Explore Inhaven: https://inhaven.com/

Connect with Ashley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-ching-inhaven-b56a843/

Connect with Zach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharybusekrus/

Check out Lodgify and get an exclusive discount: https://www.lodgify.com/behind-the-stays/

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Here's the question Ashley keeps asking: every other hospitality industry — hotels, airlines, restaurants, car rentals — has a language of trust. Quality tiers that tell the consumer what they're buying before they arrive. Vacation rentals don't. And that single missing layer is behind almost every structural problem the industry can't seem to solve — from review manipulation to failed scaling attempts to the reason you still can't build a transferable property management brand.

Ashley walks us through the Reasonable Hospitality framework her team developed alongside property managers and Steve Joyce, the former CEO of Choice Hotels. We dig into why service standards matter more than furnishings in determining where you fall on the quality spectrum, this care coverage ratio concept that quantifies what "boots on the ground" actually means, and why every attempt to put standards at the individual property level has failed. She makes a compelling case that most operators calling themselves luxury probably aren't — and that's not an insult, because only 3% of US hotel supply is actually luxury, and there's excellence at every tier. We talk about the luxury fallacy, why a Hampton Inn with an 8.2 rating doesn't mean it's better than a Ritz-Carlton with a 7.8, and what this industry could look like in ten years if it finally gets the foundation right.

The big closer: Blackstone just paid $2.5 billion for a 25% stake in AeroPlan, valuing Air Canada's loyalty program at $10 billion — more than the airline itself. Scott calls it a data and credit card gold mine. Ben says the airline business is a commodity and loyalty is where the differentiation lives. And somehow the whole thing detours into a love letter to Blackstone CEO John Gray's Instagram and why the best business development tool in 2026 might just be a jog through Central Park with your phone out.

— This Week in Hospitality is presented to you by Journey. Journey is a loyalty platform built specifically for independent boutique hotels and high-touch hospitality brands. Our mission is to give operators the same powerful rewards engine, data intelligence, and guest insights that major chains rely on — without asking them to give up the individuality, soul, or story that makes their property extraordinary. If you’re an owner or operator of an extraordinary, independently owned and operated hotel or residence — and you want to see whether your property is a fit for the Journey Alliance — you can learn more and apply at https://www.journey.com/alliance

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Special Guest:

Sarah Kopit — Editor-in-Chief of Skift

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahkopit

Your Hosts:

Zach Busekrus — Journey

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/

Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/

Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/

Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

Read "Please Do Disturb": https://pleasedodisturbbook.com/

Connect with Rachel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelalday

Connect with Zach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharybusekrus/

Check out Lodgify and get an exclusive discount: https://www.lodgify.com/behind-the-stays/

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In just a moment, you'll meet Rachel Alday, co-founder of Abode Luxury Rentals and author of the forthcoming book, "Please Do Disturb." I brought Rachel back on the podcast because she's an awesome friend of mine, but also because the frameworks and lessons she outlines in her book have guided her and her team in building Abode Luxury Rentals into one of the most respected vacation rental management companies in the country.

Early in this conversation, Rachel tells a story about a guest family that called her team constantly with complaints — and then asked to extend their stay. What her team discovered when they stopped being defensive and started being curious became the foundation for everything she's built since.

She breaks down the framework behind it: three deceptively simple commitments she and her co-authors spent years uncovering — show up, make room, and build belonging. We get into the service recovery paradox, a concept Tim Ferriss personally pushed her to put in the book, and why managing a mistake well can create a more loyal customer than a flawless experience ever could.

Rachel makes a sharp case for why outsourcing guest communication to AI might be the single worst place to cut corners, and where she thinks AI actually belongs in vacation rentals instead. We talk about the real cost-benefit of writing a book while running a business, what a breathing coach taught her about leading under pressure, and why presence — the kind where the rest of the world genuinely disappears — might be the most underrated competitive advantage in hospitality leadership right now.

Friends, you're going to love this conversation. Be sure to order her book, "Please Do Disturb," wherever you get your books. You can pre-order it now, and there's a link in the show notes below. Without further ado, get ready to hear from Rachel Alday.