Extended stay has officially graduated from niche to superstar status — and WaterWalk is leading its next evolution.

Today, Anthony and I spoke with Mimi Oliver, CEO of WaterWalk, about how her family — starting with her grandfather, Jack DeBoer, the pioneer behind Residence Inn — invented then reinventing the category for decades. Today, WaterWalk takes that legacy further with a flexible hybrid model blending fully furnished and unfurnished suites to fit every guest and every market cycle.

We break it all down on #NoVacancyNews — from how the model drove 70% occupancy during COVID to why Wyndham's partnership is accelerating its franchise growth, plus how AI and automation fit into their operational future without losing the human touch.

👋 Special thanks to Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. And to HotelData.com — your ally for budget season benchmarking.

Key Insights

✨ Hybrid model = flexibility & profitability in any market 🏘️ Furnished vs unfurnished units optimize occupancy mix 🤝 Wyndham partnership expands franchise pipeline & brand reach 🧠 AI + robotics drive operational efficiency without cutting people 📈 "Wall Street to Wichita" — Mimi's story of coming home to hospitality 📬 Old-school sales still win: handwritten notes > mass emails 🎓 Student housing and longer-term residential demand create new use cases

What's your take — is extended stay the most resilient segment in hospitality today?