No Vacancy Live!

Latest Episodes:

1020: Inside The Boca Raton: Repositioning a 100-Year-Old Luxury Resort Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

Repositioning a 100-year-old luxury resort hits different than building something new. You work with history, legacy expectations, and a modern guest who doesn't care about any of that unless the experience delivers.

Suzanne co-hosts with me, and we talk with Daniel Hostetler, President & CEO of The Boca Raton, about how the property has managed a multi-year repositioning under new ownership — what they changed, why they changed it, and how they operate it day to day. I'm sharing it under #NoVacancyNews.

Here's what we hit: 🏛️ They left a brand and run the resort independently under new ownership 🏗️ They knocked down a convention center, opening up land for a four-acre leisure-driven pool complex 🏨 They run five distinct lodging products across one campus (Beach Club, Tower, Cloister, Yacht Club, Bungalows) ⭐ They use Forbes standards as the operating baseline and build toward a multi–five-star goal 🎁 They push curated personalization: amenity closet + butlers instead of one-size-fits-all turndown 👥 Daniel talks promote-from-within and how they build consistency across a large team

Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.

Sunday Flashback: Inside the Legendary Royal Sonesta New Orleans Mar 08, 2026

Show notes

Step inside the heart of Bourbon Street with Sonesta International Hotels' Royal Sonesta New Orleans GM David Bilbe on #NoVacancyNews. From historic #neworleans charm to future renovations, this tour gives you a front-row seat to one of the most irreplaceable hotel assets in America.

🔹 Highlights:

Growing up with Royal Sonesta — why this hotel holds personal meaning for GM David Bilby

Fulfilling a dream: David's journey to leading this iconic property

What makes Royal Sonesta's energy and vibe so different from other hotels

Celebrating New Orleans traditions with Easter parades and local favorites

The unforgettable guest arrival experience — energy that sets the tone instantly

Touring the jazz club, oyster bar, and fine dining hotspot, Restaurant Revolution

How long-time staff loyalty defines the hotel's guest experience

Balancing modern renovations with authentic New Orleans charm

Finding calm in the hidden pool courtyard — a true oasis off Bourbon Street

Stories of guests who return year after year for Jazz Fest, Mardi Gras, and beyond

Special thanks to our advertiser Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com!

✅ Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more incredible behind-the-scenes hospitality stories!

FNA 203: No Carreirao's in The World Mar 07, 2026

Show notes

Big show tonight as we kick off the weekend happy hour celebration. We're joined by our friend Paula Carreirao live from Brazil and Glenn, Craig and Doctor Producer Suzanne torture her with an update on the Round of 32 for our Hotel Pet Peeves Face off.

vote now: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R26KPKV

How Airlift Drives Hotel Demand in the Caribbean Mar 06, 2026

Show notes

Wyndham doesn't treat Latin America like one market. Growth concentrates in specific places, and execution decides who wins.

For #NoVacancyNews, I talked with Gustavo Viescas (President, Latin America, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts) at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar in Puerto Rico about where Wyndham sees momentum across Latin America and the Caribbean.

🏷️ He explains how a large brand portfolio matches different market realities 🏝️ He ties Rio Mar to the experience strategy: culture + nature, and why resorts have to feel "of the place" 🏙️ He talks growth across resorts, all-inclusive, and city hotels, including secondary markets 🇩🇴 He calls the Dominican Republic the hottest Wyndham market the last few years and ties it to public/private alignment ✈️ He points to airlift as a growth lever and how expanded connectivity supports demand

1019: SBA Loans for Hotel Owners: AAHOA Pushes From $5M To $10M Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

AAHOA heads to Philadelphia for #AAHOACON26, and this year's theme stays dead simple: protect and advance profitability.

Suzanne Bagnera, PhD, CHA, CED co-hosts #NOVacancyNews with me, and we talk with Laura Lee Blake (President & CEO, AAHOA) about what she wants owners focused on right now—and why this conference keeps growing.

🏛️ Philadelphia ties to the 250th anniversary of the U.S., and Laura Lee ties that to AAHOA members pursuing the American dream

📈 Laura Lee puts the pressure on the table: expenses up 7–10% while revenues stay flat 🎯 AAHOA builds sessions around profitability and "what to do next," not theory

🎓 The collegiate championship returns for year three, with students defending decisions "Shark Tank style" on stage 🎤 Keynote highlight: Paul Brown, co-founder/CEO of Inspire Brands (Arby's, Dunkin', Sonic, etc.)

🏛️ Capitol Hill push: AAHOA backs legislation to raise SBA loan limits from $5M to $10M

🧰 Trade show scale keeps growing: 500+ vendors expected

Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.

Customer Journey 2: How Empowered Hotel Teams Improve Guest Experience Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

Chapter 2 of this 6-part CoralTree Customer Journey series gets into the part a lot of companies talk about and then struggle to execute: team empowerment.

Customer journey work sounds soft until you tie it to labor, service consistency, guest loyalty, and revenue. This chapter gets into the people side that makes the strategy work.

I talk with Sean Beucler, SVP of Operations at CoralTree Hospitality, about trust, recognition, decision-making, and how leaders build a culture where teams can act with confidence.

Here is what we cover:

· Why Sean says the biggest focus now is the team, not just the process

· What real empowerment looks like in hotel operations

· Why recognition drives repeated behavior

· How leaders handle mistakes without killing trust

· How guest experience connects to occupancy, ADR, and owner results

· Why the best ideas often come from line-level teams

Missed Chapter 1? Start there first - it sets up the leadership strategy behind this week's operations conversation.

Next week: we move into the standards/framework and the commercial impact.

Want to follow the full series and catch any chapters you miss along the way? Subscribe to the #NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866.

Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

1018: Hoteliers - Don't Get Buried in AI Search — Do This First Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

Everybody keeps saying "AI" like it's one thing. It isn't.

Suzanne co-hosts with me for this one, and we bring in Ira Vouk, someone we constantly see on the conference circuit. Ira teaches, writes, and helps companies make sense of what's coming, so we asked her for actionable insights instead of ponderous theory. I'm sharing it here on #NoVacancyNews because hotels need practical moves, not more theory.

We stick to a few things that actually matter: 🤖 AI isn't new — but 2022 changed who can use it and how fast it spreads 🔎 Search and distribution change first, so hotels need to make their own websites readable to machines 🧼 Ira calls out "AI-washing" and pushes a simple filter: where does AI show up, what's the use case, and what ROI do you get

Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.

Global Hotel Pipeline: What Brands See vs What Owners Feel Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

Global hotel "conditions" don't hit everyone the same way. The big franchise companies play a global game. Most owners play a street-corner game with one asset and one set of debt terms. That gap matters. I talked with Bruce Ford (SVP, Lodging Econometrics) about the global pipeline and the economic forces shaping what actually gets built, renovated, or converted right now. I'm sharing it under hashtag#NoVacancyNews. 💸 Inflation shows up everywhere: it costs the average American family about $1,000 more this year, and it costs about 25% more to run a hotel now than at the start of the pandemic 🏦 Debt still drives decisions: even when rates move, owners still have to make the math work on acquisitions, renovations, and conversions 🔧 The world leans hard into existing assets: Bruce sees about 2.5x more renovations/conversions globally than rooms under construction for new hotels 🏷️ Brands push harder on PIPs and standards again, and owners push to monetize every revenue dollar per square foot 🏨 We zoom out on what "global" means for the majors: pipeline scale, brand portfolios, and why Hilton/Marriott/IHG think differently than a single-property owner ✨ Then we hit the fun part: what the global pipeline says about luxury, lifestyle, extended stay, dual-branding, and where the big flags grow next Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.

Sunday Flashback: Mitch Patel's 'Vision' on Building a Stronger Culture and Hotel Growth Mar 01, 2026

Show notes

From October 2025

Recorded live at the Southern Lodging Summit this past August as part of the keynote luncheon, Mitch Patel, President & CEO of Vision Hospitality Group, sat down with Glenn Haussman to share his journey from a single $3,000 investment to leading one of the most respected hotel companies in the U.S.

In this conversation, Mitch explains:

Why operational excellence and team culture are the true foundations of success

How Vision Hospitality keeps growing even when the market tightens

What "building a brick house" really means for long-term profitability

How to inspire the next generation to find purpose in #hospitality

🎙️ Sponsored by Actabl — giving hoteliers the tools and data to drive real #profitability. 👉 Learn more at actabl.com

FNA 202: Type 202 Meltdown Feb 28, 2026

Show notes

Quite frankly we're scared about this one. Fortunbately the iconic Dorraine Lallani is back to bring class to this mess of a happy hour show. Glenn, Craig and Suzanne are a bit scared for the quick return of Pink Pony Club founder Patty Jefferson because they're worried they don't have what it takes to horse around.

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