Behind the Stays

Why The Hospitality Industry Needs More Entrepreneurs — Strategies, Ideas, and Musings with Andrew Kitchell

Meet Andrew Kitchell, a hospitality and proptech entrepreneur currently leading the team at Wheelhouse — a technology platform that helps you manage your short-term rentals as professionally and efficiently as major hotels—from understanding performance to better nightly pricing.

Andrew is no stranger to tech or hospitality…in fact, he was building companies in Silicon Valley while a then-small start-up “Air Bed and Breakfast” was working their way through Y Combinator, the most exclusive of startup accelerators in the world.

In this episode, Andrew and I discuss:

- The revenue management strategies that the best hospitality entrepreneurs use to scale their brand reach as well as their revenue and profitability

-new business opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to build in the ever-dynamic industry of hospitality

- and what the future of travel, workcations, and experiential stays just might look like.

Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn here or on Twitter here. 

Learn more about Wheelhouse here. 

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guesty for Hosts...

Will you send them a quick message thanking them for being a sponsor?  You can email them here or DM them on social media here!

While there are many property management softwares on the market, I always encourage our listeners to check out Guesty For Hosts. 

Guesty's channel manager centralizes reservations across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com to stay on top of your listings without having to hop back and forth between channels.

Guesty’s automation tools enable you to connect with guests in a meaningful, creative, and instant fashion.

Guesty’s new and improved Website Builder allows you to create your own branded booking website in just minutes…allowing you to grow your brand and increase your direct bookings. 

And finally, Guesty is positioned well to grow with you. As your business grows, you can grow with Guesty For Pros, unlocking new features and offerings designed for larger portfolios.

So here’s the deal.  If you’re an. STR host without a PMS system or a host looking at exploring a new one, I’ve got a treat for you.

The team at Guesty is giving Behind the Stays listeners and Sponstayneous subscribers $20 off an annual or monthly plan of Guesty For Hosts when they use the discount code “SPONSTAYNEOUS” when signing up for a free 14 day trial - no credit card, set up fee, or commitment required  — and cancel anytime if you don't love it.
 
Guesty For Hosts — they’re the bestie of top-rated STR super hosts! 

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.

They Left NYC’s Fashion Industry to Build the Next Great Hospitality Brand — Meet the Creators of Casa Nevana

Meet Jen and Michael Penchansky, the creators of Casa Nevana, the first short-term rental in the couple’s newly founded portfolio, Nevana Properties. 

Michael and Jen met while working in the fashion industry in New York City. Michael founded a software company in fashion tech and Jen was employee number one, so the couple know a thing or ten about how to work together. 

 

Michael grew up going to Hunter, New York in the Catskills with his family and always had an appreciation for the reprieve the mountains offered from life in the city. 

 

So, when Michael and Jen began dreaming about starting a boutique hospitality brand centered around building a collection of luxurious, but accessible, short-term rentals, the couple new that the first home in their collection just had to be in Hunter. 

 

Tune in to hear the story of how Michael and Jen leveraged the local community to build their home in record time, the careful consideration that went into the founding of their hospitality brand, and what they have planned next. 

 

Alright, without further ado, get ready to meet Michael and Jen. 

 

Book Your Stay at Casa Nevana 

 

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guesty for Hosts...

Will you send them a quick message thanking them for being a sponsor?  You can email them here or DM them on social media here!

While there are many property management softwares on the market, I always encourage our listeners to check out Guesty For Hosts. 

Guesty's channel manager centralizes reservations across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com to stay on top of your listings without having to hop back and forth between channels.

Guesty’s automation tools enable you to connect with guests in a meaningful, creative, and instant fashion.

Guesty’s new and improved Website Builder allows you to create your own branded booking website in just minutes…allowing you to grow your brand and increase your direct bookings. 

And finally, Guesty is positioned well to grow with you. As your business grows, you can grow with Guesty For Pros, unlocking new features and offerings designed for larger portfolios.

So here’s the deal.  If you’re an. STR host without a PMS system or a host looking at exploring a new one, I’ve got a treat for you.

The team at Guesty is giving Behind the Stays listeners and Sponstayneous subscribers $20 off an annual or monthly plan of Guesty For Hosts when they use the discount code “SPONSTAYNEOUS” when signing up for a free 14 day trial - no credit card, set up fee, or commitment required  — and cancel anytime if you don't love it.
 
Guesty For Hosts — they’re the bestie of top-rated STR super hosts! 

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.

What Airbnb Hosts Can Learn from an Ex-Hotelier About the Future of Hospitality — Wil Slickers, Hospitality FM

Meet Wil Slickers — founder of Hospitality FM, the largest network of hospitality podcasts, and the co-founder of Recreation Rentals, a boutique collection of vacation rentals with luxury hotel-like operations.

While working as a hotel manager in the pacific northwest, Wil stared a podcast called Slick Talk — a show that explores the dynamic nature of the hospitality industry — from short-term rentals and boutique hotels to Michelin star restaurants and five star resorts. 

 

Now this show Wil started as a fun side project?  Well, a lot of people liked it…and before too long, Wil quick his job as a hotel manager and decided to build a niche media company dedicated to the professionals in the industry. 

 

Tune in to hear the inspiring story of how Wil founded and scaled Hospitality FM into the leading digital professional development space for hospitality entrepreneurs and what his hot takes on the future of the industry will look like.

 

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guesty for Hosts...

Will you send them a quick message thanking them for being a sponsor?  You can email them here or DM them on social media here!

While there are many property management softwares on the market, I always encourage our listeners to check out Guesty For Hosts. 

Guesty's channel manager centralizes reservations across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com to stay on top of your listings without having to hop back and forth between channels.

Guesty’s automation tools enable you to connect with guests in a meaningful, creative, and instant fashion.

Guesty’s new and improved Website Builder allows you to create your own branded booking website in just minutes…allowing you to grow your brand and increase your direct bookings. 

And finally, Guesty is positioned well to grow with you. As your business grows, you can grow with Guesty For Pros, unlocking new features and offerings designed for larger portfolios.

So here’s the deal.  If you’re an. STR host without a PMS system or a host looking at exploring a new one, I’ve got a treat for you.

The team at Guesty is giving Behind the Stays listeners and Sponstayneous subscribers $20 off an annual or monthly plan of Guesty For Hosts when they use the discount code “SPONSTAYNEOUS” when signing up for a free 14 day trial - no credit card, set up fee, or commitment required  — and cancel anytime if you don't love it.
 
Guesty For Hosts — they’re the bestie of top-rated STR super hosts! 

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.

How ”Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and Twitter Help Him Build a Portfolio of Airbnbs Remotely

Meet Michael Albaum — a professional remote real estate investor, Airbnb superhost, and fellow podcaster.

After getting an engineering degree and moving to the Bay Area, Michael stumbled upon a book that would forever shift his perspective on work and wealth…and that book was Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

In this episode of Behind the Stays, Michael shares candidly about how he’s been able to grow a portfolio of short-term and longer-term rentals that are mostly remote — as in, he doesn’t live in close proximity to his properties.

Michael and I chat about:

• the pros and cons of using a property manager
• the importance of balancing perspectives and decisions from both an investment and hospitality lens
• the future of OTAs like Airbnb
• how to get a crash course on real estate investment on Twitter
• and much more.

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guesty for Hosts...

Will you send them a quick message thanking them for being a sponsor?  You can email them here or DM them on social media here!

While there are many property management softwares on the market, I always encourage our listeners to check out Guesty For Hosts. 

Guesty's channel manager centralizes reservations across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com to stay on top of your listings without having to hop back and forth between channels.

Guesty’s automation tools enable you to connect with guests in a meaningful, creative, and instant fashion.

Guesty’s new and improved Website Builder allows you to create your own branded booking website in just minutes…allowing you to grow your brand and increase your direct bookings. 

And finally, Guesty is positioned well to grow with you. As your business grows, you can grow with Guesty For Pros, unlocking new features and offerings designed for larger portfolios.

So here’s the deal.  If you’re an. STR host without a PMS system or a host looking at exploring a new one, I’ve got a treat for you.

The team at Guesty is giving Behind the Stays listeners and Sponstayneous subscribers $20 off an annual or monthly plan of Guesty For Hosts when they use the discount code “SPONSTAYNEOUS” when signing up for a free 14 day trial - no credit card, set up fee, or commitment required  — and cancel anytime if you don't love it.
 
Guesty For Hosts — they’re the bestie of top-rated STR super hosts! 

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.

He’s Building the Ritz-Carlton of Short-Term Rentals — Meet Jonah Hanig, Founder of Rove

Meet Jonah Hanig, Founder and CEO of Rove — a premium portfolio of luxury Airbnbs designed for discerning travelers.

Jonah grew up in the Chicago suburbs and always had a knack for tinkering with business ideas.

After going to school in New York, Jonah decided to pursue his dream of becoming an entrepreneur and was fortunate enough to get accepted to Y Combinator — the most prestigious of start-up accelerators in the world.  Fun fact — Airbnb is a YC company!

Soon after being accepted to YC covid hit…and, well, Jonah’s startup wasn’t immune to the disruption that all of us felt in those early days.

But it wasn’t long before Jonah had another idea…and that idea was to offer a Ritz-Carlton-like experience within the context of a collection of highly-curated short-term rentals.

Tune in to hear the story of:

• Where the idea for Rove came from 
• How Rove is building the Ritz-Carlton of STRs
• Why Rove is also building a Zillow for STR investors 
• How Rove has thought about differentiation in an increasingly-crowded marketplace

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guesty for Hosts...

Will you send them a quick message thanking them for being a sponsor?  You can email them here or DM them on social media here!

While there are many property management softwares on the market, I always encourage our listeners to check out Guesty For Hosts. 

Guesty's channel manager centralizes reservations across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com to stay on top of your listings without having to hop back and forth between channels.

Guesty’s automation tools enable you to connect with guests in a meaningful, creative, and instant fashion.

Guesty’s new and improved Website Builder allows you to create your own branded booking website in just minutes…allowing you to grow your brand and increase your direct bookings. 

And finally, Guesty is positioned well to grow with you. As your business grows, you can grow with Guesty For Pros, unlocking new features and offerings designed for larger portfolios.

So here’s the deal.  If you’re an. STR host without a PMS system or a host looking at exploring a new one, I’ve got a treat for you.

The team at Guesty is giving Behind the Stays listeners and Sponstayneous subscribers $20 off an annual or monthly plan of Guesty For Hosts when they use the discount code “SPONSTAYNEOUS” when signing up for a free 14 day trial - no credit card, set up fee, or commitment required  — and cancel anytime if you don't love it.
 
Guesty For Hosts — they’re the bestie of top-rated STR super hosts! 

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.

Marketing Mondays: 10 Creative(ish) Email Marketing A/B Test Ideas for Airbnb Hosts

Welcome to Marketing Mondays — a new, weekly segment on the Behind the Stays podcast that covers specific marketing strategies and tactics that Airbnb hosts and hospitality entrepreneurs can immediately use to promote their stays.

On this third episode Zach covers all things Email A/B testing! 

Email A/B tests are incredibly important...yet many Airbnb hosts and hospitality entrepreneurs fail to conduct them regularly.

I did a recent poll with some of the hosts in the space whose brands I respect the most and asked if they’ve run A/B tests to their email lists and 95% of them said no!

Testing is INCREDIBLY important if you want to grow as a hospitality marketer — and, as far as I’m concerned, if you’re collecting guest emails to increase your direct bookings or to communicate with them after their stay, you are, in fact, a hospitality marketer.

Now the reason folks don’t A/B test their emails typically comes down to time…

Well folks, I’ve got some great news for you! I've taken the time to come up with 10 different email A/B tests that you can (and should) test out. 

These are fun!  And pretty creative(ish) — if we do say so ourselves. If you use any of them, be sure to let us know which version won!

Let us know what you think about this new segment by sending us a DM on Instagram @sponstayneous, shooting our founder a DM on Twitter, or sending him an email at zach@sponstayneous.com .

 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.

How to Get The Industry’s Best Discounts on Everything You Need for Your Short-Term Rental Business

Meet Jeff Iloulian — Founder and CEO of HostGPO, a buying group for the short term rental industry.

After graduating with a degree in Economics from Columbia, Jeff thought he wanted to be an attorney, so went to Law School.

But after practicing law for a few years, Jeff was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug so he founded a real estate and technology investment company called Winthorpe Valentine which grew to manage over 250 short-term rentals.

Managing more than 250 properties meant that Jeff spent a lot of time buying furniture and other furnishings for his homes. While the homes he managed certainly varied in style and size, Jeff often found himself buying 100 of the same broom or 50 of the same bookshelf all at retail price.

And that’s when the idea, which would eventually become HostGPO was born.  Tune in to hear the story of how Jeff founded HostGPO and scaled it to be the largest buying group of short-term rental hosts in the country. 

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guesty for Hosts...

Will you send them a quick message thanking them for being a sponsor?  You can email them here or DM them on social media here!

While there are many property management softwares on the market, I always encourage our listeners to check out Guesty For Hosts. 

Guesty's channel manager centralizes reservations across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com to stay on top of your listings without having to hop back and forth between channels.

Guesty’s automation tools enable you to connect with guests in a meaningful, creative, and instant fashion.

Guesty’s new and improved Website Builder allows you to create your own branded booking website in just minutes…allowing you to grow your brand and increase your direct bookings. 

And finally, Guesty is positioned well to grow with you. As your business grows, you can grow with Guesty For Pros, unlocking new features and offerings designed for larger portfolios.

So here’s the deal.  If you’re an. STR host without a PMS system or a host looking at exploring a new one, I’ve got a treat for you.

The team at Guesty is giving Behind the Stays listeners and Sponstayneous subscribers $20 off an annual or monthly plan of Guesty For Hosts when they use the discount code “SPONSTAYNEOUS” when signing up for a free 14 day trial - no credit card, set up fee, or commitment required  — and cancel anytime if you don't love it.
 
Guesty For Hosts — they’re the bestie of top-rated STR super hosts! 

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.

He Spent $500k Building a Massive Airbnb Container Home — Meet The Pacific Bin by Devon Loerop

Meet Devon Loerop, the creator of The Pacific Bin — a luxurious escape made of 5 shipping containers, just an hour outside of Seattle.

Devon grew up in the midwest but was born with a New York City mindset — from the time he was young, he hustled hard, and enjoyed proving people wrong when they said “he couldn’t, shouldn’t, or wouldn’t” do something.

Devon is a mechanical engineer by trade, but after being bored out of his mind during his first job after college, he decided to try his hand as a creative and became obsessed with photography and videography.  And, while he didn’t know it at the time, this decision would quite literally change the course of his life. 

Tune in to hear the story of how Devon:

• Left the Chicago suburbs and moved to Seattle on a whim
• Invested his entire life savings into Tesla stock at the perfect moment
• Learned how to weld so that he could build a unique Airbnb by himself
• Spent $500,000 building a one-of-a-kind, category-re-defining container home in the Cascade Mountains of Washington 
• Grew an Instagram following from 0 to 750k in one year

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guesty for Hosts...

Will you send them a quick message thanking them for being a sponsor?  You can email them here or DM them on social media here!

While there are many property management softwares on the market, I always encourage our listeners to check out Guesty For Hosts. 

Guesty's channel manager centralizes reservations across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com to stay on top of your listings without having to hop back and forth between channels.

Guesty’s automation tools enable you to connect with guests in a meaningful, creative, and instant fashion.

Guesty’s new and improved Website Builder allows you to create your own branded booking website in just minutes…allowing you to grow your brand and increase your direct bookings. 

And finally, Guesty is positioned well to grow with you. As your business grows, you can grow with Guesty For Pros, unlocking new features and offerings designed for larger portfolios.

So here’s the deal.  If you’re an. STR host without a PMS system or a host looking at exploring a new one, I’ve got a treat for you.

The team at Guesty is giving Behind the Stays listeners and Sponstayneous subscribers $20 off an annual or monthly plan of Guesty For Hosts when they use the discount code “SPONSTAYNEOUS” when signing up for a free 14 day trial - no credit card, set up fee, or commitment required  — and cancel anytime if you don't love it.
 
Guesty For Hosts — they’re the bestie of top-rated STR super hosts! 

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.

How WeWork, Jimmy Kimmel, and Instagram Helped Him Build DEN Outdoors

Meet Michael Romanowicz, the founder and CEO of DEN Outdoors. 

Mike is a software designer by trade, but has always had a love for the natural world.

So, when he wasn’t busy leading the product team at Conductor, which was a content marketing platform owned by WeWork, Mike was tinkering with some designs for a minimalist, beautiful cabin he could build in the woods one day.

After sharing his designs with some buddies and seeing their positive reactions he thought that there might be an opportunity to sell these plans to others.

And, well, an opportunity there sure was. Tune in to hear the inspiring story of how:

• How Mike bootstrapped DEN Outdoors to seven figures of revenue
• How Instagram fueled DEN’s growth and inspired Mike to leave his day job
• How he landed Jimmy Kimmel as an Angel Investor
• And the exciting new offerings DEN is building for the next generation of builders and hospitality entrepreneurs. 

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guesty for Hosts...

Will you send them a quick message thanking them for being a sponsor?  You can email them here or DM them on social media here!

While there are many property management softwares on the market, I always encourage our listeners to check out Guesty For Hosts. 

Guesty's channel manager centralizes reservations across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com to stay on top of your listings without having to hop back and forth between channels.

Guesty’s automation tools enable you to connect with guests in a meaningful, creative, and instant fashion.

Guesty’s new and improved Website Builder allows you to create your own branded booking website in just minutes…allowing you to grow your brand and increase your direct bookings. 

And finally, Guesty is positioned well to grow with you. As your business grows, you can grow with Guesty For Pros, unlocking new features and offerings designed for larger portfolios.

So here’s the deal.  If you’re an. STR host without a PMS system or a host looking at exploring a new one, I’ve got a treat for you.

The team at Guesty is giving Behind the Stays listeners and Sponstayneous subscribers $20 off an annual or monthly plan of Guesty For Hosts when they use the discount code “SPONSTAYNEOUS” when signing up for a free 14 day trial - no credit card, set up fee, or commitment required  — and cancel anytime if you don't love it.
 
Guesty For Hosts — they’re the bestie of top-rated STR super hosts! 

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.

How Teslas and Levi Kelly Helped Them Build an Unforgettable Airbnb in Southern California

Meet Chase Charifa, the creator of the Lightfoot Cabin — a cozy, unique escape nestled in the foothills of Big Bear Mountain in Southern California. 

A few years ago, Chase and his wife April started a production studio as a side hustle. 

The couple regretted not having a videographer at their wedding and this inspired them to start their own studio to shoot weddings and events.

In doing research for how to bring their studio to life, they stumbled upon Levi Kelly’s Airbnb tours.  Levi Kelly is one of the OG Airbnb influencers and has amassed over 80 million views on his YouTube channel.  

Chase and April were so inspired by his videos that they decided to create their own unique stay.  Tune into hear the exciting story of how Chase and April:

1. Transformed a run-of-the-mill cabin into a Dwell and Condé Nast featured, multi-sensory, truly unique stay
2. Bought and sold Teslas to help grow their short-term rental portfolio
3. Acquire more traditional rentals to help them fund unique ones
4. Created a secret experience that guests LOVE that’s not noted on their Airbnb listing

Book a Stay at Lightfoot Cabin

Follow the Lightfoot Cabin on Instagram 

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guesty...

Will you send them a quick message thanking them for being a sponsor?  You can email them here or DM them on social media here!

While there are many property management softwares on the market, I always encourage our listeners to check out Guesty For Hosts. 

Guesty's channel manager centralizes reservations across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com to stay on top of your listings without having to hop back and forth between channels.

Guesty’s automation tools enable you to connect with guests in a meaningful, creative, and instant fashion.

Guesty’s new and improved Website Builder allows you to create your own branded booking website in just minutes…allowing you to grow your brand and increase your direct bookings. 

And finally, Guesty is positioned well to grow with you. As your business grows, you can grow with Guesty For Pros, unlocking new features and offerings designed for larger portfolios.

So here’s the deal.  If you’re an. STR host without a PMS system or a host looking at exploring a new one, I’ve got a treat for you.

The team at Guesty is giving Behind the Stays listeners and Sponstayneous subscribers $20 off an annual or monthly plan of Guesty For Hosts when they use the discount code “SPONSTAYNEOUS” when signing up for a free 14 day trial - no credit card, set up fee, or commitment required  — and cancel anytime if you don't love it.
 
Guesty For Hosts — they’re the bestie of top-rated STR super hosts! 

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.