The Glamptuary Podcast

Two first-time operators build a wellness resort in the Costa Rican jungle and reach nearly 100% occupancy in their first season, with the upcoming season almost booked solid before it starts.

How did they pull that off?

I sat down with Lee MAYJAHS and Dawn Delgado, the couple behind Mandala Ohochal, an eco-wellness resort on Costa Rica's southern Pacific coast.

We'll get into how they secured funding and built a beautiful resort as expats. We’ll also do a deep dive into their business model which focuses on wellness retreats and pre-booked events. And we talk candidly about how they keep a business partnership and a romantic relationship both running smoothly.

Get your notepads ready and enjoy Episode 5 on Season 5 on The Glamptuary Podcast.

About Mandala Ojochal - https://mandala-ojochal.com/

Mandala Ojochal is a thoughtfully designed, fully equipped retreat center and boutique wellness resort with a focus on sustainability. Every space and system exists in service of an extraordinary experience and connection to nature. Set on 14 acres of restored tropical jungle in Costa Rica’s Southern Pacific, we offer retreat facilitators, wellness leaders, yoga trainers, and conscious travelers a seamlessly run, luxuriously grounded, and ecologically rooted haven — a place where the container is as intentional as the work that happens within it.

Dawn Delgado - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawndelgadoemdr/

Lee Mayjahs -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-mayjahs-307b45b1/

The first issue of Outside Magazine came out in 1977, and it was right around that time that a young Robin Thurston was looking through an issue preparing for a camping trip with his father in Colorado. Fast forward almost 50 years later, Robin is now the CEO of Outside Interactive, which owns Outside Magazine.

Robin is the living embodiment of the mission statement that fuels Outside Interactive - Get Everyone Outside. We're stoked to have Robin as our special guest in Episode 4, on Season 5, of The Glamptuary Podcast!

Robin was a competitive trail biker for years before he created the collection of wildly successful Map My Fitness apps which sold to Under Armour in 2013 for a reported 150 million dollars. Robin took the success of that sale to pave new paths for outdoor enthusiasts looking for ways to connect with nature. He founded Outside Interactive which owns over 30 notable outdoor recreation brands including Outside Magazine, Outside TV and many more.

In this episode, Robin takes us back to the camping trip with his Father and explains how he fell in love with the outdoors. He also takes us through his entrepreneurial journey and successes. We dive into AI, and how technology can be used to disconnect. And we talk about the upcoming Outside Days Festival, and what the future looks like for the Outdoor hospitality and recreation industries.

Enjoy this episode!

LINKS:

Robin Thurston - https://www.outsideonline.com/byline/robin-thurston/

Outside Interactive - https://www.outsideonline.com/

Outside Days - https://outsidedays.outsideonline.com/

Glamptuary Podcast - https://www.glamptuary.com/podcast

We’re going to get political in Episode 3. Kind of.

Our guest does work in politics, but I would not call him a politician in the traditional sense.

His name is Conor Hall and he is the Director of Outdoor Recreation for the State of Colorado, working in the Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

Conor is a native Coloradan, an avid outdoorsman, and one of the key players responsible for launching the wildly successful OUTSIDE FEST, now known as OUTSIDE DAYS.

The festival saw over 35,000 attendees last year and the speakers included Diana Nyad, Alex Honnold and David Blaine. There were over 100 exhibitors, a film festival, dozens of bands, and a lot of excitement about the outdoor hospitality and recreation industry.

We’ll talk with Conor about the birth of OUTSIDE DAYS, and the partnership between Outside Magazine and the Colorado State Government. We’ll also talk about the socio and economic impact outdoor recreation has in Colorado, as well as the Trump Administration's policies that are negatively impacting the outdoor hospitality and recreation industries.

Enjoy Episode 3 on Season 5 of The Glamptuary Podcast!

Conor Hall - https://www.linkedin.com/in/conor-hall/

Outside Days - https://outsidedays.outsideonline.com/

Glamptuary Podcast - https://www.glamptuary.com/podcast

Our guest is a pioneering entrepreneur and conservationist who helped establish and shape the glamping and outdoor hospitality industries in the United States.

Her name is Sarah Dusek, and she was the founder of Under Canvas which launched in 2009 with a just a few safari tents. She sold Under Canvas in 2018, for a reported $100MM!!

Since leaving Under Canvas, Sarah has partnered with Enygma Ventures, a fund that backs Africa’s talented women entrepreneurs who are looking to build scalable businesses that significantly impact people and the planet.

Sarah also launched a new luxury outdoor hospitality destination called Few & Far, located in Luvhondo, South Africa. Sarah invites her guests to explore 100,000 hectares of land through the eyes of a safari enthusiast, conservationist and nature lover.

In this episode, we learn about Sarah’s journey, starting with her launch and exit of Under Canvas. We also talk about the current state of the outdoor hospitality industry, and what it truly means to be a conservationist. Sarah also walks us through what it’s like to visit Few & Far, and how the outdoor hospitality industry can lead the way in eco-friendly travel practices.

Enjoy and Namasté

Few & Far - https://www.fewandfarluvhondo.com/

Sarah Dusek - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhdusek/

Glamptuary - https://www.glamptuary.com/

We're kicking off Season 5 with one of the hottest topics affecting anyone who runs a business that relies on Ecommerce.

The topic is simply known as AI.

In January of 2026, Google announced the launch of UCP (Universal Commerce Protocol). This announcement will change the way businesses are discovered and interacted with online by AI Agents.

We're fortunate to have the opportunity to speak with Brian Searl who is the CEO of Insider Perks, an an AI-first marketing and automation company that has served the outdoor hospitality industry exclusively since 2009, working with over 500 campground, RV park, and glamping clients across the United States and Canada. Brian has been entrenched in AI and is a recognized innovator in the space. Brian has pioneered several industry firsts including the first AI chatbot, AI phone agent, and AI-Ready Website Standard designed specifically for outdoor hospitality.

In this episode, we talk about what Google UCP means for the outdoor hospitality industry, and how AI will shape the world of Ecommerce moving forward.

Enjoy!

Glamptuary Podcast - https://www.glamptuary.com/podcast

Brian Searl -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/insiderperks/

Insider Perks - https://insiderperks.com/‍ ‍

Modern Campground - https://moderncampground.com/

It’s the SEASON FINALE for Season 4!

We are excited to have Anne and Mike Howard of HoneyTrek on Episode 9 as our special guests!

They are fresh off a whirlwind 19-country tour of the world’s most unforgettable outdoor hospitality resorts, all in prep for their upcoming book – Comfortably Wild: Global Edition.

In this episode, Mike and Anne share some sneak previews about their latest adventures, which will undoubtedly end up in the new book. We also chatted about the subject of Sustainability, and how top destinations like Few and Far in South Africa, Artcic Bath in Sweden, and Tiziri Camp in Morocco are defining what it means to be best-in-class for hospitality and sustainability.

All that and more to come in Episode 9 with Mike and Anne Howard of HoneyTrek!

Enjoy!

SHOW NOTES:

HoneyTrek - https://www.honeytrek.com/

Traveling for the last 13 years through 86 countries across all 7 continents, Mike & Anne Howard are on The World’s Longest Honeymoon. Using Anne’s background as a magazine editor and Mike’s as a digital media strategist and photographer, the Howards launched HoneyTrek in 2011 to chronicle their travels, and have since written and photographed National Geographic’s bestselling book on couples adventure travel, Ultimate Journeys for Two, as well as the Lowell Thomas award-winning glamping guidebook, Comfortably Wild: The Best Glamping Destinations in North America. Their quality storytelling has gained a following of 400,000 across HoneyTrek's social media channels and earned them partnerships with 100+ DMOs. The Howards love sharing off-the-track destinations, unique accommodations, big adventures, sustainability successes, and the human stories that make each place so special. Their next big project? A global quest for the world's most inspiring outdoor getaways for a second edition of Comfortably Wild, publishing in hardback for Simon & Schuster!

Comfortably Wild: The Best Glamping Destinations in North America - https://a.co/d/cdw3C16

Wolwedans - https://www.wolwedans.com/

Few & Far - https://www.fewandfarluvhondo.com/

Tiziri Camp - https://www.tiziricamp.com/

Arctic Bath - https://arcticbath.se/

Ecocamp Patagonia - https://www.ecocamp.travel/

The Long Run - https://www.thelongrun.org/

American Glamping Association -https://americanglampingassociation.net/

Our guest on Episode 8 is the self-proclaimed "Seriously Fun Hospitality Guru." His name is Quentin Incao - CEO of Q Hospitality Management.

Quentin has amassed 30 years of experience in hospitality operations and management, with a career portfolio of over 40 landscape hotels, restaurants, glamping resorts, rv parks and a food truck.

Quentin has seen it all and no matter the project, Quentin infuses best-in-class hospitality service strategies.

In this episode, Quentin discusses the importance of hospitality, and how to deliver it to customers. We also discuss loyalty programs, the current state of the outdoor hospitality industry, and what the future holds for this industry which is on a growth trajectory with no end in sight.

This episode is a must listen for hospitality veterans, and newbies to the industry.

Enjoy Episode 8 on Season 4 of The Glamptuary Podcast!

Q Hospitality Management - https://qhospitalitymanagement.com/

Quentin Incao - https://www.linkedin.com/in/quentin-incao-q-hospitality-mgmt/

Glamptuary - https://www.glamptuary.com/

When life gives you lemons, innovators make lemonade, and that’s exactly what Ben Wolff did when his rented RV broke down on his honeymoon.

Ben said “there has to be a better way to enjoy nature,” and he created that better way by launching the hugely successful treehouse resort Onera in Texas.

Ben continues to be a leader in the outdoor hospitality space as CEO of OASI, a strategic management and consulting firm with a $65MM portfolio of landscape hotels and luxury retreats.

In this episode, Ben describes how that honeymoon adventure inspired him to become the tour de force that he is, and he also provides amazing insights into the often confusing world of social media. Ben has millions of views on his content, and he shares some of the secret sauce that can help content creators who are trying to get their social posts to rise to the top.

Buckle up and prepare to learn as you enjoy Episode 7, on Season 4, of The Glamptuary Podcast.

Ben Wolff - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/

OASI - https://stayoasi.com/

Onera - https://stayonera.com/

Glamptuary Podcast - https://www.glamptuary.com/podcast

Have you ever dreamed of living abroad? How about opening a business in a foreign country? And what if that business was an outdoor hospitality resort? And you had no prior experience in outdoor hospitality?

Our guests on Episode 6 on Season 4 of The Glamptuary Podcast did all of the above, and it resulted in one of the most beautiful eco-resorts in Belize called Jade Jungle Resort.

Lance and Chrissy Walker take us through their inspiring journey from the US to Belize, and provide a very real account of what it’s like to pull off such a bold move while launching a new business. They also provide some wonderful advice and reveal must-haves for anyone looking to create a successful offering in the experiential outdoor hospitality space.

Prepare to be inspired and enjoy!

Jade Jungle Resort - https://jadejungleresort.com/

Lance Walker - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanceawalker/

Chrissy Walker - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissy-walker-39a845100/

The Glamptuary Podcast - https://www.glamptuary.com/podcast

Loyalty programs in the hospitality industry create mutually beneficial relationships between service providers and consumers.

The outdoor hospitality industry has been asking for loyalty program options, and our guest on Episode 5 of Season 4 is going to explain exactly how this can work for independent hoteliers in the outdoor hospitality industry.

I'm excited to speak with Audrey Yates, Vice President of Hotel Partnerships at Stash Hotel Rewards. Stash has been around since 2010, but only recently has it started to expand its portfolio into outdoor hospitality.

In this episode, Audrey explains how Stash’s loyalty program works, and offers keen insight as to why these types of programs are necessary now that the big hotel chains have entered the once fiercely independent outdoor hospitality industry.

Lot’s of learning to be had, so listen closely as we learn about loyalty programs in Episode 5, on Season 4, on The Glamptuary Podcast.

Stash Hotel Rewards - https://www.stashrewards.com/

Audrey Yates - https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-yates-0b5331b4/

Glamptuary Podcast - https://www.glamptuary.com/podcast