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This Week in Hospitality

This Week in Hospitality

Written by: thisweekinhospitality
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Every Friday morning, This Week in Hospitality brings you the most important stories, insights, and innovations shaping the global hospitality industry — distilled and discussed by people who actually build within it.

Hosted by Ben Wolff, Scott Eddy, Edwin Kramer, and Zach Busekrus, this weekly conversation is crafted for the founders, operators, and dreamers creating the next generation of hospitality brands.

You’ll get more than just headlines — you’ll get perspective. Each episode breaks down the week’s most compelling hospitality stories and explores what they really mean for independent hotel owners, boutique brands, and experiential travel entrepreneurs. From brand strategy and design trends to tech disruption and capital markets, This Week in Hospitality keeps you informed, inspired, and ready for what’s next.

So grab your morning coffee, and catch up on the stories that matter — before your guests check in.

New episodes every Friday morning.

Ben Wolff
Ben Wolff is the visionary founder behind Onera, a trailblazing landscape hotel brand in the Texas Hill Country, and Oasi, a next-generation management company pioneering experiential hospitality. Known for pushing the boundaries of design, wellness, and guest immersion, Ben has become a leading voice in the evolution of high-end, nature-driven travel experiences. His work sits at the intersection of architecture, emotion, and environment — redefining what modern luxury feels like in the wild.

Scott Eddy
Scott Eddy is one of the world’s most recognized hospitality voices — a global keynote speaker, digital strategist, and content creator who has partnered with hundreds of luxury hotel brands, tourism boards, and travel startups. Named among the top travel influencers worldwide, Scott brings a rare blend of brand storytelling expertise, social strategy, and on-the-ground hospitality experience, offering a panoramic view of how digital connection drives modern guest loyalty.

Edwin Kramer
A hospitality executive with a pedigree forged at the world’s leading luxury hotels, Edwin has held senior leadership roles with brands like Four Seasons, EDITION, Campbell, Gray, Hyatt, and NOBU Hotels across multiple continents. Known for operational excellence and cultural leadership, Edwin has built and managed five-star teams that deliver some of the most lauded guest experiences in the industry. Today, he brings that global lens to the conversations shaping hospitality’s future — where service, innovation, and storytelling converge.

Zach Busekrus
Zach is on the founding team of Journey, a next-generation loyalty and storytelling platform empowering independent hotels and vacation rental brands to compete globally without losing their soul. He’s also the creator and host of Behind the Stays, one of the fastest-growing podcasts in hospitality, where he’s interviewed the visionaries behind some of the world’s most creative stays. With a decade in growth strategy and marketing, Zach brings a founder’s curiosity and contagious optimism to every conversation — always championing the builders shaping the future of independent hospitality.

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Episodes
  • Is Airbnb the Next Marriott? ChatGPT Ads Debut, Kasa Acquires Mint House, and Delano’s Return

    Is Airbnb the Next Marriott? ChatGPT Ads Debut, Kasa Acquires Mint House, and Delano’s Return
    Jan 23 2026

    The guys break down the biggest stories sharing hospitality this week:

    Airbnb’s next move isn’t about adding inventory—it’s about repairing a model that never fully scaled. The hosts open by interrogating Airbnb’s rumored hotel strategy and whether pushing into professionally managed stays is a logical evolution or an admission that the peer-to-peer “magic” is gone. Ben argues that hotels on Airbnb make sense as distribution, not as hard assets, while Scott and Edwin are blunt: inconsistency, fees, and regulation have turned discovery into a transaction. Slapping the Airbnb logo on a building doesn’t fix trust.

    That tension between brand and operations carries into the Casa–Mint House combination. Rather than selling lifestyle, this deal is about operational gravity—scale, discipline, and boring execution. The panel frames it as a roll-up play that could finally produce a credible US apart-hotel operator, especially as weaker models like Sonder fade. The takeaway is clear: alternative accommodations don’t need more storytelling; they need repeatable performance.

    The conversation then turns cautionary with Revo Hospitality’s insolvency. Rapid post-COVID growth, thin margins, and fixed lease exposure collide with rising labor costs and softer demand. Scott distills it sharply: identity without scale burns money, and scale without discipline destroys trust. The group agrees this is another signal that curator-operator hybrids living in the “mediocre middle” are structurally fragile.

    Finally, OpenAI’s rollout of ChatGPT ads signals a deeper shift in travel discovery. As intent moves from search bars to prompts, hotels face a new performance channel they can’t afford to ignore—yet may be too slow to test. The episode closes with a sharper note, spotlighting White Elephant Aspen and the return of Delano Miami Beach as reminders that when brands do work, they win by executing relentlessly, not hedging.

    This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey.

    Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary.

    If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance

    Key Topics & Timestamps

    00:00 — Intro

    01:25 — Story #1: Airbnb Hotels: Smart distribution or brand dilution?

    16:33 — Story #2: Casa–Mint House Signals Consolidation in Apart-Hotels

    25:00 — Story #3: Revo Hospitality’s Collapse Exposes the Operator-Brand Trap

    35:52 — Story #4: ChatGPT Ads and the Future of Travel Discovery

    48:16 — Spice of the Week: White Elephant Aspen & Delano Miami Beach Openings

    Your Hosts:

    Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/

    Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/

    Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/

    Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • White Lotus in Saint-Tropez, Soho House in Trouble, Aman’s Next Move… and Marriott’s Rosewood Rumor

    White Lotus in Saint-Tropez, Soho House in Trouble, Aman’s Next Move… and Marriott’s Rosewood Rumor
    Jan 16 2026

    The guys break down the biggest stories sharing hospitality this week:

    White Lotus goes to Saint-Tropez: Reports say Season 4 will film at Hôtel de Paris Saint-Tropez. The guys talk about why the show turns hotels into cultural characters — and what a smart property should do right now to build demand before the season even airs.

    Soho House deal drama: Skift reports MCR can’t fund its $200M commitment to take Soho House private. The guys unpack what this says about capital getting tighter — and whether lifestyle club brands are harder to scale when investors get disciplined.

    Aman’s next chess move: Skift points to signs Aman may be launching a third brand, “Atma,” positioned between ultra-luxury Aman and a more lifestyle tier. The guys dig into what segmentation (instead of dilution) signals about where luxury demand is headed.

    Rumor Corner — Marriott x Rosewood?! A viral FlyerTalk thread sparks speculation about a potential acquisition. It’s unconfirmed — but the guys game out what it could mean for luxury’s competitive landscape if it’s even close to real.

    This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey.

    Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary.

    If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at alliance.journey.com.

    Key Topics & Timestamps

    00:00 — Intro

    04:09 — Story #1: White Lotus Heads to the Hôtel du Cap (and Hotels Confuse Visibility with Value)

    20:29 — Story #2: MCR Can’t Fund the Soho House Take-Private (and the “Belonging” Problem)

    35:41 — Story #3: Aman’s Quiet Expansion: A Third Brand Between Ultra-Luxury and Lifestyle

    47:36 — Rumorville

    56:27 — Spice of the Week

    Your Hosts:

    Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/

    Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/

    Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniquestaysguy/

    Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Culture Wars Hit Hospitality, Expedia’s Boom, and Loyalty Abandons the Basic Economy Class

    Culture Wars Hit Hospitality, Expedia’s Boom, and Loyalty Abandons the Basic Economy Class
    Jan 9 2026

    A softening demand backdrop is forcing travel to pick sides: who gets welcomed, who gets rewarded, and who gets priced out. This episode tracks how that sorting is happening across destinations, hotels, OTAs, and airlines—and why “exclusivity” without a better experience is just another way to irritate customers.

    First, Bali’s floated idea to require bank statements for visas is framed as a blunt instrument to deter low-spend visitors, echoing Europe’s own overtourism pushback (even if enforcement looks different). Then the crew digs into CoStar’s November data showing the 19th straight month of occupancy declines, with ADR holding but RevPAR slipping—fueling a debate over whether the slump is macro confidence, a glut of bland midscale supply, or a distribution measurement problem.

    From there, Expedia emerges as the surprising winner: Edwin argues it’s less an OTA than the “plumbing” of travel, quietly powering white-label ecosystems and shifting negotiating leverage. Finally, American’s no-miles Basic Economy move and Delta’s Vegas Sphere lounge experiment reveal airlines doubling down on premium segmentation while loyalty perks increasingly feel like accounting, not belonging. Spice of the Week closes on why smaller, differentiated brands—and smarter “light brand” affiliations—may be the only durable edge.

    This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey.

    Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary.

    If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at alliance.journey.com.

    Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 07:14 — Story #1: Bali considering bank-statement visa checks to filter tourists 14:20 — Story #2: CoStar: 19 straight months of hotel occupancy declines 25:14 — Story #3: Expedia’s resurgence and its B2B “operating system” play 33:57 — Story #4: American Airlines cuts mileage earnings for Basic Economy 44:10 — Story #5: Delta’s first off-airport lounge at the Las Vegas Sphere 51:54 — Spice of the Week

    Your Hosts:

    Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/

    Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/

    Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniquestaysguy/

    Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
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