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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
Vacation Rental Management
AI In Hospitality
Luxury Hospitality
Customer Experience
Guest Experience
Independent Hotels
Unique Stays
Marriott
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 weeklyEpisodes383Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusinessInvesting

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Artwork for Behind the Stays

Latest Episodes

Blake Danner has spent his career inside the rooms where lifestyle hospitality was invented. Eleven years alongside Ian Schrager opening the Clift, Sanderson, and Shore Club. Seven years as founding COO of the Sydell Group, where he helped create Nom... more

Check out Lodgify claim your exclusive discount: www.lodgify.com/behind-the-stays/

In just a moment you'll meet Austin Allison — co-founder and CEO of Pacaso, the co-ownership platform that's reimagining how people buy, use, and think abo... more

TikTok Go was supposed to turn creators into a hotel distribution channel. Instead, a Skift investigation found dozens of AI-generated fake videos attached to real properties — fabricated suites, nonexistent amenities, faceless accounts — with one Se... more

Check out Lodgify claim your exclusive discount: www.lodgify.com/behind-the-stays/

In just a moment you'll meet Lauren Blanford from Lost Woods — a glamping retreat and event property built on 160 acres of northern Michigan that started w... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Alice Sherman
CEO of HVS Executive Search, leads global executive placement in hospitality, restaurants, and private equity
HVS
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: Google Buys Spirit’s Data, Timeshares Are Cool Now, and Alice Sherman on the Future of Hiring in Hospitality
Sarah Kopit
Editor-in-chief at Skift, travel and hospitality journalist
Skift
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: Skift Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit on The Great Hotel Owner Squeeze, Aman's YouTuber Fiasco, & Marriott's Owner Concession
Tim Rosolio
VP of Vacation Rental Partnerships at Expedia Group (Vrbo)
Vrbo / Expedia Group
Episode: Sponsored Listings Are Coming to Vrbo — Plus What 2,000 Guests Actually Want from Vacation Rentals (and It's Not a Hot Tub)
Glenn Haussman
Hospitality media veteran and host/creator of No Vacancy Podcast
Independent hospitality media
Episode: The Godfather of Hospitality Podcasting Has Notes: Disney, Virgin, and the Quest to Be Original with Glenn Haussman
Eivind Myhre
Head of communications and marketing at Norwegian Air
Norwegian Air
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: How Norwegian Air Went Viral for Losing, Should Airbnb and Ennismore Hook Up? and the Slow Death of Organic Discovery on Vrbo
James McBride
CEO of NIHI Hotels
NIHI Hotels
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: Ideas, Stories, and Hot Takes with James McBride, Co-Founder & CEO of NIHI Hotels
Colin Nagy
Leads global brand strategy for Instagram and Threads at Meta; long-time writer on luxury travel for Skift
Meta (Instagram & Threads) and Skift
Episode: Why Luxury Hospitality Is Optimizing Itself Into Irrelevance — And What To Do About It (with Colin Nagy)
Sean O'Neill
Hospitality editor at Skift
Skift
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: Pali Society Goes Bonvoy, Hilton's Incubating 5 New Brands, and Hot Takes with Skift's Hospitality Editor, Sean O'Neil
Francis Davidson
Founder of Odessia; co-founder of Sonder
Odessia / Sonder
Episode: This Week in Hospitality: Sonder's Founder is Back, Hyatt's New Growth Strategy, The Human Concierge Book, and L.E/Miami Recap

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 States6 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.

This Week in Hospitality: Google Buys Spirit’s Data, Timeshares Are Cool Now, and Alice Sherman on the Future of Hiring in Hospitality
Q: Are new senior titles like Chief Commercial Officer becoming essential in hospitality?
Yes, organizations are recognizing that dedicated commercialization leadership helps unify revenue, marketing, and sales under a strategic umbrella, aiding differentiation and growth.
This Week in Hospitality: Google Buys Spirit’s Data, Timeshares Are Cool Now, and Alice Sherman on the Future of Hiring in Hospitality
Q: How can independent hotel brands attract top talent beyond compensation?
Independents should emphasize speed of decision-making, ownership opportunities, unique experiences, and clear growth paths that allow employees to contribute meaningfully and advance quickly.
The Real Reason You Can't Build a Vacation Rental Brand (It's Not What You Think) — And How to Fix It
Q: How do you envision consumers and OTAs using this language of trust in the near term?
OTAs can better match guests to appropriate tiers by understanding the service and quality standards, while consumer-facing messaging will evolve to reflect tiered promises, improving anticipation and reducing reliance on retrospective reviews.
The Real Reason You Can't Build a Vacation Rental Brand (It's Not What You Think) — And How to Fix It
Q: Why focus standards on the property manager rather than each individual home?
Property managers control staffing, operations, and purchasing for multiple homes, making them best positioned to enforce consistent service and quality across a portfolio, which reduces variation and improves scalability.
The Real Reason You Can't Build a Vacation Rental Brand (It's Not What You Think) — And How to Fix It
Q: What sparked the initial realization that there was a huge opportunity in standardizing hospitality for vacation rentals?
The realization came from observing how other hospitality sectors have a clear 'language of trust' and quality tiers, while vacation rentals lacked that structure, which created misaligned guest expectations and inefficiencies.

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?

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. On The Market
4. BiggerPockets Money
5. The Martell Method w/ Dan Martell

How many episodes of Behind the Stays are there?

Behind the Stays launched 6 years ago and published 383 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. Alice Sherman
2. Sarah Kopit
3. Tim Rosolio
4. Glenn Haussman
5. Eivind Myhre
6. James McBride
7. Colin Nagy
8. Sean O'Neill

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