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Artwork for The Hotel Investor Playbook

The Hotel Investor Playbook

Michael Russell
Boutique Hotels
Real Estate Investment
Hospitality
Hotel Management
Direct Bookings
Hospitality Industry
Hospitality Management
Short-Term Rentals
Investment Strategies
Glamping
Guest Experience
Cost Segregation
Operational Excellence
Guest Satisfaction
Hostels
Luxury Hospitality
Real Estate Syndication
Franchising
Hotel Investment
Entrepreneurship

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes83Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BusinessInvesting

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Artwork for The Hotel Investor Playbook

Latest Episodes

Most people assume you need outside investors, a big budget, or a prime location to build a profitable hospitality brand. This episode proves otherwise.

In this episode, you'll learn exactly how one builder went from working as a contractor to ownin... more

You hit your targets. You built the business. So why does it still feel like something's missing?

In this episode, you'll discover why deferring your happiness until the next deal, the next promotion, or the next milestone is quietly destroying your... more

What if you bought a rundown bed and breakfast on Zillow, moved in the next day, and turned it into Colorado's first luxury treehouse hotel, all without raising a single dollar from outside investors?

That's exactly what Ashley LaRocque and her wife... more

In this episode, you'll discover how a single ultra-niche lodging unit can outperform a full hotel on cash-on-cash returns and what that signals for boutique investors paying attention.

A treehouse designer whose work has been featured in the New Yo... more

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Recent Guests

Mike Messeroff
Personal freedom coach working with hospitality leaders
Episode: Stop Deferring Your Joy: How High-Performing Leaders Stay Sharp Without Burning Out | Mike Messeroff E81
Dustin Feider
Tree house designer/builder and founder of TreeWalkers
TreeWalkers
Episode: The $600K Treehouse Earning $200K a Year | Dustin Feider E79
Ryan Sudeck
CEO of Sage Investment Group
Sage Investment Group
Episode: The Hotel-to-Apartment Strategy That Turned $8.5M Into $18.9M in 19 Months | Ryan Sudeck E78
Tyler Cauble
Hospitality and commercial real estate investor, co-developer of a boutique hotel in Nashville
Self-directed entrepreneur, partner in Salt Ranch project
Episode: What a $75M Commercial Investor Wished He Knew Before Opening His First Boutique Hotel | Tyler Cauble E77
Tim Hubbard
Boutique hotel developer and operator; founder of Corzly
Corzly
Episode: An STR operator's $4 million bet on building a boutique hotel in Colombia | Tim Hubbard E76
Greg Emmert
Veteran campground owner/operator and consultant
Independent consultant; former KOA operator
Episode: Under $1.5M in Revenue? You Don't Own a Business, You Own a Job | Greg Emmert E75
Jasper Ribbers
Pricing strategist for short-term rentals; co-founder of Freewyld (micro-resort brand)
Freewyld Foundry / Freewyld
Episode: The Revenue Expert Managing $125M Says You're Leaving 40% on the Table | Jasper Ribbers E74
Brent Bowers
Land investor, founder of Land Sharks
Land Sharks
Episode: What Hotel Investors Can Steal From a Land Investor Who's Done 400 Deals | Brent Bowers E73
Ben Wolff
Co-founder of Onera, a landscape hotel brand in Texas, and CEO of Owasi, a hospitality marketing firm
Onera / Owasi
Episode: An Overlooked Strategy That Makes $7M Hotel Deals Actually Pencil | Ben Wolff E72

Host

Michael Russell
Host of the show; real estate investor and hospitality operator; co-founder of Malama Capital and Howzit Hostels.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 115 ratings
  • Solid info

    This podcast along with others helped me have the confidence to pull the trigger on buying a motel. It’s been a huge help!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    conradbio
    Canada4 months ago
  • Actionable Tools and Strategies

    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

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AI Grandma, Apparently
    United States5 months ago
  • Great content

    Really good stuff coming from Mike and Nate. I appreciate their insight and experience level regarding hotel investing.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    bb5218
    United States5 months ago
  • Great pod!

    Absolutely loving this. So much valuable information. Hope you guys keep creating episodes! I’ve been binging them.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CRMpods
    United States7 months ago
  • Invaluable

    I learned so much from every episode, love it! Thanks for putting this together guys, please don’t stop… at least until my first acquisition LOL

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Daniel Ahern
    United States7 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests consistently bring diverse perspectives from operators to brokers, enriching the show.
Listeners appreciate how episodes connect strategy to execution in real assets.
Highly actionable and practical hotel investing tips that feel sourced from real deals.
The hosts pull high-value insights from guests and keep complex topics understandable.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#32
Ireland/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#110
Ireland/Business
Apple Podcasts
#137
Spain/Business/Investing

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Stop Deferring Your Joy: How High-Performing Leaders Stay Sharp Without Burning Out | Mike Messeroff E81
Q: What does the coaching program offer and how can someone participate?
The guest describes moving toward a private circle called 'the extraordinary,' a curated group for top leaders, with applications via mikemesseroff.com/apply. He also promotes LinkedIn and Substack for ongoing guidance and resources.
Stop Deferring Your Joy: How High-Performing Leaders Stay Sharp Without Burning Out | Mike Messeroff E81
Q: How important is it to take breaks from work to maintain presence and gratitude, and how should leaders implement this?
The guest emphasizes that presence must come first and that short daily practices (meditation, gratitude journaling) are scalable for busy leaders. These routines reduce stress, improve decision-making, and help leaders show up more fully for their teams, which in turn improves organizational culture.
The $600K Treehouse Earning $200K a Year | Dustin Feider E79
Q: Tell me how much money you raised from crowdfunding?
They raised around $600,000 in the initial round from about 700 investors, followed by a second round with a revenue-sharingDebt mechanism via WeFunder that raised about $130,000.
The Hotel-to-Apartment Strategy That Turned $8.5M Into $18.9M in 19 Months | Ryan Sudeck E78
Q: How does the evergreen fund work versus a traditional syndication, and how do investors get paid back?
Investors own a share of the fund's portfolio, receive distributions from day one, and can redeem shares after five years; exits are managed by the fund with revaluations (CBRE) to determine share price.
The Hotel-to-Apartment Strategy That Turned $8.5M Into $18.9M in 19 Months | Ryan Sudeck E78
Q: How do you reassure sellers during the long entitlement and conversion process, especially when permits can take months?
We include earnest money tied to milestones, trigger planning/entitlement work early, and maintain a reputation for not walking away, which helps keep sellers engaged even through lengthy processes.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Hotel Investor Playbook

What is The Hotel Investor Playbook about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Practical, operator-driven discussions centered on hotel investing, boutique development, and outdoor hospitality. Across episodes, the show explores deal sourcing, capital strategies, operations, and risk management, with guests ranging from campground operators to revenue-management experts and hotel brokers. Listeners can expect actionable tactics on pricing, direct bookings, leasing vs ownership, and scalable systems—often illustrated with real-world case studies and candid lessons from the field. A notable strength is translating complex hotel investment concepts into repeatable playbooks, with emphasis on market positioning, guest experience, and relationships with lenders and investors.

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Which podcasts are similar to The Hotel Investor Playbook?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Hotel Investor Playbook:

1. The Short Term Show
2. BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast
3. Thanks For Visiting
4. The BetterLife Podcast
5. On The Market

How many episodes of The Hotel Investor Playbook are there?

The Hotel Investor Playbook launched 2 years ago and published 83 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 The Hotel Investor Playbook?

Recent guests on The Hotel Investor Playbook include:

1. Mike Messeroff
2. Dustin Feider
3. Ryan Sudeck
4. Tyler Cauble
5. Tim Hubbard
6. Greg Emmert
7. Jasper Ribbers
8. Brent Bowers

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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