The Secret Serviced Podcast

🎙️  Season 3, Episode 31 Planning Approved & Living in a Caravan  🚐✨ This week on  The Secret Serviced Podcast  we are sharing a proper behind-the-scenes episode. We cover: ✈️ Carolines recent trip to Dubai 🏗️ Planning approval at Sefton Place and the very real prospect of caravan life while the works begin 🎄 How we prepare for a seamless Christmas across the portfolio,...

Episode 30 of Season 3 is LIVE 🎙️✨ ‘Living in a Caravan & Top Work Martin Lewis’ This week has been… a lot. From tough moments and unexpected challenges to festive cheer and big steps forward, we have been on quite the rollercoaster. ❤️‍🩹🎄 We headed to a beautiful Christmas event, met some amazing people, and made real progress at Sefton Place — including pulling together a 20-page vision b...

Episode 29 is live… and let us tell you, it is a vibe . This week on The Secret Serviced Podcast, we chat about life at Sefton Place in all its muddy, windswept, heater-dragging, beanbag-with-no-beans glory — and Mark digs his heels in on his ongoing refusal to wear slippers (pray for him). But it is not all cold floors and camp chairs. We also dive into: ✨ Our latest battle with planning bureauc...

Please Do Not Kill Us & The Super Typhoon 🌪️🇵🇭 In this episode we shine a big bright spotlight on our incredibly resourceful, tough and resilient team in the Philippines, who are literally weathering a super typhoon while keeping the business moving. It really makes you wonder how much better off the UK would be if we had even 10 percent of their work ethic and resilience… while we battle our...

🎙️ NEW EPISODE ALERT – #27: “Full On Springwatch & What Happened to the Honeymoon Period?” 🦊💍 This week we’re talking: 🌲 Unexpected networking… in the woods?! 🏠 Accessibility conundrums and drainage drama at Eton House (plus our wild plans for Springwatch-style wildlife cams!) 😅 Mark’s unique approach to constructive criticism 🧹 Cleaner chaos — where’s the honeymoon period gone? 💰 Winte...

🎙️ Episode 26 – "Calling 999 & Meeting Builders in a Pub Car Park" Season 3 of The Secret Serviced Podcast This week’s episode is a rollercoaster of property updates, planning headaches, and a touch of chaos from the frontline of hospitality. Mark and Caroline kick things off with the latest developments at  Sefton Place , including the final piece of the planning jigsaw –  biod...

🎙  Episode 25 — “Bamboozled by Finance & Robot Lawnmowers”  🤖💸 From spreadsheets that make your head spin to lawnmowers that seem to have developed free will… we are back with another dose of  real-life hospitality mayhem . This week we tackle the mysteries of money management, investor logic, and why tech (no matter how clever) still needs a human touch. Expect a few laughs,...

🔑  When Smart Locks Go Dumb & Getting To Grips With Our Cesspit  💩 From locks that ran out of battery for the first time in 3 years to the glamorous world of off-mains drainage at Sefton Place… this week we are keeping it real. Episode 24 of Season 3 is live now! Tune in for behind-the-scenes wins, fails, and a few lessons you will not want to miss. 👉 Follow us for more real talk...

🚗✨  Skin Fades & Parking A Lamborghini  (S3E23) From a new listing going live before we were ready 🙈 to updates at Sefton Place, a cracking new property valuation, and possibly the most laughable guest review we have ever received… this one has it all. The action is heating up at Sefton Place this week, and you do not want to miss it 👀 🎥 Head to our YouTube channel (link in bio)...

✨ Episode 22 is out now — and honestly, this might be one of my favourite conversations of the season. Big Shoes To Fill & Stress Bananas  🎙️ is a chance to meet our incredible VA,  Marianna , who works behind the scenes keeping our guests happy and our business running smoothly. She is such a talent — thoughtful, professional, and full of heart — and this episode gives a rare insig...

🚨  NEW EPISODE ALERT!  🚨 Season 3 • Episode 21 —  “Naked Ramblers & Misspelt Tattoos”  👀🎙️ Yes… you read that right. This week on  The Secret Serviced Podcast : 🏃‍♂️ Mark shares his  completely unexpected  chance encounter with a  naked jogger  (yes… fully naked). ⭐ We unveil our brand-new  Guest Review Tracker  — helping us step up o...

🎙️ New episode of  The Secret Serviced Podcast  is LIVE! 🚀 This week we are: 🍏 Dreaming big with plans for our very own  orchard  at Sefton Place (and yes… a  jam & chutney range  is coming 👩‍🍳) 📶 Talking  smart wifi hacks  and how adding data capture can seriously level up your guest experience 🔥 Dealing with a little  fire alarm drama  ...

Season 3, Episode 19 – “Barefoot DIY & Getting Frisky in the Shower”  🎙️ This week on  The Secret Serviced Podcast , Mark and Caroline are back with another behind-the-scenes update from our serviced accommodation and aparthotel journey. 🔑  In this episode: 🏰  Sefton Place Update  – we have been knee-deep in R&D surveys, finalising concept plans, and getting clos...

S3 EP18: Splash The Cash & Cross Your Fingers 💸🤞 In this week’s episode of  The Secret Serviced Podcast , we lift the lid on the realities of running and scaling serviced accommodation and aparthotels — and this one is packed. 🏰  Sefton Place update  – more rip-out work, meeting a potential builder, and yes… yet more surveys! 🛎  Our origin story  – how we got starte...

S3 EP17: King Of The Swingers & Distracted By Kites 🏗️🪁 This week on  The Secret Serviced Podcast , we are back with another dose of behind-the-scenes madness from the world of serviced accommodation and aparthotel life – and this one has a bit of everything… 🏰  Sefton Place Update  – Caroline and I are getting properly hands-on with the rip-out, meeting potential builders, an...

S3 EP16: No Help from the Police & the Airbnb Killer 😳🚨 This week on  The Secret Serviced Podcast , we are diving into one of the  most intense situations  we have ever faced as serviced accommodation operators — and trust us, this one is wild… We share the full story of the guest who  refused to leave Eton House , what happened when we involved the  police , and how...

S3 EP15: Eye-Watering Fees & Sharing Our Kitchen with Wildlife 🐿️😳 This week’s episode is a juicy one… We are back with a  Sefton Place  update and some hard truths about the  hidden costs of development  that can seriously derail your project if you are not prepared. These are the fees no one talks about — and they add up fast. 👀 We also chat about  why talking to p...

Welcome to episode 14 of Season 3! 14. Lady Of The Manor & The Grand Piano  In this episode we talk about getting to grips with Sefton Place, vision planning for your business and the different types of finance you can use to fund a property development with little to none of your own money. Please help us spread the word with a like, follow and subscribe and drop us a follow over on inst...

Welcome to episode 13 of Season 3! Solicitors On The Sauce & No Going Back Now In this episode we talk about property portfolio inspections, the conveyancing process involved in buying an Aparthotel and common pitfalls that operators fall into when looking to systemise their hospitality business. Please help us spread the word with a like, follow and subscribe and drop us a follow over on inst...

Welcome to episode 12 of Season 3! Sleepless Panic & Signing Your Life Away In this episode we talk about managing difficult guests, training virtual assistants and the power of networking and outting yourself out there. Please help us spread the word with a like, follow and subscribe and drop us a follow over on instagram @secretservicedpodcast #property #podcast #vacationrentals #airbnbhosts...

Welcome to episode 11 of Season 3! Air Traffic Controllers & The Right Time To Buy Is NOT Always Now! In this episode we talk about having the right service team in place to support your remotely managed holiday-let or Aparthotel, we provide some commentary on the state of the sales market right now and we provide some guidance on choosing the right #channelmanager for your hospitality busines...

Welcome to episode 10 of Season 3! The Toasty Indian & Unreasonable Hospitality  In this episode we have an update on Sefton Place in #Arundel, we set the record straight on the new regulations impacting the short-stay rental industry in the UK and we talk to the amazing Rashmi Bhat. Rashmi is a hospitality entrepreneur, hotel operator, and the founder of multiple brands including Lazy H...

Welcome to episode 9 of Season 3! S******g On The Carpet & Jeremy Clarkson - We Feel Your Pain! In this episode we have an update on Eton House and we talk about your rights to contest an unfair guest review and the planning use class designation for Aparthotels Please help us spread the word with a like, follow and subscribe and drop us a follow over on instagram @secretservicedpodcast #prope...

Welcome to episode 8 of Season 3! 20k A Month From One House & There Are 3 People In This Marriage In this episode we talk about Airbnb's big announcement and the impact on hosts, the challenges of finding a good cleaning team, and how we earn 20k a month from one house using the luxury SA model. Please help us spread the word with a like, follow and subscribe and drop us a follow over on inst...

Welcome to episode 7 of Season 3! Don't Sweat The Big Stuff & Brian Chesky Listens To This Podcast In this episode we talk about our #Airbnb are taking inspiration from our vision for Staycation Gateway and the importance of self-care and time-management when you are running your own business and we have an update for you on the valuation of Eton House. What are your self-care and mental healt...