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Artwork for Behind the Stays

Behind the Stays

Zach Busekrus
Vacation Rentals
Airbnb
Hospitality
Cleaning Services
Short-Term Rentals
Hospitality Industry
Turno
Glamping
Cameron Ranch Glamping
Outdoor Hospitality
Business Automation
Entrepreneurship
Canyon Of the Eagles
Marriott
Customer Service
Sponstayneous
Homes & Villas
Unique Stays
Best Western
Stay In Good Company

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 weeklyEpisodes348Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
InvestingBusinessEntrepreneurship

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Artwork for Behind the Stays

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David Kaplan didn't come up through the industry the traditional way. He went to art school, never tended bar a day in his life, and opened Death & Co in New York's East Villa... more

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In this episode of Behind the Stays, Zach Busekrus sits down with Scott Wiseman, CEO of Nocturne Luxury Villas, to explore what luxury vacation rental brands can learn from hotels — and where the villa category is building a playbook all its own.

Dr... more

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Recent Guests

Scott Wiseman
CEO of Nocturne Luxury Villas
Nocturne Luxury Villas
Episode: Why a Marketing Executive at Accor Became the CEO of a Luxury Villa Brand — Meet Scott Wiseman of Nocturne Luxury Villas
Nadine Choe
Founder and curator of The Stanza
The Stanza
Episode: From Developing Aman to Building The Stanza: How Nadine Choe Built a Media Brand Where Taste Is the Moat
Janice Wilson
Destination design strategist and founder of Menizei
Menizei
Episode: How to Build a Category-of-One Hospitality Brand in the Age of AI
Paula Oblen
Experiential designer and entrepreneur with over 20 years in the hospitality space
Hotelements
Episode: How to Build a Category-of-One Hospitality Brand in the Age of AI
Christopher Issa
Owner of the S Hotel in Kingston and the S Hotel in Montego Bay.
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: Schrager’s Hotel Reset, Accor launches in ChatGPT, Disney’s Broader Hotel Play?
Rohit Bezawada
CEO of AirDNA
AirDNA
Episode: The Next Frontier of Short-Term Rentals: Building, Investing, Operating at Scale w/ the CEO of AirDNA
Scott Eddy
Travel influencer with significant presence in the hospitality industry
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: The Biggest Winners, Losers, and Plot Twists of 2025 — and Predictions for What Comes Next in 2026
Josh Jennings
Entrepreneur and founder of Tiba, a Bali-inspired hospitality brand.
Tiba Living
Episode: How One Risk-Taker Turned a Quarter-Life Crisis into a New Kind of Resort: The Story of TIBA
Tim Rosolio
VP of Vacation Rental Partner Success at Expedia Group
Expedia Group
Episode: The Future of Vrbo: How Creator Marketing, One Key, and Expedia’s Demand Engine Will Redefine Vacation Rentals

Host

Zach Busekrus
Host of Behind the Stays

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 234 ratings
  • 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 Statesa month 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 Kingdom7 months 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 States10 months ago
  • Let Guests Shine More!

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

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    MemoriNashay
    United Statesa year ago
  • The BEST for everything hospitality

    Behind the Stays is a must-listen for anyone passionate about the hospitality. I always learn something new!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Hill_ari
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

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

The show is described as essential listening for hospitality pros and investors seeking practical insights.
Guests are highlighted as the standout, with audiences appreciating depth when hosts let experts shine.
Listeners consistently praise the host for thoughtful questions and strong production quality.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

From Developing Aman to Building The Stanza: How Nadine Choe Built a Media Brand Where Taste Is the Moat
Q: What advice would you give to someone raising money today for an experiential hospitality project?
Focus on the story as much as the concept. Build relationships well in advance, learn how to underwrite real estate and hospitality, and avoid VC terminology when pitching a hotel deal. Use a structure like Opco/Propco to align incentives and de-risk the investment while preserving upside.
From Developing Aman to Building The Stanza: How Nadine Choe Built a Media Brand Where Taste Is the Moat
Q: I want to dive in here. From your time at Kane, what are some lessons or takeaways that surprised you about luxury development and financing?
The biggest takeaway is that marquee, ultra-luxury projects require incredibly sophisticated financing structures, with the ability to manage air rights, entitlements, and patient capital. You must balance the art of delivering experience with the science of capital efficiency, ensuring you can return capital while creating perceived or real value for end customers.
From Pilot to Expansion: How Arcana is Scaling a Nature-Driven Hospitality Brand
Q: What did you learn that gave you the confidence to step into this next chapter of Arcana's life?
We had a 24,000 person wait list for the pilot site, demonstrating significant demand for our concept as we prepared for expansion.
From Pilot to Expansion: How Arcana is Scaling a Nature-Driven Hospitality Brand
Q: What were like one or two surprising insights that you garnered from the initial pilot test?
We learned that the entrance design can greatly impact guest privacy and experience, influencing cabin layout decisions accordingly.
This Week in Hospitality: Airbnb’s Next Big Bet, the AI OTA Showdown, and Lessons from Jamaica
Q: What are a couple of things that you're really optimistic about with respect to the next few years of tourism in Jamaica?
Jason expresses optimism about ongoing investments in tourism and infrastructure in Jamaica, as well as community growth.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Behind the Stays

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

Behind the Stays is a hospitality-focused series that centers on the people behind unique stays—boutique hotels, short-term rentals, and experiential brands. Episodes frequently explore how identity, design, and storytelling shape guest experiences, with topical discussions around brand architecture, AI-driven distribution, loyalty ecosystems, and the evolving landscape of independent properties in a consolidation-heavy market. Notable throughlines include preserving authenticity at scale, the role of data and technology in hospitality, and practical takeaways for operators on marketing, guest experience, and growth. The show tends to feature founders, operators, and designers who blend luxury, culture, and community, making it valuable for... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Behind the Stays?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Behind the Stays:

1. The Short Term Show
2. Thanks For Visiting
3. Founders
4. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
5. David Senra

How many episodes of Behind the Stays are there?

Behind the Stays launched 5 years ago and published 348 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Behind the Stays?

Recent guests on Behind the Stays include:

1. Scott Wiseman
2. Nadine Choe
3. Janice Wilson
4. Paula Oblen
5. Christopher Issa
6. Rohit Bezawada
7. Scott Eddy
8. Josh Jennings

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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