Podcasts about resorts

We've got some thoughts on phone-free concerts, sad Carrot Top news, Circa announces A's field seats and a bunch of other news and nonsense The post FHBM #1021: Toddler Beer first appeared on Five Hundy By Midnight.

We are opening up the Mickey Waffle Vault to bring you a classic episode straight from the archives! Originally recorded in January 2021, Episode 30 sees the team reflect on their theme park New Year's resolutions before opening up a deep-dive discussion on staying on-site at Disney and Universal theme parks.Episode Highlights:• Archive Flashback: Looking back at our 2021 resolutions, ride anxiety wins, and travel goals.• On-Site Accommodation: Discussing the real perks, benefits, and value of staying inside the Disney and Universal bubbles.• Resort Secrets: Fire pits, resort transportation, hidden gems, and maximizing resort time.Connect with us:• Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @GBMickeyWaffle• YouTube: @TheGreatBritishMickeyWaffle• Email: themickeywaffle@gmail.com

In this episode, Brian is joined by Stephen Malfatti, Manager, Operations Delivery & Brand Activation Culinary and F&B for Marriott Hotels & Resorts. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Stephen brings his vast culinary experience with him as he manages the openings of all new Marriott properties across the states. He has currently opened over 150 hotels for Marriott and is well on his way to 200 ! Tune in to hear who Stephen Thanks for helping him along the way.

Planning your first Walt Disney World vacation can feel overwhelming. How far ahead should you plan? How much should you budget? Do you really need to schedule every minute?And what about all those Disney extras you may not even know exist?This week, I'm continuing our Disney World for Beginners series with two great friends and Disney experts — Toni-Ann Zarcone, co-host of the Disney Crush Podcast, and MandieRae Malinoski, travel advisor and owner of Royal Escapes.We start with the basics and quickly discover one of the most important Disney planning lessons:Have a plan…but don't plan the magic right out of your vacation.We geek out about:

Carin Leon breaks new ground, Taco Bell expands its shitting empire with new Strip concept, new Treasure Island restaurant wants your help The post FHBM #1020: This Week in Excuses first appeared on Five Hundy By Midnight.

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Gary Williams breaks down a packed week across the golf world, beginning with Rory McIlroy's return to the Irish Open and the star-studded field joining him on the DP World Tour.Golf Channel's Amy Rogers joins the show from the Netherlands to preview the 2026 Solheim Cup, including the unique logistics at Bernardus Golf, Angel Yin's status, Nelly Korda's potential pairings, and the roles Charlie Hull and rookie Lottie Woad could play.Michael Keiser Jr. discusses the official opening of Wild Spring Dunes in East Texas, the rapid growth of destination golf, and how projects like Rodeo Dunes are building upon the legacy of Bandon Dunes.Florida State women's golf head coach Amy Bond also joins Gary from the Folds of Honor Collegiate to discuss team building, recruiting, the changing landscape of college golf, and coaching Solheim Cup rookie Lottie Woad.Plus, Gary reflects on Great Britain & Ireland's dramatic Walker Cup victory and the race for PGA TOUR cards through the DP World Tour and Korn Ferry Tour.Guests:Amy Rogers — Golf ChannelMichael Keiser Jr. — Wild Spring Dunes and Rodeo DunesAmy Bond — Florida State Women's Golf Head Coach5 Clubs airs on Golf Channel and SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio, Channel 92 - Mon-Wed at 8 AM ET.FOLLOW 5 Clubs: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5clubsgolf/X: https://x.com/5ClubsGolf Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/5ClubsGolf/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@5clubsgolf#5Clubs #SolheimCup #RoryMcIlroy #CollegeGolf #GolfChannel

Lots of fun Vegasy chatter this week about flying monkeys; lady steaks; residency, holiday and event pop-ups; Downtown Grand trying stuff and much more The post FHBM #1019: Lady Steaks first appeared on Five Hundy By Midnight.

In this episode, Hailey shares a go-to guide to the ultimate family vacation spot. Meet legendary Rhinelander, Wisconsin! This hidden Northwoods gem is packed with family-friendly fun in every season. And trust us, you'll want to keep reading—epic adventures await right here in Rhinelander! Without further ado, here's your go-to guide. The Bobber is brought to you by Something Special from Wisconsin: https://www.somethingspecialwi.com/Read the blog here: https://discoverwisconsin.com/year-round-family-fun-in-rhinelander-your-go-to-guide/ Hodag Heritage Festival: https://www.rhinelanderchamber.com/hodagheritagefestival/; Pioneer Park: https://explorerhinelander.com/parksandtrails/pioneer-park/; Pioneer Park Historical Complex: https://rhinelanderpphc.com/; Rhinelander Pub: https://rhinelanderpub.com/ The Hodag Store: https://www.thehodagstore.com/; ArtStart: https://artstartrhinelander.org/; Hodag Dome: https://www.rhinelander.k12.wi.us/hodag-dome/; Heal Creek Recreational Area: https://www.rhinelanderwi.us/departments/parks_buildings___grounds/heal_creek_recreational_area.php; Mel's Trading Post: https://www.melstradingpost.net/; Hodag BMX Park: https://www.usabmx.com/tracks/wi-hodag-bmx; Northwood Golf Club: https://northwoodgolfclub.com/; Hodag Splash Pad: https://explorerhinelander.com/Listings/vancos-family-community-splash-pad/; Hodag Park: https://explorerhinelander.com/parksandtrails/hodag-park/; Cool Beans Froyo Cafe: https://explorerhinelander.com/Listings/cool-beans-froyo-cafe/; Hodag Park Concert Series: https://explorerhinelander.com/all-events/hodag-park-concert-series/; Art Fair: https://www.rhinelanderchamber.com/artfair/; Car Show: https://www.rhinelanderchamber.com/rhinelander-car-show/; Almon County Park: https://explorerhinelander.com/parksandtrails/almon-county-park/; Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom: https://www.rhinelander.k12.wi.us/schools/cavoc/; ATV/UTV Trails: https://www.hodag4wheelersatvutvclub.com/maps/; Heal Creek Dog Dash: https://explorerhinelander.com/all-events/heal-creek-dog-dash/; Hodag Sno-Trails: https://www.hodagsnotrails.com/; Lights of the Northwoods: https://lightsofthenorthwoods.org/; Wally's South 17 Supper Club: https://www.facebook.com/people/Wallys-South-17-Supper-Club/61556774902236/; Rhinelander Resorts: https://www.rhinelander-resorts.com/; Forsyth Sunlite Resort: https://forsythsunliteresort.com/; Ryan's On Lake George: https://www.ryansonlakegeorge.com/; West Bay Camping Resort: http://www.westbaycampingresort.com/; Brekke's Fireside Resort: https://brekkesresort.com/; Three G's Resort: https://www.threegsresort.com/; Merry Dale Resort: https://www.merrydaleresort.com/; Clear Lake Inn & Resort: https://www.theclearlakeresort.com/; Flick's Resort, Bar & Grill: https://flicksresortbarandgrill.com/; Holiday Acres Resort: https://www.holidayacres.com/; Rhinelander — It's Legendary!: Rhinelander — It's Legendary!The Bobber: https://discoverwisconsin.com/the-bobber-blog/The Cabin Podcast: https://the-cabin.simplecast.com. Follow on social @thecabinpod; Shop Discover Wisconsin: shop.discoverwisconsin.com. Follow on social @shopdiscoverwisconsin; Discover Wisconsin: https://discoverwisconsin.com/. Follow on social @discoverwisconsin; Discover Mediaworks: https://discovermediaworks.com/. Follow on social @discovermediaworks; Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce: https://explorerhinelander.com/. Follow on social @explorerhinelander

Renee McKenney has spent more than 30 years in the tourism and hospitality industry, but her career has been anything but predictable. From starting out on a high-end cruise ship to working in hotels, Southwest Airlines, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Visit Dallas, and now Tulsa Regional Tourism, every stop has shaped the way she thinks about leadership, hospitality, and creating experiences people remember. In this episode, Renee shares what she learned from some of the biggest names in hospitality, why curiosity has been one of the most valuable skills throughout her career, and how being willing to find the gaps and bring people together has helped her create roles and opportunities along the way. She also shares why she fell in love with Tulsa, the opportunities she sees ahead for the city, and what it will take to continue putting Tulsa on the map for visitors, conventions, and major events. If you love travel, hospitality, leadership, or hearing from someone who isn't afraid to disrupt the way things have always been done, you'll love this conversation with Renee McKenney.

Today we are excited to have Matt (Zeebs from the Clubhouse!) back on the show with us to share his recent 2 resort/1 theme park trip with us! His goal of this trip was to experience the new "Soarin Over America" attraction at Epcot, but also just have some resort time at Disney's Beach Club Resort with his family! However, as all good Disney fans do, he added on a couple of nights at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge beforehand too! We talk about dining at both resorts, the rooms, how get got the most out of that day at Epcot, and how a Cool Kid Summer event might have been the "hit" of the trip! We hope you can continue the conversation with us this week in the Be Our Guest Podcast Clubhouse at www.beourguestpodcast.com/clubhouse! Thank you so much for your support of our podcast! Become a Patron of the show at www.Patreon.com/BeOurGuestPodcast.  Also, please follow the show on Twitter @BeOurGuestMike and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/beourguestpodcast.   Thanks to our friends at The Magic For Less Travel for sponsoring today's podcast!

Sindywife (1032) is into solo hotwifing, gangbangs, lifestyle resorts and more and she called in to talk all about it. Tune in to hear all the details including the crazy setup her husband arranged for her first hotwife experience, the hooks her husband installed in their bedroom to recreate a St. Andrew's Cross, their cuck quean hookup where she watched her husband hook up with another woman and exactly what went down, how and why they got a bad reputation for being picky in the swinger community, the first gangbang her husband set up for her, how many guys attended and exactly what went down, the one guy she hooked up with cat fished her, her hotwife body count, their trip to Hedonism and what they thought about the resort, the hottest experience she had at Hedo and what exactly went down, the fetish group that was there when they first arrived and what they saw them doing, the nude and prude sides at Hedo and how they're run, the guy with the biggest dick from my show she hooked up with and what went down with him, how her solo hookups are set up and how her husband “watches” when he does, how her husband wants her to hook up without him knowing and why she hasn't done that for him yet, the guy she hooked up with on a work trip and what went down with him, what they do when they go to swingers clubs, the chicken experience they had there and why they typically don't hook up with others, how she creates content but keeps it separate from her personal hookups, and a whole lot more. 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In this episode, Zack Metcalf shares his journey from a career in pharmaceuticals to building a multimillion-dollar real estate portfolio focused on experience-driven hospitality. Discover how he shifted his focus to larger projects, the importance of aligning your business with your life goals, and practical advice for aspiring real estate investors.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

Wynn Las Vegas makes bad choices, El Cortez plans to bring back Siegel's 1941, Debbie Gibson announces holiday shows, F1 releases disruption schedule The post FHBM #1018: Lingering Evidence first appeared on Five Hundy By Midnight.

Link to YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/ib5VCRkVato✈️ For Travel Quotes:

Hotel sales in the US are up 28% in the first half of 2026 — and a meaningful chunk of that activity is chasing bad Yelp reviews, not trophy assets. JMI Realty founder Drew Bridges joins the show to break down how his firm is using AI to source acquisition targets off terrible guest feedback. The specific deal: a Hilton Garden Inn in Austin bought for $100K per key that reviewers called "janky" and "a complete nightmare." Drew walks through the renovation math, why he's keeping the brand, and why only 184 of 789 US submarkets have outpaced CPI since 2019 — a stat that underpins his thesis that a massive basis reset is underway across the industry. Then the crew digs into Rafat Ali's latest column arguing that independent boutique brands have effectively become the outsourced R&D labs of the global flags. Graduate, Nomad, Standard International, Ace, CitizenM — all absorbed in the last two years. Edwin pushes back: maybe the right size for a great independent brand is just smaller than anyone wants to admit. Scott says 95% of what the public hotel companies do is shareholder theater. Ben says the Edition model — bring in a founder, protect the brand — is the playbook nobody's replicated. Spice of the week: Scott on Google's move toward agentic hotel booking and what it means for distribution. Zach on United's cinematic route reveal and the coming shift from performance marketing to storytelling. Ben on why the real risk isn't a failed bet — it's doing nothing in an industry full of dinosaurs.   About the Guest: Drew Bridges Drew Bridges joined JMI Realty in 2011 as a Financial Analyst, where he underwrote new development, acquisition, and financing opportunities. Today he leads Investment Management for JMI's developed assets, overseeing property management, implementing capital expenditure and value enhancement strategies, and managing investor relations. A graduate of Cornell University, Mr. Bridges began his career at Archon Group in Dallas, where he worked on initiatives ranging from the acquisition of non-performing loan portfolios to the spin-off of what became Pillar Hotels and Resorts. Drew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewbridges/   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/  

My guest today is Liz Crisafi, a transformational marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience building iconic brands, accelerating growth, and creating customer experiences that drive loyalty and business results. Over the course of her career, she's held leadership roles at IHG Hotels and Resorts, Hornblower Group, Discovery Communications, Eastman Kodak, Kimberly-Clark, and Ogilvy.With experience spanning hospitality, travel, media, entertainment, consumer products, and franchise businesses, Liz believes great marketing starts with hospitality by understanding people, anticipating their needs, creating memorable experiences, and building relationships that last. It's a philosophy that has guided her career and helped brands create moments customers remember, and most importantly, come back for.

RIU Hotels & Resorts is known for its parties, fun, being in the center of the cities clients want most, and having something for everyone! Hear about the incredible Elite Club by RIU--an upgraded, premium room category and VIP service tier available at select properties. Plus, RIU is expanding into Asia! Listen in to find out more.

In dieser Episode nehmen wir dich mit in die pulsierende Metropolregion Phoenix – von Scottsdale bis Mesa, zwischen luxuriösen Resorts, hippen College-Vierteln und unberührter Wüstenlandschaft. Wir sprechen darüber, warum Phoenix mehr ist als nur eine Stadt und wie sich Besucher zwischen Kunst, Kulinarik und Outdoor-Abenteuern verlieren können. Erfahre, wo du wilde Pferde am Salt River entdeckst, warum ein Auto in der City unverzichtbar ist und welche Aussichtspunkte uns immer wieder den Atem rauben. Wir verraten unsere Lieblingsorte für Sonnenuntergänge, Shopping und echte Arizona-Erlebnisse – und geben Tipps für die beste Reisezeit. Lass dich inspirieren, den Südwesten Amerikas auf ganz neue Weise zu erleben!

How do campgrounds differ from RV Parks and Resorts?  Do people camp differently depending on where they camp.   BLU TECHNOLOGY WATER SYSTEMS: https://goblutech.com/?ref=travelwithdelaney   First Light Coffee:  https://www.firstlightcoffee.us Save 10% on your first order with TWD10   Save 20% on your Harvest Host membership HERE *as an affiliate, we may earn from qualifying purchases   AMAZON SHOP: https://www.amazon.com/shop/travelswithdelaney **as an Amazon Associate, we may earn from purchases        RV DESTINATIONS MAGAZINE: https://www.rvdestinationsmagazine.com/TravelDelaney USE CODE: TRAVELDELANEY20 to save 20% off of any of their subscriptions   Check out our YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/travelswithdelaney   Follow us on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK: @travelswithdelaney   Checkout our website: https://www.travelswithdelaney.com   Don't Just Camp; Camp Happy! https://www.camphappyacres.com   Ultimate Cloth https://www.ultimatecloth.com/TWD SAVE 15% with Code TWD15   GasStop: https://diversifiedpower.com/product-category/gasstop/ Save 10% when you use code: TWD10

Wynn has golf course restaurant plans, Downtown Grand has a buyer, Bally's ballpark development isn't looking good, Balloon Museum planned for North Strip The post FHBM #1017: Casino Cult first appeared on Five Hundy By Midnight.

Long before cold plunges and wellness retreats, Americans traveled for mineral water, mountain air, and experimental cures. Jeremy and Amy tour the original wellness destinations — Hot Springs, Saratoga Springs, and Mineral Wells, the tuberculosis retreats of Colorado and Arizona, Kellogg's bizarre Battle Creek Sanitarium, Sedona's vortex culture, and the polio rehabilitation centers of Warm Springs. What were people trying to cure, did any of it work — and what can you still visit today?If you're enjoying the show, hit follow right now — it takes two seconds and it's how we keep making it. And if you've got another thirty seconds, leave us a rating.____________________________________S04 Ep175____________________________________Connect with us on social media: Instagram: @unscaledtravelshowTwitter: @fullmetaltravlrFacebook: @fullmetaltravelerWebsite: ⁠⁠https://www.unscaledtravelshow.com/

TABLE OF CONTENTS THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW 8-21-2026Anatol Lieven discusses the war in Ukraine, highlighting Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure like Black Sea resorts and a commercial center. He carefully examines the psychological impact of these infrastructure strikes, noting that while they aim to weaken Russian morale, history shows such strategies rarely succeed. Lieven describes growing domestic resentment over rampant government corruption, which threatens Western aid and has already led to several high-profile dismissals. Finally, he analyzes global energy and food security threats caused by port and refinery strikes, alongside Prime Minister Andy Burnham's struggle to balance costly military commitments with domestic recovery. (1)Peter Berkowitz reflects on the 30th anniversary of Alan Sokal's famous academic hoax, which exposed the intellectual decline within higher education humanities. Berkowitz critiques contemporary humanities departments for their ideological hypocrisy: professors claim objective truth is subjective while simultaneously insisting that their own political claims are absolute truths. He references a report from Vanderbilt and Washington University confirming that significant contingents of humanities faculty in core disciplines subordinate scholarship to political activism. Finally, Berkowitz notes that this progressive ideological capture is concentrated among college-educated voters in elite university towns, warning that treating education as political indoctrination severely perverts liberal education. (2)Mary Anastasia O'Grady discusses the alarming rise of authoritarianism in Mexico under President Claudia Sheinbaum and her ruling party, Morena. O'Grady details how the ruling party has systematically consolidated power by taking control of independent electoral bodies, tribunals, regulatory commissions, and the judiciary through politicized popular elections. She warns that Morena's latest effort targets television and radio—the primary sources of information for most Mexican citizens—to effectively censor critical independent media. While O'Grady deeply laments the weak leadership of the official political opposition, she finds hope in the strong pushback and widespread mobilization of Mexican civil society against these state controls. (3)Jonathan Miltimore discusses the ongoing imprisonment of 79-year-old pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, calling it the world's most overlooked story. Miltimore expresses his deep disappointment that Donald Trumpfailed to raise Lai's case publicly during his Beijing trip, instead repeating CCP rhetoric that Lai caused "bedlam." He describes Lai's deteriorating health inside his tiny, unventilated six-foot cell and urges President Trump to pressure Xi Jinping during his upcoming U.S. visit. Miltimore notes that even certain CCP factions want Lai released to avoid international outrage if he dies in prison, emphasizing that Lai is fully prepared for potential martyrdom. (4)Veronique de Rugy critiques California Representative Ro Khanna's proposal for a "one-time" 5% wealth tax on billionaires. De Rugy explains that several different European countries largely abandoned wealth taxes because they are administratively difficult, generate little revenue, and cause severe economic distortions. Highlighting a debate between Khanna and Mark Cuban, she details how taxing paper wealth completely ignores true liquidity, forcing entrepreneurs to sell shares of private companies or borrow against volatile collateral. De Rugy warns that wealth taxes inevitably expand to target middle-class citizens, ultimately costing states far more in lost income taxes than they retrieve from the wealthy. (5)Rohan Naidu discusses the groundbreaking discovery of "black hole stars" at cosmic dawn using the James Webb Space Telescope. Naidu explains that these infant objects appear as mysterious "little red dots" but possess hybrid properties of both highly luminous black holes and stars. He explains how a young black hole surrounded by dense hydrogen gas absorbs blue and green light, creating a signature "Balmer break" resembling the star Vega. Naidu outlines future research, including finding atmospheric chemical fingerprints like water, and using the newly proposed Celestemission alongside ground telescopes to directly image swirling gas feeding these infant black holes. (6)James M. Scott traces the dramatic, complex final months of World War II in the Pacific. Scott details how Secretary of War Henry Stimson briefed Truman in depth on the secret atomic bomb, and praises General Leslie Groves' masterful management of the Manhattan Project's secret cities. He describes Japan's political division: Emperor Hirohito secretly sought peace while militarists prepared a fanatical defense of Kyushu to force better terms. Scott explains the intense debate over demanding unconditional surrender versus preserving the Japanese monarchy, concluding with the Trinitytest, Potsdam Conference, and Truman's hope that the bomb's shock value would force surrender. (7)Evan Ellis analyzes key regional political and security developments in Latin America. Ellis discusses EcuadorianPresident Daniel Noboa's visit to China to secure security, trade, and economic assistance, and explains how historical visa-free policies turned Ecuador into a major transit corridor for Chinese migrants entering the US. He details Bolivia's ongoing political instability and the dangerous scandals involving Evo Morales. Ellis also covers Chile's border enforcement efforts, Colombia's return to aggressive military operations against cartels following a major earthquake, and the stalled democratic transitions in Venezuela and Nicaragua, where regimes rely on brutal repression and illicit economies to hold power. (8)This fuller eight-file version supersedes the earlier seven-file draft — de Rugy now sits at (5) and everything falls in place without gaps. The Celeste mission appears again in segment 6; the source calls it "newly proposed," which explains why I couldn't verify it earlier, so I've let it stand.

Vice President of Marketing at HEI Hotels & Resorts, Emma Shaybani, joins the Suite Spot to discuss the upcoming 2026 Digital Travel Summit taking place in Orlando, Florida on September 28-29 and how the HEI brand is leveraging social media, artificial intelligence, technology, and online guest feedback to better shape and optimize the traveler journey.  Tune in now and the Suite Spot looks forward to seeing you at the conference next month! Ryan Embree: Welcome to Suite Spot, where hoteliers check in and we check out what’s trending in hotel marketing. I’m your host, Ryan Embree. Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of The Suite Spot. This is your host, as always, Ryan Embree. Very excited for our next guest in an edition of our TMG Hospitality Trailbazer series to set the table. This is that series again with conversations with people, organizations, and companies within the hospitality industry that are paving a path forward. I’m so excited for our next guest. And it also really seconds as a preview for the Digital Travel Summit happening in Orlando in September. My guest, this will be the first of a few times that we’re gonna be together. Emma Shaybani, VP of Marketing at HEI Hotels and Resorts. Emma, thank you so much for joining me on The Suite Spot. Emma Shaybani: Thank you for having me. Ryan Embree: Yeah, we’re excited. So we’re gonna talk about that Digital Travel Summit event. We were talking off camera. It’s a powerhouse event. Can’t wait. Some big players within the travel industry gonna be there. But before we do that, we’d love to introduce you to our Suite Spot audience. Maybe love learning about everybody’s kinda hospitality journey that led you to your role over there at HEI Hotel and Resorts. Emma Shaybani: Yeah, it’s a bit of an unconventional journey, I suppose. So, I moved from England, and I moved from England to Connecticut, and I was really looking for my next opportunity. I’d not worked in hospitality before. I’d worked actually for CBS back in London. I had a couple of my own businesses, so hotels weren’t necessarily part of my original plan. But I, I joined HEI actually in a reputation management role. And I think at the time, they just knew that they needed somebody to look after reputation management, but they weren’t exactly sure what I would be doing. So it started off really as me in a room responding to guest reviews. So it, it didn’t take too long for us to all realize that probably wasn’t the best use of my time. So I kinda went to my boss at the time, Brian, with a plan and I was like, “Hey, you know, it’s hard for me to, to respond to these reviews when I’m not at the property. I don’t know what’s happened. You know, really, we should empower the teams at the hotels to be responding to these reviews. And, you know, really, I can be there as kind of a, you know, backup support and making sure that we are responding.” Because, you know, the hotel teams know the guest experience the best. And I was really focusing then on monitoring the trends, opportunities, and that’s when I noticed that the same thing was kind of happening with social media. We had all these accounts. They weren’t necessarily active. So we took this kind of a similar approach with social media. And then from there, the role just kind of kept evolving. So every time we kind of solved one challenge, we’d notice something else that we could then tackle. Back then, we had 20-27 hotels, I think it was. And now today we’ve grown the team. There’s quite a few of us now, over 100 hotels, multiple brands. So it’s been pretty incredible, honestly, to, to grow alongside the company. And I remember back in the day, my biggest concern was trying to memorize these 27 hotels, and now somehow I seem to manage with a hundred and something. Ryan Embree: We love the unconventional journey in hospitality and kinda falling into it. But also, a lot of people we find fall in love with hospitality. And that’s why you hear about people maybe starting kind of in, you know, I was a bellman when I first started at a hotel and front desk agents, F&B, and then all of a sudden, here they are 30 years later into a career that they absolutely love. And your foundation actually mirrors a lot of what the Suite Spot is. We started as a digital marketing podcast preaching to hoteliers about the importance of things like managing your reputation, social media strategy, which we’re gonna get into in this conversation a little bit, because it is a constantly evolving and so ever important because those are places that can be touched prior to a guest arrival and have a real impact on bookings and the guest experience. But before we get into that, I want, I do wanna start about talking about that event, the Digital Travel Summit that both of you will have the pleasure of attending down there in Orlando at September 28th and 29th. Personally, could not be more excited for this event, bringing some of the travel industry’s biggest and brightest together in a very intimate setting, very excited about it. What are you most looking forward to about this event? And maybe what caught your eye and it drew you initially to this Digital travel Summit? Emma Shaybani: I think what immediately caught my attention was that it was an event that was dedicated solely to digital marketing as a whole. I think, while, while AI is, is transforming things pretty rapidly, and I think this was nice because it was a conference that recognizes digital marketing is so much broader than just AI. And we still have to think about search, paid media, websites, all of these things and how those pieces work together to essentially drive demand. So I saw that and then also I’m looking forward to seeing some of our friends that are there, some of the industry leaders that are talking. I think there was one of the sessions, a keynote that’s on event-driven travel, which is something that we’re investing heavily in at HEI, you know, things like concerts, festivals, major conventions. A lot of my team’s focus at the moment is setting up things like landing pages, targeted offers to really kind of take advantage of those experiences. ‘Cause we all saw what happened, with the Taylor Swift effect a few months ago. Ryan Embree: 100%. Emma Shaybani: Exactly. So I think that’s a really, a lot of the topics throughout the event are really on trend and really useful. So I think it’s, it’ll be good to bring everybody together. We’re all solving similar challenges, so that hopefully, you know, we can come away with some practical ideas that myself and the team can implement when we’re back in the office. Ryan Embree: Yeah, 100%. And to piggyback on that Taylor Swift effect, you got the World Cup that just happened this summer. You got the Olympics in LA in a couple more years. So no shortage of events coming to domestic US. Concerts are gonna continue to pop up. Sporting events across generations, younger travelers, but across generations still prioritizing those experiences at the forefront. And I think you’re absolutely right, Emma. It’s a very comprehensive event. It’s funny, back in the day when we started first talking about, you know, this to hoteliers with, with digital marketing, sometimes social media review responses, you, like you talked about in your story, it fell on the youngest person at the hotel, right? So who’s the youngest, uh, front desk agent? They probably know the best about social media. Now as digital marketers, we kinda cringe thinking about that. We put our whole stake of reputation on someone that we really didn’t train a hotel’s voice or anything like that. So it really has evolved. And I love your perspective on where we are with AI because you think about this emerging technology. Well, social media a couple decades ago was right there in that spot, and now it’s created roles within social media. So it’ll be interesting to get everybody in like you said, that room to, with the same challenges, trends, what are you seeing? And speaking of panels, I’ll have the privilege and pleasure of moderating a powerhouse keynote panel with you involved, Emma, called Building AI-Ready Marketing Teams: Knowing When to Automate and When to Go Human. For our Suite Spot audience, give us maybe a little bit of sneak peek of a preview on your thoughts on that topic. Emma Shaybani: I think, you know, I always encourage the team to really ask themselves kind of simple questions, right, when it comes to our use of AI, is if, like, if this task disappeared tomorrow, would anyone notice, right? And if the answer is no, then we can probably find a way to automate that, you know? And I also think there’s a question of, is there value in the thinking or is there value in the typing? Because we do spend a lot of our time producing reports, producing presentations. And really, the value of having humans is the strategy, the judgment, the relationship building, and also the creativity. So we wanna make sure that, you know, humans are also, we’re remaining in charge of the decisions, but can we become more efficient by our use of AI? And we kind of split. We do something called the rule of 80/20, which is AI can get us about 80% of the way there to the finish line, right? It can gather data. It can generate drafts, mock-ups, website copy, summarize reports, but then it’s really like that final 20%, which is gonna create the real value. Human judgment, as I said, creativity, empathy. That’s where we need the human, human touch. And I think that’s really important when it comes to just overall guest experience as well, because while we’re using AI to get in front of guests, we’re trying to be the most visible or the top on Google or, you know, any of, any of. We really want maximum visibility, right, across all these channels. But when we get, when people get to the property, they want a human experience. I think people still very much want a human experience. So we have to make sure that what we’re portraying online is an extension of this experience that happens on property. So I think it’s a mix. I really do. Ryan Embree: It gets a little bit more complicated within hospitality. Other industries, it might be easier to automate all the way through, where in hospitality, there does need to be that human touch because of what, exactly what you just said, Emma, right? Like, people want that connection. They want that exper – That’s why we travel, right? It’s not that there might, might be some places where you can completely disconnect from people, but most of the time, they wanna experience. That’s why they’re getting out. That’s why they’re going to new places and having new opportunities to explore cities and locations that they haven’t before, and they wanna, they wanna feel that. So it is interesting to see that. You know, I’ve, I’ve said it on this podcast and we’ll probably say it again. The GM of the next few years might look a lot closer to what it did 20 or 30 years ago before all of those tasks were put on their plate and all of a sudden they had to sit behind a computer for 80% of their time and do spreadsheets and other things that required our time. Now they can maybe get back to the heart, which will be very interesting to see that shift in hospitality. Excited to explore it in that keynote panel that, again, is gonna feature some major brands alongside, travel industry brands alongside Emma here. So hope our Suite Spot listeners will look into that event, the Digital Travel Summit, and join us. I wanna shift back to, well, actually, I wanna talk about AI and, and the guest experience a little bit more. A few years back, you were a featured columnist in Hotel News Now, where you wrote that managing the guest experience in hotels begins earlier than ever. Now, this was a couple years ago. We’re getting news almost on a weekly basis with, with the cadence of AI and technology. Talk to us a little bit about your thoughts on how, if at all, that’s changed with the emergence of AI traveler search. Emma Shaybani: Yeah, I actually think the, the idea is probably more relevant today than it was when I wrote that article a couple years ago. I think the guest experience no longer begins when someone walks through the hotel doors, right? It starts the moment they have that idea and start dreaming of a trip or a destination. I think today, obviously, a lot of travelers are using AI and Googles to really help them to decide where to stay, where to go, what to do. It’s great. I use it myself, right? You can go through so much more data, so many more options, and it just kind of speeds up the entire trip planning process. But what it means is that our digital presence really is, more importantly than ever, an extension of the actual guest experience itself when they get to the property. You know, AI kind of just, just changed how guests discover us, but what really isn’t changing, as I kind of said before, is, is what they expect when they arrive. I think it’s actually raising the bar in many instances, because we’re getting the information to the traveler through AI or through Google, and we’re actually, we’re creating more personalized recommendations. We’re getting them more information than ever, and we’re setting these kind of real clear expectations of this is what you can expect when you arrive. So we have to make sure that the in-guest experience really, like, delivers on that promise when, when they get there. But for me, I think that’s where hospitality really still wins, because technology can, we can inspire people to travel, to book a stay, but people create memories, they wanna create memories on property that they’ll take home. And if we’ve promised a really great experience online, you know, the front desk, the food and beverage, housekeeping, every interaction throughout that stay is really gonna, like, enforce that expectation that we’ve set. So I think it, you know, AI is a tool to enhance hospitality. I think it replaces it. And I think it’s just kind of, trying to really seamlessly marry those two things together, so that we’re setting expectations correctly, but then we’re also delivering on real, incredible real life experiences. Ryan Embree: 100%. Yeah, personalization, a goal and objective that hospitality has been in after, I mean, for a decade now. We are closer than ever with as much data as we have right now, and that’s why I think a lot of hoteliers, brands, management companies are really going after that data and really trying to figure out a way, how can AI help me? All this data that I’m collecting from this guest make a more personalized experience and enhance, like you said, Emma, the guest experience. But at the core of it, I remember. I mean, I remember when you go to a TripAdvisor for a hotel and you keep, you scroll through the reviews and you see someone’s name mentioned at the front desk over and over again, “Emma at the front desk was amazing. Emma did this. Emma did that.” And then you come in and you’re greeted by Emma and you’re like, “I, it’s like I know you already, right? Like, it, that is such a cool experience and it elevates that. And I think that is in practice what I think these LLMs hopefully will have for a guest on the horizon. I think it does raise the bar, what you’re saying, Emma, because we want our guests to walk through those doors and know us as intimately as the front desk agent that they’ve maybe read three or four reviews about. So really exciting to kind of see and have certainly seen it implemented that elevation of guest service through HEI and resorts. It’s award season and obviously the accolades keep rolling in for your portfolio. Recognition from Conde Nast, Cvent, Travel and Leisure. Congratulations first off to you and your team. But from a reputation management, I mean, that’s your origin story, right, with HEI and Hotel and Resorts. How do you leverage these to kind of win more business? And how critical is it in today’s landscape to have a defined reputation management strategy more than kind of where you started maybe just responding to the reviews? Emma Shaybani: Thank you. Yeah, the awards like this are really meaningful, I think, to everybody because they’re really a reflection of the teams that are delivering those exceptional guest experiences every single day. I think behind these recognitions is the front desk associates, the housekeepers, engineers, servers, people who are creating these memories and these memorable stays. So I think it’s really important to celebrate that, which is why we really put an emphasis on promoting when we do win these awards. I think from a marketing perspective, these awards really serve as kind of a very powerful third-party validation. We spend a lot of time, telling guests what they can expect from our hotels, through our websites, our social media, photography. But these awards from Conde Nast or Travel and Leisure really, like, reinforce essentially that that promise that we’re making is real and help really allow us to build trust with a guest before they’ve not before they’ve even booked. And I definitely think it can be the deciding factor, right? If someone’s, you know, looking in the several hotels in the same market that they’re considering, it does help kind of validate that our hotels are a top choice in the market. I think on the reputation management side, it’s funny because back then it really was a case of, okay, we’ve just got to respond to these reviews. The brands are telling us, we’ve got to respond to anything under a three-star, and we have to do it within 48 hours. And I think it’s become so much more than that, and it’s, it’s so much more critical now because it’s no longer just about having a high rating on the different review sites. Guest reviews, I think, are really influencing how AI-powered search tools and large language models understand and recommend hotels. There’s been studies on it, we’re seeing it ourselves. Every review essentially creates this kind of digital story of the property, and then that story gets shared, right, from whether it’s on ChatGPT, whether it’s on Google, iit’s obviously very visible. I also think reviews are really, like, one of the few opportunities that we have to publicly demonstrate how we respond to feedback. You know, whether it’s thanking someone that they’ve had, you know, for a great stay or we’re addressing concerns. These responses, I think, allow us to show that we’re, you know, we’re open to feedback. We care and that we’re committed to kind of continuously improving, um, the guest experience. But I think all these things, ultimately, awards, reputation management, they’re all working hand in hand at the moment to ensure, again, we’re, people are getting credible information, and then also that they’re making informed decisions when they book. Ryan Embree: Yeah, what an opportunity to showcase the level of service that you’re gonna experience at a hotel than to publicly kinda display that through reviews and review response, right? You know, as it’s really human nature sometimes, I think unfortunately, that will go. Travel is stressful, right? Things happen in travel. We talked that there were a couple missed flights when we were trying to plan this out, right? How stressful is that? Like, so if you see that, sometimes a guest is a traveler, you sometimes have to put yourself in that, “Well, what is the worst case scenario?” So you try to look maybe for that one-star review. And if you see that empathetic voice on the other side of someone that genuinely has an authentic feeling of service-oriented response, man, the impact on that can really, really make the difference, and be maybe that final little push that has that comfort level, that trust that you talked about. I think that’s a great word right now, is we’re just looking that I trust that this hotel’s gonna take care of me, my family, if I’m traveling, my family, to make this experience the best it can. So 100% agree with you. That is something we preach all the time on this podcast. Social media, on the other end, plays a huge role in reputation management, and very comprehensive. What are your thoughts on what hoteliers should be prioritizing in the social media space right now, which is ever-evolving? Emma Shaybani: Yeah. I think the biggest thing is the shift we’ve seen, especially with platforms like Instagram and TikTok, is the priority is now content, and kind of not over-complicating social media as a whole. I think we talk a lot of time, talking about algorithms and platforms, but at the end of the day, if we don’t have compelling content, our strategy isn’t gonna get us very far. I think what I’ve seen a lot is that hotels will invest heavily in the social media management, but they’re not investing as heavily into the content itself. And we’ve spoken to a number of agencies and worked with different ones over the years, and a lot of them have fairly significant price tags to manage social media accounts, which I understand, right? Platforms like TikTok take a ton of time to create and produce. But these agencies, they’re, you know, they’re typically posting content, they’re doing community management, but they’re not necessarily creating the photography, the video, the reels, and influencer partnerships that are really the things that are gonna fuel engagement. So I think what we’ve seen is that without a strong pipeline of content, we’re just repurposing the same assets over and over again. So we’ve shifted a lot and it’s really about finding the right balance. So having a reliable content partner that can help create some consistency, and then filling in the gaps with influencers and creators, that can help, capture authentic moments and, and produce those reels. Doing those two things together work really well, but I really do think it’s now it’s time to start and really investing into content. Just be – everyone gets so fatigued, right? You just scrolling all the time. And then when people have seen that picture, they’re like, “Okay, I’m gonna scroll to, scroll to the next one.” And a lot of the time, we’re not just producing. I think everybody really used to think of it as, like, okay, we produce content for the website and the brand websites, and then we have content for social media, which is different. And it doesn’t actually have to be different anymore. You know, great content really powers everything. We can use that same photography or same social content to really strengthen our website. It really helps improve paid advertising performance. So, we can use it in our email campaigns, even on our OTA listings as well. So it’s kind of trying to get everyone to understand that that one investment can really help us deliver value across our entire marketing ecosystem. And it’s funny because it’s always the thing that everyone tries to cut from the budget is the photography aspect. We haven’t been renovated. We don’t need a photo shoot. There’s still things we can do, right? There’s still, there’s still new content to be, to be taken. So I think that’s where we’re focusing a lot of our time is content over the management piece. Ryan Embree: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, quality of content, I mean, the landscape has changed as far as the competitive forces, right? Now, back in the day when, when social media first, it was only anyone that you followed, right? You were only competing against those pages that that particular user was following. Now, a majority of time spent for a social media user is in explore pages, and a lot of accounts that they’re in. It’s more interest-based than follow base. You rarely see the things that you follow unless you’re engaging with it frequently. So the competitive nature of that, and you think how quickly. I mean, next time you’re in front of your phone, any of our listeners, how quickly your thumb is swiping, it’s a lot quicker than it was a decade ago, and how much your brain is actually giving that attention, that attention span has been shrinking. So quality of content, it has to be at a high level. And, and you’re absolutely right, Emma. We’ve seen a lot of hoteliers maybe not give the necessary time attention, whether it be time investment or capital investment into that. And it’s not enough just to be there anymore. I think that’s where we were maybe a decade ago. If you’re in the arena, you’ve got a shot. Now the bar is being raised, in that regard. So marketing, what a fun position. Always something going on, right? Something to celebrate. You got projects that you’re working on, announcements, try to make as much noise as possible. Any particular projects right now, Emma, that you’re particularly fired up about that you’re working, you and your team are working on? Emma Shaybani: Yeah. I think there’s a few things, because everything’s just changing so rapidly at the moment. So it’s actually like a fun, I think it’s a fun time. It’s stressful, but it’s a fun time to be a marketer. But I think the first thing is websites, because I think things have, like, especially where we’re able, we have obviously independent hotels, and we also have some branded assets that have vanity websites. And I think how that trend is also shifting, because for years, the trend was to have, like, these minimal content websites. You didn’t have a lot of copy, massive imagery. But now, obviously, with the shift in AI search, the websites have to be kind of richer, more informative, and actually have some genuinely helpful content. Things like destination guides, and FAQs, and all these different things, which is now kind of shaping a lot of our future designs on what these websites look like. So it’s kind of like we’ve kind of gone back a little bit. And so I think that’s kind of, it’s exciting to test a lot of that and really start to kind of just a lot of it’s testing, just really kind of getting in the weeds and just trying different things. I think another thing that we’re excited about, and we’ve got a lot of projects on the go is video. Again, I think video always used to be one of these nice-to-have pieces, but now it’s becoming a must-have because people want, you know, again, people are used to video content, short-form video content. So we’re implementing that on websites and in emails. But we’re also starting to have a lot more fun with our creative. I think a great example is we have an asset in Nashville called Waymore’s, and it’s a fun hotel. It’s in East Nashville, and we just produced this video that really is probably a little bit out of the box, but it really leans into the personality of the hotel and kind of the spirit of Nashville. And it’s definitely catches people’s eyes. We’re, we’re running it on social, we’re running it on emails, and we’ve seen a real uptick in people engaging with it. So I think it’s fun to kind of work on these more exciting videos, exciting content. And then my other big project right now is building what we’ve launched earlier this year called LoyalKey, which is our independent loyalty program for our HEI independent hotels. We haven’t done that before. It was something new that we wanted to try. And it’s an opportunity that really allows us to kind of bring together our. We have some really one of a kind independent assets. And we wanted to create kind of like a shared loyalty experience while still, like, maintaining what kind of keeps each hotel special. And it really gives us the ability to leverage the guests at each of those hotels and connect them to, if you’re interested in one independent asset, you might be interested in another one. So it’s giving these hotels real opportunity to kind of co-market, and at the same time, build this loyalty brand. So it’s been, it’s been a learning experience, to kind of build that from the ground up. But it’s fun. Ryan Embree: What a project. An opportunity, again, for personalization. You get some more of that guest data within loyalty programs, and all of a sudden, personalization starts to really blossom there, especially in the independent hotel space where you can do some really, really cool things. So, and just to piggyback on your video comment, if you don’t believe, Emma, as far as how important video is, go through, again, your social media feed. See how long you’re scrolling on each one, but also see how many times you’re seeing a still image now. I mean, it is surprising now when I go through my feed that I rarely come across just a still image. Most of them are going to be, whether it’s a GIF or some sort of, uh, short form video, most of the content that we are consuming now is not going to be a still image. So just going where the trends are, and yeah, it’s funny you mentioned that about that East Nashville property. You know, we work with hotels in their social media. And one of the videos that went viral on this particular hotel partner’s account was that they filmed High School Musical Two at the property, right? And it was kind of like this produced Zac Efron in there, and it exploded. And it was, like, probably something that we didn’t think was gonna get that much traction, but it was fun. People engaged with it. People loved it, especially those, millennials that grew up with that. And it became kind of a staple of that property and just a way to share the story of that property. So really cool examples there. And that creative side that’s the fun part of social media. So you mentioned 100 plus properties, so this might be a little bit tough for you, but I’m gonna put you on the spot here, Emma. I’m gonna do some rapid fire questions to get to know you and the HEI Hotel and Resorts portfolio a little better. So what is one of your favorite views at a property, HEI Hotel and Resort property? Emma Shaybani: I would say probably Hyatt Regency, Jersey City. So I had actually never been to Jersey City, but I was astounded by the, when I went, the views of Manhattan. ‘Cause it’s great, you know, when you’re in Manhattan, you’re like, “Oh, this is amazing.” Like – Yeah. But when you’re actually looking at it from across the water, it’s incredible. So probably that one. And we also have another, actually, another Times Square view. We have Renaissance Times Square that has this really cool bar that overlooks, like, the whole of Times Square. And it’s just like, incredible. I could sit there and watch that for hours. So it’s, it’s probably the New York views for me. Ryan Embree: Yeah. And those are hard to beat. Being in New York a couple months, same place up on a rooftop. I mean there’s not a lot that beats that. So what about a favorite fun fact about one of your properties? Emma Shaybani: Oh, I really like, it’s my favorite thing to do is always research or ask the team, like, what’s the craziest story about this hotel when I go? I love all, like, the historical facts, like, the ghost stories. So probably the Liberty in Boston, it used to be the Charles Street Jail. And today, I just love that, like, you’re sitting in there having a cocktail and there’s still, like, the, the doors and the window bars. And it just, that’s really fun. We also have The Cavalier, which has hosted, like, 10 presidents, Frank Sinatra. There’s definitely some secrets in that hotel. And I love that they play into it. They have a lot of, like, historical facts on the wall. So it kind of becomes, like, I don’t know, it’s like a fact-finding mission when you’re there. Ryan Embree: Yeah. I love that. It’s funny. You think about in maybe 100 or 200 years, which of those structures might be hotels in the future, right? Think that there’s a jail there. I’ve heard stories about, yeah, this used to be a bank and everything. Thing and now it’s a hotel. Like that’s the best part about hospitality, right? We can turn almost anything into a hotel. So, what about favorite signature dish at one of your properties, Emma? Emma Shaybani: I really like the steak tartar at the J in San Francisco. Served at the third floor and it’s just one of those, it’s just one of those dishes that I have to have, like I can not be hungry and I’ll still order it because I need to have it. Cause I don’t know when the next time I’m going back, but no, it’s kind of got like, it’s got like a Japanese twist on steak tartar, which is, it’s delicious. Ryan Embree: Very nice. Coast to coast, Emma, I like it. This really shows the breadth of the portfolio you’re working with over there. Last ones, either favorite piece of art at one of your properties or a favorite amenity at one of your properties? We can do both. Emma Shaybani: Well, we have a very, I think a pretty unique portfolio with every hotel kind of has a unique amenity. But I think the Live at the Sunrose, which is at our Sunrose property in West Hollywood, has this really cool intimate live music venue inside the hotel. And like you, just because it’s in West Hollywood, you just don’t know who’s gonna turn up, start singing. I think, like, J-Lo was there. It’s just, like – Oh, wow. It’s just fun. Like she’ll just get up and start singing. So I feel like that’s like a really cool little just addition, right? Like if a guest is staying and that’s all happening, it just really brings a lot of, a lot of energy to the, to the hotel. Ryan Embree: Well, and some great opportunity for content. You wanna talk about the perfect social media video? Emma Shaybani: I have no problems. Ryan Embree: Jennifer Lopez, right, singing at one of your hotels. Awesome. Well, you know, it’s always. I’ve done almost, well, over 200 episodes. I always feel like it’s my duty to my Suite Spot listeners when we have incredible industry influencers and leaders. And Emma, you were just recently named a top 100 marketer as part of the 2026 On Conferences Icon Awards. I always feel like I try to just get as much knowledge and tips and best practices from my guests as I can in the time that I have you here. So, what would be one piece of advice that you might share with hospitality marketers in our Suite Spot audience right now? Emma Shaybani: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is, and I tell my team this a lot, is don’t be afraid to test. I think one of the realities is that there’s a lot of pressure to kind of always deliver positive results to owners, asset managers, and leadership teams really naturally want kind of every campaign to be successful. But the reality is, if every campaign that we do succeeds, we’re probably not pushing the boundaries or trying enough things. You know, I think with any of, with any of the, the campaigns that we run, I think the best marketers aren’t really the ones that never fail. It’s the ones that learn the fastest. So I think it’s completely okay that every campaign or every test that we do isn’t always going to work. And that’s totally fine. I think it’s important to then explain, why we’re making a recommendation, why it worked, and the adjustments that we made when it didn’t work or if it did work. So I think it’s really just owning the, not being afraid to really own the outcome, good or bad, but really just, just test as many things as you can. I think it’s funny. One of the things I always think about is, it was like with email marketing, everyone said you had to send it at, like, 11:00 AM on a Tuesday or a Thursday. And everyone’s just taken that as gospel for so many years. And the other week, I think one of my team was like, “Oh, I made a mistake and sent it on a Sunday.” And I was like, “What, like, what happened?” And he’s like, “Well, I got the highest open rates that we’ve ever had.” And I was like, “Well, there you go. You’ve got to try these things. Don’t just keep doing the same thing. It’s not a big deal. If we send an email campaign on a Sunday, okay, we get a lower click rate. Oh, you know, it doesn’t matter. We can go back. The next one, we do something different.” But it worked. So you never really know what’s gonna work until you try. Ryan Embree: Yeah, bit of an unintentional test there, but turned out the right way. And as you mentioned, Emma, some of the biggest learning lessons can come out of those failures. And we’ve certainly heard some examples and stories on this podcast of industry leaders and professionals that some of their greatest success kind of started at maybe a moment of failure for them personally. So I think awesome advice. I appreciate that. Again, congratulations, on that recognition there. As we wrap up, Emma, we always like to end our episodes kinda looking ahead, right? We’re looking forward to the Digital Travel Summit, like I said, in September. But from a marketing perspective, Emma, what’s your vision for the future of HEI Hotel and Resorts? Emma Shaybani: Yeah, I’m really excited where we’re heading. I think over the last few years, we’ve seen some incredible growth, especially to kind of our lifestyle and independent hotel portfolio. And I think that is rewarding for the team because there’s so much freedom on the marketing side that comes with that. I think I’m just overall excited to, with the continued evolution of marketing within hospitality. As I said, it’s a stressful time, but it’s kind of a fun time. Because there’s a lot of things to try and work with. When I started my career, marketing was really viewed as a support function and today it feels a lot more integrated. And it is a driver of revenue and business performance, whether it’s AI, digital distribution, loyalty, reputation management. Marketing’s kind of influencing now every stage of the guest journey. And it’s nice to have a seat at the table, kind of alongside sales and revenue management and really be part of the bigger conversations that I think historically marketing was kind of seen as secondary to. So I think for us, looking ahead, we’re just gonna keep pushing, pushing, trying to push boundaries, try a lot of new technology, especially where it’s gonna add value. And as I mentioned, continue investing in things like creativity and content. And at the same time, try and not lose sight of what makes hospitality special, which is the people. Ryan Embree: Certainly a great opportunity to practice your advice, Emma. Use the testing waters and sandbox as much as you can. Exciting to see, because again, it’s evolving so quickly. It feels like almost every single day we’re getting some news out there. So we will continue to look to you and other industry leaders for what’s next in hospitality marketing. Emma, thank you so much. It was a super comprehensive episode. Any final thoughts today? Emma Shaybani: No, thank you so much for having me. It’s been a pleasure, and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in Orlando at the conference. Ryan Embree: Yeah, excited as well. Thank you so much, Emma, for your time. We will let you get back to it, all the exciting things you have over there at HEI Hotels and Resorts. And thank you, the Suite Spot listener for joining us today. We will talk to you next time on The Suite Spot. To join our loyalty program, be sure to subscribe and give us a five-star rating on iTunes. Suite Spot is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with cover art by Bary Gordon. I’m your host, Ryan Embree, and we hope you enjoyed your stay.

On this week's Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk dig into how the hotel industry measures success, where capital is flowing, and who controls the information guests use to make decisions. The conversation opens with a new Skift analysis arguing that net unit growth, the metric every hotel brand has been racing to win for a decade, may have been the wrong measure all along. From there, Sarah and Steve get into Minor International's plan for a $1 billion hotel REIT spanning its NH Hotels & Resorts, Anantara Hotels & Resorts, and Minor Hotels assets, and what a major Asian-originated hotel capital raise signals about where global hospitality investment is heading. They also unpack Google's acquisition of Spirit Airlines' reservation data from bankruptcy to train its AI hospitality recommendations, and close with what the rise of creator travel content and Substack travel newsletters tells hotel marketers about where traveler trust actually lives now. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠StayFi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bilt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you're ready to start turning today's guests into tomorrow's direct bookings, head to stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality and use code GOODMORNINGHOSPITALITY to get 50% off your first three months. And for hotels with restaurants and restaurant owners, Bilt Hospitality is finally here. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joinbilt.com/gmh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more for GMH listeners!

Patience can feel like the last thing you need when you're trying to grow a dog daycare or boarding business. You want more clients, a stronger team, better marketing, and bigger results—and you want to know that all the work you're putting in is actually paying off. But constantly chasing faster results might be the very thing holding your business back.In this episode of the Overdog Podcast, we're talking about patience as a business strategy—and why it's very different from simply sitting around and waiting. We dig into where pet resort owners are most likely to give up too soon, how consistency creates a compounding advantage, and why some areas of your business require patience while others demand immediate action. If you've been wondering whether you need to change course or just stay committed long enough for your work to pay off, this episode will give you a new way to think about growth.

Get a $230 gift card after your first payment of $500 with Melio (affiliate) - https://milestomemories.com/go/melio/ Mark figured out how to pull $400 in credits out of a single San Antonio trip, and it only works because of one thing most people never think to do. Amex also just added 350 properties to Fine Hotels and Resorts, including brands that never used to show up, and Resy quietly expanded into a whole new platform you have probably never heard of. Then there is LifeMiles, who sent Mark an email to resolve his refund and gave him 19 hours to respond before the case expired. Plus Bilt Cash finally works on Blade, and Shawn booked a five night cruise with free drinks for about $300 out the door. Let us know in the comments if you hate LifeMiles as much as Mark does. Episode Guide: 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 0:22 Hunting for FHR Under $300 3:04 The San Antonio Double Credit Trick 6:32 Booking Crockfords for a Birthday 8:28 Amex Adds 350 FHR Properties 9:34 Resy Expands Into Tock 11:03 Using inKind Without Embarrassing Yourself 14:55 Melio's $230 Offer  16:07 Why We're Done With LifeMiles 17:12 The 19 Hour Email 23:14 Bilt Cash Now Works on Blade 26:02 A Solo Cruise for $300 28:48 Final Thoughts Links FHR Resy expansion - https://milestomemories.com/two-popular-amex-credits-see-massive-expansion/ Bilt blade - https://milestomemories.com/bilt-members-can-book-blade-flights-with-bilt-cash/ ✈️ Track your travel credit cards for free

Send us Fan MailMost athletes talk about what they've done. These four are talking about what they're building next. Dan wants capital partners to scale multifamily across Dallas over the next decade. Alvin is looking for partners with intelligence, initiative, and integrity for syndications and M&A. Otis has a vision for a micro wellness resort - saunas, cold plunge, health tech, community, built into land outside Austin. And Bronson wants to keep connecting people to the tax and family office strategies that change how athletes think about money.This is the closing segment of one of the most candid pro athlete panels Family Office Club has hosted in 19 years and 300+ events. Daniel Pewter closes with the story of his 5-year-old son at jiu-jitsu - getting bloody, watching a 12-year-old sit on the sideline with an ice pack, and choosing to get back on the mat anyway. The lesson isn't just for kids. It's for your team, your family, and the people you're building with right now.These are the conversations that happen when investors and operators get in the same room. Family Office Club has connected over $1 billion in community transactions. If you want to be in a room like this, where do you start? About Family Office ClubThe world's largest investor club in the family office space. 19 years. 300+ events. 16 million members. $1B+ in community transactions.

UK DVC members Rach and Paul are on this episode of the podcast, from going as kids, to making their big investment we cover all things Disney World. From why Paul chose Disney over Ibiza for his lads trip, to the room that gave the best fireworks view.Also, a few predictions for D23, the perfect park shoes, and how to avoid fix price menus!Resorts/attractions/restaurants mentioned: Swan and Dolphin/Space Mountain/Riviera/Pop Century/Topolinos/Sebastians Bistro/Polite Pig/Soarin/Big Thunder Mountain/People Mover

This is the Live Call-in Show from this past Sunday night, August 9, 2026! Mike and Scott were back together for the hour taking your calls! We had lots of great calls during the hour this week as we discussed the idea of how Disney's Lakeshore Lodge will change the feel of Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground when it opens next summer a bit more.  We also talked about some Princess Half-Marathon logistics, like heading to the Expo, possible courses, and more!   Somehow, we got on the topic of our least-favorite resort "right now" in each of the categories with the chat, and that brought up a lot of "heat" during the hour!  What would you say if you had to pick? Come join us in the BOGP Clubhouse this week at www.beourguestpodcast.com/discord. Please visit our website at www.beourguestpodcast.com. Thank you so much for your support of our podcast! Also, please follow the show on Twitter @BeOurGuestMike and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/beourguestpodcast. Become a patron of the Be Our Guest Podcast over at www.patreon.com/BeOurGuestPodcast. Thanks to our friends at The Magic For Less Travel for sponsoring today's podcast!

On this week's Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk dig into four stories about how hotels earn and protect their position right now. The conversation opens with IHG Hotels & Resorts taking a deliberately different approach to the owner economics conversation that Marriott International and Hilton started last week. While rivals cut fees and launched rebate programs, IHG is arguing that its eight-year technology overhaul is the real answer. From there, Sarah and Steve get into Google's new agentic AI inside Maps and hotel search and what hotel operators need to do right now to make sure their properties show up correctly. They also dig into Aman's decision to threaten a paying creator guest with police involvement, a video that reached 15 million views and became a case study in what happens when brand protection tips into brand hostility. And they close with how Spain built a full tourism strategy around a solar eclipse and what that model teaches hotels about manufacturing demand in slow periods. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠StayFi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bilt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you're ready to start turning today's guests into tomorrow's direct bookings, head to stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality and use code GOODMORNINGHOSPITALITY to get 50% off your first three months. And for hotels with restaurants and restaurant owners, Bilt Hospitality is finally here. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joinbilt.com/gmh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more for GMH listeners!

We explore the power of university-employer partnerships in shaping the next generation of leaders. Joining us are Alix J. Rouby, Director of Internships and Experiential Learning at Shippensburg University Career Center, and Angela Meyers, Director of Talent Acquisition at Hershey Entertainment & Resorts.Step back in time and discover the enduring legacy of Central Pennsylvania's general stores. Once the cornerstone of colonial settlements and early American communities, these stores served as much more than places to shop. They were gathering spaces where neighbors connected, news was shared, and new merchandise arrivals became community events.and finally,We sit down with Katie Knol of WITF to discuss the stories she's currently reporting, recent pieces she's published, and the role local journalism plays in informing and connecting communities across the region.

Brian and his second wife are into full swaps, adult vacations, bi play and more and they called in to talk all about it. Tune in to hear all the details including how he met his new wife after getting out of a sexless marriage, his new wife's first shook up with a guy up and how he felt afterwards and why, how long it took before they started full swapping, the rules and boundaries they had at first, their trip to Desire and what went down including a full swap that included a little guy-on-guy play and how he felt about it, when his wife started hooking up with women during their swaps, how they then started looking for couples with bi guys on the apps and how they find those couples, their full swap when he intentionally hooked-up with a guy and exactly what went down and how he felt afterwards, their first full bi full swap where everyone hooked up with everyone and exactly what went down, the swap where he was topped on a swing and what went down, the ir hook up where his wife used a strap-on on a woman and he topped a guy for the first time and exactly what went down, the most recent full swap where his wife had DVP and exactly what went down, their experiences at Desire, Secrets and Hedonism and which one they prefer and why, how Brian went from being homophobic and judgmental about guys hooking up with guys to hooking up with guys himself and what changed in him, how his wife feels about it plus a whole lot more. GET A COPY OF THE STRICTLY ANONYMOUS BOOK! Strictly Anonymous Confessions: Secret Sex Lives of Total Strangers. A bunch of short, super sexy, TRUE stories. GET YOUR COPY HERE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4i7hBCd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  or Pre-order audiobook version ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   To see HOT pics of my female guests + hear anonymous confessions + get all the episodes early and AD FREE, join my Patreon! It's only $7 a month and you can cancel at any time. You can sign up here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/StrictlyAnonymousPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and when you join, I'll throw in a complimentary link to my private Discord! To join SDC and get a FREE Trial! click here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.sdc.com/?ref=37712⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or go to SDC.com and use my code 37712 Want to be on the show? Email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strictlyanonymouspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.strictlyanonymouspodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and click on "Be on the Show." Want to confess while remaining anonymous? Call the CONFESSIONS hotline at 347-420-3579. All voices are changed.   Sponsors:  ⁠⁠https://shamelesscare.sjv.io/xLQ3Jv⁠⁠⁠ Get $15 OFF Shameless Desire or any other product at Shameless Care ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beduc.at/pd2630-anonymous⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click here to take the quiz and  get your personalized SUMMER roadmap to sexual happiness  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://LoadBoost.com⁠⁠⁠⁠- To get 10% off LOAD BOOST by VB Health, use code: STRICTLY   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bluechew.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Buy 2 months of Bluechew GOLD and get the third month FREE! Use code: STRICTLYANON⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Follow me! Instagram  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strictanonymous/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/strictanonymous?lang=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.strictlyanonymouspodcast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Everything else: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Strictlyanonymouspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Brian is joined by Scott Williams, Senior Advisor with Crimson Rock Capital. Scott's journey has involved some of the premier brands and companies within the world of Hospitality: leading the Creative and Marketing teams at iconic companies like Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Morgans Hotel Group – just to name a couple. Tune in to hear who Scott Thanks for helping him along the way.

Show Notes: Coach Fav warns that Social Media Videos  that suggest beating Slots, Craps, Blackjack, and all other casino games Look Easy are guides to financial destruction. It may be enjoyable to watch someone bet thousands in a video, but unless you are comfortable losing thousands to a casino take heed my friends. Blackjack players … Continue reading "Episode # 178 Quick Guide to Destruction – Gambling Videos Claiming Winning is Easy"

Wendy and Samantha share a Disney World trip packed with resort hopping, great food, pin trading, Geekin' friends, champagne—and only three rides!

In this August 10, 2026 episode of Colonize the Ocean, Brendon Traxler kicks off a mini-series on ambitious underwater habitats and resorts that never made it.He dives into the biggest name of them all: Poseidon Undersea Resorts, the project led by Bruce Jones of U.S. Submarines. The domain dates back to 2003 (over 20 years old), and the idea itself is even older—Jones had been floating concepts for an underwater habitat years earlier.The website is still online and looks solid, but the project went dead in the water. Last social media activity was in 2014, when they claimed they were about 36 months away (pointing to a 2016 opening). Nothing ever happened. Jones later shifted focus more toward private submarines.Brendon believes it was a genuine effort—not just a PR stunt. The designs were stunning and could have delivered a strong return, but the price tag (likely around half a billion dollars) was massive. Like so many other underwater projects, it simply never materialized.He asks listeners: Do you remember Poseidon? Did you ever want to stay there? Drop a comment.As always, check the Patreon poll, follow on socials, and visit AtlantisSeaColony.com / ColonizeTheOcean.com.Building the underwater future—one episode at a time.http://atlantisseacolony.com/https://www.patreon.com/atlantisseacolony#PoseidonUnderseaResorts #ColonizeTheOcean #UnderwaterResort #OceanColonization #UnderseaHabitat #BruceJones #USSubmarines #FailedMegaProjects #UnderwaterLiving #FijiResort #OceanFuture #SeafloorResort #UnderwaterLuxury #Podcast #OceanPodcast

On this exciting episode of **Remy's Roundtable: The Florida Theme Park Podcast**, Remy and Mike bring listeners another action-packed show filled with theme park trivia, breaking news, attraction history, and dining reviews.The episode kicks off with **Theme Park Trivia**, challenging Mike with difficult questions about Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and attractions around the world. After a competitive game, Mike finishes with a **C**.Next, the hosts cover **The Latest Theme Park Updates**, including Disney's BoardWalk refurbishment, United Parks & Resorts' attendance and financial results, the closure of **Kumba** at Busch Gardens Tampa, the return of **Howl-O-Scream**, Universal's upcoming **Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey** refurbishment, new merchandise, LEGOLAND Florida's **CoasterSaurus**, Disney's Halloween collectibles, and construction progress on **Tropical Americas** at Disney's Animal Kingdom.They also discuss Dollywood's upcoming **Night Flight Expedition**, EPCOT's new fireworks dining package, the opening of **Six Ravens** at Disney Springs, the success of *Spider-Man: Brand New Day*, and the permanent closure of **Gringo's Locos** in Orlando.This week's **Ride of the Week** takes a nostalgic look at Disney's legendary **ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter**. Remy and Mike explore its history, technology, guest reactions, cult following, and why the attraction remains one of Disney's most memorable experiences. They give it an impressive **4.7 out of 5**.To close out the episode, the hosts visit **Ale & Compass Restaurant** at Disney's Yacht Club Resort for a full restaurant review. After discussing the food, service, atmosphere, and value, they give the restaurant an overall score of **4.6 out of 5**.It's another packed episode of **Remy's Roundtable**, featuring trivia, theme park news, Disney history, attraction reviews, and great food!

Human garbage Morrissey cancels shows, Gibson announces Gibson Garage, Vegas Loop gets even dumber, El Cortez is getting a new steakhouse The post FHBM #1016: So Many Excuses first appeared on Five Hundy By Midnight.

Get the inside scoop on why you should visit these six lesser-known American golf resorts (plus a few honorable mentions) on this episode of the LINKS Golf Podcast. This episode of the LINKS Golf Podcast is presented by FootJoy. What did you think of the episode? Tell us in the comments below! Also, reach out to us on social media at X, Facebook, or Instagram! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Marusi shares the leadership principles, technology strategies, and commercial mindset that have helped him lead some of the world's most iconic luxury resorts, including Hotel del Coronado and Grand Wailea.In this episode, Steve and David speak with Robert Marusi, Commercial Director of Hotel del Coronado and Grand Wailea, about how AI, personalization, and data are transforming the hospitality industry. He also explains why human connection remains at the heart of delivering exceptional guest experiences.Robert reveals why agility, continuous learning, and a growth-focused mindset are essential for today's hotel leaders. He also explains how luxury hotels can prepare for AI-powered search, create unforgettable guest experiences through recognition, and leverage technology without sacrificing the personal touch that defines hospitality.In this episode, you'll learn: How luxury hotels are using data to personalize every stay  The importance of recognition in creating loyal guests  How LLM search is changing hotel websites and digital marketing  Why agility is the ultimate competitive advantage in hospitalityWatch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QSZA_bDu-z8Links: Robert on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-marusi-b6267739/Hotel del Coronado: https://www.hoteldel.com/For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/316Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-..Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn pageConnect with Steve and David:Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.

The TMG Hospitality Trailblazers welcomes the latest addition to the series, Kim Wootteon, Sr. VP of Commercial Strategy at Kampgrounds of America, Inc. to discuss the outdoor hospitality landscape and how artificial intelligence and technology are playing a key role in connecting different generations of travelers to the KOA vast portfolio of properties. Ryan Embree: Welcome to Suite Spot, where hoteliers check in and we check out what’s trending in hotel marketing. I’m your host, Ryan Embree. Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of The Suite Spot. This is your co-host, Ryan Embry. Cassady Quintana: And I’m your co-host, Cassady Quintana. Ryan Embree: We’re excited to have you here with us for another edition of our TMG Hospitality Trailblazers series. We’ve been running this series for quite a while, paving those management companies, individuals that are paving a way into the future for hospitality, which feels like is changing on a weekly basis. I’ve been really looking forward to this episode. A familiar face and voice with us. It’s the first time you’re joining us virtually. Kim Wootteon, Senior Vice President, Commercial Strategies at Kampgrounds of America. Kim, thank you so much for joining us back on The Suite Spot. Kim Wootteon: Yes, it’s great to see you both. Thanks for having me today. Ryan Embree: Yeah, we’re gonna have a super fun conversation. You have an incredible brand. We can’t wait to jump in. But before we start talking about Kampgrounds of America and KOA, I wanna start because we missed it when we were in Arlington at the Digital Transformation Summit of getting a little bit about your hospitality background and journey that led you to such a cool position at KOA. Kim Wootteon: My kind of career path has been quite interesting. It’s really led to the role I have today. So the first 12 years of my career was spent in retail. And for all of you millennials, I started with PacSun. I was an OG, skate and surf lifestyle fanatic. And I worked in retail for 12 years and really learned operations, marketing, and quite frankly, leadership. PacSun was a really great people-centric company. And it’s really where I got my foundation for leadership and my drive for results. And then I transitioned for retail into the more traditional hospitality sector and worked for four years with Marshall Hotels and Resorts, leading sales, marketing, and diving into revenue management. And then was recruited by a company called Bluewater Development, who was really pioneers within the outdoor hospitality industry and very traditional owners in the indoor hospitality industry. So great experience. I was introduced to KOA with them and the entire glamping and camping sector of hospitality, which was super exciting. And then also got to work with some really great brands such as Marriott and Hilton and IHG and independent properties, independent campgrounds. It was quite an eclectic mix of properties, that I got to support in sales, marketing, and revenue. And I joined KOA about five years ago, leading marketing at the local level. And in 2022, we established the commercial strategy team at KOA, and, I now oversee revenue management, local marketing or field marketing, retail, distribution, and sales across the entire KOA portfolio, both our owned assets and our franchise locations, and support for KOA, Inc. as well. Ryan Embree: So this is why I love this question so much, because we get such an eclectic melting pot of backgrounds of hospitality professionals, maybe starting in retail. I hear F&B a lot recently. And then you go from the brands, you go, outdoor hospitality, and you get this big melting pot, and it kinda defines who you are as an industry professional, but also gives you, I think, an appreciation of some of those other places that you’ve been or even properties which can span from the giant resorts that we’ve seen all the way to, maybe it is a campsite where it’s a lot more local and kinda community and, and tight-knit feeling. Kim Wootteon: Absolutely. Absolutely. I’ve enjoyed my journey. It allows me to bring perspective to the work we do every day that is unique. And we’ve done a really great job at KOA of hiring a team of leaders and a team of people, in the field with really diverse backgrounds, which I think is a great compliment to the diversity across our portfolio. Cassady Quintana: Yeah, I think it’s interesting because you talk about this new team that you guys have created at KOA and the things that you’re developing and introducing into this outdoor hospitality. But for our listeners who may not know too much about KOA, we have a lot of hotel listeners. So if you can just give us a little bit of background about the brand and how it’s found its way to becoming one of the number one outdoor hospitality leaders. Kim Wootteon: So KOA was founded in 1962 by Dave Drumm in Billings, Montana. He saw this surge of travelers heading to the world’s fair in Seattle, and he opened the Billings Campgrounds, on his property along the Yellowstone River. And today, Kampgrounds of America is the largest system of privately owned campgrounds across the US and Canada with over 500 locations. We have 50 locations that are owned and operated by KOA, and 450 plus locations that are franchised. It’s a really interesting segment or vertical within the hospitality industry. Incredibly diverse portfolio, incredibly diverse guests. And we’re really fortunate to be the leader within this segment of the industry. Ryan Embree: And we mentioned at the top of this episode, this is our TMG Hospitality Trailblazer series. Now, I don’t think there is a much more fitting brand than KOA as far as being a trailblazer when you, when you think about that term, but I’ve been surprised to learn from getting to know you and the KOA brand of the different modern way that we kind of talk about trailblazers in our industry. And so, Kim, you and your team have been doing some incredible work. We’re gonna mention it in this episode, but what do you think makes the Kampgrounds of America brand a true embodiment of trailblazers and trailblazing in our industry right now? Kim Wootteon: It starts really with our vision at KOA. And our vision is to be the world leader in defining and advancing the business and experience of outdoor hospitality. And that’s been a focus for our company for years. We have taken a really unique approach to, I’d say, the traditional hospitality industry. We understand camping, we understand hospitality, and we are really committed to being the leader within not just the outdoor hospitality space, but the overall hospitality space in general. And it really starts with knowing our guest. And we are fortunate. We have tons of first-party guest data. We have years and years of history. And we’re known in our segment of the industry for the research we do to really better understand our guest and how our guest changes and what they expect. So it’s a really unique advantage. And the research we provide is not just for KOA and our franchisees, but it’s for the entire industry. And trailblazing shows up in a variety of ways, almost every decision that we make as a brand. So from the guest experience standpoint, we’re launching a new koa.com website that’s really powered by AI and focused on personalization and trip planning and flexible cancellation policies and the guest’s ability to manage reservations. So some of the more traditional things that you would see in the hospitality industry, but with some unique features that are custom to how guests like to camp. From an organizational structure standpoint, we have a commercial strategy team, which we really are the only one in the industry that has a full commercial strategy arm. And we have an AI team. We built our AI department at the beginning of this year, and that team continues to grow and really focus both internally and externally on how we can use AI to enhance the employee experience and the guest experience. And then within outdoor hospitality, technology has kind of always been a little bit of an opportunity. We don’t necessarily follow some of the mainstream tech choices that you see in indoor hospitality. So our focus has really been how do we align with what works well within indoor hospitality? We’ve been exploring OTA integrations and an RMS integration and enhanced text messaging capabilities and housekeeping modules to help operations be more efficient. It’s about really how can we be the first in the outdoor space to align most closely with what works in indoor hospitality, and then try to address the points of friction where we can that are really unique to outdoor hospitality. Cassady Quintana: I love that you mentioned this balance of outdoor hospitality and what that means to people, but also finding those opportunities for technology because that is the trend these days, right? Is AI this, AI that, and how can we bring in that technology? And we know that KOA has built such a recognizable brand in outdoor hospitality. So how do you guys find that you’re balancing and maintaining what Dave built back in the ’60s, that trusted legacy of what KOA is with continuing to try and attract a younger generation or maybe people that have never been camping before? Kim Wootteon: It is a really fine balance that is not easy. We truly work at it every day and we’re really, really fortunate to have such a legacy brand and such a trusted brand. And so it’s really this balance of how do we stay rooted in our core values and our mission with connecting people to the outdoors and each other while meeting guest expectations for who the camper is today? And so, we see participation in camping across all generations, which is really fascinating. In 2025, participation among adults, 65 or older, reached its highest level in eight years. So we’re seeing this rebound in the boomer population. 25% of all new campers in 2025 were boomers. And at the same time, younger generations, particularly millennials, continue to make camping a really meaningful share of their leisure travel. So it’s this ongoing challenge of how do we attract and retain campers? It’s the same challenge everybody has in our industry. And then keeping existing campers and getting new ones to come back. It’s really that frequency question. We’ve seen some shifts in frequency over the past several years. Our more legacy campers used to take two, three, four trips a year. And we’re seeing that frequency diminish slightly. New campers come and experience it. And maybe don’t, maybe don’t camp again in the same year. It may take one camping trip a year. So that’s a unique challenge our industry is navigating. But we do a lot of research to understand what inspires each generation to camp, and we work really hard to deliver memorable experiences to keep them coming back. But I think the thing that is consistent across all generations and what really matters most to campers, whether they’re new or they’re legacy campers, there’s some core foundational items that we really pride ourselves in across the KOA system. So safety and security is one, cleanliness and quality. We have a really rigorous quality assurance program, and we visit every single campground every single year to ensure each campground is meeting quality assurance standards. And we’re okay to say goodbye to those campgrounds that maybe aren’t meeting our standards. Campers are looking for some self-guided recreation. So if they want to be in the outdoors and really utilize their time as they see fit, the amenities and the recreation continue to play a critical role in that decision-making process. Pet friendliness is really critical and so many people in outdoors love to camp with their pets. And so it’s vital that all of our properties be really pet-friendly. And we have pet-friendly accommodations, pet walks, and camp canine parks. Pets are, are really an extension of our guest base, truly. And then basics like clean laundry, clean restroom facilities, clean laundry facilities, all the essentials that are needed for a great camping experience. Ryan Embree: You definitely have the advantage of a memorable experience on your end, right? I think that has been the knock on the indoor hospitality space, is that sometimes it’s your hotel stay or experience there might not be the most memorable part of a trip versus camping feels like something, if done right, and the quality is there, that is a memory that’s not just gonna stick with you for a year that you might just tell a couple people about, but maybe decades. Maybe it becomes a family tradition, and I’m sure you have some incredible stories to share there. But as I mentioned at the top of this episode, Kim, we had the pleasure of meeting you in Arlington, Texas at the Digital Transformation Summit and Hospitality and Hotels. And again, from what I knew about Kampgrounds of America then and what I know now, it was like kind of one of those spaces where I was like, “Well, I wonder, I wonder what KOA is doing in this space.” And then I got to hear your keynote and I was blown away. But it was also one of the most fascinating conversations I had at that event because of the relationship with technology where some of your guests might be looking for an escape from that technology while others kind of see it as this is the baseline and maybe WiFi isn’t a tech- technology to them. Maybe that’s just a standard for them. So it’s so interesting. It’s fascinating. I’m sure it’s that balance what you’re talking about, Kim, but you also have to balance between the guest and you also have 450 franchisees out there, right? And you’re an owner yourself of 50 properties. So I wanna get into both of those kinda spectrums. One is, what are you seeing the guests, their relationship with technology when it comes to KOA? And then maybe you can speak to the owner side of it, of are you hearing owners wanting to implement more technology or are they kind of resisting that when you’re saying, “Hey, let’s start to look at these new kind of maybe fancy technological updates.” I know there’s a packed question there, so. Kim Wootteon: Yeah, no. And lots to unpack within that question. So let’s start with the guest first and really the unique expectations that come from our campers. And while historically, camping has been a way of a form of leisure travel where you can kind of disconnect from everything that’s going on in daily life and really spend time in the outdoors, nearly half of all campers, about 47% site wifi as very important. So we have learned over the years that wifi is a utility. It is not an amenity anymore. It is a price of admission expectation for campers. Technology and remote work is still shaping camping behavior. And then Gen Z is the most likely to work while camping. So, we cater our experiences to every generation. And so Wi-Fi becomes a critical, critical component. While we’ve seen a slight decline in work camping, with people going back to the office and those just individual changes, it’s still really important. And it, what’s really unique is new campers, and again, kind of new campers, 25% of all new campers last year were boomers. So when we think about new campers, they are more likely than experienced campers to prioritize connectivity. So about 50% of new campers versus 43% of experienced campers. So access to technology directly influences length of stay and the experience. So we have focused heavily on tech and not just wifi at the campground, but how technology is used throughout the guest journey. Have we made it really easy for them to book and find the campground that meets their experience expectations? What’s the communication with the guests look like pre and post, or pre-during, quite honestly, and posts say through text messaging or, or other forms of technology? How easy can they find their site? Just all of those simple things where tech is a really great way to create efficiencies in operations, still have really, really connected touchpoints, relationship-wise, because I think that is, one of the most critical pieces of outdoor hospitality is the relationship our owners build with their campers. And then can they connect while they’re on site? And for those who don’t want to connect and really wanna disconnect during their stay, have we effectively marketed those sites that are best for them to stay in? Have we created connectivity zones where if they do choose to connect, there’s a place on the campground that is best for that, and the rest of the park could be more of a disconnection zone. So really thinking about how a camper is using the space. On the flip side, our owners, this has been an interesting challenge and journey. Just like our campers, our owners are incredibly diverse as well. We’re really blessed. And I think this kind of lends to the success of our legacy brand. We have legacy owners within the KOA brand. We have franchisees that have been in the system for 50 and 60 years. They’ve been here since the beginning, and that ownership has passed down through generations, which is really rare to find across our industry today. We have a lot of individual owner operators that, they gave up their careers as nurses and as architects, and they follow their passion for the outdoors, and they built and own, decide to buy a campground and and be entrepreneurs. And then we have a lot of investors coming into our space, that are diversifying their portfolio. They have hotels, like that public storage and outdoor hospitality is just a natural transition in their portfolio diversification. So the diversity amongst our owners is a unique challenge when it comes to technology. And then across multiple, age demographics as well. So from a wifi standpoint, we make it a requirement. It is now part of our quality assurance. We incentivize our owners to deliver really great wifi. We have a wifi royalty incentive program, and they can receive reduced royalties for a select period of time if their wifi meets certain standards. We believe it’s that important to the guest experience. And then really from tech adoption, I think that’s where we see some of the larger pieces of friction as our industry evolves and we’re constantly trying to balance the expectations of the guests with the needs of our owners and operators. Things like a couple years ago, we were getting ready to launch online reservation management. Okay, I can, I can book, I can change, I can cancel my reservation all on my phone through the app or otherwise. And then was faced with quite a bit of resistance because it was different and it was new and it took some of the control out of the hands of the owner. And so different components of that have kind of made it out to the public, and then there are some key components that have not quite made it out yet. So it’s really that balance of how do we meet guest expectations and owner expectations? But at the end of the day, we do have the responsibility to ensure our brand stays profitable and our owners are profitable. And so sometimes we do have to make those decisions that may not be as favorable to our owners, but are truly the best decision for the business. And it comes down a lot to training and education and really making sure they understand. So we have a great learning and development team, great communications team, a great project team that really ensures all of these initiatives come to fruition in the way they need to be successful. Ryan Embree: Well, and you also have, like you said, 50 properties that you own and manage, which I’m sure is a great kind of sandbox that you can play before you roll something out across the entire brand. But to put this in perspective for our listeners, you just mentioned that maybe there was some resistance to the online bookings that you were talking about, all the way to the owner that you were talking to me. I had to bring this up again, that there was drones bringing firewood to campsites at your property, right? So, I mean, that is the spectrum that you’re talking about. And I think that also is on the guest side. And that’s why probably, you and your team do such a great job of keeping your ear to the ground with these guests and constantly staying. I thought it was a fascinating stat that you talked about, Kim, where you’re saying that the first time campers are expecting more tech than maybe your returning campers or campers that have done that before. And I think that is a, it’s a telling statistic of, “Hey, we’re gonna try this for the first time. We’re gonna go camping.” And they’re coming to the camping site and being like, “All right, well, where’s the plugs and where’s the, the wifi and all that stuff?” Versus the campers that have been there have been like, “Oh, you, you’re camping. What are you talking about?” So interesting. Kim Wootteon: It’s a fun challenge. Cassady Quintana: I’m glad you mentioned that because when I think about it from a marketing perspective, you’ve talked about the different types of guests. You also have diverse owners, but you have diverse guests. When you think about hotels in the hotel industry, a lot of them have their niche and what they expect their demographic to look like when they come visit them. And so they can kind of cater that marketing a little bit better. But you have people ranging from children all the way up until boomers, and so they’re all expecting something different and they all want it to be exactly what they want. So when I think about it, I’m Gen Z, and this outdoor hospitality thing has really started to become a big thing for us. Like, whether it is because we wanna fully disconnect everything is too technologically advanced now, or I want a little bit of the best of both worlds. I wanna feel like I’m in nature, but also I can check my Instagram later if I really need to. So when you guys think about that from a marketing perspective, what do you think is driving that Gen Z interest, but also how do you develop a marketing strategy so that you can connect with those new campers and that, that younger generation? Kim Wootteon: Oh, my gosh. It’s a nonstop kind of everyday challenge that our teams work through at both the national level. How do we really connect the brand to people? I mean it’s so much of the success of our brand, and really camping and outdoor hospitality in general is built off of some, like, this emotional connection to nature and this desire to be outdoors. And how do we be part of that journey? And how can we be a catalyst to creating that experience for people, whether it’s their hundredth time camping or their first time camping? And there’s so many different tactics and strategies, within the marketing space that are available to us now. And it’s constantly evaluated with AI. We are traditionally rooted in SEO, and now we’ve got GEO to adapt to. But the Gen Z population within our camper mix is about 13% of all of our campers, as of 2025, and had been up to about 25% of our camper mix in 2022. So a really significant portion of all of those people that are participating in camping are in that Gen Z demographic. And it really comes down to doing a lot of research and understanding, what motivates people to connect to a brand, what’s important to them, whether it’s sustainability or looking at the health benefits from being outdoors, whether it’s the thrill of trying something new and really adventure-seeking, whether it’s we camped with our parents as kids, and we wanna try it again as adults. And the value proposition for, especially Gen Z is not to that point in life where you’re fully invested and you have a ton of disposable income. And so camping has always been a really affordable way to travel and leisure travel and experience and see things. So it’s this balance of how do we connect with each generation on the right channel? Social media plays a really critical role in our marketing strategy, having a presence across multiple platforms, Facebook, which tends to cater to a little bit more of our Gen X and baby boomer population, TikTok, Instagram, other channels for Gen Z. So social media plays a really key role, and we’ve seen a huge insurgence of social media conversions in our marketing strategy over the past several years. And then the technology piece of some of our generations like to pick up the phone and call and ask questions about their stay. And then others really just wanna be 100% booked online, make all of their change, and make all of their choices without any human connectivity. So finding that balance. But the, the Gen Z demographic is really fascinating. And I love watching how they use campgrounds. We see a lot of Gen Zers use campgrounds as that hub for all of their outdoor adventures, really wanting to spend time in nature and are utilizing a campground to facilitate that experience. Ryan Embree: This question is certainly resonating with me. I’m a little bit older millennial. I have a two and a five-year-old. And I remember camping as a kid. I wanna take my kids, but I also do not want to just maybe stay in a tent and not have any sort of. So, I want, I want that, that nice little balance of, yes, we are camping, but we might be going into a nice air-conditioned cabin or lodge, and we might be able to still watch a little TV. But I think it’s fascinating what we’re talking about, because that’s exactly it. And Gen Z, they’re great storytellers. Let me tell you about marketing. They’ll do most of your marketing for you if you put them in the right position, especially on Instagram and TikTok. Kim Wootteon: I’m really fortunate on my team. We have a really diverse team as well. And I have, I have kind of boomers and I have a ton of Gen Zers on my team. And so it’s great just to watch those generations meld and figure out how we, how we best connect to our owners and our audience. We spend a lot of time in the outdoors just as a team, when we have meetings and stuff like that. And I just love what comes from it. And then we take those best practices and really implement them with our guests because it’s, it’s the same. We all camp. Most of us in our team, we love spending time in the outdoors. So it’s like what’s gonna be attractive to us? We are our own demographics, right? Ryan Embree: There you go. Well, I wanna shift gears and congratulate you and your team, the entire KOA team, recognized as one of the top 50 most profitable franchises by Franchisee Business Review. What do you think Kim, I mean, obviously, when we talk about franchises and we look at the ROI, but I think there’s probably a different type of reward that comes with having a KOA franchise, being obviously we look for that, that financial one, but also from kinda to build something meaningful. You talked about the legacy of some of your franchisees and that being a family business. We’ve talked about the close connection and memories that you get from camping. Well, first of all, congratulations, but what do you think you and your team did to kinda make that list? Kim Wootteon: Thank you. We’re really, really proud of this recognition. And I think it speaks to just the uniqueness of the brand. So we have a unique mix of brand standards and entrepreneurial spirit. KOA is a franchisor unlike no other, you know? And I’ve worked with a lot of the big franchisors, especially in our industry. I’ve worked with the Marriott brand and Hilton and IHG and Jellystone and Sun Outdoors. But what I think I love most about KOA, which makes it such an attractive business opportunity, is, we’re hyper-focused on quality. We’re hyper-focused on our brand position consistency. We have three brand positions within the KOA brand. We have the KOA journey, the KOA Holiday, and the KOA Resort to really help campers identify and connect with the experience they’re looking for. But what I love the most about our franchise that is different from a lot of others is that each location is truly unique to space and place, which fuels the creativity and the pride of our owners. So there are certain things that you will find very standard across the KOA portfolio, and there, there’s an expectation campers have with KOA, but every single location is unique. And that’s what makes the system of campgrounds truly special. You’re not gonna get the same overall experience at any two locations. And our owners take an immense amount of pride in understanding the market that they’re in, understanding their campers, and building an experience that drives them to come back and stay with the KOA brand and book again, and at the same time, is quite profitable. So that unique blend of uniqueness and standards is what really sets us apart. And I will say to you, I remember this, if I didn’t shout out just the incredible support that KOA offers its franchisees. Again, I’ve kind of worked with many franchisors, but the support that KOA offers is quite unique. I’m very, very proud to be part of that. We have an amazing field operations team, franchise operations team. We have a team of just passionate, dedicated franchise business coaches that are working with our owners every single day to help them truly grow their business and optimize their investment in the KOA brand and then their campground. We have a whole coaching team within commercial strategy focused on marketing and revenue, and how to maximize revenue and optimize profitability. And then multiple other departments across the organization that really, their customer is the franchisee. And so I think this is a really adequate representation of the hard work our team puts in to support our owners on a daily basis. Ryan Embree: Yeah. I mean, with a, such a complex ecosystem that we kind of talked about throughout this episode, it’s a true testament to the work you and your team are putting in to be recognized. So again, congratulations to you and your team on that. We’re gonna shift gears. This is the rapid fire portion of our episode. I love doing this and I was looking forward to your portfolio specifically. You’re no stranger to travel, Kim, you’ve already mentioned. So we’re gonna get to list a series or a series of questions to get to know you and the KOA portfolio a little bit better. So let’s start with favorite view at one of your properties. Kim Wootteon: Yeah. So, and just for the record, so I have been to well over 100, almost 200 KOAs across our systems. I’ve been really fortunate to see a lot of our portfolio with some amazing, amazing properties and experiences. But I was just recently at the campground in Fredericksburg, Texas, which is under construction. We are building it and it’ll be introduced to the KOA system this fall. But the view from The Overlook, which is sort of our main building in the back part of the campground with all of our food and beverage and our meeting space and our pool and our lazy river, the view is absolutely spectacular overlooking the entire campground. The sunsets are great, and it was just, it was a really magical moment. Cassady Quintana: Awesome. Ryan, write that down. We gotta take a look at when that one opens up. Ryan Embree: Yeah, for sure. Kim Wootteon: You’ve gotta come experience it. And, and Ryan, we do have some amazing glamping accommodations, so you’ll get all of the amenities of home and a really cool outdoor setting. Ryan Embree: Love it. Best both worlds, for sure. Cassady Quintana: All right, Kim, favorite fun fact about one of your properties? Kim Wootteon: Oh my gosh. There’s so many options because we have such a diverse portfolio. But one of the things we learned as we were prepping for America 250 and just kind of learning our history is the Mystic KOA campground in Connecticut has a house on property that wasn’t built in the United States. It actually existed before the United States existed. It was brought over as settlers have founded that area. And it’s still standing on our campground today. And there’s a lot of history with that property. Ryan Embree: So it’s one of my favorite questions to ask, just because you get to learn these, these stories that you would have no idea about. Very, very cool. What about favorite guest experience or amenities at one of your properties, Kim? Kim Wootteon: So, the Mount Rushmore KOA Resort at Palmer Gulch has a rodeo, like a full-on rodeo. So that’s a crazy thing to experience. The campground in South Padre Island is right near SpaceX, and we just built these beautiful, RV sites, along this peninsula on the water, so you can see the SpaceX launches. And then there’s simple things like blueberry picking in covert and just amazing hiking near some of our National Park properties. Cassady Quintana: Awesome. Something for everybody. There’s something for everybody at every different property. Yeah. So kind of with that in mind, what’s one of your favorite locations of your properties? Kim Wootteon: So it’s funny. So I am a camper myself and I love to spend time outdoors. And I have kind of this unique mix of properties that I love to visit because, every time I camp, I look for a different experience. So I love, like, Lake Placid, KOA, it’s just that, like, quintessential camping experience, really, really wooded and nature-driven. If I’m looking for just incredible beauty with really, really amiditized recreation, I love the Astoria KOA on the Oregon Coast. If I want a tropical resort retreat, I go to Sugarloaf KOA or Fort Myers KOA. So it’s just, it’s. I don’t know. I can’t pick one. I love too many of them, which is my problem and why I’m always on the road and traveling. . Cassady Quintana: It’s a good problem to have. Kim Wootteon: Exactly. I know, right? Ryan Embree: That’s what I was gonna say. . Well, we appreciate you playing along with us. As we wrap up today, we always have kind of a tradition to, especially, with some of our industry leaders that we get the opportunity to speak to multiple times. You teased back in March, you had working on that revamped website that we talked about you formed a new AI team. What’s the status of those projects? And then maybe just looking into the future, what’s your vision for, for KOA as we wrap. Can’t believe I’m saying this. Wrap up 2026 and go into 2027. Kim Wootteon: Oh, my gosh. Yes. We, we are really hyper-focused on 2027 right now as a leadership team, which is crazy. I’m like, we’re all happy through 2026. But yeah, we ha – we’ve had a ton of really large projects this year as a brand, and really in, in that vein of trying to modernize our brand to meet the guest expectation, the owner expectations, and stay that, brand of choice. Both of our projects, the development of our AR team and the rebuild, redesign, and launch of our new website, as well as campground landing pages and a new content management system are going incredibly well. We are on track to launch in Q4 with a slew of continued enhancements throughout 2027. A lot of really AI-focused efforts for koa.com, specifically in trip planning and just communication on a site, as well as personalization. We know that that’s so important. How does a guest land on the site and how is everything really customized and tailored to what they’re looking for and what their needs are and how they’ve came to before? So those two teams have been really, really critical in, in the rollout of this project. And selfishly for me, the AI team does a, a lot of work with our internal teams, and how do we impl – improve the employee experience? So the work they’ve been doing just, I mean, so many efficiencies for my role and so many other roles across the organization around really quick access to data within our KOA ecosystem. Like every bit of data I could ever want to access is available through our AI platform. I am able to ask questions quickly, research things quicker, and really get to an end result, which makes the analysis of our business so much easier in identifying trends and opportunities. So those two pieces are just really game changers, not only for our brand, but in the industry right now. And 2077 is stacking up to be a pretty, pretty insane year as well, with just really double down focusing on how do we continue to attract guests, retain guests, really strong focus on that short-term leisure RV camper, and kind of that mash of how do we take all of our legacy campers and all of these new campers and really just exceed expectations to grow the business next year. Ryan Embree: Wel like I said, a true embodiment, a brand that is truly trailblazing in hospitality. So wish you luck with all of those projects. We’ll have to keep a close eye on which campgrounds we’ll do an onsite. I still haven’t given up on that dream of doing – Kim Wootteon: No, we’re, we’re gonna get you outdoors, Ryan. Ryan Embree: Let’s do it. I’m, I’m looking forward to it. I can’t, I can’t wait. So, Kim, we know you’re busy. Thank you so much for taking the time to join me and Cassady here on The Suite Spot. Kim Wootteon: Yes, thank you both. It’s a pleasure. Cassady Quintana: Thanks, Kim. Ryan Embree: All right. Thanks, everyone. And thank you for listening to Suite Spot. We’ll talk to you next time. To join our loyalty program, be sure to subscribe and give us a five-star rating on iTunes. Suite Spot is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with cover art by Bary Gordon. I’m your host, Ryan Embree, and we hope you enjoyed your stay.

ohn Maytham is joined by Haitham Mattar, The International Hotel Group (IHG) Hotels & Resorts managing director for India, Middle East and Africa, to discuss the official reopening of the InterContinental Table Bay 5 August. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Epcot or Magic Kingdom? Dole Whip or Mickey pretzel? Castaway Cay or Lighthouse Point? This week Lisa puts Steve and Debbie in the hot seat for a rapid-fire (okay… not-so-rapid-fire) round of "This or That." Two options, gut-instinct answers, and a whole lot of friendly disagreement — with plenty of insider reasoning packed in along the way. Some are total no-brainers, a few get controversial, and Lisa tries (and mostly fails) to predict everyone's answers. It's a fun, easy listen packed with real opinions from travel agents who live and breathe Disney. Play along at home and see how many you match! In This Episode Intro — (0:00) A smaller crew this week — Caitlyn's on baby watch and Sharpie's out — so Lisa runs the game with Steve and Debbie. Parks & Planning — (1:05) Magic Kingdom or Epcot? • Rope drop or stay late? (plus everyone's favorite ride to look at lit up at night) • Lightning Lane vs. standby • Disney World or Disneyland? (and yes, Steve really does drive from Atlanta) • Table service or quick service? Rides & Coasters — (7:56) Space Mountain or Big Thunder? • Rise of the Resistance — Disneyland vs. Disney World • Slinky Dog Dash or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train? • Pirates of the Caribbean East or West? • Matterhorn or Expedition Everest? Cruise & Castaway — (8:30) Castaway Cay or a Caribbean port? • Castaway Cay or Lighthouse Point? • Cruise dinner or brunch? • Newest ship or the classics? • Concierge or excursions? • Alaska or Caribbean? • Poolside day or excursion day? Resorts, Snacks & Sweets — (11:54) On-property or offsite savings (Debbie would pick All-Star Sports over the Ritz!) • Dole Whip or Mickey pretzel? • Beignets at Port Orleans or churros on Main Street? More Park Favorites — (14:26) Park hopper or one park? • Fireworks or one more ride? • Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios? • Genie+ or the old free FastPass+ days? • Haunted Mansion — Florida or the Disneyland Nightmare Before Christmas overlay? • Disney Springs or Downtown Disney? • Villains or princesses? • Monorail or Skyliner? • Adults-only trip or bring the whole family? • Very Merry Christmas Party or Not-So-Scary Halloween? ⚡ Lightning Round — Both Answer at Once! — (27:30) Splash Mountain or Tiana's Bayou Adventure? • Wishes or Happily Ever After? • IllumiNations or Luminous? • The dearly missed Magical Express • Extra Magic Hours or today's early entry + evening hours? • The Great Movie Ride or Runaway Railway? • Maelstrom or Frozen Ever After? • Ellen's Energy Adventure or Guardians Cosmic Rewind? • Paper FastPass or booking in the app? • Soarin' Over California or Around the World? • MaxPass nostalgia • Tower of Terror or Guardians Mission Breakout? • Old or new Test Track? • Main Street Electrical Parade or Paint the Night? Wrap-up — (44:10) Thanks for playing along!

John Beck, regional director-IHG Hotels & Resorts, talks with Amy Tate of Insider Travel Report about the EVEN Hotel New York-Times Square South, a modern boutique “wellness” hotel in midtown New York on the West Side. Part of the IHG's growing EVEN brand, this hotel features stylish rooms with great amenities and features, plus “fun” public areas like a garden wall, game room and fitness center. For more information, visit www.ihg.com/evenhotels.  All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel  (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean,  iHeartRadio,  Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox. 

Another week, another potential NBA arena location, Wizard of Oz and Rocky Horror timeline info, Taylor Dayne announces shows, something is up with Chef Truck The post FHBM #1015: You Know How I Am first appeared on Five Hundy By Midnight.

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