No Vacancy With Glenn Haussman

Thirty years in, PM Hotel Group still thinks like an owner-operator—and that matters right now. While I was at the Hunter Conference, I talked with Paul Sacco of PM Hotel Group about how they protect margin when RevPAR growth slows, costs climb, and rate resistance shows up. #NoVacancyNews

For #NoVacancyNews, I caught up with David Wilner, newly appointed Chief Development Officer of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, at the Hunter Conference to talk development reality right now—conversion-heavy conditions, brand value pressure, and why he still won't count new construction out.

Economy and midscale owners don't need shiny objects. They need tech that either drives revenue or cuts costs—period. For hashtag#NoVacancyNews, I caught up with Zack Gharib, President of Red Roof, at Hunter Conference to talk about why he's leaning into tech now while demand softens—and what he thinks starts to turn.

America didn't travel in America the way we expected last summer—because a lot of the spend went overseas. Now the calendar flips, the event slate stacks up, and the question becomes simple: who travels, where do they stay, and what does that do to performance? For hashtag#NoVacancyNews, I talked with Bruce Ford (SVP, Lodging Econometrics) from Atlanta on the eve of the Hunter Conference about what he expects this year—World Cup momentum, America's 250th anniversary, rising costs, and the "down-the-scale" shift that could help midscale and upper-midscale operators. ⚽ Bruce expects U.S. events to keep more travel domestic this year

Evermore is building an Orlando resort ecosystem: multiple hotels, a massive lagoon, and enough on-property programming that guests don't treat the theme parks as the only "main event." For #NoVacancyNews, I talked with Sean McCarron (General Manager, Conrad Orlando) about how Conrad fits inside Evermore—and what it takes to deliver luxury standards inside a new complex.

Chapter 4 of this 6-part CoralTree Customer Journey series focuses on implementation - specifically, how you get property teams to build ideas they actually believe in and want to own. Hotels do not improve the customer journey by accident. They build it through strategy, systems, and execution. This chapter shows what the build process looks like. I talk with Kaitlin Broumpton, Director of Quality and Guest Experience Strategy at CoralTree Hospitality, about workshops, property-level ideation, and how CoralTree helps teams shape locally authentic moments instead of pushing top-down scripts. Here is what we cover: ·        How CoralTree runs workshops to bring the soul of a property to life ·        Why buy-in improves when teams have a seat at the table ·        How they refine ideas without forcing corporate templates ·        How local culture and brand pillars shape guest moments ·        Why the process works across property and regional teams ·        A Seaport Boston example: arrival cards + QR c

Westgate didn't just build a resort — they built a small city of experiences. In this walking-tour episode, Glenn Haussman explores Westgate Vacation Villas in Orlando with Chief Business & Strategy Officer Jared Saft, starting at the original 16-unit building from the early 1980s and moving through the resort's huge renovation and expansion. We visit the movie theater, the retail experiences designed by Starboard, the Chuck E. Cheese–powered arcade, the toddler zone, the retro arcade, the Mystery Funhouse throwbacks, the in-lobby candy shop with a waterslide running through it, and the multi-level Shipwreck Island Waterpark. Jared also shares how Westgate plans new concepts, how they think about every family member's experience, and what's next as they just added 40 new destinations during a major growth cycle. This episode is brought to you by Actabl — Actabl gives you the power to profit. Visit Actabl.com. What we cover:

This week the amazing Lan Elliott returns to FNA to laugh along Glenn, Craig and Doctor Producer Suzanne. This week Glenn is in Dallas and the gang reveals which pet peeves are moving on to the sweet 16!

Evermore doesn't try to win every traveler. It commits to one niche: togetherness for families and groups. Then it builds the product around that focus—shared moments, easy flow, and enough space so the whole crew stays connected without feeling crowded. For #NoVacancyNews, I tour Evermore Resort Orlando and talk with the team behind the experiences.

I'm at Remington Hospitality's annual leadership conference - the first with Ben Perelmuter serving as CEO. For hashtag#NoVacancyNews, I caught up with Ben in the JFK Suite at the Hilton Fort Worth, a historic 100-plus-year-old property, and asked what he wants the team focused on right now.

Chapter 3 of this 6-part CoralTree Customer Journey series moves into the framework itself: how you create consistency across very different hotels without turning everything into cookie-cutter service. Customer journey work only matters if it improves operations, guest loyalty, and results. This chapter gets into the structure behind that. I talk with Andre Fournier, Chief Commercial Officer at CoralTree Hospitality, about Standards of Care, touchpoints from booking to departure, and how service rankings can influence ADR and consideration. Here is what we cover: ·        How CoralTree builds one service framework across different asset types ·        Why the goal is consistency of care, not identical experiences ·        Touchpoints from website/reservations to arrival, stay, and departure ·        Why each property still needs to feel authentic and of the place ·        Andre's filter: true, meaningful, and distinctive ·        How guest service rankings can support ADR and consideration set If you m

Repositioning a 100-year-old luxury resort hits different than building something new. You work with history, legacy expectations, and a modern guest who doesn't care about any of that unless the experience delivers. Suzanne co-hosts with me, and we talk with Daniel Hostetler, President & CEO of The Boca Raton, about how the property has managed a multi-year repositioning under new ownership — what they changed, why they changed it, and how they operate it day to day. I'm sharing it under #NoVacancyNews. Here's what we hit:

Step inside the heart of Bourbon Street with Sonesta International Hotels' Royal Sonesta New Orleans GM David Bilbe on #NoVacancyNews. From historic #neworleans charm to future renovations, this tour gives you a front-row seat to one of the most irreplaceable hotel assets in America.

Big show tonight as we kick off the weekend happy hour celebration. We're joined by our friend Paula Carreirao live from Brazil and Glenn, Craig and Doctor Producer Suzanne torture her with an update on the Round of 32 for our Hotel Pet Peeves Face off. vote now:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R26KPKV

Wyndham doesn't treat Latin America like one market. Growth concentrates in specific places, and execution decides who wins. For #NoVacancyNews, I talked with Gustavo Viescas (President, Latin America, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts) at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar in Puerto Rico about where Wyndham sees momentum across Latin America and the Caribbean.

AAHOA heads to Philadelphia for #AAHOACON26, and this year's theme stays dead simple: protect and advance profitability. Suzanne Bagnera, PhD, CHA, CED co-hosts #NOVacancyNews with me, and we talk with Laura Lee Blake (President & CEO, AAHOA) about what she wants owners focused on right now—and why this conference keeps growing. 

Chapter 2 of this 6-part CoralTree Customer Journey series gets into the part a lot of companies talk about and then struggle to execute: team empowerment. Customer journey work sounds soft until you tie it to labor, service consistency, guest loyalty, and revenue. This chapter gets into the people side that makes the strategy work. I talk with Sean Beucler, SVP of Operations at CoralTree Hospitality, about trust, recognition, decision-making, and how leaders build a culture where teams can act with confidence. Here is what we cover: ·        Why Sean says the biggest focus now is the team, not just the process ·        What real empowerment looks like in hotel operations ·        Why recognition drives repeated behavior ·        How leaders handle mistakes without killing trust ·        How guest experience connects to occupancy, ADR, and owner results ·        Why the best ideas often come from line-level teams Missed Chapter 1? Start there first - it sets up the leadership strategy behind this week's

Everybody keeps saying "AI" like it's one thing. It isn't. Suzanne co-hosts with me for this one, and we bring in Ira Vouk, someone we constantly see on the conference circuit. Ira teaches, writes, and helps companies make sense of what's coming, so we asked her for actionable insights instead of ponderous theory. I'm sharing it here on #NoVacancyNews because hotels need practical moves, not more theory. We stick to a few things that actually matter:

Global hotel "conditions" don't hit everyone the same way. The big franchise companies play a global game. Most owners play a street-corner game with one asset and one set of debt terms. That gap matters. I talked with Bruce Ford (SVP, Lodging Econometrics) about the global pipeline and the economic forces shaping what actually gets built, renovated, or converted right now. I'm sharing it under hashtag#NoVacancyNews.

From October 2025   Recorded live at the Southern Lodging Summit this past August as part of the keynote luncheon, Mitch Patel, President & CEO of Vision Hospitality Group, sat down with Glenn Haussman to share his journey from a single $3,000 investment to leading one of the most respected hotel companies in the U.S. In this conversation, Mitch explains: Why operational excellence and team culture are the true foundations of success How Vision Hospitality keeps growing even when the market tightens What "building a brick house" really means for long-term profitability How to inspire the next generation to find purpose in #hospitality