No Vacancy Live!

Today we answer the most important question of all, what Arnie missed. Arnie Garfinkle tosses back some cocktails with Glenn, Craig and Producer Suzanne for this week's Friday Night Audit. Bets are open to how late Arnie shows up for his guest spot.

At last week's NYU IHIF, I talked with David Duncan, President and CEO of First Hospitality, about where hotel investment still works when new construction rarely pencils.

That's the part of the market I keep hearing more about: not shiny new projects, but existing hotels where the right capital, brand strategy, operating discipline, or management change can unlock something better.

David has a useful view on that because First Hospitality now plays on both sides of the equation: investment and operations.

In this conversation, we got into why more opportunities may come from assets that need work, why development still feels difficult, and how First Hospitality thinks about growth when every deal has to earn its way forward.

We also talked about new markets, talent, culture, and why entering a city as an operator takes a lot more than running the numbers from a spreadsheet.

Thanks to Actabl. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit actabl.com.

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Most hotel AI conversations stay too abstract. Rob Smith, CEO and President of Stonebridge, brought it back to the work operators deal with every day: financials, trip reports, sales data, STR reports, and property-level decisions. I recorded this conversation during last week's NYU IHIF conference, where Rob shared how Stonebridge uses AI inside hotel operations right now. Stonebridge uses Claude, ChatGPT, and Copilot at the corporate level, and the company has rolled out hashtag#Copilot across its hotels. Rob talked about using hashtag#AI for faster answers, better property context, and fewer wasted steps before a team has to chase another call, email, or report. 🤖 Stonebridge houses financials, sales data, hashtag#STR reports, and trip reports inside its AI workflow 🏨 Rob can pull property-level context in minutes before visiting a hotel or reviewing a performance issue 📊 AI helps the team spot problems earlier and understand what may already explain them 💡 Stonebridge challenged field teams with a clear mission: find the next operational "drive-thru" idea 🔁 Rob sees field-level innovation as the real unlock — ideas from the hotels move into the lab, become best practices, and scale across the company This one gets past AI noise and into the operating reality hotel leaders care about: faster decisions, cleaner visibility, less busywork, and more time focused on guests. Thanks to Actabl. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit actabl.com. Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from hashtag#NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

At last week's NYU IHIF, Glenn Haussman talks with John Schultzel, Chief Growth Officer at Olympia Hospitality, about drive-to demand, shrinking booking windows, rate discipline, destination marketing, and how hotels can stay close to guests without losing the human side of hospitality.

Olympia operates across New England, up and down the East Coast, and as far west as Colorado, giving John a clear look at different market patterns. He sees continued opportunity in drive-to leisure markets, even when broader economic stress makes travelers more cautious.

Drive-to demand can hold up when travelers still want a getaway but rethink distance or transportation

Short booking windows make pricing discipline harder when hotels watch pace late in the week

Creative packages beat panic discounting when travelers make last-minute decisions

Hotels need stronger destination marketing because guests often choose the place before they choose the property

Weather should change the message, not kill the opportunity

AI can help marketing teams move faster while still keeping the human side of hospitality intact

Thanks to Actabl. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit actabl.com.

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

During last week's NYU IHIF, I talked with Ryan Bosch of Arriba Capital because hotel transactions have picked up, but closing deals still takes a lot more creativity than people may realize.

Ryan sees a growing performance gap between hotels where owners continually invested in their properties during the last six years and hotels where owners delayed CapEx. Now that gap is showing up in value, refinancing pressure, and whether some owners decide they're better off selling.

Deferred CapEx has split hotel performance inside the same markets

Owners who continually invested in their properties now have stronger assets

Some owners now face refinance pressure and larger cash-in requirements

More sellers need a transaction, not another round of market testing

Buyers still want "meat on the bone" so they have room for value creation after closing

Creative capital stacks and alternative financing help more hotel deals close

Thanks to Actabl. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit actabl.com.

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed? Text HOTEL to 66866.

During last week's NYU IHIF, I spoke with Ryan Rivett of the Rivett Organization and Brian Quinn, Chief Development Officer at My Place Hotels, because Brian's new role points to something bigger than a personnel move.

Brian matters in this story because My Place is moving into its next phase with the Rivett Organization's broader platform behind it: ownership, operations, construction management, technology, engineering, design, and franchise development.

That combination separates My Place from a lot of franchise organizations. Developers aren't only hearing about a flag. They're hearing from a company that still owns hotels, operates hotels, develops hotels, and understands the parts of the process that can overwhelm owners and investors.

🏨 My Place Hotels has roughly 125 franchises and is moving into what Ryan called its next phase of growth

🛠 The Rivett Organization brings construction management, technology, engineering, and design into the development conversation

📍 Ryan sees opportunity in smaller and underserved markets where other brands may miss stability and value

🤝 Brian Quinn adds a key commercial engine as My Place takes that platform to market

📈 Extended stay demand remains strong with consumers and developers, giving the brand a timely growth story

This is why I wanted them both in the conversation. Ryan could explain the platform behind My Place, and Brian could speak to how that platform now gets translated into development growth.

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

At Hilton Orlando, Glenn Haussman talks with Shannon Butler, Director of Catering and Events, about how the hotel uses Xpodigital for flexible event branding, real-time updates, and incremental revenue through digital signage.

Meeting planners want spaces that feel customized to their programs

Digital signage lets Hilton Orlando update schedules, sponsor messages, sizzle reels, and award content in real time

Xpodigital removes the large upfront investment barrier for the hotel and ownership

Revenue share adds incremental income while improving the planner and attendee experience

Association groups turn signage into sponsor inventory and build revenue for themselves

Xpodigital supports the hotel team on-site and remotely, keeping updates fast and execution tight

Hilton Orlando started with one screen, saw results, and expanded from there

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Hamilton Princess doesn't compete like a typical resort. The property leans on 140+ years of history, a museum-level art collection, and a luxury guest who keeps traveling even when the economy gets noisy.

Glenn Haussman and Dr. Producer Suzanne Bagnera talk with Diarmaid O'Sullivan, Director of Sales & Marketing at Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, about how the hotel differentiates and keeps repeat business strong.

🎨 The art collection creates an arrival moment you don't get at most beach resorts 🏨 The property uses heritage + service to attract a luxury audience that stays active through economic swings 🏢 Meetings stay meaningful here, including reinsurance and high-privacy groups 🛫 Airlift keeps the destination in play, with added routes and seat growth from the Northeast 🌊 Experiences go beyond beaches, including wild swimming and cave exploration 🛂 U.S. pre-clearance makes the trip home smoother for U.S. travelers

Thanks to Actabl for supporting this episode. Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com.

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.

Wayne Tabor is President and CEO of the Metropolitan Memphis Hotel and Lodging Association and is way too classy to be having happy hour drinks with Glenn, Craig and Suzanne. Yet here we are.

Seventy-three percent of new vacation ownership purchases now come from Gen Z and millennials.

That changes the pitch, product strategy, and member experience conversation for every company in vacation ownership.

During ARDA Spring Conference, I spoke with Gordon Gurnik, COO of Hilton Grand Vacations, about younger buyers, points-based flexibility, AI, and the experiences HGV builds around ownership.

🎟 HGV runs about 3,800 member experiences a year, so ownership means access, not just more space

🏎 At Elara in Las Vegas, HGV brings F1 into the owner experience with viewing areas, concerts, food, and beverage

🎤 Chef dinners, wine tastings, baseball suites, and private concerts create moments members may not arrange on their own

🤖 AI opens a path toward more personal recommendations, especially in markets like Las Vegas where too many choices can overwhelm a trip

👨‍👩‍👧 Points-based ownership helps younger buyers adapt as their families, schedules, and vacation habits change

Gordon also talks about why hospitality keeps people hooked: travel, food and beverage, construction, marketing, sales, entertainment, and the moments when guests create memories right in front of you.

Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.