The Hospitality Breakroom: Booked Differently
A behind-the-scenes podcast about luxury hospitality, hosted by members of the Abode Luxury Rentals team. Each episode shares personal perspectives, operational stories, and insights into creating memorable guest experiences. From daily routines to standout moments, it offers an insider look at the world of high-end vacation rentals. Aimed at both industry professionals and curious travelers who want to understand what makes luxury stays exceptional.
Episodes
The Untapped Distribution Channel for Vacation Rentals
Travel advisors have long been a major source of business for luxury hotels—but vacation rentals have struggled to tap into the same channel. In this episode of Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel Alday sits down with Joe Bartolomé, a longtime luxury hotelier and founder of The Joes, to explore why travel advisors could represent one of the biggest untapped opportunities for professionally managed vacat
The Guest Acquisition Channel Vacation Rentals Are Missing
Travel advisors have long been an important part of the hotel and luxury travel ecosystem—but vacation rentals have historically struggled to build the same relationships. That may be changing. As travelers increasingly look for personalized experiences, more space, privacy, and high-touch service, professionally managed vacation rentals have an opportunity to become a much bigger part of the trav
How Vacation Rentals Can Build Winning Partnerships with Travel Advisors
In this episode of The Hospitality Breakroom, host Rachel Alday sits down with Julie Byrd of Cabo Villas to unpack the evolving relationship between vacation rental operators and travel advisors. While traditional hotel brands have long-established systems for working with travel planners, the vacation rental and short-term rental (STR) space is rapidly catching up. Julie shares her decades-long j
Why Travel Planners and Vacation Rentals Must Partner
In this episode Rachel argues that luxury travel planners and professionally managed vacation rental companies are missing a major partnership opportunity despite serving the same affluent guest. Citing multiple reports, it notes that 84% of affluent travelers value trusted advisors over online research, Virtuoso saw a 76% increase in consumers seeking advisors, and protection/security is a key dr
Building Vacation Rental Partnerships with Travel Advisors (with Rich Sippos)
Rachel Alday introduces the Hospitality Breakroom season “Booked Differently,” focused on improving partnerships between vacation rental operators and travel planners, and interviews Rich Sippos, Abode Luxury Rentals’ director of sales overseeing reservations and concierge for a $25 million revenue business. Rich shares insights from 21 years in vacation rentals and attending the Mountain Travel S
What Travel Planners Need From Vacation Rental Partners
On todays episode, Rachel interviews Vanessa Cella, a top-100 travel planner at Fora Travel (out of about 22,000 advisors), about what travel planners need from vacation rental partners and why the relationship between rentals and advisors is still harder than with hotels. Vanessa shares her background, focus on luxury travel, and why she books only vetted, professionally managed rentals rather th
Bridging the Gap: Vacation Rentals, Travel Planners, and the Missing System
On The Hospitality Breakroom, host Rachel Alday of Abode Luxury Rentals and longtime reservations lead Rachel “Tilly” Tilton discuss why vacation rental growth may depend more on relationships with travel planners than OTAs, and why booking vacation rentals through the travel-planner ecosystem remains difficult. They contrast hotel workflows (GDS-based distribution, preset commissions, price parit
The Future Of Travel Planning and Vacation Rentals
Rachel Alday launches a new season of The Hospitality Breakroom focused on the growing relationship between vacation rentals and travel planners, noting that while hotels have long partnered with advisors, vacation rental operators have struggled, partly due to GDS systems being designed for hotel room types. She explains how more travelers—especially mid to high-end—are using planners, increasing
Inhaven Case Study on National Property Management | Ep. 31
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel and Ashley discuss the final episode of their third season, focusing on the recap of standardization in hotels and property management success. The episode dives into learnings from the VRMA Executive Summit in Miami, where Ashley presented a fireside chat discussing the rise and fall of large property managers Vacasa and Abridge Hospitality. Th
Navigating National Property Management Challenges in Hospitality | Ep. 30
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, the episode covers the rise and fall of two major hospitality management companies: Vacasa in the vacation rental market and Abridge in the hotel management industry. Ashley provides a historical overview of both companies, outlining five distinct phases of growth, mergers, acquisitions, and eventual financial distress. The discussion delves into Vacas
The Human Side of Hospitality: Motherhood, Marketing & Managing It All | Ep. 29
The episode opens with the hosts welcoming the audience back to the 'Hospitality Breakroom,' highlighting this as the ninth out of the tenth episode of the series. The focus of the discussion centers around 'certainty within' the vacation rental industry, featuring Ashley and Meaghan from Inhaven, along with Rachel, the co-owner of Abode Luxury Rentals in Park City. They share their childhood drea
Optimizing Hospitality Operations Through KPI Tracking | Ep. 28
In this episode, Rachel, Ashley and Meaghan engage in a comprehensive discussion about the importance of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the hospitality industry. They then dive into the main topic, exploring how KPIs can influence various aspects of a hospitality business, particularly focusing on housekeeping and overall operational efficiency. Rachel mentions the challenges her company fa
Revolutionizing Vacation Rentals: Learning from Hotel Industry Standards | Ep. 27
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, the discussion revolves around the history of hotels and how it informs the future of vacation rentals. Rachel Alday is joined by Ashley Ching and Meaghan Meyers from Inhaven join to discuss the evolution of hotel standards and their relevance to the vacation rental industry. They cover how hotels in the 1970s faced similar challenges to today’s vacati
Navigating Inventory Challenges in Vacation Rentals | Ep. 26
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, hosts Rachel Alday, Ashley Ching, and Meaghan Myers discuss inventory management in the vacation rental industry. They share stories about unusual housekeeping finds, including guns and drugs, and discuss the complexities of dealing with such situations. The conversation transitions into the challenges of managing inventory, particularly linens and cof
The Art of Standardizing Vacation Rental Kitchens | Ep. 25
Rachel introduces the fourth installment of 'Certainty Served Weekly with Inhaven,' with guests Ashley Ching and Meaghan Myers, along with Julie from Abode Luxury Rentals. They discuss the importance of setting standards in vacation rental kitchens, aiming to enhance consistency and guest satisfaction. Julie shares her journey to spearheading the kitchen standards program at Abode, explaining her
Maximizing Profit and Standardization in Linen Programs for Vacation Rentals | Ep. 24
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, hosts Rachel Alday, Ashley Ching and Meaghan Meyers join to discuss how to standardize and optimize linen programs for vacation rentals. They emphasize the importance of turning linen programs into profit centers and provide a detailed overview of what should be included in the program, including bedding, towels, and kitchen linens. They provide advice
Elevating Vacation Rental Standards: A Deep Dive into Bathrooms and Beyond
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, hosts Rachel, Ashley Ching, and Meaghan Myers discuss the importance of standardizing bathrooms in vacation rentals as part of their new season theme: Certainty Served Weekly with Inhaven. They explore the challenges faced by property management companies like Abode in maintaining consistency in bathroom products such as towels, amenities, and toilet p
Defining Standards For The Bedroom | Ep. 22
In this episode of 'The Hospitality Break Room', Rachel from Abode Luxury Rentals welcomes Ashley Ching and Meaghan Myers from Inhaven to kick off a new season themed 'Certainty Served Weekly Within Inhaven'. They discuss the importance of standardization in vacation rental properties, beginning with the bedroom. They aim to elevate the vacation rental industry by matching the operational standard
Revolutionizing Property Management with Inhaven: A Deep Dive | Ep. 21
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, host Rachel welcomes special guests Ashley Ching, founder and CEO of Inhaven, and Julie from the Abode team to discuss the innovative partnership between Abode and Inhaven. Julie, who has been with Abode for three and a half years, shares her journey from starting at Black Bear Lodge to becoming the impact manager focused on green initiatives. Her effo
Inside Ski Butlers: Enhancing the Guest Experience with Ryan Midiri | Ep. 20
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel introduces Ryan Midiri from Ski Butlers, a company specializing in ski gear delivery and rental services. The discussion covers the benefits of working with Ski Butlers for those in the vacation rental and property management industries, highlighting the convenience and high level of service Ski Butlers provides. Ski Butlers, recently acquired b
Communication, Code-Switching, and Teamwork in Vacation Rentals | Ep. 19
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel sits down with Laura, who has been with Abode Luxury Rentals for nearly a decade, working in homeowner relations. The discussion kicks off by focusing on the importance of being a good listener, a skill Laura excels at. Rachel highlights how Laura's ability to listen has improved communication within the team and with vendors, leading to better
The Intricacies of Guest Services and Concierge in Vacation Rentals | Ep. 18
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel and Jesse from the guest services and concierge team discuss the complexities behind offering excellent concierge services. They delve into the unseen efforts required to ensure a seamless guest experience. Jesse recounts her work history and the challenges faced, including guests' frequent requests for early check-ins and late check-outs, which
Mastering Operations in Vacation Rentals | Ep. 17
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom podcast, Rachel welcomes Blake from their operations team, discussing the potential rename of the department to 'frontline.' The conversation covers the nuances of property management, highlighting three key inspections: departure, SUS (Setup for Success), and pre-arrival, emphasizing the importance of thorough checks to ensure smooth transitions betwee
Navigating Homeowner Relationships | Ep. 16
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel and Rob, co-founders of Abode Luxury Rentals, discuss the intricacies of homeowner relationships in the vacation rental industry. Celebrating 17 years of their company and 15 years of marriage, they share insights from their extensive experience. They emphasize the importance of a strong partnership between homeowners and property management com
The Art of Guest Services: Building Hotel-Like Experiences | Ep. 15
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel sits down with Michael, the guest services manager, who oversees a team of six, including members in the Philippines working overnight shifts. The main topic is guest services and how property managers can deliver superior guest experiences. Michael explains the process after booking, involving emails directing guests to concierge services, text
Navigating Revenue Management in Vacation Rentals | Ep. 14
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel and Brad from Abode Luxury Rentals discuss key aspects of revenue management in the vacation rental industry. Rachel begins by sharing the goals and audience of their podcast's second season, which aims to provide valuable insights for homeowners and those in the vacation rental industry. Rachel introduces herself and gives a brief overview of A
Improving Homeowner Relations and Onboarding | Ep. 13
In this episode of Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel is joined by Myles, a long-standing team member at Abode, to discuss homeowner relations and the onboarding process. Myles has been with Abode for over four years and has transitioned from operations to homeowner relations and now homeowner acquisition. The episode focuses on talking to homeowners, reflecting Myles' expertise. Myles discusses the im
How You Should Balance Homeowners and Guests | Ep. 12
Rachel and Tilly discuss the podcast's format changes for its second season, focusing more on conversations relevant to vacation rental homeowners. Tilly, who has been with Abode for almost 10 years, shares her experiences and background in sales and the vacation rental industry. The discussion includes stories about custom-made hats from Kimo Sabe and interactions with celebrity Bill Murray. They
Homeowner Satisfaction 101: Task Management & Tailored Services | Ep. 11
In the latest episode of the Hospitality Breakroom podcast, Rachel is joined by Blane Bossung to kick off the new season. The first 10 episodes primarily targeted industry professionals, but this season will direct its attention towards vacation rental homeowners. Rachel and Blane discuss the importance of task management software, Breezeway, in customizing and ensuring homeowner satisfaction. The
Building Authenticity and Community in Vacation Rentals | Ep. 10
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, the Rachel interviews Brandon, an integral member of ABODE's Sun Valley team. Brandon discusses his 11-month journey with the company and the importance of hiring long-time locals when expanding into new markets. Initially starting with one house due to a homeowner’s request, their Sun Valley operation has grown to managing ten properties. Brandon's ex
Culture Talks & Guest Diffusion with Chris | Ep. 09
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, Chris Beckett joins the Rachel to discuss his journey in the hospitality industry, starting from his time at Ski Butlers to his current role at Abode. Crispy, as he's affectionately known in the office, shares interesting anecdotes about the company's culture and his experiences dealing with high-net-worth clients. He emphasizes the importance of manag
Talking Reservations and Sales Tactics with Tilly | Ep. 08
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom Podcast, Rachel interviews Tilly, the Reservation Sales Manager at Abode, who shares her experiences and insights from nearly ten years in the industry. Tilly reminisces about her humble beginnings in a basement office and her journey through various roles in the organization. She reveals valuable nuggets such as the importance of creating a welcoming e
Diving Down Where The Deep Roots Grow with Tuti | Ep. 07
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel sits down with Tuti, an employee at Abode for three years. The discussion covers Tuti's journey from marketing intern to director, highlighting Abode's flexible, non-prescriptive career pathing approach. Key points include the importance of management layers, the use of attentive text message marketing, time-blocking techniques for productivity,
Sales Mastery in Vacation Rentals: Tips and Insights with Mark | Ep. 06
In this episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel converses with Mark, a veteran at Abode with 12 years of experience in vacation rental sales. They delve into crucial sales strategies, including overcoming obstacles, setting expectations, and genuine communication with clients. Mark emphasizes the importance of being authentic, connecting with clients, and understanding their needs to close sa
Rachel and Rob's Conference Review | Ep. 05
Rachel and her husband Rob discuss their collective experiences at the VRMA International conference. They emphasize the value of connections over mere networking, highlighting how personal interactions foster stronger ties and unexpected opportunities in the vacation rental industry. They also detail their method for deciding which team members should attend conferences, which involves a motivati
Rad Revenue and Data Management with Brad | Ep. 04
The Motel 6 is going for $400 a night. Why is my 2 bedroom only $600 per night? They allow flexible cancellation, built on last minute single night stays, and have no extra fees on top of rate. They also are playing a different game. They possibly could be down to 2 rooms left so they are probably guarding those remaining rooms so they only get booked at a very high Nightly Rate.It does not work i
Homeowner Nuggets | Ep. 03
In the third episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel is joined by Myles, Blane, and Laura from the homeowner acquisition and homeowner relations group here at Abode Luxury Rentals. They discuss the importance of learning from past mistakes, recounting personal anecdotes such as mishaps with emails and slippery stairs. They also share insights on handling homeowner relations effectively, inclu
Source of the Sauce | Ep. 02
In the second episode of the Hospitality Breakroom podcast, Rachel Alday welcomes Linny Kresch Jones from Tandemly, a management consulting firm. Rachel and Linny discuss their five-year collaboration with Abode Luxury Rentals, focusing on the impact of consulting on company growth and culture. They delve into how reading 'Tribal Leadership' inspired Rachel and her husband to seek external experti
Guest Service Gurus | Ep. 01
In the inaugural episode of the Hospitality Breakroom, Rachel is joined by Michael Provenzano, Head of Guest Services, and Tuti Bertoli, Communications Director, at Abode Luxury Rentals. They explore the valuable lessons learned from mistakes in the hospitality industry. Michael shares his experience of over-promising and under-delivering, particularly with guest amenities and early check-ins, hig
Behind the Breakroom | Introduction Episode
In this introductory episode of the Hospitality Breakroom podcast, host Rachel Alday outlines the purpose and goals of the show. Designed as a space for anecdotal and tactical insights into the hospitality industry, the podcast will feature interviews with various team members from Abode Luxury Rentals, which Rachel and her husband own. With over 16 years of experience and a team of nearly 60 expe
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