🎙️ Season 3, Episode 31

Planning Approved & Living in a Caravan 🚐✨

This week on The Secret Serviced Podcast we are sharing a proper behind-the-scenes episode.

We cover:

✈️ Carolines recent trip to Dubai

🏗️ Planning approval at Sefton Place and the very real prospect of caravan life while the works begin

🎄 How we prepare for a seamless Christmas across the portfolio, from inventory checks to pre-emptive guest messaging

🎁 And… we launch our first ever competition and it is a BIG one

THE MEGA PRIZE 👀

Win half a day with Mark and Caroline at Sefton Place

• Walk the site with us

• See an Aparthotel development project in action

• Hear our plans in detail

• Ask us anything about your own property business

• Spend focused time working through your goals

If you are serious about scaling, this is a rare opportunity.

HOW TO ENTER 👇

1️⃣ Follow us on Instagram @secretservicedpodcast

2️⃣ Subscribe to our YouTube channel @secretservicedpodcast

3️⃣ Post a story or post showing you listening to the podcast and tag us

4️⃣ Leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice and send us a screenshot so we know it is you

🎄 Winner announced on Christmas Eve

🎙️ This is our final episode before the Christmas break

✨ We will be back in the New Year

Go and listen now and get entered 👇

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Episode 30 of Season 3 is LIVE 🎙️✨

‘Living in a Caravan & Top Work Martin Lewis’

This week has been… a lot. From tough moments and unexpected challenges to festive cheer and big steps forward, we have been on quite the rollercoaster. ❤️‍🩹🎄

We headed to a beautiful Christmas event, met some amazing people, and made real progress at Sefton Place — including pulling together a 20-page vision brochure we are so proud of. Builder quotes came in higher than hoped (joy!), so we are deep in funding conversations while we wait for planning permission updates… complete with yet another survey request. Because of course. 😂🏗️📑

We shared a visit from an ecology specialist, celebrated receiving the Gold Award for Quality in Tourism 🏆, and talked about how we are moving towards being a fully data-driven business. 📊✨

We also touched on the recent budget and what it means for the property market, plus a must-see clip from Martin Lewis calling out aggressive council tax tactics 👀💥

And to top it all off, we covered HMO licences, how they can genuinely benefit landlords, and why understanding them matters more than ever.

From caravans to council tax, ecology to holiday spirit… this episode has it all. 🚐💧🎅

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts 🎧✨

#SecretServiced #PropertyPodcast #AparthotelJourney #SeftonPlace #MartinLewis #HMOLicence #PropertyInvesting #QualityInTourism #BehindTheScenes #PropertyDevelopment #PodcastSeason3

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Episode 29 is live… and let us tell you, it is a vibe.

This week on The Secret Serviced Podcast, we chat about life at Sefton Place in all its muddy, windswept, heater-dragging, beanbag-with-no-beans glory — and Mark digs his heels in on his ongoing refusal to wear slippers (pray for him).

But it is not all cold floors and camp chairs. We also dive into:

✨ Our latest battle with planning bureaucracy and biodiversity net gain

🌳 Why we are passionately pursuing a nature-forward hotel model

🏡 Direct booking strategy, loyalty ideas, and a big revenue management reset

🌊 Huge momentum with Shetland Stays (including Sumburgh Lighthouse!)

🧹 How our Quality in Tourism virtual inspection went — and why checklists really matter

🎄 Prepping for the village Christmas event and meeting more of our new community

It is cosy chaos, business strategy, and behind-the-scenes realness all rolled into one.

Listen now on Spotify & Apple Podcasts — and if you enjoy it, leaving a quick review would mean the world.

#SecretServicedPodcast #HospitalityLife #AparthotelJourney #ServicedAccommodation #ShetlandStays #SeftonPlace #BehindTheBusiness #UKHospitality

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Please Do Not Kill Us & The Super Typhoon 🌪️🇵🇭

In this episode we shine a big bright spotlight on our incredibly resourceful, tough and resilient team in the Philippines, who are literally weathering a super typhoon while keeping the business moving. It really makes you wonder how much better off the UK would be if we had even 10 percent of their work ethic and resilience… while we battle our own first world problems of driving up the road to McDonalds just to use the wifi 🤦‍♂️🍟

We also share some big decisions on the future of Sefton Place and lift the lid on our new partnership with South Downs National Park Trust as we work towards becoming the most nature friendly hotel in the UK 🌿🏨

Hit subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts, and give us a follow on Instagram and YouTube so you do not miss an episode 🎧📲

#SecretServicedPodcast #ShortTermRental #ServicedAccommodation #HospitalityBusiness #PhilippinesTeam #SuperTyphoon #SeftonPlace #SouthDowns #NatureFriendlyHotel #StaycationUK

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🎙️ NEW EPISODE ALERT – #27: “Full On Springwatch & What Happened to the Honeymoon Period?” 🦊💍

This week we’re talking:

🌲 Unexpected networking… in the woods?!

🏠 Accessibility conundrums and drainage drama at Eton House (plus our wild plans for Springwatch-style wildlife cams!)

😅 Mark’s unique approach to constructive criticism

🧹 Cleaner chaos — where’s the honeymoon period gone?

💰 Winter’s coming, so it’s all about revenue strategies that keep those long-term bookings rolling in.

Tune in for laughs, lessons, and a little behind-the-scenes chaos from the serviced accommodation world!

👉 Like, follow, and subscribe for more real talk on property, business, and all the madness in between.

📲 Follow us on Instagram & YouTube: @secretservicedpodcast

#SecretServicedPodcast #ServicedAccommodation #PropertyPodcast #BehindTheStays #HospitalityLife @airhostcleanltd @airhostforyou @bbcspringwatch @luke_jellicoe

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🎙️ Episode 26 – "Calling 999 & Meeting Builders in a Pub Car Park"

Season 3 of The Secret Serviced Podcast

This week’s episode is a rollercoaster of property updates, planning headaches, and a touch of chaos from the frontline of hospitality. Mark and Caroline kick things off with the latest developments at Sefton Place, including the final piece of the planning jigsaw – biodiversity net gain. With any luck, this could be the last hurdle before full steam ahead on their exciting Arundel project.

Things take an unexpected turn when Mark recounts the surreal experience of meeting a potential builder in a pub car park, proving that in property, connections can happen in the most unlikely places. The pair also dive into the branding and logo design process for Sefton Place, exploring how to visually capture the identity of a luxury aparthotel in the heart of the South Downs.

But not all updates are glamorous. Caroline shares a shocking story about dealing with an abusive guest at Eton House—and how it uncovered a serious case of negligence from the local council. The conversation sheds light on the realities of managing serviced accommodation, guest safety, and the importance of standing up for professional standards.

To round off the episode, we have insights from Lisa's revenue management training with @bnbboosts, discussing the latest strategies for optimising occupancy and profitability across the Gateway Accommodation portfolio.

Full of humour, honesty, and lessons from the trenches, this episode blends behind-the-scenes stories with valuable takeaways for anyone navigating the serviced accommodation world.

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🎙 Episode 25 — “Bamboozled by Finance & Robot Lawnmowers” 🤖💸

From spreadsheets that make your head spin to lawnmowers that seem to have developed free will… we are back with another dose of real-life hospitality mayhem.

This week we tackle the mysteries of money management, investor logic, and why tech (no matter how clever) still needs a human touch.

Expect a few laughs, a few lightbulb moments, and the odd rogue robot on the loose.

🎧 Tune in to Season 3, Episode 25 wherever you get your podcasts — and remember, if you are feeling bamboozled, you are in good company.

#SecretServicedPodcast #ServicedAccommodation #HospitalityLife #BehindTheScenes #PropertyBusiness #ShortStaySuccess #RobotLawnmower #FinanceFails #StaycationLife #EntrepreneurHumour #HostsOfInstagram

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🔑 When Smart Locks Go Dumb & Getting To Grips With Our Cesspit 💩

From locks that ran out of battery for the first time in 3 years to the glamorous world of off-mains drainage at Sefton Place… this week we are keeping it real.

Episode 24 of Season 3 is live now! Tune in for behind-the-scenes wins, fails, and a few lessons you will not want to miss.

👉 Follow us for more real talk from the world of serviced accommodation and hospitality.

👉 Click the link in bio for exclusive behind-the-wall content on YouTube.

#SecretServicedPodcast #StaycationGateway #HospitalityLife #ServicedAccommodation #PodcastSeason3

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🚗✨ Skin Fades & Parking A Lamborghini (S3E23)

From a new listing going live before we were ready 🙈 to updates at Sefton Place, a cracking new property valuation, and possibly the most laughable guest review we have ever received… this one has it all.

The action is heating up at Sefton Place this week, and you do not want to miss it 👀

🎥 Head to our YouTube channel (link in bio) to catch the full episode and join the ride!

#SecretServicedPodcast #ServicedAccommodation #PropertyInvesting #BehindTheScenes #HospitalityBusiness

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✨ Episode 22 is out now — and honestly, this might be one of my favourite conversations of the season.

Big Shoes To Fill & Stress Bananas 🎙️ is a chance to meet our incredible VA, Marianna, who works behind the scenes keeping our guests happy and our business running smoothly.

She is such a talent — thoughtful, professional, and full of heart — and this episode gives a rare insight into what it is really like to work as a Virtual Assistant in the Philippines. 🌏

From hospitality studies at university, to balancing family life with night shifts, to the joys (and challenges) of helping guests from halfway across the world… this chat is honest, funny, and eye-opening.

🎧 Tune in now and get to know the person who proves that distance is no barrier to making a huge impact.

👉 Link in bio to listen.

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