No Vacancy Live!

We got something cool for episode 1001! Props to Katie Cline at the Skift Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality podcast for this one. I joined an end-of-year roundtable with some of the most thoughtful voices in hashtag#hospitality media to reflect on what actually mattered in 2025 and what could reshape 2026. Huge thanks to everyone who brought real perspective (and disagreement) to the table: 🎙️: Katie Cline — Suite Success 🎙️: Josiah Mackenzie — Hospitality Daily 🎙️: Zach Busekrus — Behind the Stays 🎙️: David Millili & 🎙️Steve Carran — The Modern Hotelier On hashtag#NoVacancyNews, I focused on two things that kept showing up in every conversation this year — and won't go away in 2026: • the confusion and overconfidence around AI, and • the growing economic bifurcation between ultra-luxury and everyone else. I also shared why I think profitability pressure, critical thinking, and realistic expectations will define the next cycle — and why hospitality needs to stop parroting talking points and start asking harder questions. A big thanks to Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. What this roundtable covers: 🧠: Where hashtag#AI helps — and where the industry oversells it 💰: Why protecting profit mattered more than top-line growth in 2025 🏨: The growing gap between ultra-luxury and the rest of the market 🤝: Why loyalty programs face an identity crisis 🎤: Why conferences, panels, and media need real voices — not scripts 🔮: What each of us sees coming in 2026 (and what worries us) Question for you: Which 2025 trend do you think hoteliers misunderstood the most heading into 2026?

Well… this happened. This is episode 1,000 of No Vacancy is live. What started as me, a mic, and no real plan (OK, the original plan was to dominate the universe, but that proved too ambitious) turned into a platform that somehow became part of how this industry talks to itself. This episode purposely short. No guest. No agenda. Just a pause to acknowledge the milestone — and the timing. In 2026, hashtag#NoVacancyNews turns 10, which makes this episode feel a lot like a major milestone with everything lining up. On hashtag#NoVacancyNews, I touch on how the show started, how it shifted from audio to video, and why consistency matters more than getting it perfect. Why this episode exists: 🎙️: Because 1,000 episodes feels worth acknowledging and is great for shameless self-promotion 📺: Because moving to video changed everything - forcing me to get in better shape. 🤝: Because this only works with a real community behind it – like I mean it! 🏨: Because hospitality people show up, even when things get complicated. Like during Covid when most everyone became 'real' 😅: Because sticking with something this long is still shocking for a lazy lug like me If you've listened, watched, shared, disagreed, or stopped me in a hashtag#hotel conference hallway over the years — thank you. And if we haven't met yet, I can't wait to be of your acquaintance. Next stop: episode 1,001… and year 10. Thanks to my amazing team: Suzanne Bagnera, PhD, CHA, CED, David Mignano, CRME and Crystal O'Donnell Happy Holidays and we'll see you in a couple of weeks with some great new episodes!!!

Everyone keeps asking the same question: Is hotel development slowing down? The global numbers say something very different — and far more nuanced. I checked in with Bruce Ford of Lodging Econometrics for a worldwide pipeline update that cuts through assumptions and looks at what's really happening across regions, segments, and timelines. On #NoVacancyNews, Bruce explains why room counts remain historically high, why developers deliberately push openings into later years, and why renovations and conversions now matter as much as ground-up construction. This conversation focuses less on hype and more on how capital actually behaves when markets tighten. A big thanks to Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. What the data actually shows: 🌍: Global pipeline remains massive — but not evenly distributed 🏗️: Projects already under construction tell a different story than announcements 🇨🇳: China still dominates room count, but activity continues to normalize 🏨: Luxury holds firm while other segments feel pressure 🔄: Renovations and conversions reshape supply faster than new builds 📆: Developers delay openings by choice, not panic 🎢: Orlando and Dallas attract momentum for very different reasons

Luxury no longer means chandeliers and thread count. It means connection, memory, and how guests feel long after checkout. I caught up with Robert Reitknecht at INSPIRE Luxury, hosted by the International Luxury Hotel Association, live from Resorts World Las Vegas. (Important context: this was my 10th day in Vegas, so expectations were appropriately managed.) On #NoVacancyNews, Robert explains how luxury hotels move from performative service to genuine connection, why frontline teams shape the guest story more than any design element, and how leaders must "lean into the brand" without losing authenticity. A big thanks to Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. Key Takeaways: 🏨: Why luxury now centers on memory, not material things 👥: How frontline teams directly influence the guest's emotional takeaway 🎯: Why leaders must engage staff before guests arrive 🧠: How listening creates better service cues than scripting ✨: The shift from perfection to progress in luxury operations 📖: Why guests remember stories — not lamps, lobbies, or furniture

Some resorts talk about experiences — Westgate builds them at theme-park scale. I visited Westgate Vacation Villas with Jared Saft, Chief Business and Strategy Officer, to explore how this company evolved from 16 original units into a massive, guest-focused resort with 3,000 rooms, a full waterpark, a Chuck E. Cheese–powered arcade, an in-lobby movie theater, and a $120 million reinvestment underway. On #NoVacancyNews, Jared walks through how Westgate designs spaces for toddlers, teens, parents, and grandparents at the same time, how they turned nostalgia into a modern attraction, and how they're expanding into more than 40 new destinations in just seven months. A big thanks to Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. What you'll see on this tour: 🏨: How Westgate grew from 16 units to 14,000+ across the portfolio 🎬: Why they built a full movie theater right in the check-in lobby 🧒: How kid-first design keeps families engaged (and sane) on peak weekends 👾: Chuck E. Cheese partnerships, retro arcades, and Mystery Funhouse nostalgia 🍭: A candy shop with a waterslide literally running through it 🌊: Shipwreck Island — a full waterpark wrapping around the building 🌮: The strategy behind Los Amigos, Sid's American Kitchen, and Megabytes 🚀: How Westgate thinks about thoughtful, entrepreneurial expansion Question for you: What's the most impressive family-focused feature you've seen at a resort?