Hands-On vs Hands-Off Hospitality - Ben Wolff and Irene Wood Debate

Mike Baxter loves three things: hotels, rock 'n' roll, and partying. That's what led to the creation of House of Gods, a completely immersive rockstar hotel in the heart of Edinburgh.In a wide-ranging conversation applicable to all hospitality operators, we discuss how to create a completely immersive experience for your guests; some cool ideas for upsells, and the bravery it takes to push ahead with a bold concept like House of Gods.Expect a few laughs and some new ideas for your project along the way! Links:Posh OutdoorsSchedule a call re Posh OutdoorsGlampitect North AmericaStoried CollectionNook OutdoorsGood Morning HospitalityHouse of Gods

Nick Parker (Live Oak Bank) returns to the pod! He and Connor have worked on many hospitality projects together, and they have the inside track on the operators that get funding for the unique hospitality developments. You won't be surprised to learn that there are plenty of common traits among the most successful.We break down three projects that Nick Parker and Connor have worked on, and identify the secret sauce for getting your hospitality project financed.Links:Posh OutdoorsSchedule a call re Posh OutdoorsGlampitect North AmericaSage Outdoor AdvisoryLive Oak BankNick Parker's original episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube

AutoCamp is one of the world's biggest glamping brands. After starting small with their first Santa Barbara location in 2013, their growth rate exploded following a $115 million investment from Whitman Peterson, a private equity firm, in 2019.Will Spurzem joined the company as Senior Design Director that same year, and he was the design genius behind the locations that followed. He joins us to share all the good stuff about AutoCamp's design and development process, as well as the mistakes they made and learnings they implemented over the years.Will left AutoCamp in 2022 to start Boundary Works, a design and development group specializing in outdoor hospitality. Will's thriving client list is a testament to his knowledge and experience in this space, and we hope you enjoy learning from him.Links:Posh OutdoorsSchedule a call re Posh OutdoorsGlampitect North AmericaSage Outdoor AdvisoryBoundary Works Design and Development

Unreasonable Hospitality is a bestselling book by world-leading restauranteur, Will Guidara. Guidara found fame and fortune through Eleven Madison Park, his high-end New York restaurant that would go on to win 3 Michelin Stars and multiple James Beard awards.In the book, Guidara distils the principles of Unreasonable Hospitality, which is his unique approach to serving guests that took EMP to such heady heights. In our first "Book Club" episode, Nick and Jacob are joined by Nathan Woods to discuss our takeaways from reading book and how it can be applied to your unique hospitality business. Links:Buy Unreasonable HospitalityPosh OutdoorsSchedule a call re Posh OutdoorsGlampitect North AmericaAuberge ResortsMinistry of WelcomeNathan's previous episode, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube

Ben Wolff and Irene Wood are two of the most successful entrepreneurs in the boutique glamping / unique stay space. Despite their similar results, their models of hospitality couldn't be more different.At Onera (Ben's landscape hotel), guests won't see any on-site staff for the duration of their stay. It's all about that privacy and seclusion. At The Fields (Irene's glamping site), staff will have a ton of interaction with guests, with community a centrepiece of the experience.We dive into both approaches; the pros and cons of each; and discuss which model might work best for you.LinksPosh OutdoorsSchedule a call re Posh OutdoorsGlampitect North AmericaAuberge ResortsOneraStayOasiThe FieldsListen to Ben's previous appearance on the pod on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YoutubeListen to Irene's previous appearance on the pod on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube

Unique stay aficionado, Zach Busekrus, is back on the Unique Hospitality Podcast! This week, we discuss the coolest unique stays Zach has come across; why nature gives glamping the edge over hotels; which parts of the US are experiencing a short-term rental boom, and much, much more. LinksInvest in Posh OutdoorsGlampitect North AmericaAuberge ResortsStaywatchThe Cave at Hocking HillsListen to Zach's previous appearance on the pod on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube

A "bring me my champagne" button; zorb balling through Chinatown, and serving Gatorade at dinner. Get your creative hat on, as our aim this week is to give you your next great idea for your unique hospitality business. Nick and Connor are joined by friend of the podcast, Jacob Halverson, to discuss some of the "cool shit" we've seen or done in the industry, and how it might translate to your project.We can't promise all of the ideas are sane, but it may just spark something brilliant.LinksInvest in Posh OutdoorsGlampitect North AmericaSage Outdoor AdvisoryAuberge ResortsListen to Jacob's previous appearance on the pod on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube

Welcome to the first episode of The Unique Hospitality Podcast, formerly known as The Start A Glamping Business Podcast! We've revamped the format, with fewer interviews and more deep discussion on the important issues, ideas and challenges in glamping and unique hospitality. You'll hear more from previous guests that have provided the most value, and we think this will help us uncover more gold nuggets than ever before. For the first episode of the new format, we welcome back Bygnal Dutson of Open Sky in Zion. We discuss what's changed at Open Sky since his last appearance; what we think separates the top 5% of glamping operators from the rest; and we end up grilling Bygnal for all his guest experience secrets.If you've not listened to an episode for a while, we suggest you give this one a chance. LinksInvest in Posh OutdoorsGlampitect North AmericaSage Outdoor AdvisoryOpen SkyListen to Bygnal's previous episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube

Welcome to Part 2 of the most important episode we've ever recorded. To celebrate recording 75 episodes of The Start A Glamping Business Podcast, Nick was grilled by regular co-host, Connor Schwab, on the most important lessons he's learned from interviewing dozens of successful glamping operators.It's a must-listen for any prospective glamping operator, and we'd love for you to share it with anyone that would find it useful.Wanted to invest in Posh Outdoors, our brand new glamping startup? Email [email protected] for more info, or visit our deal page below.Visit the Posh Outdoors deal pageVisit Glampitect North America's websiteTake our online glamping assessmentCheck out Sage Outdoor AdvisoryEpisode references (links to Apple Podcasts, but also available on Spotify and Youtube):Rule 7 - Accommodation Isn’t the Limit of Your RevenueLucky Arrow RetreatCreekside RnRRetreat RanchRule 8 - The Little Touches Can Mean the MostHoneyTrekBlackstrap GlampingBygnal DustonRule 9 - Marketing, Marketing, MarketingAlex BurkettNate VietzDerry GreenRule 10 - It Can Be Incredibly RewardingLex Jones

Welcome to Part 1 of the most important episode we've ever recorded. To celebrate recording 75 episodes of The Start A Glamping Business Podcast, Nick was grilled by regular co-host, Connor Schwab, on the most important lessons he's learned from interviewing dozens of successful glamping operators.It's a must-listen for any prospective glamping operator, and we'd love for you to share it with anyone that would find it useful.Wanted to invest in Posh Outdoors, our brand new glamping startup? Email [email protected] for more info, or visit our deal page below.Visit the Posh Outdoors deal pageVisit Glampitect North America's websiteTake our online glamping assessmentCheck out Sage Outdoor AdvisoryEpisode references (links to Apple Podcasts, but also available on Spotify and Youtube):Rule 1 - It’s Going to Be HardSarah Dusek Bygnal Dutson Rule 2 - The Results Can Be IncredibleChris JeubRule 3 - There’s No One Correct ModelBen WolffStephen MauldenIrene WoodsDonna Vaughaun Rule 4 - Don’t Neglect the Boring StuffNick LabadieZach StoltenbergChris HippleIrene JonesRule 5 - Housing for Seasonal WorkersBlake SmithRule 6 - Community Outreach Is VitalZach StoltenbergStephen MauldenSojourner Glamping