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Artwork for Behind the Stays

Behind the Stays

Zach Busekrus
Hospitality Industry
Hospitality
Airbnb
Short-Term Rentals
Vacation Rentals
Entrepreneurship
Glamping
Boutique Hotels
Luxury Travel
Journey
Luxury Hospitality
Vacation Rental Management
AI In Hospitality
Customer Experience
Guest Experience
Unique Stays
Marriott
Cleaning Services
Sponstayneous
Travel

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 weeklyEpisodes360Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
InvestingEntrepreneurshipBusiness

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Artwork for Behind the Stays

Latest Episodes

Explore Epicurate: epicurate.vip/

Connect with Max: www.linkedin.com/in/max-porterkhamsy/

Connect with Zach: www.linkedin.com/in/zacharybusekrus/

Apply to join the Journey Alliance: journey.com/alliance/

Every on... more

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Recent Guests

Max Porterkhamsy
Founder of Epicurate, chef, former engineer
Epicurate (acquired by Journey)
Episode: How an Engineer-Turned-Michelin-Chef Built Epicurate, the Experience Platform for Luxury Stays
Noah Brodsky
CEO of Under Canvas, former Windermann Travel & Leisure executive
Under Canvas
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: The World Cup Bust, Spirit's Collapse, Priceline is Back, and Aman's Move in the Texas Hill Country
Vikas Sapra
DJ, tech founder and founder of Raina
Raina
Episode: He DJ'd for Jay-Z and Kanye — Now He's Rewiring Sound for Aman, Hyatt, and Jose Andrés
Corey Jones
Owner/Operator of Lucky Savannah, vacation rental portfolio in Savannah, GA
Lucky Savannah
Episode: Inside the Vrbo Where George Washington Stayed — and the Operator Turning Savannah Into a Historic Luxury Destination
Diana Stobo
Founder behind The Retreat Costa Rica
The Retreat Costa Rica
Episode: How a Health Crisis, a Divorce, and a Thai Monk Led Her to Create the #1 Spa in the World: Meet Diana Stobo of The Retreat Costa Rica
David Kaplan
Founder of Death & Co; entrepreneur in hospitality
Gin & Luck / Death & Co / Midnight Auteur Hotels
Episode: He Built the Most Iconic Cocktail Bar of a Generation. Now Death&Co's Founder is Coming for Boutique Hotels.
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

Host

Zach Busekrus
Host and guide of discussions; leads episodes on independent stays and loyalty platforms.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 235 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 States3 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 Kingdom9 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 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 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.

Zach asks sharp, insightful questions and pulls meaningful takeaways from guests.
Production quality and conversation flow are highly praised, with some feedback wishing for guests to shine a bit more.
Guests are consistently interesting with deep domain knowledge and practical lessons.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How an Engineer-Turned-Michelin-Chef Built Epicurate, the Experience Platform for Luxury Stays
Q: What gap in the industry did Epicurate aim to fill?
The gap was the broken concierge ecosystem in vacation rentals, where lots of communication and sourcing happened via scattered tools; Epicurate centralized menus, scheduling, payments, and relationships to empower providers and concierges to work efficiently.
How an Engineer-Turned-Michelin-Chef Built Epicurate, the Experience Platform for Luxury Stays
Q: When did you first realize you wanted to pursue cooking as a career after your engineering path?
After backpacking in Europe and returning, I discovered a love for cooking that led me to culinary school, recognizing that the kitchen offered a creative and hands-on alternative to desk jobs.
He DJ'd for Jay-Z and Kanye — Now He's Rewiring Sound for Aman, Hyatt, and Jose Andrés
Q: What makes a space a good fit for working with Raina, and what is your ideal customer profile?
Discerning operators with large portfolios or complex, multi-space environments who care about guest experience and brand sound, particularly those needing transparency and centralized management across many properties.
He DJ'd for Jay-Z and Kanye — Now He's Rewiring Sound for Aman, Hyatt, and Jose Andrés
Q: How do you balance brand consistency with local flavor when managing a portfolio like Hyatt or Auberge?
Brand consistency comes from the brand-level dialogue with local market input. We tailor sounds to local contexts (e.g., New York vs. Vegas) while preserving a cohesive portfolio texture and narrative.
He DJ'd for Jay-Z and Kanye — Now He's Rewiring Sound for Aman, Hyatt, and Jose Andrés
Q: What is the process you use to discover the musical soul of a space and translate that into a program?
We start with a discovery call, review brand decks, demographics, and daypart needs, then provide multiple points of view before aligning on a full program. It's collaborative and scales from a single property to a multi-property portfolio.

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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?

A show focused on the people behind unique stays, from boutique hotels to vacation rentals and wellness retreats. Conversations center on entrepreneurship, hospitality innovation, and the evolving guest experience, with frequent emphasis on direct bookings, loyalty, and brand storytelling for independents. Notable angles include luxury experiences, technology-enabled operations, and the challenge of balancing personal service with scalable growth. A standout trait is the emphasis on founder journeys, practical growth playbooks, and real-world lessons from operators shaping the future of travel and hospitality. Potential listeners include operators, investors, and marketers seeking actionable insights and inspiration from leaders building di... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Behind the Stays?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Behind the Stays:

1. Thanks For Visiting
2. The Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Deep Dives with Chris Koerner
3. The Short Term Show
4. The Tim Ferriss Show
5. My First Million

How many episodes of Behind the Stays are there?

Behind the Stays launched 5 years ago and published 360 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. Max Porterkhamsy
2. Noah Brodsky
3. Vikas Sapra
4. Corey Jones
5. Diana Stobo
6. David Kaplan
7. Scott Wiseman
8. Nadine Choe

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