Welcome to Behind the Stays — a podcast that shares the stories behind your favorite boutique hotels, short-term rentals, and hospitality brands and the hosts, operators, and entrepreneurs who’ve brought them to life. Every Tuesday and Friday you’ll meet the military veterans, retired flight attendants, tech entrepreneurs, school teachers, single moms, hoteliers, and real estate investors who are all, in their unique ways, shaping the future of travel and hospitality. Discover how these visionaries — from all over the world — have built stunning landscape hotels in the mountains, designed bohemian bungalows on the beach, erected eclectic off-grid and nature-immersed escapes, and so much more. Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Behind the States is hosted by Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance.
Episodes
Friday Jun 23, 2023
Friday Jun 23, 2023
This episode is brought to you by StayFi!
StayFi makes it easy to collect data from and market to every single person staying in your short-term rental. StayFi lets you create a custom branded WiFi splash page similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop.
This means you can collect the name, email address, and phone number from every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need to use the WiFi.
Learn more about StayFi at StayFi.com and be sure to use the code “BTS” at checkout for 50% off your first 3 months.
Meet Jessica Foster, the creator of Ironton Island — a collection of unique glamping stays in Ironton, Minnesota.
Jessica is a product designer by trade and has always had a love for the outdoors — something she and her husband Chad have in common. Jessica and Chad have always enjoyed working hard and dreaming about ways to create valuable assets that enable others to encounter the natural world in more meaningful ways.
So, when the opportunity presented itself for the couple to begin designing and building unique, but affordable, Airbnb escapes, they jumped at it.
Tune in to hear the story of how Jessica and Chad have strategically acquired overlooked land, built simple but memorable unique stays — with little-to-no financing — and how they plan to take a more “bootstrapped” approach to building their collection of insta-worthy short-term rentals.
Behind the Stays is brought to you by Sponstayneous — a carefully-curated newsletter that sends subscribers 150 of the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb twice a week. You can subscribe for free at www.sponstayneous.com.
Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus (@zboozee) — Co-Founder of Sponstayneous. If you know of an Airbnb host you think we should have on the show, please reach out directly to Zach at zach@sponstayneous.com and he'd be happy to talk with them.
Tuesday Jun 20, 2023
Tuesday Jun 20, 2023
This episode is brought to you by StayFi!
StayFi makes it easy to collect data from and market to every single person staying in your short-term rental. StayFi lets you create a custom branded WiFi splash page similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop.
This means you can collect the name, email address, and phone number from every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need to use the WiFi.
Learn more about StayFi at StayFi.com and be sure to use the code “BTS” at checkout for 50% off your first 3 months.
Meet Mark Simpson — the founder and CEO of Boostly, the leading direct booking website builder for STR and vacation rental hosts.
Mark literally grew up immersed in the hospitality industry. His family lived on a 200 acre farm in Scarborough, England where they ran a bed and breakfast and farm-to-table restaurant for folks around the UK looking for a relaxing getaway from the city.
After a career as a football, or as we call it here in the states, soccer coach, Mark wound up returning to the farm to help usher the family business into the 21st Century. And while he couldn’t have known it at the time, this move would wind up laying the groundwork for Mark to become one of the most trusted and inspirational voices in hospitality.
Tune in to hear the story of how Mark recognized a massive opportunity to help STR owners and operators build and scale their businesses, reduce their reliance on OTAs like Airbnb, and increase their portfolio’s revenue.
In this episode we talk about:
- How Tim Ferris’ 4-Hour Work Week inspired Mark’s entrepreneurial spirit
- Why he bought a billboard in Times Square with has face on it and the words “I’m the guy Airbnb doesn’t want you to know about”
- His content marketing playbook which has garnered him tens of thousands of followers across LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram
- His hot takes on the future of travel and hospitality
Friday Jun 16, 2023
Friday Jun 16, 2023
This episode is a special one! Wil Slickers from Slick Talk invited our host, Zach Busekrus, to come and share his story on Wil's top-rated hospitality podcast.
Enjoy this rebroadcasted episode!
Be sure to subscribe to Wil's show here or wherever you get your podcast.
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
This episode is brought to you by StayFi!
StayFi makes it easy to collect data from and market to every single person staying in your short-term rental. StayFi lets you create a custom branded WiFi splash page similar to what you might experience when logging onto the WiFi network at your favorite coffee shop.
This means you can collect the name, email address, and phone number from every guest staying with you, not just the one who booked…because who doesn’t need to use the WiFi.
Learn more about StayFi at StayFi.com and be sure to use the code “BTS” at checkout for 50% off your first 3 months.
Meet Katie Cline, creator of Trout Landing in Lake George, New York.
While new to the STR space, Katie comes from a background of luxury hospitality PR, having worked for brands such as The Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels, St. Regis, JW Marriott, Edition, and Le Méridien in both New York and London.
In this episode Katie and I discuss what STR hosts designing, building, and hosting luxury stays can learn from some of the most highly-regarded hospitality organizations in the world.
We chat about how the communication tone and style differs within Marriott's luxury collection, some of the most noteworthy experiences Katie had while working in PR, how she’s applying her learnings from luxe hospitality to the building of her own hospitality brand, and some lessons she thinks STR owners and operators can learn from luxury hotels.
Book Your Stay at Trout Landing
Behind the Stays is brought to you by Sponstayneous — a carefully-curated newsletter that sends subscribers 150 of the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb twice a week. You can subscribe for free at www.sponstayneous.com.
Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus (@zboozee) — Co-Founder of Sponstayneous.
If you know of an Airbnb host you think we should have on the show, please reach out directly to Zach at zach@sponstayneous.com and he'd be happy to talk with them.
Friday Jun 09, 2023
Friday Jun 09, 2023
So there’s been a LOT happening over the last couple of months and I wanted to give you all a quick update on some exciting happenings at Sponstayneous and Behind the Stays...
Subscribe to Behind the Stays on YouTube
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Join the Sponstayneous Host Partner Program
’m going to call this episode and future episodes like it “housekeeping” so if you’re just here for the guests I bring onto the show and don’t care too much about what we’re building at Sponstayneous or the community we’re cultivating through Behind the Stays, I am not offended, just ignore these episodes when they pop-up into your feed.
But, if you ARE cheering us on and curious about what’s been happening behind the scenes of Behind the Stays, then lend me your ears for the next few minutes
On the agenda for today:
- New ways for y’all to stay connected to Behind the Stays
- A big update to Sponstayneous
- How hosts are using our Ping product to increase their nightly rates
- The expansion of our host partner program
About the Show
Behind the Stays is brought to you twice a week by Sponstayneous — a free, biweekly newsletter that brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.
You can subscribe, for free, at www.sponstayneous.com.
Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Minoan.
Minoan provides hosts with a one-stop-shop to get hundreds of discounts on the world’s leading brands, and a system where you can manage all of the ordering, tracking, returns, etc. in one place. Saving you time and money!
Create your free account here and be sure to tell the team that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you there way!
Meet Hans Lorei — Head of Design at Investmet.com and one of the most beloved designers in the short-term rental and boutique hospitality corners of the internet.
Hans was working at a bar in Nashville when he overheard a couple of real estate developers discussing a new luxury build they were working on nearby, and something about their conversation sparked inspiration in Hans.
He asked if he could come and check out their project and the duo said yes. And while Hans couldn’t have known it at the time, this would prove to be a pivotal moment in his life and the first step in his journey to becoming a realtor, learning the ropes of development, and applying his creative talents to the hospitality space.
In this conversation, Hans and I discuss:
- Why STR hosts should invest way more in design
- Why hosts should think about their yards as an extension of their homes
- How to ensure that every item you buy for your STR is aligned with your brand
- And loads more.
Get excited for a riveting and inspirational conversation with one of my favorite follows on Twitter.
Create your free Minoan account
About the Show
Behind the Stays is brought to you twice a week by Sponstayneous — a free, biweekly newsletter that brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.
You can subscribe, for free, at www.sponstayneous.com.
Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.
Friday Jun 02, 2023
Friday Jun 02, 2023
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Minoan.
Minoan provides hosts with a one-stop-shop to get hundreds of discounts on the world’s leading brands, and a system where you can manage all of the ordering, tracking, returns, etc. in one place. Saving you time and money!
Create your free account here and be sure to tell the team that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you there way!
Meet Jason and Monique — the founders of The Vermont A-Frame…one of the OG instagram famous A-Frames in New England.
Jason grew up vacationing in Vermont, but it wasn’t until he took Monique up from Jersey for a weekend that the couple realized how special this part of the country really was.
Soon after that trip, Jason and Monique began dreaming about how they might own a vacation home in the area that they could escape to on long weekends and perhaps rent out to others on occasion.
Tune in to hear the story of how the couple found the perfect A-Frame (after visiting more than 20 others!) and transformed it into one of the most desirable vacation homes in the Green Mountain State.
In this episode, I chat with Jason and Monique about:
- What it was like owning a unique stay back in 2017 and how their business has been impacted since the covid boom
- The best and worst experiences they’ve had with creators and influencers
- Why they often ignore their dynamic pricing tools in favor of attracting the core guest avatar
- And so much more.
Book Your Stay at The Vermont A-Frame
Follow The Vermont A-Frame on Instagram
About the Show
Behind the Stays is brought to you twice a week by Sponstayneous — a free, biweekly newsletter that brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.
You can subscribe, for free, at www.sponstayneous.com.
Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Tuesday May 30, 2023
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Minoan.
Minoan provides hosts with a one-stop-shop to get hundreds of discounts on the world’s leading brands, and a system where you can manage all of the ordering, tracking, returns, etc. in one place. Saving you time and money!
Create your free account here and be sure to tell the team that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you there way!
Meet Nate Vietz, founder of Content House — one of the most exciting media agencies serving the short-term rental community.
After graduating from high school, Nate began working as a line cook. He loved the creative outlet that cooking offered so much so that he wound up starting his own meal prepping business.
And then covid hit…and, overnight, Nate’s entire business model had to shift. It was stressful to say the least, but it was this world-changing moment that inspired him to pause and think about what he really wanted to do in the next chapter of his life.
Tune in to hear the story behind the opportunity Nate saw to help hospitality entrepreneurs build their brands on social media through a unique approach to content creation, social media strategy, and audience development.
In this episode, Nate and I discuss:
- How he convinced internet-famous Airbnb personalities like Levi Kelly and Isaac French to work with him
- How he’s helped dozens of clients go viral on Instagram and TikTok
- The key to creating great content that doesn’t break the bank
- How to measure the value of your Airbnb’s following on social media
- and much more
About the Show
Behind the Stays is brought to you twice a week by Sponstayneous — a free, biweekly newsletter that brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.
brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.
You can subscribe, for free, at www.sponstayneous.com.
Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.
Friday May 26, 2023
Friday May 26, 2023
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Minoan.
Minoan provides hosts with a one-stop-shop to get hundreds of discounts on the world’s leading brands, and a system where you can manage all of the ordering, tracking, returns, etc. in one place. Saving you time and money!
Create your free account here and be sure to tell the team that Zach from Behind the Stays sent you there way!
About the Episode:
Meet Sani Djaya, the creator of Moonbase — a next generation luxury campground designed to help make stargazing accessible to all.
Sani is a product manager by trade. After graduating from University of Maryland College Park, he traded the east coast for the west coast and has spent the last few years working for tech startups.
Sani has always loved the outdoors, so when he learned that his girlfriend had never been stargazing, he knew he had to change this reality as quickly as possible. But there was one BIG problem…his girlfriend wasn’t thrilled about sleeping in a sleeping bag in a tent on top of a mountain.
And that’s when Sani had an idea…what if he could design a luxe camping experience that would enable you to stargaze to your heart's content AND get the best night of sleep you ever had…and, that’s when the idea for Moonbase was born.
In this episode, Sani and I chat about:
- How he ran a Google Ads campaign to validate his idea
- Why he launched an IndieGoGo campaign to raise some initial cash for Moonbase
- The story behind how he discovered Jupe and his thoughts on the benefits of pre-fab structures
- And how he plans to scale Moonbase over the next 12-24 months.
About the Show
Behind the Stays is brought to you twice a week by Sponstayneous — a free, biweekly newsletter that brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.
brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.
You can subscribe, for free, at www.sponstayneous.com.
Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.
Wednesday May 24, 2023
Wednesday May 24, 2023
Download the full free report . Oh, and be sure to start your 14-day free trial of Uplisting at at https://www.uplisting.io/bts-podcast and, once you’ve fallen in love with all that this platform has to offer, get 20% off of your first year of Uplisting when you use the code BTS20 at checkout.
Welcome to Episode 3 of a special 3-part podcast series on The State of the Short-Term Rental Industry brought to you by my friends at Uplisting — one of the most powerful property management systems on the market.
In this episode, Zach and Vinny (founder and CEO of Uplisting) chat about how to market your short-term rental portfolio in 2023 — and the approach different property managers take to promoting their listings.
About the series
Airbnb hosts and short-term rental operators often work independently without much intel as to how their peers are marketing their properties, increasing their booking rates, and how much money folks are actually making from their portfolios.
In order to address this issue, the Uplisting team took it upon themselves to collect and analyze data from their own customers as well as hundreds of other STR owners and operators in the industry.
This special podcast series will unveil some of the more interesting findings from this report and equip you with insight into how your business compares to others.
This episode and 3-part series is brought you to by Uplisting.
Whether you have a single property or hundreds of properties, Uplisting is designed to help you accelerate growth with incredible reliability, critical marketing automation and the most powerful direct booking engine on the market.
Start your 14-day free trial at uplisting.io/bts-podcast and, once you’ve fallen in love with all that this platform has to offer, get 20% off of your first year of Uplisting when you use the code BTS20 at checkout — but act fast, because this offer expires on June 30th, 2023 at midnight!
About the Show
Behind the Stays is brought to you twice a week by Sponstayneous — a free, biweekly newsletter that brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.
You can subscribe, for free, at www.sponstayneous.com.
Behind the Stays is hosted by Zach Busekrus, co-founder of Sponstayneous, you can connect with him on Twitter at @zboozee.