Behind the Stays

5 Big Ideas for Entrepreneurs Who Want to Build the Next Great Hospitality Business

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Zach shares 5 big ideas for hospitality entrepreneurs to implement right now... These ideas could be HUGE. Holler at Zach if you're al...

From Air Force Officer to Hospitality Entrepreneur: Why Blake Dailey Thinks More Airbnb Hosts Should Become Boutique Hoteliers

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Blake Dailey — a former Air Force officer turned boutique hotel entrepreneur. Growing up, Blake dreamed of being in the NFL. And while that nev...

Hot Takes on Rental Arbitrage, Men's Luxury Footwear, Building an International Hospitality Brand, and More with Ben Earley

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Ben Earley, an exceptional entrepreneur who has made waves across multiple industries—from finance to luxury footwear, and now, to innovative h...

The Rise of the Professional Airbnb Creator: Ideas, Advice, and Musings with Jon Kreye

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Jon Kreye, a professional creator and community builder in the short-term rental space.  Jon has become a prominent figure in this niche, known ...

How to Make Loyalty Programs Work in Vacation Rentals: An Inside Look at Red Cottage's Membership Program

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Matthew Orley, CEO of Red Cottage, a premier platform and vacation rental brand for unique stays across the Northeast. Matthew's journey with Red...

How a South African Game Ranger Became Glamping's Most Interesting CEO

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Paul Zway, the incredible founder of Exclusive Tents, who is joining us live from the lush jungles of Belize.  Paul’s journey from a young boy...

How to Build a Nationally Recognized Vacation Rental Management Company (That Actually Works)

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Ashley Ching, co-founder of Inhaven, a trailblazing company with ambitious plans to set new standards in the vacation rental industry.  If you'v...

We've Got a HUGE Announcement — Sponstayneous is Now "StayWatch"

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve got a huge confession to make… Something I’ve never admitted publicly before…EVER. Behind the Stays' parent company's name, Sponstayneous...

How He's Building a No-Fee Booking Platform for Vacation Rentals: Stories, Ideas, and Hot Takes with Eric Goldreyer

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Eric Goldreyer, a legend in the world of travel and hospitality. Eric is the founder of bedandbreakfast.com, a platform he launched in the late '...

Exploring the Huge Potential of Hostels: How They're Bridging Affordability and Experiential Hospitality in Hawaii (And Beyond)

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Nathan and Michael, the founders of Howzit Hostels, who are revolutionizing the hostel experience in Hawaii today, and across the rest of the US ...

Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Hospitality Websites: The Secrets That Separate the Best Direct Booking Websites from The Rest

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to "Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Hospitality Websites: A Special 2-Part Series with Hudson Creative Studio.” In this series, I sit do...

Where to Build (or Buy) Your Next Unique Stay: Trends, Insights, and Data with Jamie Lane from AirDNA

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we welcome back Jamie Lane, SVP of Research at AirDNA, to discuss the booming trend of unique stays in the hospitality industry. Over...

Crafting Consistent Luxury: Omar Boubess on Boutique Hotels and Unique STR Branding

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Omar Boubess, Creative Director at Studio Circa, a luxury branding agency that works with boutique hotels and unique collections of STRs. Growing...

Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Hospitality Websites: The Blueprint to Building a Brand That Compels Direct Bookings

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to "Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Hospitality Websites: A Special 2-Part Series with Hudson Creative Studio.” In this series, Zach sit...

From Family Gap Year to Glamping Pioneers: How a 14,000-Mile Bus Trip Changed Their Lives

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Ruth Wimpory — the entrepreneur behind Skoolie Stays and The Vacationist, two of the UK’s favorite off-grid escapes.  In 2019, Ruth and her ...

From Video Game Designer to Travel Tech Entrepreneur: Philip Kennard on The "Rentalpreneur" Revolution

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Philip Kennard — Founder and CEO of Futurestay. Growing up, Philip loved video games.  And for Philip, video games were about so much more tha...

The Future of Vacation Rentals: Annie Holcombe on OTAs, Loyalty Programs, and Industry Challenges

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Annie Holcombe, a seasoned hospitality industry expert with a passion for vacation rentals and an impressive track record at major travel tech co...

How they Built a Luxury A-Frame in the Highest Incorporated Town in North America

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Yvonna and Darren Grandfield, a dynamic duo who’ve turned their passion for real estate into a thriving business of unique and stunning short-t...

Building Magical Stays: The Surprising Success of Thematic Vacation Rentals

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Josh Luttrell, the innovative entrepreneur behind Home Theme Orlando, a company transforming vacation rentals into immersive themed experiences. ...

The Dark Side of Airbnb: How One Host Lost Everything in a Day

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of "Behind the Stays," we bring you a special and urgent conversation with a guest who's no stranger to the show, Elam King — we fea...

How He's Building the Kayak.com for Outdoor Travel

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Cody Watson, the entrepreneur behind Explorely, a groundbreaking platform poised to revolutionize outdoor travel planning and experiences.  Grow...

How They're Designing the Ultimate Group Getaway: The Story of Nova Haus

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

 Meet Tyler Jordan, the co-founder of Nova Haus —a ground-breaking hospitality brand that's redefining luxury stays for larger groups and corporate...

From Theatre to Travel Tech: How He's Building the Hotel Tonight for Vacation Rentals

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Alex Alioto, Co-Founder and Head of Growth at Whimstay, the Hotel Tonight for Vacation Rentals. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Alex ha...

How They Built an Airbnb into the Side of a Mountain (And a Waterfall Too!) — The Story of the River Rock House

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Justin and Rebecca Rush, the creators of the River Rock Cabin on the Toccoa River in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Justin and Rebecca are real estate phot...

How to Interview the Land (And Other Tips on Building Unique Stays) with Mike Hicks from Wander Chatt

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Hicks, the founder of Wander Chatt, a collection of unique stays across Chattanooga, TN and beyond. Mike started his entrepreneurial journey at j...

How They're Building the Airbnb for Houseboats: The Story of FLOHOM

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Brian Meyer and Selly Butler — the founders of FLOHOM a new hospitality start-up that offers stunning, on-the-water stays in marinas across the...

He's Transformed 600 Homes into Airbnbs — Here's What Matters (And What Doesn't) When Renovating a Short-Term Rental

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Mark Lumpkin from STR Cribs — the leading one-stop-shop for renovating, designing, and fully-furnishing a short-term rental. Mark is an innovat...

Airbnb Gave Her $100,000 to Build a Unique Stay in Idaho — This is the Story of "The Flower Pot"

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Whitney Hansen, the creator of The Flower Pot, a truly spectacular, one-of-a-kind experiential stay in Burley, Idaho. Whitney has always been ent...

How He Created the UK's Most Popular Glamping Site — The Story Behind Secret Garden Glamping

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Derry Green — the creator and visionary behind The Secret Garden Glamping — the UK's most booked, most wished-listed, and most viewed glampin...

How They Built a Micro Nature Resort in the White Mountains — The Story of Lumen

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Boris Mordkovich, who created Lumen Nature Retreat — a luxury waterfront glamping resort nestled in the heart of New Hampshite’s White Mounta...

From Potato Hotels to Hobbit Inns: How She Built the World's Most Famous Airbnbs

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Kristie Wolfe — the entrepreneur and builder behind some of the world’s most famous Airbnbs including the Big Idaho Potato Hotel, The Big Isl...

He's Building a Next Generation Glamping Company That Allows Everyone to Invest in the Hottest Trend in Travel

19 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Nick Purslow, who is both the Co-Founder of Glampitect North America, an incredible educational and consulting resource for setting up a glamping...

"Hotel Brands Won't Matter in 10 Years" — And Other Hot Hospitality Takes with Peter Fabor

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Peter Fabor, an entrepreneur building a portfolio of niche hospitality businesses from marketplaces to industry newsletters.  Peter is a product...

Building the Extraordinary: How to Design Getaways for the Next Generations

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Louis Thompson —  Founder and CEO of Nomadic Resorts, a consultancy that designs and builds some of the world’s most innovative and unique h...

Setting the AI Search Bar: How Homes & Villas by Marriott is Outpacing Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking at Reimagining the OTA

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Nitin Sood, Vice President of Innovation at Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy. Nitin and his team launched the first AI-powered search experi...

How a Former Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Built a $1.5 Million Airbnb Co-Hosting Business in 12 Months

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Cameron Weeks — a former coast guard rescue swimmer turned hospitality entrepreneur. From a young age, Cameron dreamed of owning his own busine...

He Dropped Out of School to Build a Short-Term Rental Portfolio — Here's What He's Learned So Far.

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In just a moment you’ll meet Antonio Bafia, a 23-year-old entrepreneur who dropped out of college to pursue his dream of building hospitality busine...

Meet the Muralist Who Transforms Ordinary Airbnbs into Extraordinary Experiences

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Bella Linchenko, a muralist, STR investor, and creative finance community builder. Growing up, Bella wanted to be a dog groomer…or an olympic g...

He's Building a Next-Generation Landscape Hotel in Public — Meet Oasi Hill Country

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Howdy friends!  In this episode Zach sits down with Ben Wolff, Co-Founder of Onera and Oasi — two of the most innovative brands in the experiential...

So, Was the Level Up Your Listing Summit Actually Worth It?

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the newest and hottest industry events, Level Up Your Listing, host by Natalie Palmer and Tatiana Taylor-Tait, just wrapped last week — and w...

Here's Where Google Says You Should Buy Your Next Airbnb

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Zach explores what Google Trends says about where to buy or build your next unique Airbnb. Zach shares fascinating insight into how s...

How Growing Up in the Amish Community Helped Him Become a Hospitality Entrepreneur

15 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Elam King — founder and CEO of Kingly Vacation Renta;s, a collection of short-term rentals and soon to be motels located across Pennsylvania an...

He Left Banking to Become a Hospitality Entrepreneur — Here's What He's Learned Building a Collection of 100+ Airbnbs

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Fred Boothby, Founder of Enjoy Unique Stays, a collection of 100 short-term rentals across Chattanooga, Michigan, North Carolina, and North Georg...

From CIA Aspirant to Travel Entrepreneur: Why He's Building a Platform Where Airbnb Hosts Can Travel for Free

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Landon Wilkinson, Co-Founder of Hostshare — a new platform that enables short-term rental hosts to trade unbooked nights in exchange for free t...

Hans Lorei on Building an Instagram Audience from 0 to 100k in 100 Days

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What’s up friends got a special episode for y’all today featuring my friend Hans Lorei one of the best if not THE BEST designer in the short-term ...

He Buys RV Parks: Predictions on the Future of Camping and Outdoor Hospitality

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Matt Whitermore, a  hospitality entrepreneur who buys, builds, and manages RV parks.  In this engaging conversation, Matt shares how he got sta...

How to Build the Apple of Vacation Rentals: Imagining, Creating, and Scaling the Wander Brand

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Kyle Tibbitts, Chief Marketing Officer at Wander, a network of smart, luxury vacation rentals that’s on a mission to verticalize the short-term...

5 Ways OpenAI's Sora Will Revolutionize Hospitality Entrepreneurship

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Behind the Stays, Zach shares five tangible and tactical ideas for how OpenAI's new Sora model will fundamentally change hospitalit...

How They Built a Cabin Collection That Landed in Vogue — The Story of North Country Cabin Co.

16 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Stephanie Gutierrez, the creator of North Country Cabin Co. — a boutique collection of short-term rentals located just 90 minutes from Minnesot...

So, Was the STR Wealth Conference Worth It? Here's What This Year's Attendees Thought

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the newest and hottest industry events, STR Wealth Con, just wrapped last week — and we wanted to know what people thought about the event! I...

Building the Prequel to Airbnb: Jeremy Gall on the Story of Flipkey and the Foundation of Breezeway

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Jeremy Gall, Founder & CEO of Breezeway  — the leading property care, operations and messaging platform for hospitality entrepreneurs. Gro...

She Wanted to Be a Cat, a Vet, or an Anesthesiologist — So, Naturally, She Got into Vacation Rentals

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Meaghan Moylan, Executive Director of Outpost — a Vacation Rental and Property Management company located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  If you we...

Marriott’s Venture into Vacation Rentals: The Story Behind Launching Homes & Villas

02 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Chris Stephenson, Vice President of Global Development at Marriott Homes & Villas. Chris has spent his career building new, innovative produc...

How She Designed a Luxury Haven in the Blue Ridge Mountains That Got Wander's Attention

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Taylor Bates, the creator of The Afton House — a stunning, luxury home made for gathering and nestled in the heart of Virginia wine country. Gr...

He Dreamed of Being a Farmer, But Wound Up An Entrepreneur: The Story of Back Forty Glamping

26 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Scott McIntosh, Co-Founder of Back Forty Glamping, a luxurious glamping oasis on 26 acres of land in Meaford, Ontario.  Growing up, Scott wanted...

How He's Reimagining Outdoor Hospitality Through the Restoration of 970 acres of Texas Hill Country

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Dylan Barahona, General Manager at Canyon of the Eagles, a nature resort and preserve on 940 acres of land, located just 1.5 Hours from Austin, T...

How They're Building the Hottest New Tiny Home: The Story of ÖÖD Mirror House

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Antonio Gonzalez, President of ÖÖD House — the company behind the instagram famous mirror houses. Antonio is an engineer by trade, but always...

From Music Producer to Hospitality Entrepreneur: The Story of Cameron Ranch Glamping

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Garett Brown, the visionary and creator behind Cameron Ranch Glamping, a collection of luxury glamping units on 11 acres just an hour outside of ...

Meet the 19-Year-Old Who Builds (and Buys) Unique Stays

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Brett Deas, a 19-year-old entrepreneur who owns and operates unique stay vacation rentals across the U.S. While his high school buddies were scro...

The New Era of Exploration: How Today’s Travelers Think About Loyalty, Independent Hotels, and Experiential Stays

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Mollie Reese, the host of the popular Stay in Good Company podcast and an experienced community builder who has spent her career working with lea...

How He Built the Uber for STR Cleaning: The Story of Turno

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Assaf Karmon, Co-founder & CEO of Turno — a marketplace that helps vacation rental hosts and property management companies simplify and aut...

How They Transformed a 100-Year-Old Beach House into a Chic Airbnb (And Booked it Fully in Just 11 Days)

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Jake and Leslie, the creators of the Lighthouse Cottage, an oceanfront escape in Cape May, New Jersey.  Jake and Leslie had always dreamed of ow...

Reflections and Ideas on Leadership, Branding, and Innovating from Best Western’s Former CEO

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Rob Patterson, an incredible hospitality leader whose most recent post was as the CEO of Best Western in the United Kingdom. Rob grew up in a ver...

How to Merge Luxury, Sustainability, and MICHELIN-Star Experiences — The Story of the Kabn Company

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Amber and Charlie Pledge — the founders of Kabn Company, a new hospitality brand focused on creating luxurious, and sustainable nature-immersed...

He Worked in Luxury Hotels for 20 Years — Now He’s Building the Future of Experiential Travel

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Steve Turk — a decorated professional who has spent over two decades working in luxury hospitality. Steve’s father was a susccessful attorney...

They Sold Their Auto Body Shop — Then Built the Country’s Most Wish-Listed Summer Escape on Airbnb

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Ashley and Andy — the creators of The Glass Treehouse, a stunning couple’s stay in Banner Elk, North Carolina close to downtown Boone.  Andy...

Winter Housekeeping: Sponstayneous and Behind the Stays in 2024

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You've been asking what we've got planed for 2024 —  so here's a sneak peak! I'm calling this episode our "Winter Housekeeping" pod so if you’re ...

From Hops to Hospitality: Crafting a Curation of the World’s Top Glamping Sites

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Jake Pontius — Co-Founder of Nook, a collection of North America’s most remarkable landscape hotels and outdoor accommodations.  After worki...

From Apple Intern to Hospitality Tech Entrepreneur: How Margot Schmorak Built Hostfully

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Margot Schmorak, Co-Founder and CEO of Hostfully — one of the hospitality industry’s leading technology companies.  Margot started her caree...

How to Build the Next Generation of Great Vacation Rental Businesses

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Episode 3 of Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing — a special Behind the Stays podcast series brought to you in collaboration with my frie...

How a Former Airbnb Employee is Reimagining How to Buy a Vacation Home — This is the Story of Summer

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Paul Kromidas, an industry trailblazer who transitioned from a strategic role at Airbnb to founding Summer, a company revolutionizing the vacatio...

How to Design The Right Marketing Strategy for YOUR Vacation Rental Business

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Episode 2 of Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing — a special Behind the Stays podcast series brought to you in collaboration with my frie...

How He Won Airbnb’s ”OMG!” Contest and Used the Cash to Build Bubble Retreats

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Tim Harper, an innovator who left the digital marketing world to create Bubble Retreats, a unique hospitality experience in Victoria, Australia. ...

How to Build a Supernatural Hospitality Company — The Story of Arcana

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Jeremy Hill, Co-Founder and CEO of Arcana — a next generation nature resort complete with seasonally immersive science-based experiences that h...

Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing: A Special 3-Part Podcast Series with BuildUp Bookings

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing — a special Behind the Stays podcast series brought to you in collaboration with my friend, Conrad O’...

The Business of Bill Faeth: A Look at His Content Business, STR Portfolio, and Events Company

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Bill Faeth — one of the most popular and well-respected voices in the short-term rental industry. Bill Faeth has been involved in real estate f...

He’s Built Businesses in Energy, Tech, and Media — Now He’s Building a Next-Generation Resort in Broken Bow

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Max Gagliardi — founder of Mountain Fork Resort, a 140-acre waterfront development in Broken Bow, Oklahoma.  Max is an entrepreneur who builds...

Vacation Rental Secrets: Lessons Learned from 50 STR Experts (with Brooke Pfautz)

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Brooke Pfautz, founder and CEO of Vintory, the only sales and marketing platform on the planet exclusively dedicated to helping professional vaca...

How They Built a Dome Micro-Resort on Top of a Waterfall

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet David and Andy Heyman — the two brothers who brought one of the newest and most unique glamping sites in the Blue Ridge Mountains to life, whic...

The Future of Vacation Rental Management Companies — Stories and Ideas from a Former VRMA President

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Mike Harrington, a true legend among vacation rental managers.   Mike’s career in hospitality started by accident.  After graduating from bu...

He Built the World’s #1 Hotel Marketing Website — Now He’s Building the Hottest Community in Hospitality.

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Josiah Mackenzie, Founder of Hospitality Daily — a community, podcast, and email newsletter that helps hospitality professionals stay informed ...

How They’re Building a New Hotel Brand from Scratch

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Tanner Cummings — Co-founder and Owner of Thin Spaces, a new hotel brand that’s building its first micro-resort called Cypress at the foothil...

He Led Corporate Communications for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar — Now He’s Building a Platform for the STR Community

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet James Varley — Founder of the Holiday Cottage Handbook and Varley Media.  James has had an impressive career in media — taking jobs around t...

A Panel Discussion on the Future of Short-Term Rental Investing with Wander, Techvestor, and Arrived

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet John Andrew Entwistle, Founder and CEO of Wander, Sief Khafagi, Co-Founder and CEO of Techvestor, and Cameron Wu, VP of Investments at Arrived. I...

He Wants Everyone to Own a Mansion — The Future of Vacation Rental Ownership with John Sutton

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet John Sutton — Co-Founder and CEO of Mansion, a new fractional ownership offering for those looking to get into short-term rental investing with...

How to Build (And Then Scale) a Unique Airbnb Co-Hosting Business

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Jake Tucker, founder of Roav — a collection of urban and luxury retreat STRs located in the Pacific Northwest Jake began co-hosting Airbnbs wh...

How AI Will Enable Hospitality Entrepreneurs to Scale Their Brands (and Portfolios)

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Want to save 30-40% off West Elm purchase for your Airbnb?  Or hundreds off of instagram famous mattresses from Bear or Purple? Then you'll want to c...

How to Build a Portfolio of 100 Single-Family Airbnbs and Transform Them into Unique Experiences

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Want to save 30-40% off West Elm purchase for your Airbnb?  Or hundreds off of instagram famous mattresses from Bear or Purple? Then you'll want to c...

Why She Left Her Successful Career in Accounting to Build a Hospitality Brand in the North Carolina Mountains

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Want to save 30-40% off West Elm purchase for your Airbnb?  Or hundreds off of instagram famous mattresses from Bear or Purple? Then you'll want to c...

How to Build the Next Generation of STR Management Companies

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Jacob Mueller, Co-Founder and CEO of Renjoy — a next generation short-term rental management firm based in Colorado Springs. Growing up, Jacob ...

How British Airways and an Airbnb in Istanbul Inspired Him to Build a Glamping Destination in the Catskills

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Stephen Pellicano — a hospitality entrepreneur in the Catskills focused on building simple glamping structures with everything you need and not...

How He Launched a Boutique Hotel for Bourbon Lovers — And Why He’s Bullish on Building for Niche Audiences.

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Eric Carrico — founder of the The Woodford Hotel, a boutique invisible service hotel in Versailles, Kentucky. Eric is a civil and environmental...

How to Build a Franchise-Worthy Hospitality Brand — The Story of Casiola

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Dennis Goedheid, founder and CEO of Casiola — one of the hottest vacation rental management companies in the short-term rental space. Dennis is...

He Was Airbnb’s 13th Employee — And Here’s What He Thinks the Future of the Hospitality Industry Will Look Like

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Justin Hauge, Co-Founder and CEO of Storied Collection — a collection of castles and historical stays across the UK and Ireland.  While Storie...

The Story Behind Sponstayneous and the Behind the Stays Podcast

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this special podcast episode, Zach Busekrus, host of the Behind the Stays podcast and co-founder of Sponstayneous shares the stories behind the inc...

Forget Vacation Destinations — He Builds Collections of Branded Airbnbs Near College Campuses

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Daniel Johnson, founder of Deacon Stays — a collection of curated stays near Wake Forest University.  Daniel has always been interested in rea...

He Launched Sonder in the UK — Now He’s Building Lodgeur, a Flexible Living Product in Texas

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Sébastien Long, founder of Lodgeur — a furnished living, on-demand product that gives traveling professionals and digital nomads the service ...

Lessons Learned While Building a Portfolio of 100+ Airbnbs AFTER the COVID Boom — with Taylor Jones

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Taylor Jones, Head of Acquisition at Techvestor, one of my favorite STR thought leaders to follow on social media, and a good friend of the Behin...

How to Build the Future of Soft Brands in Short-Term Rentals — Michael Goldin, Storied Collection

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Michael Goldin, Co-Founder of the Storied Collection — an exclusive collection of historic estates, castles and other unique residences-turned-...

How They Founded, Built, and Scaled ’Thanks for Visiting’

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Annette Grant and Sarah Karakain from Thanks for Visiting — one of the most popular, if not THE most popular short-term rental podcasts out the...