. Consumers feel squeezed. Credit-card debt keeps climbing. Business travel remains soft. Hotel construction faces the same cost and financing challenges we've discussed for years. Yet hotels keep performing, people keep traveling and owners keep making deals. So what's actually holding this market together? I asked Bruce Ford, SVP at Lodging Econometrics, to help me make sense of it. We talked about why event travel continues to deliver, how hotels can offer deals without destroying their rates and why the biggest opportunity ahead may have less to do with building new hotels. One number caught my attention: Bruce expects the industry to renovate or convert between 325,000 and 375,000 rooms during each of the next couple of years. That could create a very different hotel investment market than many people expect, with major implications for owners, brands, management companies and industry suppliers. Watch my latest #NoVacancyNews conversation with Bruce to hear where he sees the hotel market heading next. 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.

Jamie Caraher was recently recognized as one of Utah's CEOs of the Year. She runs Lodging Dynamics. Owners trust her with their #hotels. And she told me, on camera, that the moment she got the call, her first thought was: do I even deserve this? If you've ever sat in a leadership role and quietly waited for someone to figure out you don't belong there, this conversation is going to hit different. Jamie grew up in a family that couldn't afford to stay in the hotels she now runs, and she built her way up through jobs most people never think twice about. That climb left a mark on her that success hasn't erased, and she talks about it more openly than most CEOs ever would. Some of what pulled me in: The gut-check moment she had the second she found out she'd made the CEO of the Year list A decision she made to walk away from a company she swore she'd retire with A theory she has about trust that treats every owner relationship like a bank account you can overdraw Why growth, to her, has almost nothing to do with getting bigger What she's building inside her own company to make sure women in hospitality don't hit the ceiling she once saw A special thanks to our advertiser Actabl. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit them at Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Hotels keep sending me golf deals. I don't play golf. I've never played golf. Dana Cariss, SVP of Revenue Strategy at CoralTree Hospitality, showed me exactly how close the industry now stands to fixing that problem. Disconnected systems used to trap hotel data in silos that couldn't talk to each other — point of sale here, property management there, sales and catering somewhere else entirely. Dana's team spent the last couple of years pulling all of it into one place, and the result changes what a hotel can actually know about you. This conversation covers: The specific systems that once trapped guest data in silos and blocked real personalization How data landing in one warehouse from every department changed what his team could see Why AI does more than speed up #personalization — it makes sense of data this dense in the first place CoralTree's 2026 reporting upgrade that answers plain questions instead of forcing a report The mindset Dana pushes his team to keep so comfort doesn't kill innovation Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Derek Pacqué drove three hours from Manhattan to The Haussman Resort, Pool Club and Smokehouse on Long Island for Friday Night Audit. In LIE traffic, you know it's bad when the cars start passing you, then a horse and buggy passes you, then an elderly woman with a walker passes you. That's Friday in the summer on Long Island. Derek made it anyway.   He runs Chexology, the bag and valet check company you'll find at 1,200+ venues — the Mets, MoMA, Barclays Center, TD Garden, the O2 in London. It started as a coat check hustle in Indiana college bars, because drunk people are bad at holding onto tickets. Then he went on Shark Tank ABC and turned down the investors.   Somewhere in there, my cat made a break for the front door. Breaking news, as we called it on air.   His colleague Neil Upadhyay joined from #Vegas with the best line of the night: after a rival's bag-check system fell apart so badly staff walked off and police started holding people's Birkin bags, Chexology got the call. Nothing sells a hospitality product like "the last guys lost custody of designer handbags to the LVPD."   We closed, as one does, with me cannonballing into the pool and someone threatening to throw the laptop in after me.   #FridayNightAudit. Happy hour, hospitality news, zero dignity.   Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts just knocked Marriott International out of the #1 spot in U.S. News & World Report's 2026 hotel rewards rankings — and the reason comes down to something travelers are clearly reacting to: devaluation. I talked with senior travel editor Elizabeth Von Tersch about this year's rewards rankings, plus a brand new list for road warriors. A few numbers worth knowing: Wyndham held onto its category-based point system while Marriott's dynamic pricing model saw a 20% devaluation. Plus, Sonesta International Hotels cracked the top five for the first time — and it earns guests free nights almost twice as fast as some of the bigger names. On the business travel side, Marriott and Hilton go head to head for the top two spots, and the deciding factor isn't the one you'd expect. We also dig into why hotel loyalty programs are starting to look a lot more like airline programs — and what that means for how you earn your next free night. Full rankings and methodology here: https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/travel-rewards/?src=usn_pr Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Morris Tiedemann, General Manager at AYANA Midplaza Jakarta, joined Glenn and Suzanne from halfway across the world to explain how a hotel competes in a market flooded with luxury. Morris took a job in Urumqi in 2003 when he had to buy a book to figure out where it was. Twenty-two years in China taught him to move fast. Then AYANA came calling, and he had to slow down. Indonesia rewards patience. That tension is where his story gets interesting. The property sits in downtown Jakarta but feels like a beach destination — a pool, a tennis court, and gardens taking up real estate that most operators would have built on. The differentiator isn't the amenities. It's Indonesian hospitality baked into every touchpoint, backed by AYANA's larger story in Bali and Komodo. Also covered: how a new GM earns trust when he doesn't speak the language yet, why culture drives everything in a general manager's job, and the discipline of not "repainting the shop" in your first week. Visit ayana.com/jakarta. Actabl, they give 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.

Hotel technology shouldn't just look impressive. It should help guests enjoy their stay and help hotels make more money. The Hotel Communication Network Inc. CEO Kevin Bidner showed me how the company combines in-room tablets with AI to create a much more useful guest experience. Guests can request extra towels, explore room-service options, discover hotel amenities, research local restaurants and make reservations through one simple conversation. Kevin says hotels with room service can increase orders by 25% when guests use the tablet. Hotels can also promote restaurants, bars, spas, activities and other experiences that guests may never hear about at the front desk. The Hotel Communication Network provides the tablets without requiring hotels to buy them. The company also shares revenue from on-screen promotions and experiential marketing with participating hotels. The technology helps guests find what they want, encourages them to spend more across the property and gives hotels another revenue-generating tool. Watch the video and see the AI concierge in action. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Lauren Bennett McGinty, Executive Director of Explore Minnesota, sat down with Glenn to explain how a state agency generates $25 billion in economic impact and what hoteliers can learn from it. The state welcomed 81 million visitors in 2024 and generated nearly $15 billion in visitor spending. Lauren breaks down how Explore Minnesota subdivides 5 major regions into 11 micro-regions to distribute visitors beyond the major cities, why campaigns filmed from the visitor's perspective outperform anything AI can generate, and how a state DMO supports independent operators — from family-owned resorts passed down for a century to boutique hotels in small towns. She also explains why tourism delivers immediate ROI in ways other economic development can't. Long-range business attraction takes years. Tourism marketing shows results within months. For hotel operators wondering how DMOs can actually help their business, this is the framework. Visit exploreminnesota.com. Actabl, they give 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.

James Hansen showed up with a Paloma. Sarah Becherer poured a digestif. Craig Sullivan had his beer. Glenn was doing whatever Glenn does. This is how you open a conversation about parking. They're from Ocra, which turns empty hotel parking lots into cash. We got there eventually. First we had to sort out Chicago cocktail pricing, why Sarah wants to launch a podcast about parallel parking, and the moral crimes of putting ketchup on a hot dog. Pour something. Press play. Visit getocra.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Liza Amlani, The Chief Merchant, spent 20 years as a merchant at Ralph Lauren. She now studies what retail can teach hospitality. The parallels are closer than you think. Both industries live and die by customer experience. Both rely on frontline workers whose voices too often get ignored. Both are trying to figure out how to bridge strategy from the corporate office to what actually happens on the floor. Liza translates retail's playbook for hoteliers who want a fresh perspective on customer experience, employee voice, and what the future of guest engagement actually looks like. Visit retailstrategygroup.com. Actabl, they give 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.

Julie Kee, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Belize Collection, just revealed why her hotels are winning. It's not what you'd expect. The Belize Collection owns real estate. Spans jungle to reef to private island. Partners with local communities in ways that feel authentic because they are. And that's become their competitive advantage. But how do you actually turn that into a business model that works? That's the conversation worth watching. Visit thebelizecollection.com. Actabl, they give 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.

Your guests are done waiting in line at check-in. Wallet key technology just made that line disappear. 🔑 Tap your phone to your room. It opens. That's it. No app. No Bluetooth. No waiting. Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Apple Watch — NFC technology that actually works. 📱 The old digital keys had 2% adoption because they were clunky. This one? Glenn tested it at Harrah's Las Vegas and it was so smooth he's already demanding it everywhere. Caesars is rolling it out now. ⚡ Here's the mind-bender: your phone dies, you're good for 5 more hours. Express mode reserves power on your iPhone and treats room access as mission critical. So you can unlock your door even after your battery quits. 🏨 Branigan Mulcahy, CEO at Virdee, says this is the loyalty driver the industry has been waiting for. Hotels that deploy it first are going to see guests actively prefer their properties. Glenn already tested this at Harrah's. Watch that video here: https://novacancynews.com/no-keycard-needed-i-used-apple-wallet-at-harrahs-las-vegas/ Visit virdee.ai. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

We had a guest cancel at the last minute, so Craig, Suzanne, and I opened drinks and talked about my absolute disaster of a travel day. I'm not giving away the whole thing, but yesterday involved delayed flights, a plane too hot to board, a jammed wheelchair, Atlanta airspace doing Atlanta airspace things, a sick flight attendant, a Popeyes dream that died quickly, a late-night LIRR miracle, and the crushing realization that I wasn't getting Taco Bell at the end of it. Suzanne somehow turned our text thread into a blues song, Craig did Craig things, and I tried to explain the whole mess without reliving too much trauma. We also got to the important business: 🍾 Identical Dispenser Bottles beat Breakfast Buffet Hunger Games 🐴 The Four Horsemen of Hotel Misery are officially set 🧠 Glenn Knows Stuff returns with Jets misery, peacoats, landlines, and cars ☎️ Craig apparently still lives in a world where landlines matter ✈️ Delta and I need some time apart Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.