Behind the Stays

In today’s episode of Behind the Stays, we’re diving into one of the biggest mysteries plaguing modern hospitality entrepreneurs — how do you take all that beautiful, buzzworthy content that’s racking up views on Instagram and actually turn it into real bookings?

My guest today is Dustin Baker, the quietly brilliant force behind Hidden Gem Media — a performance-driven marketing agency that’s helping some of the most design-forward ...

When you need real talk and real data on the glamping industry, there’s one person you call — and her name is Shari Heilala. In this episode, I sit down with the “godmother of glamping” for a deep dive into Sage Outdoor Advisory’s just-released Q2 USA Glamping Market Insights Report — the most comprehensive data set on the U.S. glamping market to date.

We unpack how Shari and her team are filling the gap...

Today I’m thrilled to be joined by Brandon Gore—someone whose life journey seems like it’s packed enough experiences for several lifetimes. Brandon’s story is anything but ordinary: from leaving high school behind at 17 to opening hotels, scaling sales operations across multiple Marriott properties, and then making the boldest leap yet—founding his own concrete design company.

But here’s where things get even more fascinating. Bran...

Today is a special episode because Journey is officially live! I’m thrilled to sit down with John Sutton, the visionary founder of Journey, to talk about how this groundbreaking loyalty platform for independent hotels and private rentals came to life. 

We’ll dive into John’s original inspiration, discuss the future of guest loyalty, and highlight the incredible Alliance Partners who’ve joined us early on this journey. Journey unite...

Today, I’m thrilled to share a conversation with someone I’ve admired from afar for quite some time — Bashar Wali.

If you’ve spent any time in the hospitality space, chances are you’ve come across Bashar’s work — or at least his words. He’s the former President and CEO of Provenance Hotels, and today he leads two companies he founded: Practice Hospitality, a management company focused on culturally resonant independent hotels, and ...

I’ve long admired Salt Hotels — their properties, their presence, their ability to make the familiar feel completely new. So when I had the chance to sit down with David Bowd, the visionary behind the brand, I knew we were in for something special.

David’s story begins not in a boardroom or luxury suite, but in a small café his mother bought when he was a kid. It was there he discovered the energy of hospitality — the joy in unpred...

In this episode, Zach sits down with Shaun Shirazian, CEO of Lodgify, for an unfiltered conversation about what’s next in hospitality tech—and what’s not changing. Shaun shares how a meaningful moment on a San Diego balcony more than a decade ago sparked his passion for short-term rentals, and how that guest connection still drives his work building tools for small operators around the globe.

We unpack Lodgify’s long-standing missi...

Welcome back to our special two-part series recorded live at the VRMA Executive Summit in Miami Beach. This gathering brought together some of the sharpest minds and boldest voices in vacation rental management, and we made it our mission to capture real-time insights on what’s top of mind for the leaders shaping this space.

In Part 2, we continue our hot-take conversations with a new lineup of industry experts, diving into the the...

1. What’s a ...

James McBride is not just a hotelier — he's a visionary storyteller, a daring innovator, and a relentless champion of authentic luxury experiences. What started as his bold vision to redefine hospitality on a remote Indonesian island has become an award-winning global phenomenon, with Nihi Resorts capturing the imagination of travelers worldwide. As the co-founder of Nihi alongside legendary serial entrepreneur Chris Burch (co-...

If you’ve ever dreamed of running marketing for one of the most iconic resorts in the Caribbean—or just wanted a peek behind the scenes of what it actually takes to make a destination “hot”—today’s episode is for you.

My guest is Jason Kycek, the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at the legendary Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. And while Jason’s resume includes time with some of the most respected names in hospi...

What started as a furlough-era side project on Instagram is now a full-fledged media brand reaching over 400,000 boutique hotel obsessives — and Brandon Berkson, founder of Hotels Above Par, is just getting started.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Brandon’s unshakable obsession with boutique hotels (he used to play hotel as a kid — not kidding)

• How a background in PR shaped his approach to storytelling, strategy, and aesthet...

Cory Schisler isn’t just building beautiful hotels and restaurants — he’s rethinking what hospitality actually feels like.

He’s worked with brands like Proper and Viceroy, co-founded The Madrona in Healdsburg, and has a sharp eye for the subtle — and not-so-subtle — ways hospitality has evolved (and where it still needs to catch up).

In this episode, we unpack: – The early experiences that shaped Cory’s hospitality worldview – How...

Before founding creative studio Corner Booth, Carolyn co-founded Casetta Group, the acclaimed boutique hospitality brand known for transforming forgotten roadside motels into soulful, design-forward stays that actually reflect the communities they’re in. But her journey started far from the boardroom — as a cocktail server at the Ace Hotel in New York, where she first experienced the magic of what a hotel could be when it’s built w...

Khalid Meniri didn’t come from hospitality — but maybe that’s exactly why he was able to see its most obvious blind spot so clearly.

A designer and technologist by trade, Khalid is the founder of Selfbook, the beautifully elegant booking platform that’s quietly powering the next generation of high-end hotels.

In this episode, you’ll hear the remarkable story of how a glass cube on Fifth Avenue (yes, the Apple Store) first inspired ...

Steve Carran never set out to become one of the most recognized voices in hospitality media. But what started as a scrappy experiment to engage hoteliers during his time in sales has now blossomed into The Modern Hotelier — one of the industry’s most beloved podcasts and a new video media brand that’s putting a fresh lens on hospitality storytelling.

In this episode, you’ll hear the fascinating backstory behind how Steve and his co...

If you’ve scrolled Instagram or Design Milk anytime in the last few years, you’ve probably come across a hotel that made you stop scrolling. Not because it was just beautiful, but because it felt like a world. A story. And chances are... that hotel was built by Ash.

In this episode, I sit down with Ari Heckman, founder & CEO of Ash — one of the most distinctive hospitality brands redefining how hotels, neighborhoods, and even ...

What if the future of storytelling isn't about bigger platforms — but sharper taste? What if the real shift happening in media isn't just economic... but moral?

Today, you’re about to meet Rafat Ali — founder and CEO of Skift, one of the most respected travel media brands in the world. But his story didn’t start there.

Rafat grew up in India, a shy kid who stuttered — and somehow rewrote his future with nothing but words and a rel...