Behind the Stays

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   Accor isn’t just polishing the Orient Express legend — it’s trying to industrialize it. With LVMH in the mix, the play shifts from “luxury assets” to a full ecosystem built on narrative: trains, hotels, yachts, and a throughline of romance and mythology. Scott sees the upside in that long-game brand equity, but the panel keeps circling the same risk: storytelling can sell the dream, yet only flawless operations keep it from collapsing into cosplay. Then the mood turns pragmatic with Casago’s post-Vacasa reality check. A founder-led franchise business runs on trust and alignment as much as tech and scale, and Steve Schwab’s CEO transition lands as a stress test for franchisees already bracing for integration chaos. Ben argues owners should protect optionality while the dust settles; Scott and Edwin frame it as a “psychological contract” moment where perception matters as much as governance. Finally, Hyatt’s ChatGPT integration signals that AI discovery is becoming a real distribution layer, not a gimmick. If travelers are asking for “the right stay” conversationally, brands will win by training the narrative, not bidding on keywords. Spice of the Week closes with a blunt takeaway: creative is the only differentiator left — and hotels are still wasting money boosting the wrong posts instead of scaling what actually works.   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 09:40 — Story #1: Accor + LVMH build Orient Express into a full luxury ecosystem 24:32 — Story #2: Casago’s Vacasa-era growing pains trigger franchisee unease 33:31 — Story #3: Hyatt embraces ChatGPT discovery as the next distribution layer 46:29 — Spice of the Week     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/

Meet Jeremy Hill, Co-Founder and CEO of Arcana — a next generation nature resort complete with seasonally immersive science-based experiences that help guests feel nature’s true restorative powers. In this return episode, Jeremy shares what’s changed (and what hasn’t), plus Arcana’s biggest leap yet: a newly acquired 56-acre property that gives the brand the zoning, septic capacity, and infrastructure required to scale — without diluting the Arcana promise. In this conversation, Jeremy and I discuss: How Arcana performed in the real world after launch (and why the early guests helped propel the waitlist) What the team learned from the pilot site — from cabin entrances and guest flow to privacy, operability, and experience design The truth about “tiny cabins” and how Arcana thinks about unit size, outdoor space, and central amenities What Jeremy’s acquisition checklist looks like (proximity to a major city, the right zoning, and why septic is everything) How Arcana is repositioning an existing, cash-flowing resort with seven cottages and two houses into an Arcana-level experience Brand strategy: how to expand into new sites while still honoring the flagship brand promise (and when a sub-brand might make sense) How Jeremy is weighing construction loan options (traditional bank vs private lender) and the realities of taking on debt in Canada The longer-term vision: Arcana across North America, what an exit could look like, and why consistency is the superpower in experiential hospitality Arcana is targeting a summer 2027 opening for the fully repositioned property. Learn more about Arcana Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn   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 the Journey Alliance. 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.

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   In this week’s episode, the guys jump from Sub-Saharan Africa to budget roadside America to biohacking on a Caribbean beach—and somehow tie it all together. The throughline? Hotel groups are searching for growth in a market that feels mature at home and increasingly demanding everywhere else.   They start with Choice’s plan to open 100 hotels in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2035. Edwin argues that the real opportunity isn’t safari escapism, but dense capital-city demand driven by business travel, NGOs, and intra-African growth. With new-build pipelines lagging, conversions and franchising become the strategic edge. Ben adds that in markets without decades of “economy brand” stigma, Choice may find a cleaner runway than it has in the U.S.   Next, they unpack Wyndham’s contrarian stance on the struggling economy segment. While revenue has slid for more than a year, Wyndham’s CEO insists the downturn is cyclical—not structural—and teases a push into “budget lifestyle.” The guys debate whether affordability can actually feel aspirational, and whether travelers want to identify with “budget,” even when it’s cleverly rebranded.   Finally, they explore the shift from wellness to longevity—better framed as healthspan—as luxury hotels move beyond spa aesthetics into diagnostics, personalization, and clinic-level programming. In Spice of the Week, they take aim at hotels adopting performative anti-AI creative policies, arguing that resisting innovation in the name of authenticity may be the fastest way to fall behind.   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 08:22 — Story #1: Choice Hotels targets 100 hotels in Africa by 2035 20:28 — Story #2: Wyndham doubles down on economy as budget hotels struggle 36:30 — Story #3: Wellness is out, “longevity” becomes luxury hospitality’s new hook 47:37 — Spice of the Week     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/

This week on Behind The Stays, Zach shares a more personal story—and then connects it to three major shifts reshaping hospitality. After uncovering the story of his grandfather, an early travel entrepreneur who helped open tourism from North America to Tahiti, Zach reflects on why meaningful travel experiences matter more than ever—and what that legacy means for the future of stays. From there, he breaks down three trends every hospitality leader should be thinking about: Why hotels may be becoming the new “third place” in a hybrid-work world How AI is transforming hotel discovery—and why independent brands have a real opportunity right now The overlooked data advantage hotels have (and how it could shape the next era of personalization) If you’re building, investing in, or operating unique stays, this episode is a call to think more intentionally about the spaces you create—and the signals you’re sending. Because in an increasingly automated world, thoughtfully designed places may matter more than ever. 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 the Journey Alliance. 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.

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, the guys zero in on where real leadership in hospitality is showing up — and where it isn’t. Accor’s ChatGPT partnership leads the conversation, not as a booking play, but as a signal that intent is shifting away from websites and toward questions. The takeaway is clear: brands willing to test behavior, learn how guests search, and show up early in the decision journey are already ahead. Scott brings ground truth from Thailand and Jamaica, exposing a widening mindset gap. In Asia, hospitality is still treated as craft — GMs obsess over service, personalization, and staying relevant in hyper-competitive markets. In much of the Caribbean, demand is more destination-driven, and innovation often feels defensive. Edwin adds Europe’s perspective, framing it as split between tradition, efficiency, and emotion — with each region defining “success” differently. The episode closes with Ian Schrager partnering with Highgate to scale Public Hotels — a smart handoff of execution without sacrificing creative control — and Disney’s CEO succession as a reminder that physical experiences still beat disposable content. Spice of the Week lands the point: attention is expensive, but emotion is what actually builds loyalty.   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 alliance.journey.com.   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/uniquestaysguy/   Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

In this episode of Behind the Stays, Zach Busekrus sits down with Rohit Bezewada, CEO of AirDNA, to unpack what may be the most important shift yet in short-term rentals. From Airbnb’s evolving relationship with hotels to the fading “thrill” of discovery, Rohit shares what happens when a marketplace grows up — and what comes next for brand building, investing, and operating at scale. Drawing on his experience at Uber and now at the helm of one of the industry’s most influential data platforms, Rohit offers a clear-eyed view of a sector moving from side hustle to institutional asset class. The conversation explores: Why Airbnb’s move toward hotels signals a deeper strategic shift How short-term rentals are professionalizing — and who benefits most What the data reveals that headlines miss The coming consolidation of STR tech and the real role of AI Why confidence, not just inventory, is the next competitive edge This is a candid, future-facing conversation about where short-term rentals are headed — and how the next frontier will be built. 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 the Journey Alliance. 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.

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   2025 was a year where the hospitality world stopped playing offense and started getting sorted — by who could scale, who could actually operate, and who was still living in the low-rate, high-growth fantasy of the last cycle. In this special year-end episode of This Week in Hospitality, Zach is joined by Ben Wolff, Edwin Kramer, and Scott Eddy to break down the biggest winners, biggest losses, and biggest storylines that defined the year — and then go all-in on the predictions that will matter most in 2026.   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 alliance.journey.com. Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 4:07 — 2025 in Review: Winners That Defined the Year 17:01 — The Biggest Losers of 2025: What Broke and Why 24:52 — Innovation in 2025: What Actually Mattered 34:15 — The Biggest Plot Twists of 2025 39:14 — 2026 Predictions: Companies, Bets, and Shifts to Watch 1:06:54 — Rapid Fire: Buzzwords, Disruptions, and What’s Next 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/uniquestaysguy/   Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

In this special roundtable episode, Katie Cline (Suite Success) brings together some of the most influential voices in hospitality podcasting for an unfiltered reflection on the moments, movements, and hard truths that shaped 2025 — and what operators should be paying attention to as the industry looks toward 2026. The conversation features yours truly, Zach Busekrus (Behind the Stays), David Millili and Steve Carran (The Modern Hotelier), and Glenn Haussman (No Vacancy). Together, they move past headlines and hot takes to examine what’s really happening behind the scenes of hospitality today. Drawing on hundreds of candid conversations with founders, operators, and industry leaders, the group explores luxury’s continued ascent, the evolving (and often conflicted) state of loyalty, where AI delivered meaningful impact—and where it fell short—along with trade show fatigue, shifting guest expectations, and the creative ways operators protected profitability in a challenging year. This episode isn’t about predictions for prediction’s sake. It’s a grounded, experience-driven discussion for hospitality leaders who want to understand not just what changed in 2025, but why it mattered — and how those lessons will shape smarter, more resilient businesses in the year ahead.

On today’s episode of Behind the Stays, you’re going to meet a guy who has made a habit of burning the ships… twice. Josh went from helping people write on their walls with his first company, Writeyboard – the e-commerce brand that turned boring offices into floor-to-ceiling whiteboards – to designing the kinds of spaces people dream about escaping to.In his early 30s, sitting on a house in LA and feeling a quarter-life crisis creeping in, he looked at his girlfriend and said, “This year, we’re moving to Bali.” He sold the house, unwound a decade-long business, and flew halfway across the world to start over in real estate in a place where the rules, language, and rhythm of life were completely different. That leap set off a chain of projects and partnerships that eventually led to Tiba – a Bali-inspired hospitality brand – and now to his boldest undertaking yet: a highly designed, nature-immersed resort in the hills of Tennessee that blends luxury, landscape, and a whole lot of soul.In this conversation, we get into how Josh thinks about risk, why he keeps selling everything to chase the next build, and what it actually looks like to try and create the next generation of stays from scratch. Website: https://tibaliving.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiba_tennessee/ 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 the Journey Alliance. 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.

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   A big week of structural shifts in travel and hospitality. Capital One moves to acquire Hopper’s installed software and hire key hotel and engineering teams — signaling a deeper push into owning the traveler journey. The team explores the LuxUrban collapse which predates the Sondor fall out but has an eerily similar story. And Google announces that hotel and flight bookings are coming directly into AI Mode, collapsing research and booking into a single conversational experience. We break down what these moves mean for distribution, loyalty, hotel operators, and the future relationship between brands, banks, and big tech. 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 alliance.journey.com. Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 03:10 — Story #1: Capital One Set to Acquire Hopper Travel Software 15:22 — Story #2: Yet Another Hospitality Company Files For Bankruptcy: LuxUrban 30:34 — Story #3: Hotel and flight bookings are coming to Google's AI Mode 44:30 — "Spice of the Week" 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/uniquestaysguy/   Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/