Welcome to Behind the Stays — a podcast that shares the stories behind your favorite boutique hotels, short-term rentals, and hospitality brands and the hosts, operators, and entrepreneurs who’ve brought them to life. Every Tuesday and Friday you’ll meet the military veterans, retired flight attendants, tech entrepreneurs, school teachers, single moms, hoteliers, and real estate investors who are all, in their unique ways, shaping the future of travel and hospitality. Discover how these visionaries — from all over the world — have built stunning landscape hotels in the mountains, designed bohemian bungalows on the beach, erected eclectic off-grid and nature-immersed escapes, and so much more. Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. And I’m your host, Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. Alright friends, enjoy the show!
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Episode #377
The Real Reason You Can't Build a Vacation Rental Brand (It's Not What You Think) — And How to Fix It
Aug 18, 202654 min
Explore Inhaven: https://inhaven.com/ Connect with Ashley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-ching-inhaven-b56a843/ Connect with Zach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharybusekrus/ Check out Lodgify and get an exclusive discount: https://www.lodgify.com/behind-the-stays/ — Meet Ashley Ching — founder of Inhaven, former head of global merchandising operations at Tiffany & Co., and the person behind what might be the most important piece of research the vacation rental industry has produced in years. Here's the question Ashley keeps asking: every other hospitality industry — hotels, airlines, restaurants, car rentals — has a language of trust. Quality tiers that tell the consumer what they're buying before they arrive. Vacation rentals don't. And that single missing layer is behind almost every structural problem the industry can't seem to solve — from review manipulation to failed scaling attempts to the reason you still can't build a transferable property management brand. Ashley walks us through the Reasonable Hospitality framework her team developed alongside property managers and Steve Joyce, the former CEO of Choice Hotels. We dig into why service standards matter more than furnishings in determining where you fall on the quality spectrum, this care coverage ratio concept that quantifies what "boots on the ground" actually means, and why every attempt to put standards at the individual property level has failed. She makes a compelling case that most operators calling themselves luxury probably aren't — and that's not an insult, because only 3% of US hotel supply is actually luxury, and there's excellence at every tier. We talk about the luxury fallacy, why a Hampton Inn with an 8.2 rating doesn't mean it's better than a Ritz-Carlton with a 7.8, and what this industry could look like in ten years if it finally gets the foundation right. — Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of Growth at Journey. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.
This Week in Hospitality: Airbnb & Trip Advisor Partner, IHG's Owner Gambit, and a Loyalty Program Worth More Than the Airline
Aug 14, 20261h 15m
Airbnb just partnered with TripAdvisor to bring 425,000 experiences onto its platform — a move that signals Brian Chesky isn't just dabbling in experiences anymore, he's building a second business inside the first. The crew breaks down what this means for the future of in-destination travel, why the real unfair advantage might already be sitting inside every host's guidebook, and whether this is Airbnb's best play in markets where short-term rental bans are tightening the grip on its core product. Edwin brings the European perspective: Barcelona's courts just sided with the city, 10,000 units disappear by 2029, and the ripple effects are spreading. Then the conversation shifts to IHG, which is taking a completely different approach to the owner economics pressure wave sweeping the industry. While Hilton cuts fees and Marriott rolls out rebates, IHG is pitching a full services package — marketing, digital support, training, group booking — and telling owners to trust the value. Edwin's challenge is sharp: don't tell me the service has value, show me the PL. The panel explores whether regional marketing studios could actually be the unlock and what happens when brands start making owners more dependent on infrastructure they don't control. The big closer: Blackstone just paid $2.5 billion for a 25% stake in AeroPlan, valuing Air Canada's loyalty program at $10 billion — more than the airline itself. Scott calls it a data and credit card gold mine. Ben says the airline business is a commodity and loyalty is where the differentiation lives. And somehow the whole thing detours into a love letter to Blackstone CEO John Gray's Instagram and why the best business development tool in 2026 might just be a jog through Central Park with your phone out. — This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance — Special Guest: Sarah Kopit — Editor-in-Chief of Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahkopit Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/
Why the Complaint Is the Doorway: Rachel Alday on Her New Book, "Please Do Disturb"
Aug 12, 202657 min
Read "Please Do Disturb": https://pleasedodisturbbook.com/ Connect with Rachel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelalday Connect with Zach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharybusekrus/ Check out Lodgify and get an exclusive discount: https://www.lodgify.com/behind-the-stays/ — In just a moment, you'll meet Rachel Alday, co-founder of Abode Luxury Rentals and author of the forthcoming book, "Please Do Disturb." I brought Rachel back on the podcast because she's an awesome friend of mine, but also because the frameworks and lessons she outlines in her book have guided her and her team in building Abode Luxury Rentals into one of the most respected vacation rental management companies in the country. Early in this conversation, Rachel tells a story about a guest family that called her team constantly with complaints — and then asked to extend their stay. What her team discovered when they stopped being defensive and started being curious became the foundation for everything she's built since. She breaks down the framework behind it: three deceptively simple commitments she and her co-authors spent years uncovering — show up, make room, and build belonging. We get into the service recovery paradox, a concept Tim Ferriss personally pushed her to put in the book, and why managing a mistake well can create a more loyal customer than a flawless experience ever could. Rachel makes a sharp case for why outsourcing guest communication to AI might be the single worst place to cut corners, and where she thinks AI actually belongs in vacation rentals instead. We talk about the real cost-benefit of writing a book while running a business, what a breathing coach taught her about leading under pressure, and why presence — the kind where the rest of the world genuinely disappears — might be the most underrated competitive advantage in hospitality leadership right now. Friends, you're going to love this conversation. Be sure to order her book, "Please Do Disturb," wherever you get your books. You can pre-order it now, and there's a link in the show notes below. Without further ado, get ready to hear from Rachel Alday. — Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of Growth at Journey. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.
This Week in Hospitality: Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit on The Great Hotel Owner Squeeze, Aman's YouTuber Fiasco, & Marriott's Owner Concession
Aug 7, 20261h 13m
Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality This week we're joined by Sarah Kopit, Editor-in-Chief of Skift — the publication that fuels basically every episode of this show — and she came ready. We open on the story all of hospitality shared this week: Aman's brand-new, $6,000-a-night Amanvari turning away independent reviewer Ryan Walker at the gate on night two, then calling the cops on his driver. Scott and Sarah are inclined to give Aman the benefit of the doubt. Ben isn't — he thinks it might be the canary in the coal mine for a brand scaling faster than it ever has. From there we get into The Squeeze, Sarah's reporting on the crisis crushing America's small and mid-scale hotel owners. Record brand profits, owners barely cash-flowing, and a franchise model showing real cracks. We dig into why owners are revolting, what deflagging really costs, the financing fears keeping them locked to their flags, and the gut-punch of learning the Google reviews you spent eighteen years building don't belong to you — they belong to the brand. Then Marriott's new rebate: a real concession, or breadcrumbs tossed to the good boys who hit their guest-satisfaction scores? Sarah makes the case that the credit card companies are now the biggest force in travel, and that Amex and Capital One are building their own soft brands in plain sight. We close with a game — the hotel accounts winning on social, and the 99% still getting it wrong. This one's loaded. Come hang. — This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance — Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 09:49 — Story #1: The Great Hotel Owner Squeeze 33:05 — Story #2: Aman’s YouTuber Fiasco 44:41 — Story #3: Marriott’s Owner Concession 55:01 — Hotel Social Media Game 01:06:23 — Spice of the Week — Special Guest: Sarah Kopit — Editor-in-Chief of Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahkopit Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/ Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/ Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/ Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/
Sponsored Listings Are Coming to Vrbo — Plus What 2,000 Guests Actually Want from Vacation Rentals (and It's Not a Hot Tub)
Aug 4, 202645 min
Connect with Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-rosolio-434b2a98/ Connect with Zach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharybusekrus/ Apply to join the Journey Alliance: http://journey.com/alliance/ — Vrbo just did three things most operators haven't connected yet: it purged 100,000 homes, surveyed 2,000 guests across seven countries, and started rolling out sponsored listings. Put them together and you get the clearest signal yet on where vacation rentals are headed. Tim Rosolio is VP of Vacation Rental Partnerships at Expedia Group, where he leads the supply and host side of Vrbo. He's also a Vrbo host himself. In his return to Behind the Stays, Tim and Zach get into what that survey actually revealed — and it wasn't what the industry has been selling. Quality isn't luxury. It isn't the private chef or the infinity pool. It's accurate photos, verified reviews, a fully stocked shelf, and linens and silverware worth touching. 81% of guests said they'd pay more for a stay they can trust to be consistent. Then there are the sponsored listings landing this summer — a pay-only-if-you-book model that lets hosts buy visibility without gaming the algorithm. Tim explains how it works, why bad operators won't be allowed in, and where it goes across Expedia next. The conversation also covers the "coach up or coach out" program behind the purge, why the future of discovery is personalization instead of a star-rating system nobody trusts, expanded distribution across Expedia's 70,000-business B2B network, and the one fear keeping every VRM up at night: owner retention in a market where 2022 numbers aren't coming back. Reach out to Tim on LinkedIn — he's an open book. — Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of Growth at Journey. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.
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