GuestX Podcast

Creating an experience for your customers isn’t a simple task. The guest experience goes beyond the onsite experience – it starts with the guest’s first touchpoint with your brand. In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Tom Kenyon, the VP of Product for BlueTent, to discuss the importance of investing in your brand’s story to make sure it conveys the right message.

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Co-hosts Matt and Brian sit down and reflect on the first nine months of the GuestX Podcast. Reviewing the variety of guests they’ve interviewed and the most important topics discussed on the show. They also share why it’s important to get insights from professionals outside the hospitality industry to improve the guest experience.

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Loma Homes’ Co-Founder, Jeff Brown, joins us this week to share how he and his team is taking a unique position in the industry. They create immersive experiences for their guests through themed vacation homes and their online presence. Jeff explains that since the homes are owned solely by the company, it makes it easier for them to control their brand.

This week, Matt and Brian met up with Jaclyn Riley, the global director of marketing and communications at Club Quarters Hotels. Jaclyn draws from her knowledge of the global hospitality marketing field to explain the nuances of scaling a brand and how she “engineers a feeling” and then monetizes that feeling. Whether trying new loyalty programs or experimenting with marketing strategies, she emphasizes the importance of testing so you’re ready to pivot when needed.

GuestX sat down with Mark Levy - Employee Experience Advisor, TEDx speaker, and company culture advisor - to talk all about the employee experience. Mark explains how the employee experience is a "guest experience", with company culture, values, environment, as just a few of the factors that can keep employees happy. He describes his time at Airbnb as Global Head of Employee Experience, pioneering the shift from HR to Employee Experience, and ways to keep a company culture thriving.

Matt and Brian met up with Mike Harrington, the CEO and owner of Carolina Retreats and the former president of VRMA. Mike explains how he got his start in the industry and how it has changed since that time. He touches on each segment of the business, including asset management, brand consistency, and the guest journey. He also shares his views on direct booking and fair pricing, which keeps repeat guests coming back each year.

GuestX sat down with Dennis Goedheid, the Founder and CEO of Casiola Vacation Homes and Guestor. Dennis takes us through his early days of property management and how Casiola came to be. Dennis explains Casiola’s branding strategy and tells us about their unique software system, which is fully transparent, allowing owners to see all of the daily operations, reservations, and reviews that their property receives.

Matt and Brian sat down with industry veteran and travel enthusiast Djuan Rivers, the former VP of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Djuan shares his knowledge from his vast experience in the hospitality industry and explains how every role in a company plays an essential part in the overall guest experience. He also underscores the importance of guiding front-line employees since guest expectations have rapidly changed.

GuestX sits down with Chris Maughan, CEO and co-founder of I-PRAC, a global accreditation platform for short-term rental companies. Chris shares how I-PRAC came to be when he met a family who booked a vacation rental that didn’t exist. Chris also explains the I-PRACs trust logo, a unique ID members receive that they can display to verify their business, assuring guests that they are dealing with a legitimate business.

Matt and Brian met up with Sachin Narode and Rachel Obenshain, the founders of Xeniapp at Phocuswright. Sachin and Rachel talk about the idea behind Xeniapp and how they are making travel simple for both the provider and guest. Xeniapp is a web-based storefront, booking engine, CRM, and payment settlement engine all in one.