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Artwork for Behind the Stays

Behind the Stays

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

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 weeklyEpisodes394Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusinessInvesting

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Artwork for Behind the Stays

Latest Episodes

This Week’s Guest:

Shawn Cioto - Vice President of Operations, Dovetail + Co

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-cioto-914264b/

Your Host:

Zach Busekrus - Journey

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/

Instagram: ww... more

Explore Ascend: www.joinascend.com

Connect with Zach Resnick: zach@joinascend.com

Connect with Cameron Resnick: cam@joinascend.com

—

Follow Behind the Stays on Instagram: www.instagram.com/behindthestays/

Connect with Zach Busekrus: http... more

Sponsored by:

Modbeans Coffee

Code for 15% off: BTS15

modbeans.co/bts

Sponsored by:

www.lake.com/partners/behind-the-stays

Michael Wolf thought his career would be in government. He spent every summer in Washington, DC, and wa... more

YouTube

This Week’s Guest:

Dina Belon-Sayre - President, Staypineapple Hotels

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dinabelon/

Explore Staypineapple Hotels: www.staypineapple.com/

Your Host:

Zach Busekrus - Journey

LinkedIn: www.linkedi... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Michael Wolf
CEO of ResortPass, marketplace for day access to hotel amenities
ResortPass
Episode: An Empty Pool Is Perishable Inventory - Here's How ResortPass Turned It Into Revenue
Dina Belon-Sayre
President of Staypineapple Hotels
Staypineapple Hotels
Episode: Empower Your People: Staypineapple's Dina Belon-Sayre on Personality-Driven Hotels and the AI Threat to Independents
Jennifer Barnwell
President of Curator Hotel & Resort Collection
Curator Hotel & Resort Collection
Episode: The Third Way: Curator's Jennifer Barnwell on Cost Savings, Robots and the Next Chapter for Hotel Collections
Heidi Zimmer
Founder of Wild Rice Retreat
Wild Rice Retreat
Episode: Nourishment, Expression, Movement: Heidi Zimmer on Building Wild Rice Retreat on the Shores of Lake Superior
Brian Chesky
CEO of Airbnb, special guest at Skift Global Forum
Airbnb
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: Royal Caribbean Buys Half of Sandals, Uber's Hotel Play, and Big Hotel Brands Start Betting on Creators
Prince Harry
Travel startup founder discussed as special guest at Skift Global Forum
Travelist (claimed)
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: Royal Caribbean Buys Half of Sandals, Uber's Hotel Play, and Big Hotel Brands Start Betting on Creators
Adam Stewart
Executive chairman, Sandals Resorts, as co-lead on JV with Royal Caribbean
Sandals Resorts
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: Royal Caribbean Buys Half of Sandals, Uber's Hotel Play, and Big Hotel Brands Start Betting on Creators
Vanessa Aguirre
Founder of Femme House, bachelorette-focused short-term rental brand
Femme House
Episode: She Opened a Bachelorette Airbnb in 2020. Everyone Thought She Was Crazy. Now Everyone Copies Her Playbook.
Dave Giacoby
Founder/Executive (interviewed on Hotel Lucene show)
Hotel Lucene
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: 8 Independent Hoteliers, 2 Days, 1 Recap: What We Heard at IHS Miami

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 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 States7 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 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 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.

Empower Your People: Staypineapple's Dina Belon-Sayre on Personality-Driven Hotels and the AI Threat to Independents
Q: What is your biggest concern about AI's impact on independents?
The risk that customers shift away from hotel websites to AI platforms like Gemini, and the need to maintain human connection to prevent becoming commoditized; intermediaries and AI infrastructure will play a pivotal role in enabling independents to compete.
Empower Your People: Staypineapple's Dina Belon-Sayre on Personality-Driven Hotels and the AI Threat to Independents
Q: How do you approach growth while preserving brand integrity and independence?
Growth is mixed (owned, managed, and branded), with care to preserve the service model and Naked Experience. There's consideration of providing limited support to other independents and potentially leveraging AI solutions, while avoiding franchising without management to keep brand control.
Empower Your People: Staypineapple's Dina Belon-Sayre on Personality-Driven Hotels and the AI Threat to Independents
Q: What are the best benefits of staying true to Staypineapple's brand, and what are the challenges?
The benefits include having fun at work, connecting personally with guests, and empowering employees to be authentic rather than conforming to a rigid uniform. Challenges involve balancing a distinctive brand with growth and ensuring the culture scales without losing the human touch.
Nourishment, Expression, Movement: Heidi Zimmer on Building Wild Rice Retreat on the Shores of Lake Superior
Q: What was it like building during the pandemic and how did you navigate supply and labor issues?
She explains securing construction financing right before shutdown, limited labor in a rural area, skyrocketing lumber costs, and having to cut a building to keep the project viable, while staying aligned with the long-term vision.
Nourishment, Expression, Movement: Heidi Zimmer on Building Wild Rice Retreat on the Shores of Lake Superior
Q: Give us the one to two minute founding story of the property.
Heidi describes Bayfield's Wild Rice Retreat rising from a 114-acreland with a historic restaurant to a healing retreat blending Native American and Scandinavian traditions, created during the pandemic, and then expanding into 31 rooms with nature-based programming.

Audience Metrics

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

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Gender Skew
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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 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. Thanks For Visiting
2. The Short Term Show
3. Outdoor Hospitality Podcast: Glamping, STR, Resorts, Unique Stays, RV Parks, RV Resorts & Campgrounds
4. This Week in Hospitality
5. David Senra

How many episodes of Behind the Stays are there?

Behind the Stays launched 6 years ago and published 394 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?

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What guests have appeared on Behind the Stays?

Recent guests on Behind the Stays include:

1. Michael Wolf
2. Dina Belon-Sayre
3. Jennifer Barnwell
4. Heidi Zimmer
5. Brian Chesky
6. Prince Harry
7. Adam Stewart
8. Vanessa Aguirre

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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