April 25, 2025

From Instagram Fame to Industry Change: JourneyMore, Mike Will Travel, and the Rise of Creator-Led Hospitality

1 hour 10 minutes

When the COVID-era short-term rental boom hit, a new class of creators quietly redefined hospitality marketing — and today, three of the best in the business join me for a conversation you won't want to miss.

In this episode, I sit down with Hayden Hughes, Nicky Hughes, and Mike Iannetta — three pioneers who helped transform treehouses, A-frames, and glamp-sites from hidden gems into viral, booked-out brands. We unpack how they redefined marketing in the short-term rental world, where the future of creator-driven hospitality is headed next, and why they’ve partnered to launch a new guided course to help hospitality brands partner with the right creators.

We get into it:

Why short-form video changed everything for independent operators

What still actually works on social today — and why trends alone won’t save you

Why UGC (user-generated content) isn’t enough anymore — and what’s replacing it

The hidden burnout creators are facing, and how the next generation of hospitality marketing will be built differently

The big opportunity no one's talking about (yet) for boutique hotels and micro-resorts

How the best operators are thinking differently about working with influencers

And why creators who want to build real businesses are starting to think beyond content

You'll also hear the story behind the Journey More Collective, a potential new playbook for scaling authentic creator-driven marketing and get all the details on the value of The STR Influencer Guide Hayden, Nikki, and Mike just released.

If you're an operator wondering how to actually work with creators (the right way) — or a creator dreaming about building a business with staying power — this one’s for you. Oh, and if you’re interested in accessing The STR Influencer Guide for Operators, you can do so in the show notes below!

Alright friends, without further ado, get ready to meet Mike, Nikki, and Hayden.

Purchase The Influencer Guide

Connect with JourneyMore

Connect with Mike from Strive Hospitality (MikeWillTravel)

Watch a Roundtable Discussion with Zach, JourneyMore, Mike, and other Unique Stay Builders

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 joinjourney.com/alliance.

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