In this episode, you'll learn how to diagnose whether your property is actually a candidate for wellness positioning, and if it is, how to implement it in a way that lifts ADR without blowing out your expense line.

A hospitality strategist who spent 20 years in hotel sales and development before building a consulting practice around wellness revenue joins us to share the playbook she's used across independent properties worldwide. Emily Johnson's approach has helped properties drive occupancy lifts and ADR increases with near-zero incremental cost by tapping into what they already have.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The 3 questions every owner should ask before spending a dollar on wellness
• Why a Thailand beachfront property was getting crushed on rate until one strategy drove a 15% occupancy lift and $40 ADR increase in a single quarter
• The low-cost local partnership model that turns empty meeting rooms into revenue
• Why most "wellness hotels" are faking it and how guests always find out
• The pre-arrival touchpoint that nearly every hotel is missing is costing real revenue
• How a mountain property with no unique story repositioned around one experiential amenity and sold out glass-ceiling cabins at $1,000 a night

If you're an independent operator trying to compete without throwing capital at the problem, this episode will show you where to start.

If you found value in this episode, take 30 seconds to leave us a review here. It helps more people find the podcast and keeps us bringing on great guests.

Connect with Emily Johnson

Website: https://www.elevatehospitalitycollective.com

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

Connect with Michael on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Email Us at info@hotelinvestorplaybook.com

Visit the Hotel Investor Playbook Instagram

Invest with Malama Capital

Submit a deal

It took zero dollars of his own money to buy a $4.5 million waterfront resort. It took three years and over a million and a half dollars out of pocket just to keep it.

In this episode, you'll discover the deal, debt, equity sequence he says has never failed to raise capital on a good deal, and exactly when a joint venture beats a syndication.

A multifamily investor who scaled to over 600 rental units, and once raised $10 million without a following or a dollar from family, walks through the one hospitality deal that broke all his usual rules. Christian Osgood unpacks exactly where his due diligence missed the mark, and the strategy he used to turn a struggling resort into a self-sustaining cash machine.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Spot the hidden payroll problem that makes a mom-and-pop hotel's books lie to you
• Avoid the seller-financing structure that can wipe out a full year of cash flow in one payment
• Turn dead event space into guaranteed income through master leasing, fixed checks every month, with zero staffing or cleanup
• Combine a $1,000 a month ad budget with free community events to drive a 43% profit jump in twelve months
• Apply the deal, debt, equity framework before you ever start looking for investors
• Decide when a joint venture beats a syndication so you can skip the legal headaches

If you're underwriting a boutique hotel or resort deal, this conversation could save you from learning these lessons the expensive way.

If you found value in this episode, take 30 seconds to leave us a review here. It helps more people find the podcast and keeps us bringing on great guests.

Connect with Christian Osgood

Website: https://multifamilystrategy.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Multifamilystrategy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-osgood-10a95b71

Connect with Michael on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Email Us at info@hotelinvestorplaybook.com

Visit the Hotel Investor Playbook Instagram

Invest with Malama Capital

Submit a deal

Most boutique hotel operators are leaving serious money on the table, not because of bad locations or bad products, but because of bad marketing fundamentals that nobody told them about.

In this episode, you'll hear exactly how one operator diagnosed a 40% occupancy problem and fixed it, taking her Bozeman boutique property to 80% occupancy with a $3,000 monthly marketing budget.

A sixth-generation Montanan who started running a historic hotel at 23, sold her first property after 18 years for a strong return, and now generates $800 to $1,200 a night at a 13-cottage luxury retreat, joins us to share what she learned the hard way. Hillary Folkvord's approach to brand-building, revenue management, and sensory guest experience has turned roadside properties into some of the most talked-about boutique stays in Montana.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why fighting OTAs is costing independent operators bookings, and what to do instead
• The three sensory touchpoints that drive repeat guests and word-of-mouth referrals
• How a $7M renovation mistake on a 1950s motel changed how she evaluates every deal today
• The napkin math framework her family uses to stress-test any acquisition in under an hour
• Why 100% occupancy is not actually a good thing, and what to aim for instead
• How to build a brand that drives bookings even when you're not the face of it

If you're building a boutique hotel and still figuring out your marketing stack, your brand, or how to stop being the bottleneck in your own business, this episode is required listening. Hillary's been through it all, and she's not holding back.

If you found value in this episode, take 30 seconds to leave us a review here. It helps more people find the podcast and keeps us bringing on great guests.

Connect with Hillary Folkvord:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-folkvord-b777b313/

Website: https://www.ladyh.life/

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

Connect with Michael on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Email Us at info@hotelinvestorplaybook.com

Visit the Hotel Investor Playbook Instagram

Invest with Malama Capital

Submit a deal