The Layover

In this episode of The Layover, we sit down with Joe O’Connor, a full-time traveling dad, worldschooler, and co-founder of Global Family Home Rentals, or GFHR—a community-driven rental platform built for families pursuing slower, more intentional travel. After years of dreaming about long-term family travel, Joe and his partner, Linds, eventually packed up their traditional life and began spending months at a time abroad with their daughter, living in places like Portugal, Greece, Italy, and Hawaii. Joe shares how their experience as a traveling family exposed one of the biggest challenges in the nomadic family lifestyle: what to do with your primary home while you’re away—and how to find trusted, affordable, family-friendly homes abroad without relying on traditional short-term rental platforms. Joe breaks down how GFHR is: Helping families rent or exchange homes for 30+ day stays Creating a vetted, invite-only community built around trust and transparency Offering homes priced at cost, rather than for profit Supporting worldschooling families with homes designed for real family life Making slow travel more affordable by unlocking primary residences around the world Encouraging families to choose destinations based on homes, community, and lifestyle—not just tourist demand The conversation also explores worldschooling, flexible education, micro-schools, remote learning, and how travel can become one of the richest forms of education for kids. Joe reflects on his family’s time in Syros, Greece, where his daughter learned, played, rode bikes, and built a life in the community—not just a vacation itinerary. Whether you’re a parent dreaming about long-term travel, a worldschooling family looking for housing solutions, or simply curious about what it takes to build a more flexible life around travel, this episode offers an inspiring look at how families can move from watching the dream online to actually living it. 🏡 Learn More Explore Global Family Home Rentals at gfhr.co, or connect with Joe O’Connor on LinkedIn.

In this episode of The Layover, we sit down with Mauri Waneka, founder of Schwet, a hospitality-meets-wellness concept built around saunas, pools, steam, social connection, and what Mauri calls a “detox, retox” approach to living well. Rather than positioning Schwet as just another cold plunge or wellness space, Mauri frames it as a new kind of hospitality product: sexy, social, design-forward, and rooted in connection. Mauri shares how her path from derivatives trading to real estate development to community building led to Schwet. After moving to Los Angeles, she began hosting dinners as a way to meet interesting people, eventually growing those gatherings into large-scale social experiences that blended business, art, science, entertainment, and culture. Mauri breaks down how Schwet is: Reimagining wellness as living well, not rigid self-denial Blending contrast therapy, social time, and nightlife energy into one hospitality experience Creating a space where people can connect without phones, pressure, or the usual members-club stiffness Balancing exclusivity with public access so the community stays fresh and dynamic Building a brand voice that is funny, irreverent, privacy-conscious, and intentionally anti-flex Positioning itself for a future where wellness, hotels, clubs, and hospitality increasingly overlap The conversation also explores New York’s current social renaissance, why Mauri believes the city beats Los Angeles for spontaneous connection, and how boutique hotels inspired Schwet’s mix of locals, visitors, friends-of-friends, and new faces. Whether you’re interested in hospitality, wellness, community design, nightlife, or the next wave of social spaces, this episode offers a look at how Schwet is making wellness feel less precious—and a lot more fun. 💧 Learn More Follow Schwet at https://www.getschwet.com/ to see the space, the vibe, and Mauri’s very unserious approach to serious hospitality.

In this episode of The Layover, we sit down with Ryan Simonetti, president and CEO of Convene Hospitality Group, to explore the evolving intersection of hospitality, work, lifestyle, and travel. From his early roots around restaurants and hospitality through his father’s Martin’s potato roll delivery business to building one of the leading platforms for premium meetings, events, and flexible workspaces, Ryan shares how Convene is redefining where—and how—people come together. Ryan unpacks how Convene Hospitality Group is building spaces designed for a world where the lines between business travel, lifestyle, community, and experience are increasingly blurred. Ryan breaks down how CHG is: Turning meetings and conferences into experience-driven gatherings Designing premium workspaces through a hospitality-first lens Using human-centered design to support productivity, connection, and brand identity Reimagining third spaces for entrepreneurs, creators, and modern teams Bringing NeueHouse into its next chapter as a home for the curious and creative Scaling thoughtfully across markets while preserving high-touch service and local nuance The conversation also explores the rise of IRL experiences in an AI-driven world, the transformation of business travel, the importance of design in workplace culture, and why the future of conferences may look more like festivals, private dinners, wellness breakouts, and curated cultural moments. Whether you’re a founder, hospitality operator, event strategist, business traveler, or someone thinking about the future of work, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how premium spaces can help people gather with more purpose, creativity, and connection. 🏢 Learn MoreExplore Convene Hospitality Group, Convene, and NeueHouse, or follow Ryan Simonetti on LinkedIn for more on the future of hospitality, work, and experience. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/convenehospitalitygroup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/convene-hospitality-group/ Ryan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-simonetti/

In this episode of The Layover, we sit down with Robbie Bent, CEO and co-founder of OtherShip, a fast-growing wellness concept blending sauna, ice baths, breathwork, music, comedy, and emotionally driven group classes into a new kind of social experience. What started as a backyard ice bath community in Toronto has evolved into a cult-favorite wellness brand with locations in Toronto and New York, designed for people looking to connect, decompress, and socialize without alcohol. Robbie breaks down how OtherShip is: Reimagining sauna and cold plunge culture as a platform for emotional wellness Creating sober social spaces through DJ nights, comedy, singles events, and guided classes Using hot and cold exposure to help people feel more open, present, and connected Building community around shared experiences instead of phones, alcohol, or nightlife pressure Designing spaces that feel more like a boutique hotel or social club than a fitness studio Scaling from a backyard experiment to major New York buildouts with a deeply loyal following The conversation also explores Robbie’s own path from sobriety to entrepreneurship, the rise of sober-curious culture, the loneliness epidemic in major cities, and why OtherShip’s most powerful product may not be the sauna or the ice bath—but the permission it gives people to be human together. Whether you’re interested in wellness, hospitality, nightlife, community building, or the future of alcohol-free social spaces, this episode offers a look at how OtherShip is turning recovery, connection, and emotional release into a new kind of modern ritual. 🧊 Learn More Follow Robbie Bent on LinkedIn or Instagram, and explore OtherShip to learn more about its sauna, ice bath, and emotional wellness experiences.

In this episode of The Layover, we sit down with Alex Schellenberger, former Global Chief Marketing Officer of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, to explore how one of the world’s most iconic luxury hospitality brands balances heritage, growth, and modern brand building. From his early career at Procter & Gamble, Hugo Boss, Coty, and Accor to leading brand strategy for Mandarin Oriental, Alex shares how classical brand management principles translate into the world of ultra-luxury travel—where emotion, recognition, and service define the guest experience. Alex unpacks how luxury hospitality is evolving through: Preserving brand DNA while scaling Mandarin Oriental’s global footprint Building loyalty among ultra-high-net-worth travelers through recognition, access, and emotional connection Keeping the iconic “I’m a Fan” campaign relevant after more than two decades Using celebrities and cultural figures as authentic brand ambassadors, not just paid endorsers Applying AI and guest data to improve personalization while keeping the human touch at the center Designing transformational experiences, from monk-led retreats in Japan to private museum access and champagne house immersions The conversation also explores why service memories matter more than room design, how Asian hospitality continues to shape global luxury, and why the future of high-end travel depends on both technology and deeply human moments. Whether you’re a luxury traveler, hotelier, brand marketer, or simply fascinated by what makes a hospitality brand iconic, this episode offers a rare look inside the strategy behind one of the most respected names in global travel. 🏨 Learn More Explore Mandarin Oriental’s hotels, residences, and experiences at mandarinoriental.com.