The Unchecked-In Podcast

How do you turn struggling hotels into market leaders? In this episode, Bobby Marhamat sits down with Benjamin Gray, co-founder of Henlopen Hospitality and a seasoned hotel operator with more than 15 years of experience transforming underperforming properties into thriving businesses. Recognized as the AHLA National General Manager of the Year and featured in outlets like The Wall Street Journal a...

What does it take to build a fast-growing independent hotel brand in today’s market? In this episode of The Unchecked-In Podcast , Bobby Marhamat sits down with Keir Weimer, CEO of Northbound Capital and Founder of Weekender Hotels, and Jonny Jost, Director of Growth and Investor at Northbound Capital. From growing up in the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park to scaling an 11-property outdoor hospital...

In this episode of The Unchecked-In Podcast , Bobby Marhamat sits down with Jacob Messina, CEO of Stayntouch, a cloud-native PMS helping hotels streamline operations and deliver exceptional guest experiences. Jacob shares insights from his journey across hospitality—from working in restaurants as a teen, to leading operations at Lowe’s Hotels and MCR Hotels, to now driving innovation in hotel tech...

Heather Shannon runs Speckled Hen Inn with a pricing strategy that contradicts what most revenue management systems recommend: she ignores competitor rates completely. After nine years of building a working farm operation with 35+ organic crops integrated into daily service, her approach centers on creating experiences competitors can't replicate—guests return years later naming the specific lambs...

Nicole Casino built a hospitality brand generating 3-4 daily booking inquiries without paid marketing by documenting her three-year journey from RV glamping influencer to island resort owner on social media. Her Black Pearl Cove property in Georgia challenges industry norms with 1pm Friday check-ins and optional 8pm Sunday checkouts, addressing the fundamental flaw that most vacationers spend more...

Meredith Garrett operates Nashville party properties and remote Smoky Mountains resorts including 45-foot treehouses and glamping domes. She reveals why 8 units isn't enough to make remote hospitality profitable, the specific staffing math that changes at scale, and how to price experiences where no traditional comps exist, plus the misalignment between marketing and service delivery that most ope...

In today’s episode of Unchecked In , we sit down with Jordan Malara, owner of Springs Hospitality (Colorado), to unpack his transition from a U.S. Space Force engineer to boutique‑hotel operator—and the real estate and hospitality lessons he’s learning along the way. Jordan shares how he left engineering and the military, started by investing in short‑term rentals, and eventually decided “if short...

From corporate strategic marketing executive to glamping entrepreneur, Joe Marzahl reveals how he built 7-Ranch Getaways from 130 acres of raw Oklahoma land into a profitable hospitality operation generating repeat bookings and premium rates. His systematic approach to market positioning and infrastructure planning offers battle-tested frameworks for independent property operators competing agains...

Michael Blank , Principal at Woodmont Lodging — with nearly 30 years across operations, consulting, investment banking, and a decade running his own investment firm — tackles the hospitality industry's most critical operational challenge: deploying technology to enhance profitability without sacrificing the human elements that drive guest loyalty. His portfolio experience reveals why most properti...

Most independent property owners view seasonal markets as profit killers, but Owner Rachel Carlson has spent eight years proving the opposite at her 31-room Black Bear Lodge in Lake Tahoe. Her counterintuitive approach to staffing, community integration, and guest experience design demonstrates how owner-operators can leverage their personal involvement into sustainable competitive advantages. In...