How Hotel Leaders Build Relationships at The Lodging Conference

I'm at The Lodging Conference with Wayne West III, President of Newport Hospitality Group, and we get into something most people never really think about: how much value you can create from the conversations between the sessions. Wayne comes to events like this with a plan. He knows who he wants to see, what he wants to ask and where those conversations can sharpen the way he thinks about brands, competitors and the business overall. We also get into why he stays focused on adapting instead of waiting for the noise to clear, and what he's seeing across #HotelOperations as travel demand keeps holding up.Watch this one for a sharper look at how experienced #Hospitality leaders use industry relationships to make better decisions. Thanks so much to Actabl for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Consumers don't shop for "economy hotels." They shop for a price point, a product they like and an experience that works for them. That's a big reason I think Red Roof has an interesting opportunity right now. At its conference in Fort Lauderdale, the company laid out plans to grow Red Roof Plus+, the traditional Red Roof brand and HomeTowne Studios, while also strengthening RediRewards and putting more focus on lighting, personalization and the guest experience. My takeaway: as hotel rates keep climbing, #EconomyHotels have a chance to compete for travelers who care less about our industry labels and more about what they're actually getting for the money. Here's my quick wrap-up from the conference and where I think Red Roof fits into the #Hospitality conversation. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

A marina gives hotel owners another customer base without adding a single guestroom. Jeremy Parks, President of Trident Marine Group, joins me on No Vacancy to explain how boaters drive spending across restaurants, bars, pools, spas and other resort amenities. His point is simple: every marina slip creates another revenue-generating opportunity from people already arriving at the property. For #HotelOwners, that means looking beyond room count and thinking about how every asset on the property contributes to #HotelRevenue and the overall #GuestExperience. Watch this one to see how waterfront hotels turn marina traffic into more business across the entire property. Thanks so much to Actabl for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Hotels keep saying they can't find people. PRIDE Industries is showing them where to look. Darleyn Pazdel, SVP of Workforce Inclusion at PRIDE Industries, joins me on No Vacancy to talk about a workforce hotels still overlook: people with disabilities. PRIDE already puts this into practice across hospitality, including 56 employees with disabilities at Thunder Valley Casino Resort processing more than 3 million pounds of laundry a year. This isn't charity. It's #WorkforceInclusion tied directly to one of hospitality's biggest challenges: finding and keeping great people. Watch this one to see how you can widen your labor pool and strengthen your #HotelWorkforce. Thanks so much to Actabl for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

There's a big difference between hearing about a hotel brand and actually getting inside one with the people building and operating it. I toured a brand-new HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof in Bradenton, Florida with Hiten Patel of Dhruv Management, which operates the hotel, and Matt Hostetler, Chief Development Officer for Red Roof. HomeTowne Studios is an extended-stay brand, and this tour gives us a closer look at what makes that model work. We get into the operating efficiencies, the lower-cost structure compared with a more traditional hotel operation, and the design decisions helping owners run the property with fewer moving parts. We also look at how the prototype comes together from both sides: the operator actually running the hotel and the brand team focused on development and growth. Watch the full tour and see how HomeTowne Studios approaches extended stay from the ground up.

Last week at the My Place Hotels of America conference, I talked with Jeff Thomas, VP of Marketing, about how a smaller hotel company competes against brands with much bigger marketing budgets. Jeff says My Place started experimenting with AI back in 2022, using it to create visual content at scale, personalize marketing and improve how travelers find its hotels through ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and other AI tools. His team tests aggressively, learns quickly and tracks revenue coming through AI-driven discovery. We also get into #HotelMarketing, AI search and why Jeff keeps his team focused on a clear strategy instead of chasing every new platform that pops up. Watch this one to hear how My Place uses #AI to compete more effectively across #Hospitality. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Glenn Haussman talks with Brian Quinn, Chief Development Officer at My Place Hotels, from the My Place Hotels of America conference about one of the biggest forces shaping hotel development right now: conversions. Brian explains why owners keep bringing conversion opportunities to My Place, how the company is expanding its development options, and how it protects the core My Place prototype while opening the door to more markets. They also get into guest demand, construction headwinds and why conversions are creating a bigger opportunity across extended stay. Watch to hear how My Place is approaching conversions, development growth and new opportunities for hotel owners. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Glenn Haussman talks with Sarah Dinger, EVP of Franchise Relations at My Place Hotels, from the My Place Hotels of America conference about Trend, the company's new conversion offering. Sarah explains how Trend gives owners more flexibility to adapt a property to its market while My Place keeps its original brand focused on a consistent prototype. They also talk about how Sarah supports operators, her work growing the AHLA Forward network from 200 to more than 1,000 people, and why she puts so much energy into mentorship and bringing younger people into hospitality Watch to hear how Trend expands My Place's hotel development options, where conversions fit into the company's strategy and how Sarah sees the brand growing from here. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Glenn Haussman talks with Ryan Rivett, President and CEO of My Place Hotels, at the My Place Hotels of America conference in Fort Lauderdale about how the company approaches growth in extended stay. My Place owns, operates, develops and franchises hotels, and Ryan explains how that experience shapes development decisions, franchise support and the way the company evaluates opportunities in both small communities and major metros. They also talk about the brand's growth, vertical integration and how My Place connects ownership, operations, development and franchising into one strategy. Watch to hear how My Place is thinking about #ExtendedStay growth, #HotelDevelopment and franchise expansion across   Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

The minute you get too comfortable, somebody else passes you. Gary Hernbroth, author of Twist the Familiar, joins me on No Vacancy to talk about questioning how we work, how we lead and how we build relationships. His point is simple: confidence moves you forward, but comfort turns into complacency fast. That applies to careers, #HotelLeadership, sales and pretty much every part of #Hospitality. We also get into failure and why people who fall down, learn and adjust often bring more value than people pretending they never screw up. Watch this one to challenge a few habits, rethink how you approach people and keep yourself from getting too comfortable. Gary's book, Twist the Familiar, is here: Twist the Familiar on Amazon Thanks so much to Actabl for supporting this podcast. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.