No Vacancy Live!

During last week's NYU IHIF, I spoke with Ryan Rivett of the Rivett Organization and Brian Quinn, Chief Development Officer at My Place Hotels, because Brian's new role points to something bigger than a personnel move. Brian matters in this story because My Place is moving into its next phase with the Rivett Organization's broader platform behind it: ownership, operations, construction management,...

At Hilton Orlando, Glenn Haussman talks with Shannon Butler, Director of Catering and Events, about how the hotel uses Xpodigital for flexible event branding, real-time updates, and incremental revenue through digital signage. Meeting planners want spaces that feel customized to their programs Digital signage lets Hilton Orlando update schedules, sponsor messages, sizzle reels, and award content i...

Hamilton Princess doesn't compete like a typical resort. The property leans on 140+ years of history , a museum-level art collection , and a luxury guest who keeps traveling even when the economy gets noisy. Glenn Haussman and Dr. Producer Suzanne Bagnera talk with Diarmaid O'Sullivan, Director of Sales & Marketing at Hamilton Princess & Beach Club , about how the hotel differentiates and keeps re...

Wayne Tabor is President and CEO of the Metropolitan Memphis Hotel and Lodging Association and is way too classy to be having happy hour drinks with Glenn, Craig and Suzanne. Yet here we are.

Seventy-three percent of new vacation ownership purchases now come from Gen Z and millennials. That changes the pitch, product strategy, and member experience conversation for every company in vacation ownership. During ARDA Spring Conference, I spoke with Gordon Gurnik, COO of Hilton Grand Vacations, about younger buyers, points-based flexibility, AI, and the experiences HGV builds around ownersh...

Hotel owners staring down PIPs have three choices: spend the money, sell the asset, or rethink management. During NYU IHIF, I spoke with Ben Perelmuter, CEO of Remington Hospitality, and Scott Geres, General Manager of Hotel Edison, from inside the Hotel Edison in Times Square. Ben says hotel deal activity has finally picked up after several slower conference cycles. Owners face brand pressure, ca...

During NYU IHIF, Hilton debuted Undergraduate by Hilton, a brand-new conversion product aimed at university markets where a full Graduate Hotel may not fit. Jenna Hackett, SVP, Global Leader, Lifestyle Brand Management at Hilton, joined me for a conversation about how Undergraduate by Hilton connects with Graduate Hotels while giving owners a more affordable, scalable conversion option. 🎓 Graduat...

At NYU IHIF, I talked with Zack Gharib, President of Red Roof , because the brand made three moves worth watching at the same time: entered Canada , pushed tech growth , and rebuilt the website around AI search . Then the numbers back it up: app performance up 55% , loyalty enrollments up 29% , and 54,000 app downloads across Q1/April/May. 🇨🇦 First Canada deal: Vancouver airport market, 168 rooms,...

7.2 seconds behind the bar can cost about $1.1M a year. That's how Tobin Ellis , a 30-year bar industry veteran , thinks about bar design: eliminate problems before they happen, then let the team sell more with fewer steps. 👀 Quick test: nonstop walking behind the bar kills selling time and guest connection 🍸 Quick test: "order → disappear → return" kills second rounds 📏 Tobin builds "Zero Step...

One frustrating thing about hospitality: guests want to research rooms visually, but most hotel websites don't include video. When hotels force guests to imagine a room, they simply move on. So I talked with Jason Craparo, CEO of hovr, and Ethan Wiseman, VP of Product Management at aven hospitality, about what hotels can do right now to fix that disconnect. 🎥 Audit your site: count how many video...

We're back in the Hotel Pet Peeves bracket… but first, we nearly lose the plot over Glenn's "Haussman Resort Pool Club Smokehouse & Dispensary Brewery" (still a working title). Friday Night Audit brings Craig Sullivan, Dr. Producer Suzanne Bagnera, and our guest Elyse Poland ("Bucket Hat") back for the Infuri-Eight—plus the usual friendly violence. 🍻 Pet Peeves tournament returns 🛠️ Glenn's studi...

During the recently held ARDA Spring Conference, I met Scott Weisz, EVP Strategic Business Operations at Marriott Vacations Worldwide , and we got into loyalty—because it doesn't work the same way in vacation ownership as it does in hotels. We talk about what actually keeps owners coming back: the booking journey, real service on-property, and experiences that match how younger travelers want to t...

Our friend Bruce Ford, SVP at Lodging Econometrics , joined me right after Lodging Econometrics released its Global Hotel Pipeline report —and it comes with a few surprises and some "pay attention to this" moments for owners, operators, brands, and suppliers. We walk through what the report shows across new construction, renovations, and conversions—and how the mix shifts depending on where you lo...

Skytouch ships AI tools. The tools help associates move faster, feel more confident, and stay engaged on shift. Hotels keep more good people, and guests feel the difference. I talked with Charlie Green at Skytouch Technology about what the AI handles now and what the roadmap adds next. 🤖 AI answers front desk questions fast: "How do I change rooms?" "Where do I find X?" 🧠 AI adds context. New as...

I'm at Hyatt Regency Orlando, where I'm with Managing Director Paul Joseph breaking down how the hotel uses Xpodigital to modernize the on-site event experience while adding profitability by selling digital signage as sponsor inventory through revenue share. 🖥️ Hyatt uses digital branding to give sponsors visibility in shared spaces ⏱️ The team pushes late planner changes live fast instead of miss...

Memorial Day weekend means higher bar volume. That's the perfect time to raise drink quality without slowing service. I'm at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino in the Velvet Lounge with mixologist Yelena Anter Cocktail Vision , making her Brain Teaser Margarita and talking through the real takeaway for hotels: build hashtag # cocktails that look premium, taste balanced, and give guests a reason to...

Live experiences drive operating success because they create reasons to travel, reasons to spend, and reasons to come back. That's why Marriott Vacations Worldwide is building Inner Circle around them. I talked with Mike Flasky, President and COO of Marriott Vacations Worldwide, about what changes when the offer expands beyond the villa and into the full trip. 🎟️ Inner Circle launches June 22 and...

Only 40% of hotel tech revenue-side professionals hit their full bonus target. Glenn Haussman and Dr. Producer Suzanne Bagnera talk with Ed Clark, Founder of Hospitality Tech Jobs , about his new salary + sentiment report and what it says about hiring, comp, and career paths in hotel tech. 📊 About 66% of hotel tech roles sit revenue-adjacent 🎯 Bonus reality: most people miss full target, so comp...

F1 week in Las Vegas turns a stay into a full itinerary, and Hilton Grand Vacations builds owner value around the full trip, not just the nights. I talked with Derek DeSalvia M.S. DeSalvia, EVP and Chief Customer Officer at Hilton Grand Vacations , at the ARDA Spring Conference about owner benefits beyond the property, multigenerational hashtag # travel , and how the trip stays seamless from booki...

Ryan Labbe owns and operates numerous restaurants in bars in Vegas including Rosina Cocktail Lounge at Venetian, voted one of the "best bars in Las Vegas" by Condé Nast Traveler. Glenn, Craig and Doctor Producer Suzanne ruin it all during tonight's weekend kickoff Happy Hour. How this

Travel + Leisure Co turns Margaritaville and Sports Illustrated into something owners feel after the trip ends: access, events, and reasons to come back. At the ARDA Spring Conference, I talked with Louis Acosta, SVP Sports, Entertainment, Event Marketing and Sales at Travel + Leisure Co, about how the company uses brand DNA to build demand—and why that matters when budgets tighten. 🏝️ Margaritavi...

More than 40% of Westgate's new timeshare buyers are millennials. I talked with Jared Saft, COO of Westgate Resorts, at ARDA's Spring Conference in Las Vegas about why younger buyers want space, kitchens, and togetherness—and how Westgate drives demand with differentiated experiences. 👥 Buyer shift: Jared says millennials make up 40%+ of new buyers 🏠 Product fit: kitchens, multiple bedrooms, mul...

Luxury guests feel the difference in the details, and procurement decides many of those details. I talked with Denis Klurfeld, SVP of Procurement for Luxury & Lifestyle at Accor, about how procurement shapes the luxury guest experience, balances standards with local authenticity, and protects long-term owner value. 🛏️ He treats sleep as non-negotiable because it anchors the brand promise 🍽️ He giv...

During the recently held AAHOACON , I talked with Andrew Russo from AAHOA and Tony Hodgins, Regional General Manager with Legends Global , which operates the Pennsylvania Convention Center , about their digital signage partnership with Xpodigital . 🖥️ Revenue share puts the screens in place without upfront capital, then pays out from sold sponsor inventory ⏱️ AAHOA added a sponsor two days before...

Jason Gamel, President and CEO of ARDA, says vacation ownership holds up because owners lock in costs and plan differently than hotel-only travelers. I talked with Jason at ARDA's spring conference in Las Vegas about tech, buyer trends, and what investors should watch in timeshare right now. 🤖 Jason says the conference puts a big spotlight on tech and where different companies sit in their AI jou...