Guest Experience Episodes

In this week’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome back Tom Goodwin, CEO of Mountain Laurel Chalets and host of "For the Love of Gatlinburg" Podcast. Tom shares insights into his family-run vacation rental business in Gatlinburg, which has been a beloved destination for over 50 years. We dive into his journey of preserving the essence of Gatlinburg through his podcast and discuss how it celebrates the community's rich heritage and unique stories. Tom also gives an update on Mountain Laurel ...

In this episode, we sit down with Steve Turk, founder of Tangy Management, a vacation rental management company known for its unique hotel-inspired approach to hospitality. With over 24 years of experience in luxury hotels, Steve brings a fresh perspective to the vacation rental industry, blending high standards from the hotel world with the flexibility of short-term rentals. Steve shares the story of how he shifted from a career in luxury hotels to founding Tangy Management, and the unique valu...

In this episode of Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals, we are joined by Ian Carter, the former CEO of Hilton International and current Chair of the Board for Watches of Switzerland, Eataly, The Boston University School of Hospitality and Administration, and Boom. Ian shares his remarkable career journey, from his early days at General Electric to leading Hilton International through its historic merger with Hilton Hotels Corporation. We also dive into the vacation rental mark...

Exclusive offer for Alex & Annie listeners: Mention "Alex & Annie" when you sign up with Boom to get 50% off your onboarding fee and 1 month FREE. Visit boomnow.com to claim this limited-time deal! In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Eric Moeller, the visionary founder and CEO of Freewyld, a brand creating nature-inspired cabin communities. Eric takes us on his entrepreneurial journey from real estate investment to building luxury short-term rental brands and developing Freewyld. ...

Exclusive offer for Alex & Annie listeners: Get $400 off your onboarding fee when you partner with Hostaway using this link: http://get.hostaway.com/alexandannie In this episode, Alex & Annie are joined by Linny and Kyle Jones, the dynamic duo behind Dwell Luxury Rentals. Tune in to hear how they have transformed the vacation rental landscape in their small mountain town, Flagstaff, by bringing big-city luxury standards to the area. Linny and Kyle share their journey from working in five-s...

Exclusive offer for Alex & Annie listeners: Get $400 off your onboarding fee when you partner with Hostaway using this link: http://get.hostaway.com/alexandannie In this episode, Alex and Annie are joined by Eric Goldreyer, the CEO and owner of BnBFinder. Eric shares his journey in the bed and breakfast and vacation rental industry, discussing his previous ventures and how they led to the creation and success of BnBFinder. He also talks about the challenges and opportunities within the ind...

In this episode of "Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals," hosts Alex & Annie welcome special guest Meaghan Moylan, host of the "Workflows and Espressos" podcast and Executive Director of Outpost - a Vacation Rental and Property Management company located in the Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Meaghan shares her inspiring journey of embracing new opportunities in the dynamic vacation rental industry. The Year of Yes Mentality Meaghan highlights how adopting a "year of yes" mindset opened d...

In this episode of "Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals," hosts Alex & Annie explore the delicate balance between leveraging technology and preserving the irreplaceable human touch in guest communication for the hospitality industry with special guest Nicolas Wegener. Nicolas brings invaluable insights as the visionary leader behind Sendsquared, a pioneering communication platform tailored for the vacation rental industry. With a deep understanding of fostering meaningful connect...

In this insightful episode, Alex & Annie are joined by Elisabeth Yoho, Chief People Officer at Harris Vacation Rentals. Elisabeth dives into the critical role of corporate culture in retaining top talent and creating cohesive teams that thrive. She shares valuable strategies for understanding individual team members, leveraging events to build connections, and setting rates aligned with core values. As the hospitality industry navigates a post-pandemic landscape, Elisabeth provides a refreshing ...

In this episode of "Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals” podcast, hosts Alex and Annie are joined by Pete DiMaio, CEO of Travel Boom Marketing. Together, they dive into the latest trends and strategies shaping the hospitality industry, leveraging insights from Travel Boom's recent hotelier sentiment study. Aligning with Guest Preferences Drawing from Travel Boom's recent hotelier sentiment study, they unpack the misalignment between guest preferences and hotelier perceptions, emp...

In this episode, Alex had the opportunity to sit down with Jonathan Ruggles, the Director of Partnerships at Flip.to. They discuss three key points in hospitality marketing: building your digital presence on your own land, leveraging guest-generated content and audiences, and the power of being a first mover in adopting innovative strategies. Alex shares insights from her experience in the vacation rental industry, emphasizing the importance of owning data, creating authentic interactions, and s...

In the latest episode of "Alex and Annie, the Real Women of Vacation Rentals," we’re in for a treat to an insightful conversation with the dynamic duo of 30A Beach Girls, Hollie and Lisa. Nestled in a stunning vacation home with the aroma of a chef's creation wafting through the air, the podcast delved into the secrets behind the success of this female-led empire in the vacation rental industry. The Founding Story: Hollie unveils the fascinating journey of 30A Beach Girls, from a humble houseke...

In this insightful episode, hosts Alex and Annie dive deep into the world of vacation rentals with a special guest, Sarah Bradford, co-host of Sarah and T Podcast, and former owner of two successful vacation rental companies in the picturesque landscapes of Colorado. Journey Through Experience: Sarah begins by unraveling her rich background in the vacation rental industry, providing listeners with an intimate look into her entrepreneurial journey. She candidly shares her experiences in sellin...

In this engaging episode of Alex and Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals, we sit down with Valerie Gangas, a powerhouse in Transformational Life Coaching, an accomplished Author, and the visionary CEO behind Juniper Holiday & Home. As Valerie shares her fascinating journey, we explore how her roots in the restaurant and bar industry grew into a passion for hospitality, ultimately guiding her towards the dynamic world of vacation rentals. During the challenges of the COVID era, Valerie's e...

In this episode, Alex and Annie are joined by Dora Du, CMO of WYND - venture-backed startup that has built proprietary sensor technology that helps homeowners take control of the air in their properties. Their first use case is a product line that monitors and improves in-door air quality, and more recently they’ve released a new product that detects noise and smoke. WYND was founded by MIT engineers and scientists, with their first focus being to create products for the residential market. Dur...

In our latest episode, we sit down with Kristin Brown CEO of Concishare, a prominent lifestyle concierge management company to explore high-end concierge service for vacation rentals. What does it take to provide a seamless experience and create an atmosphere of total relaxation for your guests? And what is the right mindset and strategies needed to excel in this space? Join us for an insightful conversation with Kristin as we explore the world of hotel-level concierge service tailored for vaca...

In today’s episode, Alex and Annie feature Suneel Goud, the CEO and Co-Founder of GuestView Guide, a SHARP NEC company. Suneel discusses their in-unit digital concierge designed for property managers and operators to enhance the guest's experience. GuestView Guide provides guests with everything they need to know about the property and the local area while saving time through the automation of tasks and facilitating communication. The device is customizable and comes with a management console...

IMPROVE YOUR GUEST EXPERIENCE WITH SEAMLESS TECHNOLOGY In today’s episode, Alex and Annie welcome Thomas Schaper, the Head of Product at DACK Inc. Thomas shares his experience in creating DACK as an app that improves the guest experience and makes vacations easier. He also discusses details about DACK’s model from how it was named to how it works. Find out more about Thomas and DACK in this latest episode of Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals. “REAL” TALK THOMAS: FREE UP YOUR...

Luca Zambello joins us for today's episode to share the journey of creating Jurny, the industry's first MOS (management operating system). With roots in property management, Luca shares how he changed software 5 times - then finally realized, he wanted to create a solution to empower property managers to more efficiently run their businesses...and that he wanted to be a technology company rather than a hospitality company. His journey is nothing short of inspiring and impressive! This episode...

Francois Goello who is the founder of Enso Connect joins us today for an interesting tale of how a terrible guest experience led to him founding one of the slickest guest apps on the market. Francois tells us how Enso Connect was built from the guest perspective first - rather than the property first - and how this frame of mind is enabling them to solve communication issues that PMS's (property management systems) were not made to handle. An entrepreneur from a very early age, Francois shares ...

Tune in for a fun look behind the curtain of this amazing gal that is changing the game for small and large vacation rental operators that want to provide an enhanced experience for their guests! Tyann wears two hats - she operates her own portfolio of properties, and at TouchStay her title is quite literally, the Queen of Guest Experience. Creating a memorable guest experience helps you build your brand and drive repeat business - don't miss this one! This episode is brought to you by Wheelho...

Matt Landau is one of the most respected thought leaders in vacation rentals. Founder of VRMB, Matt has built an information-sharing media empire, driven by one simple yet effective concept. As he tells us, "If you have a tip, share it!" You will find more like-minded individuals to collaborate with and by sharing information we are all helping each other and the industry grow. What does it mean to be Limited Edition, and how can you leverage this positioning to create your OWN lane and break f...

Marc Hostovsky, CEO/Founder of Minoan Experience, joins us today for an enlightening look at e-commerce and how vacation rental companies and hosts now have the ability to make their properties a shoppable, revenue driving experience. Gone are the days of ordering furniture from multiple websites or companies and keeping track of work orders - Minoan Experience allows you to make all the furnishings and decor in your unit shoppable to your guests. Marc's previous experience at Jet.com and Wal-Ma...

Today we're joined by Matt Loney, CEO of Xplorie, for a conversation about the current state of guest experience and tech in the vacation rental industry and what the future holds for consolidation between overlapping products. Matt predicts there will be 3 main sectors of vacation rental technology that will see consolidation: Guest Communication/Acquisition / CRM In-room technology Operations (housekeeping & maintenance) The influx of new technology pouring into vacation renta...