No Vacancy with Glenn Haussman

Suraj Bhakta doesn't sugarcoat the moment. He sees a strong Q1, then watches geopolitics and travel costs squeeze demand again. No Vacancy is the official podcast of AAHOACON, and I talked with Suraj Bhakta of New Gen Advisory on the show floor about how owners react when the Fed shifts, travel gets expensive, and buyers and sellers hit pause.

Red Roof treats AAHOACON like the Super Bowl, and Matt Hostetler explains why: owners, franchisees, and partners all show up in one place. No Vacancy is the official podcast of AAHOACON, and I talked with Matt Hostetler, Chief Development Officer at Red Roof, about growth, franchisee support, and how Red Roof helps owners win when the economy tightens.

Sloan Dean put a number on it: Frontline Performance Group drove a 3–5% RevPAR lift in the hotels where he used it—so he expanded it across the portfolio. I brought in Geoffrey Toffetti, CEO of Frontline Performance Group, and Sloan Dean, former CEO of Remington and now a fellow podcaster, to kick off a 3-part series on how hotels activate the front line to grow revenue and improve the guest experience at the same time.

MyPlace just hit 125 properties. That milestone matters even more now, because extended stay keeps getting more competitive. During the Hunter Conference, I talked with Eric Myers, VP of Franchise Development at My Place Hotels, about how they keep growing, where they're expanding next, and what he sees heading into 2026.

Bruce Ford keeps coming back to one idea: the next traveling economy will book and spend differently. He tracks the data as SVP at Lodging Econometrics, so he sees the shifts before they feel obvious.

The Lantern has been open four weeks, and Grey Raines already talks about it like a platform, not just another hotel. During the Hunter Conference, I talked with Grey Raines, CEO and Managing Partner of Raines Company, about what they're building next, why they've exited some management relationships, and why adaptive reuse keeps showing up in their deals.

Justin Jabara, President of Meyer Jabara Hotels, keeps AI simple: give hotel teams time back so leaders spend less time buried in admin and more time actually operating. During the Hunter Conference, we talked about what that looks like in real life, plus why their growth focus shifts away from new builds and toward acquisitions and third-party management.

Final chapter. In Chapter 6 of this CoralTree Customer Journey series, we take everything from the last five weeks and put it at the property level. Customer journey work only matters when a hotel team can execute it in real time. This chapter shows what that looks like on the ground. I talk with Curtis Bova, General Manager of Hotel Polaris, about how he turns guest journey strategy into real moments on property - from reading context clues at arrival to training teams for perceptive hospitality and building experiences guests can only get there. Here is what we cover: ·        How the team looks for the purpose and intent behind each stay ·        Perceptive hospitality and using context clues at arrival ·        QR-based itineraries built around guest motivations ·        Hotel Polaris-specific moments (paper airplanes, Flights at Five, themed details) ·        Small touches that also create ancillary revenue opportunities ·        Hiring for personality, onboarding, and empowering prepared people ·        Why training + freedom creates better guest moments Missed earlier chapters? Go back to Chapter 1 and watch the full series in order - strategy, people, framework, implementation, touchpoints, then property execution. Want to keep up with series like this and catch any parts you miss? Subscribe to the #NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866. Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

Women enter hospitality at the same rate as men. Then the numbers thin out hard at the top. That gap isn't about "pipeline." It's about progression. Suzanne co-hosts #NoVacancyNews with me, and we talk with Emily Goldfischer of Her Tenure about the leadership study she and her team did with Forbes Travel Guide and what it reveals about what helps women advance—and what still gets in the way.

During the Hunter Conference, I talked with Ben Campbell, CEO of Hospitality America, about what he sees right now: demand pockets, the real booking window, and why operators need to get serious about data before AI forces the issue.

We lost industry icon Kirk Kinsell this past week, and I wanted to re-share this 2024 conversation because it captures who he was and what he meant to many of us: a generous leader, a calm force in the room, and one of the people who helped shape the way this industry thinks about leadership and relationships. In this episode of Icons and Experts with my co-host Doug Artusio from the Extended Stay Lodging Association. Kirk doesn't do chest-thumping. He does substance.

I ran into Wayne West III of Newport Hospitality Group during the Hunter Conference and asked what owners actually want from management right now—and what separates operators who keep getting repeat deals.

Friend of the show CJ Arlotta returns to do some clever PR tricks to make people think Glenn, Craig and Doctor Producer Suzanne are actually funny over here celebrating Happy Hour to get the weekend started. Plus, Bruce Ford joins for added fun.

While I was at the Hunter Conference, I asked John Schultzel of Olympia Hospitality a simple question: where do you actually find profit when there's no silver bullet—just pressure everywhere?

Sacramento doesn't have a Golden Gate Bridge. So they built demand with experiences—and then proved it with room nights. For #NoVacancyNews, I talked with Mike Testa (President & CEO, Visit Sacramento) about how Sacramento positioned itself around farm-to-fork and then stacked events that drive real overnight stays from different customer groups.

Chapter 5 of this 6-part CoralTree Customer Journey series gets into the guest-facing side: how the strategy shows up in communication and touchpoints across the stay. A strong customer journey does not come from slogans. It comes from leadership decisions, team training, and operational discipline - and now you can see it in the guest-facing moments. I talk with Angela Berkey, VP of Customer Engagement at CoralTree Hospitality, about using guest preferences, local context, and property-level ideas to shape pre-arrival messages, arrivals, in-stay surprises, and post-stay rebooking moments. Here is what we cover: ·        How they use guest preferences to shape communication before arrival ·        Arrival moments like a personalized welcome beverage ·        In-stay surprises and delights that feel intentional ·        Departure touchpoints that support loyalty and return visits ·        Post-stay messages tied to what the guest actually did (like spa visits) ·        Why the experience still changes by property and destination If you are jumping in here, watch Chapters 1-4 first - this guest-facing work comes from the strategy and workshop process. Next week (final chapter): property-level execution with a GM making it real on the ground. Want to follow the full series and catch any chapters you miss? Subscribe to the #NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866. Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

Graduate has lived inside Hilton for a year and a half now, and the brand is growing without losing the personality that made it work in the first place. For #NoVacancyNews, I talked with Parker Henderson, the brand head for Graduate, at the Hunter Conference about what Hilton distribution changes, what owners should know, and how Graduate makes development easier with plug-and-play F&B concepts.

While I was at the Hunter Conference, I talked with Greg O'Stean, Chief Development Officer, Hotel Equities about what makes a real owner–operator match—and what operators have to prove in this market. hashtag#NoVacancyNews

The latest Hotel Business Hot Topics session, "Rethinking Hotel F&B: Smarter Strategies for Profit, Community and Stability," in partnership with Entegra, featured an insightful discussion between moderator Glenn Haussman, founder/host, No Vacancy Live podcast, and a panel of industry leaders on how hotels are controlling costs, optimizing procurement and transforming food and beverage into a core revenue driver while creating experiences that resonate with today's guests and local communities.   You'll hear insights from Glenn Haussman (moderator) alongside leaders from Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Davidson Hospitality Group, GF Hotels & Resorts and our Head of Culinary, Lynn Hay.

Glenn freezes, Suzanne can't hear anyone, and Craig somehow turns Milk Duds into a conspiracy theory. That's a normal Friday. For #NoVacancyNews, Friday Night Audit rolls into Episode 205 with Craig Sullivan, Dr. Producer Suzanne, and guest Stephanie Hills (and yes… even her name comes with a plot twist).

Thirty years in, PM Hotel Group still thinks like an owner-operator—and that matters right now. While I was at the Hunter Conference, I talked with Paul Sacco of PM Hotel Group about how they protect margin when RevPAR growth slows, costs climb, and rate resistance shows up. #NoVacancyNews

For #NoVacancyNews, I caught up with David Wilner, newly appointed Chief Development Officer of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, at the Hunter Conference to talk development reality right now—conversion-heavy conditions, brand value pressure, and why he still won't count new construction out.

Economy and midscale owners don't need shiny objects. They need tech that either drives revenue or cuts costs—period. For hashtag#NoVacancyNews, I caught up with Zack Gharib, President of Red Roof, at Hunter Conference to talk about why he's leaning into tech now while demand softens—and what he thinks starts to turn.

America didn't travel in America the way we expected last summer—because a lot of the spend went overseas. Now the calendar flips, the event slate stacks up, and the question becomes simple: who travels, where do they stay, and what does that do to performance? For hashtag#NoVacancyNews, I talked with Bruce Ford (SVP, Lodging Econometrics) from Atlanta on the eve of the Hunter Conference about what he expects this year—World Cup momentum, America's 250th anniversary, rising costs, and the "down-the-scale" shift that could help midscale and upper-midscale operators. ⚽ Bruce expects U.S. events to keep more travel domestic this year

Evermore is building an Orlando resort ecosystem: multiple hotels, a massive lagoon, and enough on-property programming that guests don't treat the theme parks as the only "main event." For #NoVacancyNews, I talked with Sean McCarron (General Manager, Conrad Orlando) about how Conrad fits inside Evermore—and what it takes to deliver luxury standards inside a new complex.

Chapter 4 of this 6-part CoralTree Customer Journey series focuses on implementation - specifically, how you get property teams to build ideas they actually believe in and want to own. Hotels do not improve the customer journey by accident. They build it through strategy, systems, and execution. This chapter shows what the build process looks like. I talk with Kaitlin Broumpton, Director of Quality and Guest Experience Strategy at CoralTree Hospitality, about workshops, property-level ideation, and how CoralTree helps teams shape locally authentic moments instead of pushing top-down scripts. Here is what we cover: ·        How CoralTree runs workshops to bring the soul of a property to life ·        Why buy-in improves when teams have a seat at the table ·        How they refine ideas without forcing corporate templates ·        How local culture and brand pillars shape guest moments ·        Why the process works across property and regional teams ·        A Seaport Boston example: arrival cards + QR codes by travel motivation Catch up on Chapters 1-3 if you have not yet - this is where the strategy starts turning into property-level plans. Next week: how the guest actually experiences this through real touchpoints. Want to follow the full series and catch any chapters you miss while you're busy? Subscribe to the #NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866. Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

Westgate didn't just build a resort — they built a small city of experiences. In this walking-tour episode, Glenn Haussman explores Westgate Vacation Villas in Orlando with Chief Business & Strategy Officer Jared Saft, starting at the original 16-unit building from the early 1980s and moving through the resort's huge renovation and expansion. We visit the movie theater, the retail experiences designed by Starboard, the Chuck E. Cheese–powered arcade, the toddler zone, the retro arcade, the Mystery Funhouse throwbacks, the in-lobby candy shop with a waterslide running through it, and the multi-level Shipwreck Island Waterpark. Jared also shares how Westgate plans new concepts, how they think about every family member's experience, and what's next as they just added 40 new destinations during a major growth cycle. This episode is brought to you by Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. What we cover:

This week the amazing Lan Elliott returns to FNA to laugh along Glenn, Craig and Doctor Producer Suzanne. This week Glenn is in Dallas and the gang reveals which pet peeves are moving on to the sweet 16!

Evermore doesn't try to win every traveler. It commits to one niche: togetherness for families and groups. Then it builds the product around that focus—shared moments, easy flow, and enough space so the whole crew stays connected without feeling crowded. For #NoVacancyNews, I tour Evermore Resort Orlando and talk with the team behind the experiences.

I'm at Remington Hospitality's annual leadership conference - the first with Ben Perelmuter serving as CEO. For hashtag#NoVacancyNews, I caught up with Ben in the JFK Suite at the Hilton Fort Worth, a historic 100-plus-year-old property, and asked what he wants the team focused on right now.

Chapter 3 of this 6-part CoralTree Customer Journey series moves into the framework itself: how you create consistency across very different hotels without turning everything into cookie-cutter service. Customer journey work only matters if it improves operations, guest loyalty, and results. This chapter gets into the structure behind that. I talk with Andre Fournier, Chief Commercial Officer at CoralTree Hospitality, about Standards of Care, touchpoints from booking to departure, and how service rankings can influence ADR and consideration. Here is what we cover: ·        How CoralTree builds one service framework across different asset types ·        Why the goal is consistency of care, not identical experiences ·        Touchpoints from website/reservations to arrival, stay, and departure ·        Why each property still needs to feel authentic and of the place ·        Andre's filter: true, meaningful, and distinctive ·        How guest service rankings can support ADR and consideration set If you missed Chapters 1 and 2, go back first - this framework makes more sense once you've heard the strategy and people side. Next week: how CoralTree workshops these ideas with property teams. Want to follow the full series and catch any chapters you miss while it rolls out? Subscribe to the #NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866. Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

Repositioning a 100-year-old luxury resort hits different than building something new. You work with history, legacy expectations, and a modern guest who doesn't care about any of that unless the experience delivers. Suzanne co-hosts with me, and we talk with Daniel Hostetler, President & CEO of The Boca Raton, about how the property has managed a multi-year repositioning under new ownership — what they changed, why they changed it, and how they operate it day to day. I'm sharing it under #NoVacancyNews. Here's what we hit:

Step inside the heart of Bourbon Street with Sonesta International Hotels' Royal Sonesta New Orleans GM David Bilbe on #NoVacancyNews. From historic #neworleans charm to future renovations, this tour gives you a front-row seat to one of the most irreplaceable hotel assets in America.

Big show tonight as we kick off the weekend happy hour celebration. We're joined by our friend Paula Carreirao live from Brazil and Glenn, Craig and Doctor Producer Suzanne torture her with an update on the Round of 32 for our Hotel Pet Peeves Face off. vote now:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R26KPKV

Wyndham doesn't treat Latin America like one market. Growth concentrates in specific places, and execution decides who wins. For #NoVacancyNews, I talked with Gustavo Viescas (President, Latin America, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts) at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar in Puerto Rico about where Wyndham sees momentum across Latin America and the Caribbean.

AAHOA heads to Philadelphia for #AAHOACON26, and this year's theme stays dead simple: protect and advance profitability. Suzanne Bagnera, PhD, CHA, CED co-hosts #NOVacancyNews with me, and we talk with Laura Lee Blake (President & CEO, AAHOA) about what she wants owners focused on right now—and why this conference keeps growing. 

Chapter 2 of this 6-part CoralTree Customer Journey series gets into the part a lot of companies talk about and then struggle to execute: team empowerment. Customer journey work sounds soft until you tie it to labor, service consistency, guest loyalty, and revenue. This chapter gets into the people side that makes the strategy work. I talk with Sean Beucler, SVP of Operations at CoralTree Hospitality, about trust, recognition, decision-making, and how leaders build a culture where teams can act with confidence. Here is what we cover: ·        Why Sean says the biggest focus now is the team, not just the process ·        What real empowerment looks like in hotel operations ·        Why recognition drives repeated behavior ·        How leaders handle mistakes without killing trust ·        How guest experience connects to occupancy, ADR, and owner results ·        Why the best ideas often come from line-level teams Missed Chapter 1? Start there first - it sets up the leadership strategy behind this week's operations conversation. Next week: we move into the standards/framework and the commercial impact. Want to follow the full series and catch any chapters you miss along the way? Subscribe to the #NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866. Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

Everybody keeps saying "AI" like it's one thing. It isn't. Suzanne co-hosts with me for this one, and we bring in Ira Vouk, someone we constantly see on the conference circuit. Ira teaches, writes, and helps companies make sense of what's coming, so we asked her for actionable insights instead of ponderous theory. I'm sharing it here on #NoVacancyNews because hotels need practical moves, not more theory. We stick to a few things that actually matter:

Global hotel "conditions" don't hit everyone the same way. The big franchise companies play a global game. Most owners play a street-corner game with one asset and one set of debt terms. That gap matters. I talked with Bruce Ford (SVP, Lodging Econometrics) about the global pipeline and the economic forces shaping what actually gets built, renovated, or converted right now. I'm sharing it under hashtag#NoVacancyNews.

From October 2025   Recorded live at the Southern Lodging Summit this past August as part of the keynote luncheon, Mitch Patel, President & CEO of Vision Hospitality Group, sat down with Glenn Haussman to share his journey from a single $3,000 investment to leading one of the most respected hotel companies in the U.S. In this conversation, Mitch explains: Why operational excellence and team culture are the true foundations of success How Vision Hospitality keeps growing even when the market tightens What "building a brick house" really means for long-term profitability How to inspire the next generation to find purpose in #hospitality  

Quite frankly we're scared about this one. Fortunbately the iconic Dorraine Lallani is back to bring class to this mess of a happy hour show. Glenn, Craig and Suzanne are a bit scared for the quick return of Pink Pony Club founder Patty Jefferson because they're worried they don't have what it takes to horse around.

Conversions still beat new construction in a lot of markets right now, so I wanted to get specific on what Bruce Ford sees across the Americas pipeline. I talked with Bruce Ford (SVP, Lodging Econometrics) about where projects are moving, where they're stalling, and what owners/operators/investors should watch in Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the U.S. for #NoVacancyNews. Here's what we cover:

We're exploring maximizing hashtag#hotel Customer Journey opportunity!!!! To kick off this 6-part Customer Journey series, I wanted to start at the top: why this matters now and how leadership turns better service into an actual company-wide plan. We'll be focusing on how CoralTree Hospitality is leveraging tech to connect with customers. In Chapter 1, I talk with Tom Luersen, President of CoralTree Hospitality, about why CoralTree spent a year building this strategy and how they are thinking about customized guest experiences at scale. Here is what we cover: ·       Why CoralTree made the guest journey a priority now ·       Why they spent a full year building buy-in instead of rushing rollout ·       How they built a real plan (not a one-time initiative) ·       Standards of Care vs. standard procedures ·       How they balance technology with high-touch service ·       Why continuous improvement matters as guest behavior changes Next week: we get into the operational backbone - empowerment, trust, and team culture. Want to follow the full series week by week (and catch any chapters you miss)? Subscribe to the hashtag#NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866. Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

Puerto Rico rainforest on one side. Ocean on the other. A 607-acre resort in the middle. I talked with Chris Sariego, COO of LionGrove, at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar about how they used a $70 million reinvention to reposition the property around eco-experiences, expand amenity appeal, and keep more spend on-property.

To kick off the week, I wanted a hard look behind the numbers. We hear a lot of takes—so what's real and what's not? I called our buddy Bruce Ford (SVP, Lodging Econometrics) to pressure-test World Cup demand, international travel, and the conversion-brand land grab for the hashtag#NoVacancyNews crowd. Here's what we put numbers on: ⚽ 2026 World Cup: 48 teams across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada

A speakeasy bar with an actual vault door sits off the casino floor at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar. I walk in, meet Michael "Mac" MacDonnell, Vice President of F&B & Entertainment with LionGrove, and we turn it into a "quick chat" that somehow includes popcorn in a martini. #NoVacancyNews

Black Desert Resort shows what "demand drivers" look like when you actually build them. Today we look at Modern luxury on #NoVacancyNews I walk the property with Nicholas Gold, Managing Director, in Ivins (greater St. George / greater Zion), Utah.

Hotels train teams to spot human trafficking and other suspicious activity. Training alone doesn't solve the handoff problem. #NoVacancyNews I talk with Georgine Muntz (CEO) and Patty Jefferson (Chief Revenue Officer) at Visual Matrix about building reporting into the workflow so staff can act fast without leaving their job to go hunt down a manager.

I'm recording this from a hotel room because that's where I live now. I keep hearing "AI" in every hotel conversation, so I pulled in Kevin Duncan, Executive Vice President, Product at Cendyn to talk about what actually works—especially at the front desk. 

Wahlburgers cleans up the messy parts of growth so quality stays non-negotiable.  I'm in Las Vegas with Randy Sharpe, CEO, President, and board member of Wahlburgers. He breaks down what he changed, what he cut, and how he plans growth without letting the brand drift.

This week I attended CoralTree Hospitality's Leadership Forum at Black Desert Resort and spent time with Andre' Fournier, Chief Commercial Officer, about what this event should accomplish once people go back to their hotels on hashtag#NoVacancyNews. Andre explains why CoralTree brings its leaders together, how the company onboarded more than 100 new leaders this year, and how Affinity Teams share real-world ideas across properties. We also talk about why CoralTree puts owners and operators in the same room and what that changes at the property level. We cover: