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Behind the Stays

Zach Busekrus
Hospitality Industry
Hospitality
Short-Term Rentals
Airbnb
Vacation Rentals
Boutique Hotels
Glamping
Entrepreneurship
Journey
Luxury Travel
Independent Hotels
Vacation Rental Management
AI In Hospitality
Luxury Hospitality
Guest Experience
Customer Experience
Artificial Intelligence
Unique Stays
Loyalty Programs
Staywatch

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 ... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes402Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusinessInvesting

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Artwork for Behind the Stays

Latest Episodes

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Is the line between a hotel and a vacation rental finally gone? Zach Busekrus and Ben Wolff think the stays category is collapsing into one, and the big brands are waking up to it.

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This Week’s Guest:

 Jenn Parks, Vice President of Development, North America, WorldHotels (part of BWH Hotels)

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Special guest:

Andrew Humphries — Bridge Hospitality Partners

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-humphries-66a1918/

Are the biggest hotel brands still in the business o... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Jeff Iloulian
Founder and CEO of HostGPO, former property manager and attorney
HostGPO
Episode: Why a Five-Star Amazon Sheet Isn't Hospitality-Grade, with HostGPO's Jeff Iloulian
Jenn Parks
Vice President of Development, North America, at WorldHotels
WorldHotels
Episode: Do You Really Have to Trade Identity for Distribution? WorldHotels' Jenn Parks on the New Soft-Brand Deal, Branded Residences and the Backdrop Outdoor Bet
Andrew Humphries
Luxury hospitality veteran and partner and co-founder of Bridge Hospitality Partners
Bridge Hospitality Partners
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: Did Amex Just Hand Airbnb the Luxury Traveler? Best Western's Identity Crisis and Andrew Humphries on the Middle East Hotel Boom
Noelle Homsy
Co-founder of ENVI Lodges with a background in architecture, dispute resolution, and hotel operations
ENVI Lodges
Episode: Why the Future of Luxury Hotels Might Not Look Like Hotels at All — with ENVI Lodges Co-Founder Noelle Homsy
Janice Stitzer
Hospitality developer and advisor focused on micro-resorts and independent hospitality
Uncommon Developer
Episode: From Backcountry to Frontcountry: How Janice Stitzer Built a 7-Cabin Micro-Resort
Alex Cabañas
Executive chairman of Pyramid Global Hospitality and founder and CEO of Astound Ventures
Pyramid Global Hospitality
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: Can AI Fix Hotel Margins? Alex Cabañas on AI's Margin Opportunity, Expedia's Lawsuit, and the Longevity Hotel Debate
Shawn Cioto
Vice president of operations at Dovetail + Co
Dovetail + Co
Episode: You Should Standardize a Lot — But Never The Soul of a Hotel: Dovetail + Co's Shawn Cioto on the Lean Boutique Hotel
Zach Resnick
Co-founder of Ascend, a membership travel concierge
Ascend
Episode: When Everyone Has an AI Travel Agent, What Is Airline Loyalty Actually Worth?
Cameron Resnick
Co-founder of Ascend, a membership travel concierge
Ascend
Episode: When Everyone Has an AI Travel Agent, What Is Airline Loyalty Actually Worth?

Hosts

Zach Busekrus
Host and leader of the Journey alliance-focused conversation, often guiding roundtable discussions and guest-focused storytelling.
Rafa
Co-host who contributes industry context and operator perspectives.
Sean O'Neill
Skift hospitality editor providing industry context and critique.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 236 ratings
  • Good, but could be improved

    Overall it’s a good listen, but I honestly stopped listening for a bit because as an entrepreneur what I really want to know are questions regarding finances and he doesn’t ask them. Not sure if his guests specifically say they don’t want to share numbers. But if you are using this as inspiration to start your own venture he doesn’t ask about how much things cost, how they funded it or how much revenue they are making. For me, besides the journey on how the founder got there—I am VERY much inter... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    GenG90
    United Statesa month ago
  • Beyond the Bromides

    Zach takes the listener beyond hospitality bromides, diving deep into the unique sauce that makes each stay a destination. His questions are sharp, his guests bring substance, and I always walk away with an insight or two that I can apply to my own ventures.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    @Janice
    United States8 months ago
  • Best Podcast

    My favourite podcast at the moment. Played all episodes even some of them a few times. Really insightful into current hospitality trends. Taking notes as I move to France to start building my own retreat.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Corealo
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Get to the point

    There’s a lot of good here, and Zach curates a really wide breadth of guests, but would benefit from being less preachy and going down long winded rambles, to then turn it over to the guest to answer a non-question. Get to the question and set the guests up to answer beyond “do you agree?”

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    clouwho2
    United Statesa year ago
  • Let Guests Shine More!

    Host talks a lot and is a bit preachy, but guests are interesting.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    MemoriNashay
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise sharp questions and actionable insights from guests.
Guests are often described as interesting and well-versed, with valuable industry takeaways.
Some feedback suggests the host could let guests answer more and reduce repetition.
Production quality and interview flow are consistently highlighted as strong points.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

This Week in Hospitality: Did Amex Just Hand Airbnb the Luxury Traveler? Best Western's Identity Crisis and Andrew Humphries on the Middle East Hotel Boom
Q: Are you confident that international demand can realistically keep up, or do you think some markets are going to discover that building an incredible hotel is much easier than consistently filling it?
Humphries says destinations such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi continue to attract travelers, including from China and India, and are developing distinct tourism offerings. He expects growth to continue, while acknowledging that demand and supply will eventually come into closer balance.
This Week in Hospitality: Did Amex Just Hand Airbnb the Luxury Traveler? Best Western's Identity Crisis and Andrew Humphries on the Middle East Hotel Boom
Q: How are things doing in Saudi?
Humphries says conditions differ by location: Jeddah and Riyadh remain strong, while some major projects are being scaled back. He expects development to continue at a slower pace, supported by regional, Indian and Chinese travelers as well as the country's tourism ambitions.
Do You Really Have to Trade Identity for Distribution? WorldHotels' Jenn Parks on the New Soft-Brand Deal, Branded Residences and the Backdrop Outdoor Bet
Q: Why does an owner want to choose somebody like you guys versus a brand, versus stay true, true, true, true, true, independent where they don't work with anybody?
Parks says WorldHotels offers flexibility alongside BWH Hotels' distribution and loyalty reach, with shorter agreements, lower fees, and marketing that emphasizes each hotel's story.
Do You Really Have to Trade Identity for Distribution? WorldHotels' Jenn Parks on the New Soft-Brand Deal, Branded Residences and the Backdrop Outdoor Bet
Q: What's a specific trend or even just topic of conversation you're hearing that's crossing your desk from your hotel members?
Parks identifies branded residences and outdoor hospitality as major development opportunities, citing a Vietnam residences opening and WorldHotels Backdrop properties.
Why a Five-Star Amazon Sheet Isn't Hospitality-Grade, with HostGPO's Jeff Iloulian
Q: What, if anything, has changed with respect to how the industry thinks about furnishing and purchasing amenities for their homes today?
Iloulian identifies a shift toward higher-quality products, standardized furnishings and linens, and more deliberate amenity choices informed by detailed local market data.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Behind the Stays

What is Behind the Stays about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A rotating panel explores the stories behind independent boutique stays, short-term rentals, and hospitality brands, with a steady focus on how operators compete with brands through experience, loyalty ecosystems, and smart technology. Episodes frequently cover topics like loyalty programs, distribution, direct bookings, and the evolving economics of independent properties, often featuring operators, investors, and industry journalists who share practical lessons on guest experience, branding, and growth. A notable angle is the emphasis on human-centered leadership, authenticity, and community-building as differentiators in a crowded hospitality landscape, along with practical tools and partnerships that empower independents to scale withou... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Behind the Stays?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Behind the Stays:

1. Outdoor Hospitality Podcast: Glamping, STR, Resorts, Unique Stays, RV Parks, RV Resorts & Campgrounds
2. Masters of Scale
3. My First Million
4. Marketing Against The Grain
5. David Senra

How many episodes of Behind the Stays are there?

Behind the Stays launched 6 years ago and published 402 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Behind the Stays?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Behind the Stays?

Recent guests on Behind the Stays include:

1. Jeff Iloulian
2. Jenn Parks
3. Andrew Humphries
4. Noelle Homsy
5. Janice Stitzer
6. Alex Cabañas
7. Shawn Cioto
8. Zach Resnick

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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