The Journey Begins: Journey is Officially Live! Here’s How We’re Reimagining Loyalty (with Founder John Sutton)
Today is a special episode because Journey is officially live! I’m thrilled to sit down with John Sutton, the visionary founder of Journey, to talk about how this groundbreaking loyalty platform for independent hotels and private rentals came to life.
We’ll dive into John’s original inspiration, discuss the future of guest loyalty, and highlight the incredible Alliance Partners who’ve joined us early on this journey. Journey unites unique, independent hotels and private rental homes, offering travelers personalized rewards and unique experiences while empowering operators with advanced technology and guest insights traditionally reserved for major hotel chains. John shares his bold predictions for what’s next in travel and explains how Journey is reshaping the hospitality landscape.
If you’re an independent hotel or unique stay operator interested in joining the Journey Alliance, you can apply to join here!
Ready to join us on this exciting adventure? Download the Journey Members App on the App Store today!
--------
15:38
--------
15:38
How to Make Hotels Cool Again: What the Best Operators Know That the Brands Forgot (with Bashar Wali)
Today, I’m thrilled to share a conversation with someone I’ve admired from afar for quite some time — Bashar Wali.
If you’ve spent any time in the hospitality space, chances are you’ve come across Bashar’s work — or at least his words. He’s the former President and CEO of Provenance Hotels, and today he leads two companies he founded: Practice Hospitality, a management company focused on culturally resonant independent hotels, and This Assembly, a hospitality think tank and incubator building what's next for the industry.
What I love most about Bashar is that he’s refreshingly candid, wildly insightful, and deeply passionate about this space — not just because it’s his career, but because it’s in his DNA.
In this episode, we get into:
Why hospitality is not the same as service — and how even a roadside motel can deliver deeply human moments that a five-star hotel might miss.
Why Bashar believes loyalty programs are really just bribery, and what real loyalty actually looks like.
How he went from having visited just two countries by age 20 to now traveling like a true nomad — and how that wanderlust has shaped his worldview.
Why the world’s best operators are not just spreadsheet wizards, but curators of culture who know how to feel what's cool — and create spaces where others can feel it too.
And why the soft brand strategy has lost its edge — not because the concept is broken, but because the execution rarely matches the promise.
Bashar and I also talk about the role that AI should play in hospitality, the difference between trend-chasing and trend-observing, and what it takes for hotels to stop being sterile, beige boxes and become — in his words — merchants of cool again.
This is one of those episodes that had me nodding, laughing, and taking notes at the same time. Bashar is equal parts philosopher and practitioner — and I think you’re going to get a ton out of this.
Let’s dive in.
Learn more about Bashar
Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more.
Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.
--------
1:04:15
--------
1:04:15
The Art of Growing a Hotel Brand Without Losing the Magic: The Story of Salt Hotels
I’ve long admired Salt Hotels — their properties, their presence, their ability to make the familiar feel completely new. So when I had the chance to sit down with David Bowd, the visionary behind the brand, I knew we were in for something special.
David’s story begins not in a boardroom or luxury suite, but in a small café his mother bought when he was a kid. It was there he discovered the energy of hospitality — the joy in unpredictability, the beauty of serving others, and the sense of belonging that would later shape his career.
We talk about his time working with icons like Ian Schrager and André Balazs, and the lessons in creativity, precision, and obsession with detail that would ultimately inspire Salt Hotels — a brand built on the belief that boutique doesn’t have to mean formulaic, and luxury doesn’t have to be loud.
In this episode, David shares the founding story of Salt, how he balances growth without losing soul, why the future of business travel is more boutique than we think, and how AI might just make hospitality more human.This is a conversation about craft, partnership, legacy — and why every single chair, playlist, and pet fee at Salt Hotels is intentional.
--------
56:45
--------
56:45
Booking the Future: PMS, AI, and the War on Clunky Software with Lodgify's CEO
In this episode, Zach sits down with Shaun Shirazian, CEO of Lodgify, for an unfiltered conversation about what’s next in hospitality tech—and what’s not changing. Shaun shares how a meaningful moment on a San Diego balcony more than a decade ago sparked his passion for short-term rentals, and how that guest connection still drives his work building tools for small operators around the globe.
We unpack Lodgify’s long-standing mission to “arm the underdogs” by empowering independent hosts and managers with the same technology advantages as the big players. Shaun draws a clear line between his upbringing as the son of immigrants, his experience at companies like Intuit and PipeDrive, and the deep conviction that great tech should level the playing field for the little guys.
But this episode isn’t just philosophical—it’s tactical. Shaun offers a refreshingly honest take on:
Why switching PMSs still feels painful, and what needs to change.
How Lodgify is navigating its role as both OTA partner and direct booking champion.
What’s holding back the direct booking experience (hint: it’s not just UX).
How the best future software will be invisible—delivering outcomes, not dashboards.
We also talk AI, and Shaun shares why Lodgify is entering what he calls its “13-year-old growth spurt,” a new chapter he’s dubbed Lodgify 2.0. Think: fewer clunky interfaces, more Stripe-like booking flows, and a relentless focus on what hosts have always cared about—trust, time savings, and more bookings.
This one’s for the rebels, the brand builders, and anyone who’s ever screamed at a janky checkout page and thought, “There has to be a better way.”
Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more.
Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.
--------
55:09
--------
55:09
Live From VRMA's Exec Summit: What the Smartest Operators Are Really Thinking About Right Now (Part 2)
Welcome back to our special two-part series recorded live at the VRMA Executive Summit in Miami Beach. This gathering brought together some of the sharpest minds and boldest voices in vacation rental management, and we made it our mission to capture real-time insights on what’s top of mind for the leaders shaping this space.
In Part 2, we continue our hot-take conversations with a new lineup of industry experts, diving into the themes of value-driven travel, AI-powered revenue strategy, and the increasing tension between quality and scale.
First up, you’ll hear from Peter Albert, CEO of Coastal Vacation Properties, who shares what it's been like rebuilding his business—and his entire community—post-hurricane in Fort Myers Beach. Peter opens up about the realities of traveler expectations today (spoiler: it’s all about price), and why vacation planners should be treated like VIPs before they even step through the door.
Next, we sit down with Richie Khandelwal, co-founder of PriceLabs, for a high-octane look into the future of dynamic pricing. Richie breaks down what AI means for rate strategy, guest personalization, and the precision of future search—and why your brand’s niche might be your most powerful weapon in an AI-first world.
Then we’re joined by Michelle Williams, General Manager at Atlantic Vacation Homes. Michelle challenges the “growth at all costs” mindset and makes a powerful case for quality over quantity. She also offers a long-view perspective on how guest expectations evolve—and why a well-made bed might matter more than that arcade machine.
Finally, Scott Leggat of Inhabit shares wisdom from decades in the field. We discuss guest loyalty, building a sense of local ownership, and why regulation—not competition—may be the industry’s biggest threat.
If you missed Part 1, go back and hear from Steve Trover (Better Talent), Jacob Mueller (Renjoy), and Michelle Marquis on everything from business travel to PMS data ownership and the future of standardization.
Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more.
Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.
Welcome to Behind the Stays — a podcast that shares the stories behind your favorite boutique hotels, short-term rentals, and hospitality brands and the hosts, operators, and entrepreneurs who’ve brought them to life.
Every Tuesday and Friday you’ll meet the military veterans, retired flight attendants, tech entrepreneurs, school teachers, single moms, hoteliers, and real estate investors who are all, in their unique ways, shaping the future of travel and hospitality.
Discover how these visionaries — from all over the world — have built stunning landscape hotels in the mountains, designed bohemian bungalows on the beach, erected eclectic off-grid and nature-immersed escapes, and so much more.
Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more.
Behind the States is hosted by Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance.
España