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Gen Z, Millennials, and the Vacation Ownership Shift Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

Seventy-three percent of new vacation ownership purchases now come from Gen Z and millennials.

That changes the pitch, product strategy, and member experience conversation for every company in vacation ownership.

During ARDA Spring Conference, I spoke with Gordon Gurnik, COO of Hilton Grand Vacations, about younger buyers, points-based flexibility, AI, and the experiences HGV builds around ownership.

🎟 HGV runs about 3,800 member experiences a year, so ownership means access, not just more space

🏎 At Elara in Las Vegas, HGV brings F1 into the owner experience with viewing areas, concerts, food, and beverage

🎤 Chef dinners, wine tastings, baseball suites, and private concerts create moments members may not arrange on their own

🤖 AI opens a path toward more personal recommendations, especially in markets like Las Vegas where too many choices can overwhelm a trip

👨‍👩‍👧 Points-based ownership helps younger buyers adapt as their families, schedules, and vacation habits change

Gordon also talks about why hospitality keeps people hooked: travel, food and beverage, construction, marketing, sales, entertainment, and the moments when guests create memories right in front of you.

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Hotel Owners Facing Tough Choice: PIP, Sell, or Switch Management Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

Hotel owners staring down PIPs have three choices: spend the money, sell the asset, or rethink management.

During NYU IHIF, I spoke with Ben Perelmuter, CEO of Remington Hospitality, and Scott Geres, General Manager of Hotel Edison, from inside the Hotel Edison in Times Square.

Ben says hotel deal activity has finally picked up after several slower conference cycles. Owners face brand pressure, capital decisions, and asset sales, and Remington Hospitality has already added 17 new third-party deals in the first four months of the year.

🏨 PIPs and capital pressure now push owners toward harder decisions

📈 Remington has added 17 new third-party deals this year

🔁 Asset sales can create new management opportunities

🌎 Remington continues expanding in the Caribbean and Latin America, including Grand Cayman, Peru, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Mexico

🗽 Scott shares what Hotel Edison sees from the middle of Times Square, including a strong first quarter, softer international demand, and future demand around the World Cup and America's 250th anniversary

We also got The Godfather hallway, Luca Brasi, and a reminder that some hotel interviews come with better scenery than others.

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Undergraduate by Hilton: A New Hotel Brand for College Towns Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

During NYU IHIF, Hilton debuted Undergraduate by Hilton, a brand-new conversion product aimed at university markets where a full Graduate Hotel may not fit.

Jenna Hackett, SVP, Global Leader, Lifestyle Brand Management at Hilton, joined me for a conversation about how Undergraduate by Hilton connects with Graduate Hotels while giving owners a more affordable, scalable conversion option.

🎓 Graduate Hotels brings bespoke, university-adjacent storytelling across more than 35 locations

🏨 Undergraduate by Hilton gives Hilton a growth path across hundreds of additional university markets

🔁 Owners can use the brand for conversion and new-build opportunities

🎨 Hilton created a playful university feel and gave owners room for local color through artwork, paint, and design details

Jenna also talked about Hilton's broader conversion momentum, including Curio Collection, Tapestry Collection, and Outset Collection.

University markets keep creating opportunity, and Hilton sees more room for growth.

Watch the full conversation on #NoVacancyNews.

Red Roof Builds an AI-Driven Website: How It Wins Search Next Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

At NYU IHIF, I talked with Zack Gharib, President of Red Roof, because the brand made three moves worth watching at the same time: entered Canada, pushed tech growth, and rebuilt the website around AI search.

Then the numbers back it up: app performance up 55%, loyalty enrollments up 29%, and 54,000 app downloads across Q1/April/May.

🇨🇦 First Canada deal: Vancouver airport market, 168 rooms, local operating partner 📈 Zack says Red Roof beat the economy-segment forecast and grew year over year through Q1, April, and May ⭐ Quality scores climbed about 2 points year over year, plus stronger social and mystery scores 📱 Tech momentum: 55% app performance lift, 29% loyalty enrollment lift, 54,000 downloads across Q1/April/May 🧠 Next push: AI-driven website strategy focused on findability and direct bookings 🚗 Summer read: strong interstate and suburban pace as families choose drive-to travel, pacing double digits over last year

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Bar Profit Leaks: The 2 Quick Tests Owners Can Run Tonight Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

7.2 seconds behind the bar can cost about $1.1M a year. That's how Tobin Ellis, a 30-year bar industry veteran, thinks about bar design: eliminate problems before they happen, then let the team sell more with fewer steps.

👀 Quick test: nonstop walking behind the bar kills selling time and guest connection 🍸 Quick test: "order → disappear → return" kills second rounds 📏 Tobin builds "Zero Step" stations so bartenders stop running laps ⏱️ Tobin measured 7.2 seconds of waste per bartender and tied it to about $1.1M/year on one rooftop bar 🏨 Use the timing: conversions and PIPs give owners the best window to fix the bar correctly 📚 Start cheap: Bar Design Essentials

Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. 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.

Most Hotel Websites Don't Use Video—That's Why Guests Bounce May 31, 2026

Show notes

One frustrating thing about hospitality: guests want to research rooms visually, but most hotel websites don't include video. When hotels force guests to imagine a room, they simply move on.

So I talked with Jason Craparo, CEO of hovr, and Ethan Wiseman, VP of Product Management at aven hospitality, about what hotels can do right now to fix that disconnect.

🎥 Audit your site: count how many videos you actually show per room type, view, and suite category 📱 Build a "video path" that matches how guests shop: room → view → bathroom → balcony → public spaces ⚡ Add video without slowing the site: protect load speed or you lose the guest before they see the content ♿ Treat accessibility as a baseline, not a bolt-on: make video usable for more guests from day one 🏨 Use video to reduce uncertainty on high-consideration stays: fewer surprises means fewer abandons and fewer complaints 💰 Track what happens when guests watch video: more video consumption often lines up with higher spend, so measure it and price accordingly

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

FNA 210: The Poland Adjustment May 30, 2026

Show notes

We're back in the Hotel Pet Peeves bracket… but first, we nearly lose the plot over Glenn's "Haussman Resort Pool Club Smokehouse & Dispensary Brewery" (still a working title).

Friday Night Audit brings Craig Sullivan, Dr. Producer Suzanne Bagnera, and our guest Elyse Poland ("Bucket Hat") back for the Infuri-Eight—plus the usual friendly violence.

🍻 Pet Peeves tournament returns 🛠️ Glenn's studio remodel enters year 3 of the "3–5 years left" plan 😇 Craig ships Glenn a giant happy-face package so we can finally call him Mr. Sunshine 🎭 Southern Lodging Summit reunion planning, with dates we say confidently and refuse to fact-check 🃏 Trading cards, sprinkler-head nonsense, and other bad ideas we fully commit to

Watch it, laugh at us, then go vote for the pet peeve you hate most on #NoVacancyNews.

Vacation Ownership Loyalty vs Hotel Loyalty: What's Different May 29, 2026

Show notes

During the recently held ARDA Spring Conference, I met Scott Weisz, EVP Strategic Business Operations at Marriott Vacations Worldwide, and we got into loyalty—because it doesn't work the same way in vacation ownership as it does in hotels.

We talk about what actually keeps owners coming back: the booking journey, real service on-property, and experiences that match how younger travelers want to travel now.

📅 Loyalty starts before arrival: make booking easy and help owners match the right trip to what they own 🤝 Service builds loyalty: deliver consistent hospitality across the whole journey 🏝️ Two owner styles show up fast: families who return to the same resort every year vs owners who want new destinations each trip 🌍 Younger travelers want variety, flexibility, and more destination immersion 🧒 Resorts win with activities across age groups so families don't split up 💬 Loyalty shows up in behavior: buy more points, travel more often, and bring friends and family along

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Hotel Development 2026: Where New Builds Still Win May 28, 2026

Show notes

Our friend Bruce Ford, SVP at Lodging Econometrics, joined me right after Lodging Econometrics released its Global Hotel Pipeline report—and it comes with a few surprises and some "pay attention to this" moments for owners, operators, brands, and suppliers.

We walk through what the report shows across new construction, renovations, and conversions—and how the mix shifts depending on where you look.

🌍 Bruce breaks down where new builds keep accelerating and where renovations/conversions take the lead 🇨🇳 China stays on a different scale for rooms under construction 🕋 Mecca keeps projects moving, but timelines stretch 12–24 months as mega-project scope expands 🏙️ Luxury trends smaller on key counts, and developers stack residential into the deal 🎸 Las Vegas stays active with renovations plus a few big-ticket bets 🇺🇸 Conversions keep running in the U.S. because transactions trigger recapitalization and PIPs force decisions

Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. 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.

Skytouch PMS Adds AI Tools for Front Desk and Ops May 27, 2026

Show notes

Skytouch ships AI tools. The tools help associates move faster, feel more confident, and stay engaged on shift. Hotels keep more good people, and guests feel the difference.

I talked with Charlie Green at Skytouch Technology about what the AI handles now and what the roadmap adds next.

🤖 AI answers front desk questions fast: "How do I change rooms?" "Where do I find X?" 🧠 AI adds context. New associates learn priorities, not just clicks. ⚡ Skytouch expands AI beyond Q&A. The roadmap adds task execution and reduces busywork. 📈 Better support raises productivity and confidence. Teams stick around longer and ramp faster. 😊 Stronger execution lifts the guest experience because staff spends less time hunting for answers and more time helping guests. 🧾 Charlie highlights bulk actions, including checking out 30 rooms at once and sequencing housekeeping for group arrivals.

Skytouchtechnology.com

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

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