
Welcome to The Hotel Investor Playbook, hosted by real estate investor and hospitality operator Michael Russell. Michael is the co-founder of Malama Capital and Howzit Hostels, and has built a personal real estate portfolio exceeding $20 million.With an operator-first mindset, Michael brings a practical perspective to hotel investing. On the show, he breaks down what it actually takes to scale fro... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 100 | Founded | 2 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | InvestingBusiness | |||

Sarah Dusek had built Under Canvas when a private equity buyer took a majority stake at a valuation north of $100 million. Michael Russell opens the episode by asking what they were actually buying. Her answer is two words: embedded EBITDA.
In this ... more
Bruce and Emily Haupt run The Landgrove, a 16-room inn with a full-service restaurant and a 1,500-square-foot art barn, in a Vermont town of 180 people. They paid $1.8 million for it, and the down payment did not come out of savings. It came out of E... more
Adam Walz and Micah Thomas are the co-founders of Comeback Hospitality, and they are roughly 30 days from opening The Wesley, a 1960s roadside motel in Page, Arizona they are converting into a 50-room boutique hotel. To buy it, they called 62 banks a... more
Dustin Baker runs Hidden Gem Media, a performance marketing agency built to pull hospitality brands off the OTAs and onto direct bookings. By his account, one client resort went from roughly thirty thousand dollars a month in direct bookings to somew... more
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Michael’s podcast is a masterclass in storytelling and insight. Each episode features thoughtfully selected interviewees who share their journeys through failure, growth, and ultimately, success. What stands out is Michael’s ability to ask the right questions—those that not only guide the conversation but also resonate deeply with the audience’s desire to learn from real-life experiences.
His interviewing style feels both natural and engaging, creating a space where guests are comfortable shari... more
Found this podcast recently as I make my way back into hotel entrepreneurship. Appreciate how Michael covers many topics in his interviews that I’m also interested in knowing, and how transparent everyone is on the call about their financials. Very valuable.
Informative, entertaining, and highly relevant. Michael is a wonderful host and provides tremendous value across many facets of hospitality leadership.
This podcast along with others helped me have the confidence to pull the trigger on buying a motel. It’s been a huge help!
I absolutely love Hotel Investor Playbook! The format is fantastic—easy to follow, well-structured, and genuinely fun to listen to.
What really sets this podcast apart is how practical and actionable it is. Michael breaks down real hotel investing concepts into clear, usable advice you can actually apply, without the fluff or hype. It feels like sitting down with smart friends who have already done the deals and are telling you exactly what to watch for and how to think about them.
If you’re i... more
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This show centers on hotel investing, development, and operating strategies, with a practical, operator-first lens. Episodes routinely explore deal sourcing, capital structures, renovation challenges, and revenue optimization for boutique hotels and other hospitality assets. Guests range from bootstrap operators and real estate investors to hospitality founders, sharing hard-won lessons on funding, partnerships, and scaling a portfolio. A standout through line is a focus on actionable tactics, transparency about numbers, and a willingness to discuss risks and missteps to help listeners move from strategy to execution.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with The Hotel Investor Playbook:
1. On The Market
2. The BetterLife Podcast
3. The Short Term Show
4. Action Academy | Build Wealth. Buy Assets. Leave Corporate.
5. Tax Smart Real Estate Investors Podcast
The Hotel Investor Playbook launched 2 years ago and published 100 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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Recent guests on The Hotel Investor Playbook include:
1. Bruce Haupt
2. Emily Haupt
3. Adam Walz
4. Micah Thomas
5. Dustin Baker
6. Carly Whitney
7. Amiti Bhow
8. Alexander Cartwright
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