How Rio Mar Repositioned a 607-Acre Resort Around Experiences

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

Puerto Rico rainforest on one side. Ocean on the other. A 607-acre resort in the middle. I talked with Chris Sariego, COO of LionGrove, at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar about how they used a $70 million reinvention to reposition the property around eco-experiences, expand amenity appeal, and keep more spend on-property. 🌿 Chris explains how they stopped treating it like "just a big hotel" and rebuilt it as a destination resort tied to the local ecosystem 🧪 They brought in local scientists and environmentalists to shape guest programming around the environment 🐢 They now run protection efforts for three endangered turtle species that nest on the property 🚣 Chris describes a sunrise kayak route that runs river → ocean → reef and stays entirely on-property in about two hours 🏖️ He lays out the scale: 607 acres, two miles of beach, rainforest access, and a full resort amenity mix 🍽️ The property includes 15 restaurants, spa, casino, multiple pools, golf, racquet center, and more 🎰 He also highlights the adult side: a new casino, a speakeasy/cabaret concept, and an adults-only pool with butler service + DJs 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 And they built it to work for families too, with kids programming, water slides, and toddler splash areas

To kick off the week, I wanted a hard look behind the numbers. We hear a lot of takes—so what's real and what's not? I called our buddy Bruce Ford (SVP, Lodging Econometrics) to pressure-test World Cup demand, international travel, and the conversion-brand land grab for the hashtag#NoVacancyNews crowd. Here's what we put numbers on: ⚽ 2026 World Cup: 48 teams across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada 🌍 International plane arrivals are about 6% down 🚗 Canadian trips to the U.S. down about 22–23% 💸 2026 operator reality: work the P&L and monetize every square foot 🤖 Booking changes in 2–3 years, with AI in the mix 🏷️ Brand strategy: more hashtag#hotel conversion deals and more "white space" flags Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.

A speakeasy bar with an actual vault door sits off the casino floor at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar. I walk in, meet Michael "Mac" MacDonnell, Vice President of F&B & Entertainment with LionGrove, and we turn it into a "quick chat" that somehow includes popcorn in a martini. #NoVacancyNews 🍸 Mac breaks down the Vault Martini: Belvedere vodka, yellow Chartreuse, orange bitters, popcorn, plus a tableside pour 🧠 He talks "threshold of pain" pricing—how far you push before the guest taps out 🪑 He explains why the Vault runs different than the other outlets: 55 seats, niche vibe, connoisseur guest 🥃 We get into rum country decisions: rare bottles, allocated product, and why relationships matter 💰 He drops the kind of number that makes operators blink: a $300,000 opening liquor order 👀 He shows what "details matter" looks like: glassware, presentation, bartenders who command attention 🕺 He talks training: a full month of coaching so the team performs, not just pours 🌴 We pivot into tropical fun with a tiki-style drink inspired by the Soggy Dollar Bar in the BVI ☕ Then the closer hits: "The Fortified" — local coffee + butter-washed rum + 24-hour prep… and it becomes the #1 seller 🧪 And yes, I taste everything "for scientific purposes" because I take research very seriously

Black Desert Resort shows what "demand drivers" look like when you actually build them. Today we look at Modern luxury on #NoVacancyNews I walk the property with Nicholas Gold, Managing Director, in Ivins (greater St. George / greater Zion), Utah. 🏨 Nick gives the basics: ~600 keys, restaurants/banquets, pool, spa, and a serious golf operation ⛳ They opened just over a year ago and already hosted two PGA tournaments and an LPGA tournament 🏌️‍♂️ Nick says three more 18-hole courses are coming, plus a practice facility 🌊 They're building a $60M, 4.5-acre water park for guests and members only 💰 We talk why that "velvet rope" access helps residential sales and supports premium transient pricing 🍽️ Nick's F&B rule stays simple: make it good, then match concepts to the guest profile and the local market 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Hiring: Nick hires attitude and personality over skills and uses the eye-contact/smile test as the price of entry 🧗 The adventure program creates differentiated experiences (including 4x4 access up to a via ferrata) 🧖 The spa leans into recovery: cryo, salt inhalation, recovery lounge, sauna/steam, plus outdoor options 🏗️ The resort uses multiple buildings, bell rides, and guest bikes to keep circulation easy at scale Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.

Hotels train teams to spot human trafficking and other suspicious activity. Training alone doesn't solve the handoff problem. #NoVacancyNews I talk with Georgine Muntz (CEO) and Patty Jefferson (Chief Revenue Officer) at Visual Matrix about building reporting into the workflow so staff can act fast without leaving their job to go hunt down a manager. 🧠 Georgine says customers asked for better tracking and reporting of suspicious activity on property, including human trafficking 🧾 She points out the gap: training ends with "report it to your manager," but real life turns that into a paper form or a forgotten conversation 🧹 They build a quick "suspicious activity" alert so a housekeeper or maintenance tech can tap a button, add a note, take a photo if relevant, and move on 🔁 Patty emphasizes shift continuity: the alert carries forward so the next shift stays informed instead of starting cold 🌍 We talk language barriers and how tech can help with translation so details don't get lost 🚨 They already include a panic button inside the same application 🚬 The beta users pushed it beyond trafficking: smoking in rooms, pets, and other issues where you need documentation and follow-through

I'm recording this from a hotel room because that's where I live now. I keep hearing "AI" in every hotel conversation, so I pulled in Kevin Duncan, Executive Vice President, Product at Cendyn to talk about what actually works—especially at the front desk.  🤖 Kevin explains how Cendyn connects guest data across CRM, CRS, and other systems so teams work from one guest profile instead of disconnected records 🧠 He talks about using AI to add predictability: what the guest will do next and how the hotel can respond 🛎️ He breaks down front-desk modules that sit on top of the PMS and prompt agents with what the guest prefers so personalization happens in the moment 🏃 He uses a simple example: he runs and uses fitness centers, but hotels still miss that preference even after repeat stays 🍷 We talk privacy and where "helpful" turns into "creepy," plus why opt-in matters 💰 We connect personalization to loyalty and revenue: guests come back when the hotel gets the personal touch right 🧩 He explains Cendyn's content hub concept: keep branding and messaging consistent across digital touchpoints

Wahlburgers cleans up the messy parts of growth so quality stays non-negotiable.  I'm in Las Vegas with Randy Sharpe, CEO, President, and board member of Wahlburgers. He breaks down what he changed, what he cut, and how he plans growth without letting the brand drift. 🍔 Randy talks about meeting Mark Wahlberg through a luncheon tied to a tequila investment—and how that turned into the CEO role 🧑‍🍳 He ties the brand back to Chef Paul Wahlberg, Alma Nove, and the burger-first obsession behind the concept (15-year anniversary later this year) ✅ He explains the reset: new ops leadership, tighter standards, and cutting franchise operators who didn't meet the bar 📋 He describes the cleanup that mattered: 17 different menus down to a clearer core 🏪 He connects restaurants to retail (I first tried the burgers at Stop & Shop) and why he refuses frozen 🧭 He lays out the four models: full-service bar & grill, counter service, captive markets (casinos), and airports 🛫 He talks airports specifically: Logan, Detroit Metro, Sarasota-Bradenton next, and more in the pipeline 📦 He explains pricing by market—but keeps quality consistent everywhere, including a single standardized burger patty supply nationwide 🧰 He shares how retail follows expansion (including a Florida partnership with Home Depot locations driving grocery interest) Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.

This week I attended CoralTree Hospitality's Leadership Forum at Black Desert Resort and spent time with Andre' Fournier, Chief Commercial Officer, about what this event should accomplish once people go back to their hotels on hashtag#NoVacancyNews. Andre explains why CoralTree brings its leaders together, how the company onboarded more than 100 new leaders this year, and how Affinity Teams share real-world ideas across properties. We also talk about why CoralTree puts owners and operators in the same room and what that changes at the property level. We cover: 👥: Why CoralTree uses the forum to align a fast-growing leadership team 🧪: How Affinity Teams work as hands-on learning groups 🏨: What changes when owners and operators sit in the same room 🧭: How "Serving from the Heart" shows up in daily work 🏆: Why recognition still matters 📈: How operational execution connects to financial reality

At CoralTree Hospitality's Annual Leadership Forum, I talked with Tom Luersen, President of CoralTree Hospitality, for hashtag#NoVacancyNews about what the company expects leaders to do once everyone leaves and goes back to their properties. We get into why they bring people together in the first place, how they use Affinity Clubs to keep projects moving, and how they track progress without turning it into theater. We also talk about how they set direction early in the year and where AI, the hashtag#guestjourney, and talent development fit into day-to-day operations. We cover: 🗂️: What leaders are expected to take back to their teams 🔁: How projects keep moving after the event 📊: How CoralTree tracks progress without dressing it up 🤖: Where hashtag#AI and guest experience show up in real work 👥: How leadership development plays out in practice 🏆: Why recognition still has a place