Advertise on podcast: No Vacancy Live!

During 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. 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 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 company's loyalty program grew 75% since its last conference. But I'm especially interested in how its efficient #ExtendedStay operating model and smaller development footprint open opportunities in markets that other brands often overlook. Hear why Matt sees so much potential for owners and how My Place is approaching its next phase of #HotelDevelopment. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

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 hotel development team, and he brings that same commitment to hiring the right people to Hotel Equities' approach to its 11,000 associates. During his years evaluating hotel acquisitions, Greg watched how general managers interacted with their employees when deciding which managers to keep. Hear what he looked for and what it reveals about #HotelLeadership, #HotelOperations and the #GuestExperience. 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.

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

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.

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.

During The Lodging Conference, Joseph Bojanowski, President of PM Hotel Group 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 #Hospitality. Watch this one to hear why Joseph feels so bullish on #HotelPerformance and where he thinks hoteliers still have room to push #HotelRevenue. 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.

I'm at The Lodging Conference with Greg Friedman, CEO of Peachtree Group, 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 #HotelInvestment 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 #Hospitality. Thanks 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.

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.

I'm at The Lodging Conference with Wayne West III, President of Newport Hospitality Group, 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 #HotelOperations as travel demand keeps holding up.Watch this one for a sharper look at how experienced #Hospitality leaders use industry relationships to make better decisions. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.