Can a Hotel Run Without a General Manager?

1 - > SPEAKER_02: Independent hotels are operating in a different 2 - > world than they were five years ago. 3 - > And most of them are still using the same playbook. 4 - > Cody Aiden is trying to change that. 5 - > He's the president and CFO of vibrant management and built a 6 - > model around boutique and independent properties, limited 7 - > AI, automation, remote operations, and what he calls 8 - > the voice examples.

9 - > The way of running a smaller hotel at a high level without 10 - > the overhead most owners is required. 11 - > We also get into bite effects. 12 - > The way that room matters for independent operators and the 13 - > big companies in it when it comes to serving this segment of 14 - > the industry. 15 - > This is a conversation about where independent hospitality is 16 - > actually headed.

17 - > Not the conference version, the real one. 18 - > New episode of Check In with Brian? 19 - > Oh no. 20 - > This episode of Check In with Brian is brought to you by 21 - > Reliance Hospitality.

22 - > Hospitality consulting, project management, and business process 23 - > outsourcing, built exclusively for the owner's side of the 24 - > table. 25 - > PIPS, renovations, budgets, brand compliance, we manage it 26 - > all so you don't have to. 27 - > Learn more at Reliance Hospitality.com.

28 - > I'm your host, Brian Fish, and we have a returning guest today, 29 - > Cody Aiden from Vibrant Management. 30 - > I guess I should do it backwards. 31 - > You're the president and chief financial officer of Vibrant 32 - > Management. 33 - > Yes.

34 - > Not just from Vibrant Management. 35 - > We're happy to have you back. 36 - > Oh, I'm happy to be on a room. 37 - > And you're in Scotts.

38 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, now I'm actually in the room. 39 - > It's way better. 40 - > Right. 41 - > Last time you were through a computer school.

42 - > Yes. 43 - > So much better to be in person. 44 - > SPEAKER_02: And I was in my office with like a thousand 45 - > things around me. 46 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I remember a bunch of books, I think.

47 - > SPEAKER_02: Those are all cookbooks. 48 - > Are they really? 49 - > Yeah. 50 - > Just because they look good?

51 - > They look good. 52 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah. 53 - > SPEAKER_02: I like to read a cookbook, but I haven't used 54 - > half of them. 55 - > SPEAKER_00: You actually like to read cookbooks?

56 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I like to read them like a novel. 57 - > SPEAKER_00: Interesting. 58 - > If they have photos, you might say something about my 59 - > intelligence. 60 - > I've never read a cookbook.

61 - > I've never used a cookbook. 62 - > SPEAKER_02: Oh, well. 63 - > You should try. 64 - > I'll send you some.

65 - > SPEAKER_00: Okay, you send me a gift and I'll read it. 66 - > That's a great question. 67 - > Uh you can answer a bytack for what's something most people 68 - > don't know about you, that you read cookbooks. 69 - > Your cookbook.

70 - > I think I'd use that one. 71 - > Yeah. 72 - > SPEAKER_02: Because that one was less embarrassing than I like to 73 - > watch a good Hallmark movie. 74 - > SPEAKER_00: Oh, you do?

75 - > And my wife likes the Hallmark movies. 76 - > SPEAKER_02: But they all s follow the same formula. 77 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah. 78 - > SPEAKER_02: So everybody goes to a small town, they fall in love, 79 - > and then there's a little bit of turmoil.

80 - > There's a little bit of turmoil that's not actual turmoil. 81 - > Yeah. 82 - > And then everything turns out well at the end. 83 - > So well, you kind of uh let into it because you are here, but 84 - > you're here for a good reason.

85 - > Yes. 86 - > SPEAKER_00: Why are you in town? 87 - > So I'm here uh to be the master of ceremonies for the Bitec 88 - > Casino event, uh, which is really cool because you know, we 89 - > don't have any casino hotels. 90 - > And so I it was actually I got to moderate a panel today, and 91 - > it was really fascinating to hear them talk about the casino 92 - > aspect of their business.

93 - > And there's so much information there and and the data they have 94 - > and how they strategize, it was actually quite interesting. 95 - > SPEAKER_02: The whole thing is data driven. 96 - > SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah. 97 - > He was talking about like if they put in, because we're one 98 - > of the questions was about how they're utilizing AI.

99 - > And um, Steve Neely was saying that if they put in like their 100 - > player's card, then they instantly get all the data on 101 - > like, oh, Brian Fish is at playing the Wheel of Fortune and 102 - > it's his birthday. 103 - > Go make sure you tell him happy birthday. 104 - > So then any employee that walks by knows Brian Fish is sitting 105 - > here playing Wheel of Fortune, it's his birthday today. 106 - > Wow.

107 - > And so they come up back, oh Brian, hope you're having a 108 - > great birthday, you know. 109 - > So it's just like those little touch points, and then they also 110 - > have the data on uh like geofencing the other casinos 111 - > next to them, so they know if they're going and leaving yours 112 - > and going to the other casino and kind of like the FBI is what 113 - > it felt like. 114 - > SPEAKER_02: That's slightly creepy, yeah. 115 - > SPEAKER_00: A little bit, yeah.

116 - > I went, I'm assuming well I think it's gotta be after phone, 117 - > I'd imagine. 118 - > It's just just like you know, social media is always listening 119 - > to us and knows what we're up to, and now AI knows even more. 120 - > SPEAKER_02: So it just goes to prove the point that the brands, 121 - > especially they have a lot of data that they're just not 122 - > sharing with the on the franchise side. 123 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was fascinating.

124 - > It was the most interested I've probably ever been in a panel 125 - > because it was all new to me. 126 - > SPEAKER_02: Was it as exciting as the last ByeTech that you and 127 - > I were at that you didn't have a voice? 128 - > Yes, you did not moderate the panel that ended up being it was 129 - > more entertaining that one because it was very 130 - > entertaining. 131 - > SPEAKER_00: Yes, they actually, you know, had a difference of 132 - > opinion and shared it, which most people don't do.

133 - > So it was really refreshing to have that. 134 - > SPEAKER_02: I was checked out until 30 minutes into that. 135 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because then that's when they got into it. 136 - > SPEAKER_02: And then when they got into it, I was like, I was 137 - > here for it.

138 - > And then when they were getting ready to wrap up, I was like, 139 - > why can't we have 30 more minutes? 140 - > Yeah, exactly. 141 - > SPEAKER_00: That's nice. 142 - > I always tell if a panel's good or not if I am tempted to look 143 - > at my phone.

144 - > That's when I know, okay, I lost my attention. 145 - > Right. 146 - > Yeah. 147 - > SPEAKER_02: Well, at least your voice came back.

148 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, thank goodness. 149 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that was really bad. 150 - > SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, when I don't know what to do. 151 - > SPEAKER_02: What a silent MC.

152 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, use sign language. 153 - > SPEAKER_02: We do have to recognize because I was asking 154 - > him before we started, like, what happened to Rich? 155 - > Everybody knows Rich Fiola. 156 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

157 - > SPEAKER_02: And his quotes. 158 - > SPEAKER_00: He's the legend. 159 - > SPEAKER_02: Like, I feel a little off now when I go to the 160 - > events because I used to know, like, I knew exactly what he was 161 - > doing. 162 - > You knew the cadence, you knew the Uber story.

163 - > SPEAKER_00: The camping story. 164 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah, like, and then he's gone. 165 - > So now there's MCs. 166 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so now we've got, I think this year there's 167 - > four of us.

168 - > Kelly Cardenas is is doing six, I'm doing six. 169 - > Uh, Brent Aherst from uh Curator. 170 - > Curator, yep. 171 - > I think he did a couple, and then there's a gal that I don't 172 - > know that I think she does like the health tech stuff.

173 - > SPEAKER_02: Oh, okay. 174 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but it's been really fun. 175 - > And I got a Kelly did the sales and marketing in Florida, and 176 - > that was awesome. 177 - > It it's been nice to have it be refreshed and have a new energy 178 - > and a different perspective.

179 - > And you know, Kelly does it differently than I do it, and I 180 - > do it differently than Brandt does it. 181 - > And so I think for the people like us who have had the luxury 182 - > of going to multiple buy tax, it's nice to have it mix it up a 183 - > little bit. 184 - > SPEAKER_02: Well, I was Kelly was at one in November in 185 - > Sarasota. 186 - > It was like the fall went our fall owners.

187 - > SPEAKER_00: So that was probably the first time that they had a 188 - > new MC then, I bet. 189 - > SPEAKER_02: I think well, Rich was there. 190 - > SPEAKER_00: Oh, he was, and then Kelly was there. 191 - > SPEAKER_02: Oh, he was like a keynote or something like that.

192 - > But it was funny out for a lot of us that had been back, like 193 - > the that we had been several, like we've been several times to 194 - > have there's always a rigid schedule. 195 - > Yeah. 196 - > That was like not part of the normal schedule, so that kind of 197 - > threw everybody off the first day. 198 - > But uh that's awesome though.

199 - > He's got a that guy is like full of energy. 200 - > SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh, he's amazing, and he like knows 201 - > everyone. 202 - > Like someone said, like, oh, I'm a Patriots fan, and then the 203 - > next day he has a Patriots player doing like a video 204 - > tribute to the guy in at Bitec. 205 - > And then someone else like loved this musician and he got the 206 - > musician to do a video for him.

207 - > Like, I I've never seen anything like it. 208 - > It was amazing. 209 - > Great energy. 210 - > He was awesome.

211 - > He was a great, great MC. 212 - > SPEAKER_02: I yeah. 213 - > Well, hopefully, maybe he'll be at the next one. 214 - > I don't know when my next one will be.

215 - > I guess it'll be the fall. 216 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the next one I go to is in an in in the 217 - > beginning of July. 218 - > I think it's purchasing and designed spring or s or summer, 219 - > I guess. 220 - > SPEAKER_02: Oh, in Savannah.

221 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah. 222 - > SPEAKER_02: Well, that'll be nice. 223 - > The JW there is amazing. 224 - > SPEAKER_00: That's what I've heard.

225 - > I've never been, so I'm looking forward to it. 226 - > SPEAKER_02: I have never been there either. 227 - > That's just a talking point I was given. 228 - > So I was told it's amazing.

229 - > Well in an old warehouse. 230 - > SPEAKER_00: I've heard that from other people too, so I'm excited 231 - > to see that. 232 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so yeah, let me know how it is. 233 - > So, what's going on at Vibrant Management these days?

234 - > I I hear that uh you might be headed to Lake Tahoe. 235 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so we just met some really cool owners who are 236 - > uh under contract on a property in South Lake Tahoe. 237 - > So it's 14 units right now. 238 - > Uh they'll be using one of them for themselves to be able to go 239 - > up on vacation.

240 - > So it'll be 13 units and they're gonna do the full proven 241 - > process. 242 - > So they're gonna run on virtual GM. 243 - > Uh, we'll be taking care of all of their management. 244 - > It's really like the perfect property for our system, you 245 - > know, the right amount of rooms, the right structure.

246 - > Uh, they're gonna go through and and revamp it and redesign it 247 - > once they get through their off season, but really exciting for 248 - > us because their peak season will be all of our other 249 - > properties off season. 250 - > So that works really nicely, you know, and uh we're just super 251 - > excited to be in Lake Tahoe. 252 - > I mean, that's awesome. 253 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's amazing.

254 - > So, for those who don't know and didn't listen to the episode 255 - > with us in the fall, um, what is the virtual GM process process? 256 - > SPEAKER_00: So that was born really luckily in uh 2020 before 257 - > COVID happened. 258 - > But we had a property we're managing called the Dwellings in 259 - > Lavurkin, Utah. 260 - > Awesome property right along the cliff.

261 - > And the gal who owned it, she'd never been in hospitality. 262 - > She's just independently successful in the corporate 263 - > world, bought this property, built the hotel, and she was 264 - > gonna hire a general manager, pay him 60 grand a year, have 265 - > him live in one of the units. 266 - > It was 17 units. 267 - > And I was thinking, like, that's you're taking a unit out, it's 268 - > 60 grand a year.

269 - > You're also gonna have to have at least another employee 270 - > because he's not gonna work seven days a week. 271 - > And I was like, Janet, I think, I think we can do this 272 - > virtually. 273 - > And that's kind of how it got coined, like the virtual GM. 274 - > And so obviously we know so much more than we did then.

275 - > Um, but then when COVID happened and people were used to not 276 - > having human interaction and and using Airbnbs and using remote 277 - > locks. 278 - > And so we, you know, went through all the different tests 279 - > with the different like AI tools. 280 - > Like we use Kipsu, we use Whistle. 281 - > I think there was one other one that we used.

282 - > And then now we use Aki, and it's been an awesome partner for 283 - > us. 284 - > So we use AI and automation to create a seamless guest 285 - > experience. 286 - > We will utilize Lynx locks for the lock software, and it's 287 - > amazing how um receptive the audience is. 288 - > Like the dwellings, for example, so they've been open now for six 289 - > years, and they've got over 305 Star Trip Advisory views, and 290 - > there's never been anyone on site.

291 - > No, no staff, no amenities. 292 - > And so even though, and they're running a great ADR, there were 293 - > times their ADR was over$300 a night. 294 - > So they're getting a good rate. 295 - > And because your two big biggest expenses typically will be your 296 - > debt service and your payroll.

297 - > And now we've mitigated that so much that that their 298 - > profitability was exceptional. 299 - > SPEAKER_02: We've talked about this before, but I just have I 300 - > want to reiterate it because what I do find interesting, and 301 - > I'll have you answer the question, is the guests don't 302 - > find it odd. 303 - > SPEAKER_00: I think when we have transitioned from a property 304 - > that didn't operate that way and then did. 305 - > So we have a property in Shelbyville, Illinois.

306 - > Uh an older gentleman owned it, so he ran it like super old 307 - > school, like a regular key to get into the room. 308 - > And so when it's cool. 309 - > Yeah, it is cool. 310 - > But when Renee bought it and she listened to the virtual damn 311 - > podcast, found us, had us come on, put her in the proven 312 - > process.

313 - > And so that was a difficult transition for the existing 314 - > guests. 315 - > We're like, wait, what? 316 - > Like that's not how it is, you know. 317 - > But when we've taken a property like the dwellings or the 318 - > bungalows or Adobe Desert, where they've opened with our systems, 319 - > then it that that's never been an issue.

320 - > Sometimes they'll be like, Oh, really? 321 - > You're you're not there, you know, because they'll talk to 322 - > the virtual gems and be like, oh, Megan, do I am I gonna get a 323 - > meet you? 324 - > And she's like, oh no, I, you know, we we operate virtually, 325 - > so no one will be on site, but but she's a real person. 326 - > She's a real person, yeah.

327 - > So all of our virtual GMs are stay-at-home moms, which is so 328 - > cool because it creates an opportunity for these women to 329 - > be in the workforce where they otherwise wouldn't be able to. 330 - > Most of them have little babies at home. 331 - > And so you might be calling the bungalows to make a reservation 332 - > and Allison's gonna answer the phone and be in the kids' pickup 333 - > line. 334 - > Uh, but I think that COVID also allowed us to be more human in 335 - > the sense of when COVID happened and we're on Zoom calls and 336 - > we're at home and maybe you're not dressed up as nice, or or 337 - > your child walks in the room.

338 - > I feel like we're so much more willing to accept that now, 339 - > where in the past it would have been like, that's unacceptable, 340 - > you know. 341 - > 100%. 342 - > And so like when they hear a baby, they're like, oh, your 343 - > baby's with you. 344 - > Like, oh yeah, I work from home.

345 - > And I feel like it's endearing, if anything. 346 - > And it and it makes them realize, you know, that human 347 - > element of it. 348 - > SPEAKER_02: The only thing I don't like is when you hear the 349 - > doorbell and a dog barking. 350 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's not great.

351 - > SPEAKER_02: That is annoying, but I don't know that that 352 - > happens when people make a recipe. 353 - > I mean, I'm sure that it has. 354 - > It probably has. 355 - > Yeah.

356 - > That's my only thing that I don't like when I'm on the 357 - > phone. 358 - > SPEAKER_00: And the and they're up front and let them know that 359 - > they're not there, but that they can call them at any time. 360 - > And then most people prefer to text anyways. 361 - > And so we use Akia for text message communication, and then 362 - > we have a room book built out and that, and then the AI is 363 - > going to answer the black and white questions like what's the 364 - > Wi-Fi password or all the normal.

365 - > Yeah, anything that is it doesn't need a human's input. 366 - > So that way you get a response right away. 367 - > SPEAKER_02: Just don't do like the Hilton Garden in it, London 368 - > Heathrow Terminal 5 when I asked it how to get there because I 369 - > couldn't figure out how to get there, and it just kept telling 370 - > me that the hotel was conveniently located in London's 371 - > Heathrow Terminal 5. 372 - > No shit, sure luck, that's the name of the hotel.

373 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it uh there's definitely times where AI can be 374 - > a real nuisance and a pain in the butt. 375 - > So I think our strategy with AI is to have it and enhance the 376 - > guest experience, not to replace anything. 377 - > SPEAKER_02: The good news, and I don't know if you're hearing 378 - > this, most of the conferences that I've been to and like 379 - > things I've listened to this year, we finally moved past, I 380 - > think, what AI is replacing.

381 - > People are now realizing that AI is just helping us do our jobs. 382 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I agree. 383 - > I think that was probably the sentiment of the conversation 384 - > over the last couple of days at Bite Casino. 385 - > SPEAKER_02: You're just doing your job better, but the reality 386 - > is somebody has to put something in it.

387 - > SPEAKER_00: Yes, to work. 388 - > SPEAKER_02: No, it's a cool thing. 389 - > And you for if somebody needs towels or something, you have 390 - > like a system for this. 391 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's different based on every property, but 392 - > some properties will have like a supply closet.

393 - > So if it's, you know, because housekeeping will obviously be 394 - > there in the morning and ideally we'll have a maintenance manager 395 - > on call, but let's say it's late at night and they don't have the 396 - > more towels, then we'll have a coded supply closet that they 397 - > can go grab for themselves. 398 - > SPEAKER_02: That's amazing. 399 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah. 400 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I thought of you a few months ago.

401 - > I have somewhere I may have been in a voco. 402 - > Maybe maybe it's not voco. 403 - > We'll give them credit anyways. 404 - > They had like a locker system, kind of like the Amazon lockers 405 - > that you pick up packages.

406 - > So that if you needed something extra, you like did something on 407 - > the app and then you went to the the little machine and the 408 - > little box would pop open. 409 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, just like like a Home Depot order or something. 410 - > SPEAKER_02: Right. 411 - > Yeah, I was crazy.

412 - > And I thought of you, I was like, that seems like something 413 - > that would work for Cody. 414 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there probably is a cool way to incorporate 415 - > something like that. 416 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah. 417 - > I mean, because your tech stack So is has your tech stack been 418 - > growing over since you started?

419 - > SPEAKER_00: I feel like it's evolved. 420 - > Um, but now it's you know, WebRes is the PMS that we use, 421 - > Dueto is a revenue management tool, Aki is our guest 422 - > communication platform, Flowdesk is is our email um how we reach 423 - > out to the guests every property we send our past guests an email 424 - > at least once a month. 425 - > And so I'd say it it I don't know that if it's grown as much 426 - > as it's as it's evolved. 427 - > And really, so many of those partners we've met at Bytech.

428 - > In fact, the very first ByTech I ever went to is when I met Dueto 429 - > and sat down with them and they explained what they did. 430 - > And I was like, oh my gosh, this this is exactly what we need. 431 - > Right. 432 - > You know, and that's an example of using AI to now one person 433 - > can manage the revenue for all these properties where that 434 - > wouldn't have been possible without a tool like that.

435 - > Right. 436 - > SPEAKER_02: And is the AI do you feel like it's accurate most of 437 - > the time? 438 - > SPEAKER_00: I think Dueto probably oversold their AI 439 - > capabilities. 440 - > So I don't we don't really utilize that as much, but it's 441 - > an awesome program.

442 - > It's super easy to change rates, it's instantaneous, but I think 443 - > they have room to improve on actual AI implementing the 444 - > changes. 445 - > So we've used Take Up in the past as well for properties that 446 - > are in Think. 447 - > And I was really impressed with what Take Up did. 448 - > Like it genuinely did push the rates because the property was 449 - > at um the owner had owned the property for 30 years.

450 - > And so I think she had a predetermined like value point 451 - > for her property and was like, oh, we can't charge this much, 452 - > you know? 453 - > So she would always inhibit her growth. 454 - > And then once we turned on Take Up and the data told her what 455 - > the price was, then there would be times her rooms would get up 456 - > to$700 a night and she would have never allowed that. 457 - > If it was her reaction, interestingly enough, they 458 - > stopped using the program.

459 - > What? 460 - > Yeah, I couldn't believe it. 461 - > Why? 462 - > I think you know, she's she's owned the hotel for so long and 463 - > she likes to be in control and just felt like she wasn't 464 - > controlling it.

465 - > Um I mean the data was like excellent. 466 - > I mean, looking at the year of your growth and revenue and 467 - > their ADR increases and and and seeing those taking advantage 468 - > because uh this property's in Gainesville. 469 - > So if there's a concert or if the gators are in town, like all 470 - > of those things that that increase the rates so much, the 471 - > AI was able to pull that data in and knew, oh, this we need to be 472 - > at this price right now, you know, and so it was a great 473 - > program, but they just weren't weren't fans of it.

474 - > SPEAKER_02: That's insane. 475 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah. 476 - > SPEAKER_02: But I feel like, well, it makes sense because I 477 - > remember when like price optimization was coming around 478 - > with all the the brands putting it in their systems. 479 - > Yeah, I mean, the reality is let's face it, it was there was 480 - > no artificial intelligence, it was just a fancy Excel formula 481 - > that the system was running, but it was more accurate in terms of 482 - > like keeping the rate where it should be based on the data than 483 - > the people setting the rates.

484 - > Oh, I'm sure, yeah. 485 - > But it was a control thing for me. 486 - > Right. 487 - > Like they didn't like the fact that well, I don't want it to 488 - > just change the rate.

489 - > Yeah, I think that's what it came down to was control. 490 - > Right. 491 - > SPEAKER_00: But take up was awesome. 492 - > I was really impressed with it.

493 - > And then I met at sales and marketing, we met a couple 494 - > couple other companies. 495 - > Ideas was one of them. 496 - > I was really impressed with theirs. 497 - > Flyer, I was impressed with theirs.

498 - > It's just once you're in a system, it's so hard to change. 499 - > Right. 500 - > Right, because you you've got contracts and you're already on 501 - > it. 502 - > And so even though there's other programs out there that I think 503 - > would also be awesome, we just haven't yet pushed forward to 504 - > make that effort to try it.

505 - > You know? 506 - > SPEAKER_02: Okay, that's a good I wasn't expecting to ask you 507 - > this question, but we talked because you're here for Bitech 508 - > for the casinos. 509 - > You and I have been to a lot of Bitech conferences. 510 - > Yes.

511 - > We see new vendors all the time, and it's always interesting when 512 - > on the especially in the technology space, where they 513 - > come in and they like have this product and it's gonna change 514 - > the world. 515 - > SPEAKER_01: Yeah. 516 - > SPEAKER_02: And then you never hear from them again, like they 517 - > drop off the face of the earth or for sure. 518 - > Yeah.

519 - > But I also think that they don't do they realize that hospitality 520 - > is a tough space to enter into because it's just hard to change 521 - > like just like any other large industry, it's hard to just keep 522 - > changing systems. 523 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because even like I've told other PMSs I've 524 - > met with at Bitech, it was like even if even if you are a little 525 - > bit better than WebRes, you'd have to be wildly better for us 526 - > to change it all.

527 - > SPEAKER_02: Right. 528 - > SPEAKER_00: You know, like you'd have to be 10 times as good for 529 - > us to go through that process because once you know how 530 - > something works and you have it built in your systems and all 531 - > your team is trained on it, the the thought of replacing that 532 - > when really they're not all that different. 533 - > Right. 534 - > I feel like they're all pretty much the same.

535 - > Maybe one uh PMS's booking engine is better, one reporting 536 - > is maybe better, but generally speaking, they all do the same 537 - > thing. 538 - > They all do the same thing. 539 - > Yeah, so once some of them look prettier. 540 - > Yeah, right.

541 - > Yeah, aesthetically, some are more pleasing. 542 - > Uh, WebRos has been such a great partner for us. 543 - > And and the one thing that they didn't really have is their 544 - > booking engine wasn't as aesthetically pleasing as as it 545 - > needed to be, and they've since upgraded that. 546 - > And so now it's awesome.

547 - > And now you can look at the calendar and see the different 548 - > rates, and so and they're so willing to work with us since we 549 - > do use them on such a large basis that if there's an 550 - > integration that we need or a change that needs to be made, 551 - > and what I really love is that if you need help, they help you 552 - > instantly, and it's a person, and so like we have a contact 553 - > that we can reach out to, and so in some of the larger companies, 554 - > like that person's not going to exist, and having the support 555 - > when you need it is so important.

556 - > SPEAKER_02: Like Oracle, you'll put a pro you can put a ticket 557 - > in, right? 558 - > Somebody might get back to you, right? 559 - > SPEAKER_00: And you're not gonna know who that somebody is, 560 - > anyways. 561 - > SPEAKER_02: No, and nor does the person that answer you even know 562 - > how to use this, or they don't know you, you know.

563 - > SPEAKER_00: So they know nothing. 564 - > It's so different. 565 - > So it's been they've been a great partner. 566 - > Wow.

567 - > But I think also like at this one Bitec, I don't remember the 568 - > name of the company. 569 - > But I was chatting with Ted, you met Ted, right? 570 - > At the Ted Jabara, yeah, yes. 571 - > SPEAKER_02: Yep, so Teddy didn't recognize me.

572 - > SPEAKER_00: He didn't. 573 - > SPEAKER_02: So I saw him for the first time in years. 574 - > This at the last one that we were out. 575 - > And I kept thinking to myself, I don't know why you're acting as 576 - > if you have no clue who I am.

577 - > And then it dawned on me because the last time he saw me, I was 578 - > like a hundred pounds heavier. 579 - > SPEAKER_00: Oh, well, you literally just didn't recognize 580 - > me. 581 - > Yeah, it's like, well, that's that's totally fair. 582 - > So congratulations on losing the hundred pounds.

583 - > Thank you so much. 584 - > Um, so Ted and I uh went and got a piece of pizza out like in our 585 - > free time, and we were talking about the people we met and 586 - > talking about this one particular company. 587 - > I said, it's just they're just using AI to give you 588 - > information, so there's nothing proprietary about it, and you 589 - > could just do it yourself. 590 - > And Ted was like, Well, yeah, because they use Claude.

591 - > We were talking about that before we were recording. 592 - > He was like, We could 100% just build that dashboard, you know. 593 - > So so many of these new companies I feel like that are 594 - > in the space that are all AI focused. 595 - > Well, AI isn't proprietary, so if you just put in the work, I 596 - > feel like I don't know what those companies' future is going 597 - > to look like.

598 - > SPEAKER_02: Right. 599 - > You have to be able to offer something new, yes. 600 - > SPEAKER_00: Uh-huh. 601 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah.

602 - > SPEAKER_00: And obviously it's, you know, I'm not going to take 603 - > the time to learn to build that dashboard. 604 - > So there still is that value add. 605 - > But for someone who has the team or has the ability to do so, now 606 - > AI has made it. 607 - > So even I was talking to another gentleman who owns a bunch of 608 - > hotels in Sedona, and he wanted this dashboard of reporting.

609 - > And so his nephew just built it for him using AI, and it was 610 - > awesome. 611 - > It was like everything that you would want to see. 612 - > Is this Neil? 613 - > Uh yes, it was Neil.

614 - > SPEAKER_02: Neil, yes. 615 - > Uh-huh. 616 - > He I I spoke to him recently and he was telling me all about 617 - > this. 618 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and it was awesome.

619 - > It was incredible. 620 - > It was like everything that you want to see, pulling in from all 621 - > the different properties and one dashboard, and it was it was 622 - > like that was something that you could sell at Bitech, and he 623 - > just created it himself. 624 - > So I feel like if you have the willingness and the ingenuity, 625 - > you can just create so many of those things yourself. 626 - > And now it is a company, like they created a company out of 627 - > it.

628 - > Yeah. 629 - > SPEAKER_02: Well, you know, Heather Fields is here in the 630 - > studio with us today. 631 - > And this woman can fix anything with the power of YouTube. 632 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, see, if you have a Heather, then you're you 633 - > have a Heather?

634 - > You don't need you don't need the company. 635 - > SPEAKER_02: Your dishwasher's broken, just call a Heather. 636 - > That's a good up on YouTube. 637 - > SPEAKER_00: Heather, my wife's the same way.

638 - > Like I I get frustrated when things happen. 639 - > My battery died in my Corvette and it has a rear engine. 640 - > So the battery is like in the front and it's under all this 641 - > stuff. 642 - > And I was like, oh, I'll just rather get a new car than figure 643 - > out how to change the battery.

644 - > And so my wife, of course, goes on YouTube, figures it out. 645 - > So I have a video of me like walking into the garage. 646 - > She's under the hood changing out the battery for me because 647 - > she's just got that mindset to figure it out. 648 - > Yeah.

649 - > And I was like, I'd rather just tow the car away and give me a 650 - > new one. 651 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah. 652 - > No, but it is interesting that all these companies come in and 653 - > they don't understand, like, because it just that you've 654 - > named off all these tools that you're using. 655 - > Yeah.

656 - > It's like we it could be great, but there's a lot of change 657 - > management that can use into making it happen. 658 - > I think we can't just pull the rug out from under no. 659 - > SPEAKER_00: The advice for someone who's got a saw a 660 - > service that they want to have in hospitality is understand 661 - > it's a long game. 662 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah.

663 - > SPEAKER_00: You know, like it might not be, it might be a year 664 - > before they're ready to work with you, but you've got to get 665 - > out there and have those conversations. 666 - > I'm friends with uh Logan, he's the CEO of a Towsy AI, and so 667 - > they're like an Akia type platform. 668 - > And that was his learning is growing pains for his company, 669 - > is it just takes so long. 670 - > Yeah, you know, it's such a process to to even earn the 671 - > opportunity to show what your what your software can really 672 - > do.

673 - > Because they can give us a demo, but we're not truly gonna know 674 - > if it's gonna work for us until we try it. 675 - > Right. 676 - > And to get to that point is very difficult. 677 - > SPEAKER_02: Well it's interesting, and I remember so 678 - > Rico was at a buy tech quite some time ago.

679 - > Okay. 680 - > When I met them the first time, and um one of the founders, 681 - > Omri, had given me like the sales pitch, and I was like, his 682 - > last appointment. 683 - > Most of the people in this room don't even know what an API is, 684 - > what it stands for. 685 - > They think you're making soup.

686 - > Like they don't understand it. 687 - > But they're a good example of understanding the long game 688 - > because when they tried to get into hotels, their whole thing 689 - > was they could create a market basket comparison on purchasing. 690 - > It wasn't a GPO or anything, they could help compare it. 691 - > Well, they didn't realize that um chefs, executive chefs, and 692 - > food and beverage directors at hotels are not the easiest 693 - > people to deal with.

694 - > No, they're not, and they do not like change. 695 - > So they were like trying to get into all these hotels and stuff, 696 - > and they've done very well now, and they've gotten management 697 - > companies that have signed up and all this, and they are doing 698 - > well, but um they had that struggle at the beginning too. 699 - > They and it was about how do we access and how do we talk to the 700 - > people the right way? 701 - > SPEAKER_00: Because yeah, otherwise it's hard.

702 - > It's a it's a hard one. 703 - > Yeah, and so many of the tools that I've met aren't even 704 - > necessarily new, they're just different. 705 - > Right. 706 - > And so then it's like, how different are you?

707 - > And and really what is that about value proposition? 708 - > SPEAKER_02: Which to your point about like PMS systems, because 709 - > everybody sees a new PMS system all the time. 710 - > Yeah, it's like it doesn't do like it just we're checking 711 - > people in, checking them out, it runs housekeeping reports, yeah. 712 - > Yeah, like we just need it to do that.

713 - > Yeah, like yeah, you can put all the bells and whistles on it. 714 - > SPEAKER_00: The other thing I think that I've seen um software 715 - > companies where they've kind of gone astray is trying to be 716 - > everything for everybody, you know, versus just doing the one 717 - > thing they're really good at. 718 - > But then because AI gives them the ability to be like, oh, 719 - > well, we can actually do this, this, this, and the other thing. 720 - > But then it's like you're just watering it down and you're not 721 - > great at the one thing you're supposed to be great at.

722 - > So there's softwares that we've worked on in the past where they 723 - > tried to do too much, then I felt like they stopped being as 724 - > good at the thing that they were good at originally. 725 - > SPEAKER_02: Which is usually like PMS companies usually do a 726 - > poor job with booking engines. 727 - > Yeah, they're usually not that pretty. 728 - > Right.

729 - > But it's not their main business. 730 - > Yeah, correct. 731 - > So and there's a lot of like companies now that just do that 732 - > and they're really Yeah. 733 - > SPEAKER_00: I met one at the uh did you meet with the olive guys 734 - > when you when you were in uh at the Scottsdale one?

735 - > SPEAKER_02: I'm trying to think. 736 - > SPEAKER_00: They they create the booking engine, so you plug into 737 - > an existing PMS, but they guys from LA. 738 - > Yeah, uh-huh. 739 - > SPEAKER_02: Yes, I did.

740 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that one actually does look really good. 741 - > It does look really good. 742 - > I was impressed with their product for sure. 743 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that one looks good.

744 - > I hope it does well for them. 745 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, me too. 746 - > SPEAKER_02: We don't have anybody that has a use for it 747 - > right now, but if you find someone, yeah, we don't either. 748 - > SPEAKER_00: Maybe we'll give him a and he's been following up, so 749 - > he's doing a good job.

750 - > Sent me a couple follow-up emails. 751 - > Which, with that said, are you doing what's your conference 752 - > circuit look like this year? 753 - > Um, so outside of Bitech, then uh the one I'm really excited 754 - > about is the independent hospitality show. 755 - > Uh that is gonna be in Miami.

756 - > I'm on the advisory board for that one. 757 - > That's Miami, or I'm sorry, September 16th and 17th at the 758 - > Miami Convention Center. 759 - > You know, totally my bread and butter, all independent 760 - > hospitality people. 761 - > Uh, and I didn't get the chance to go last year, so this 762 - > actually be my first time to attend, but it's awesome because 763 - > it's all tailored to exactly who who my audience is.

764 - > SPEAKER_02: Okay. 765 - > So you you've never been to it before. 766 - > SPEAKER_00: I've never been to it before. 767 - > SPEAKER_02: Okay.

768 - > It's the one in Miami's smaller than the one in the UK. 769 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because this is like they're just starting 770 - > the US. 771 - > Yes. 772 - > SPEAKER_02: Um, so I'll be interested to hear feedback from 773 - > this one.

774 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. 775 - > SPEAKER_02: And I don't know how many people are gonna be there. 776 - > I don't think it'll I don't think the attendance will be 777 - > like huge. 778 - > Yeah, but I think it'll probably be like the right people.

779 - > SPEAKER_00: Oh, and I guess if you're listening, you can use 780 - > code CodyC O D Y 26 and get free entry. 781 - > SPEAKER_02: Oh, maybe I'll go to the independent hotel show. 782 - > SPEAKER_00: And you gotta go to Miami, so that's great. 783 - > I know.

784 - > SPEAKER_02: And it's in well, September's not such a bad time 785 - > to go to Miami. 786 - > SPEAKER_00: No, I think that'd be nice. 787 - > SPEAKER_02: It'll be cooling off. 788 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

789 - > SPEAKER_02: The convention center's right there in South 790 - > Beach. 791 - > Yeah, it's awesome. 792 - > So it'll work out. 793 - > Um, and you're on the board for that.

794 - > SPEAKER_00: I am, yep. 795 - > SPEAKER_02: Okay. 796 - > What um is there anything that anything big coming to the show 797 - > this year that you can share? 798 - > SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's gonna be uh lots of opportunity 799 - > for great conversation and networking.

800 - > They've got like the innovation plaza, we'll have different 801 - > keynotes and panel discussions, and be it's Miami, so there's 802 - > gonna be lots of fun networking opportunities. 803 - > So that's what hospitality does so well, you know. 804 - > SPEAKER_02: No, and it's good that the so I've been to the 805 - > independent sh hotel show, the original one in the UK. 806 - > Is it in London?

807 - > Is that where it is? 808 - > Yeah, I did it a couple years in a row. 809 - > Incredible. 810 - > But it's interesting, and I think you'll see the same thing 811 - > in Miami.

812 - > It's the independent hotels don't really get the love at 813 - > their other conferences as much because they only have so much 814 - > money. 815 - > Yeah, you only have so much money, and then on top of it, 816 - > everything's geared towards uh the franchise community 817 - > understanding that you're working within. 818 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because if you can get one franchise, you can 819 - > sign a bunch of contracts at once versus one hotel at a time. 820 - > SPEAKER_02: Which a lot of times with the big conferences, it's 821 - > like you know, the people just want the FaceTime with the 822 - > bigger Well, that's what's worked out well for us, is 823 - > because we're the opposite where we are looking for those 824 - > one-offs, right?

825 - > SPEAKER_00: Right. 826 - > And so most people aren't looking for them. 827 - > So it it creates an advantageous opportunity for us because not a 828 - > lot of management companies want to like they wouldn't be excited 829 - > about a 13-room property in South Lake Tahoe. 830 - > SPEAKER_02: Right.

831 - > SPEAKER_00: You know, but for us, we're over the moon about 832 - > it. 833 - > SPEAKER_02: But every management company shouldn't be everything 834 - > to everyone. 835 - > SPEAKER_00: No, yeah, just like the software, just like I was 836 - > saying about the software companies. 837 - > We just are super specific on our niche, and that's that's 838 - > just where we live, and that's where we succeed.

839 - > And and the bigger management companies are they have their 840 - > niche and that's where they succeed. 841 - > And so it's just been awesome to create a space because so many 842 - > of our hot the our hotel owners they didn't grow up in 843 - > hospitality, they aren't from hospitality, they were just 844 - > successful business people that made it an investment, you know? 845 - > And so we get to then be the hospitality experience for them. 846 - > Yeah.

847 - > SPEAKER_02: It's interesting. 848 - > Um Michael Russell down in Hawaii, same story. 849 - > Like he he was in like finance doing a bunch of stuff, and then 850 - > like just decided to go, like they bought a hostel. 851 - > He was doing horrible, but he got it at a deal and they like 852 - > created it, but he knew nothing about running a hotel, anything 853 - > in the hospitality space, and now it's become like his his 854 - > thing.

855 - > SPEAKER_00: Well, it's such a fun industry to be in, too, you 856 - > know. 857 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah, well, and it well, we could use like cliches. 858 - > I I always thought it was good. 859 - > Every day is different.

860 - > You get to meet so many different people, but I think 861 - > part of it too is there's just craziness that happens all the 862 - > time. 863 - > SPEAKER_00: Well, yeah, and I love that it opens you up to 864 - > because I love to travel, and so once you get in it, then you 865 - > learn about different brands and different hotels, and then you 866 - > get to go to events like bytech, and when you're with a bunch of 867 - > hospitality people, they're the best kind of people.

868 - > So it's always so fun. 869 - > And you know, they talk about like the bytech family, but you 870 - > I really have made this relationship is from bytech. 871 - > Yeah, you know, that's how that's how this friendship was 872 - > was born, and same with Heather. 873 - > And so it's the only like networking event that I like to 874 - > use that word, but or conference that I've ever gone to where I 875 - > actually have meaningful relationships that came from it, 876 - > versus like, oh, that was fun for a couple days.

877 - > SPEAKER_02: Right, you know, and then you'll never see those 878 - > versions again. 879 - > Exactly. 880 - > No, a hundred percent. 881 - > So before you were doing the virtual GM thing and you were 882 - > with you had vibrant, like what hotels did you work at?

883 - > SPEAKER_00: So none. 884 - > Um, yeah. 885 - > So my my best friend, uh his dad opened the Cliff Rose, which is 886 - > an iconic property in Zion National Park, just a couple 887 - > hundred yards from the entrance. 888 - > He opened that in 1989.

889 - > And I had just moved back from Houston uh with my marketing 890 - > company, and I was starting my financial practice, and so I 891 - > rented uh like a room in an office from my buddy, and uh my 892 - > wife had gone over. 893 - > We have a personal budget, and she went over her budget five 894 - > dollars. 895 - > And so I was on the phone with her telling her, you know, why 896 - > we can't do that and how important it is to stay in the 897 - > budget. 898 - > And our office was not very nice, so the walls are paper 899 - > thin and Breck I divorced you.

900 - > Uh Breck overheard um the conversation and he was like, 901 - > Man, no one has ever like treated our business the way you 902 - > treat your personal finances. 903 - > And so he asked me if I'd be interested in being the CFO for 904 - > the Cliff Rose. 905 - > And so I of course said yes, and that's how I got into 906 - > hospitality. 907 - > And then they were at a point where they couldn't really grow 908 - > the property any further uh from like a rate standpoint, and they 909 - > they we wouldn't get flagged four-star from triple A, because 910 - > you just never know.

911 - > Like we couldn't make a$10 million investment and hope that 912 - > Triple A believed that we were four star, you know? 913 - > So we knew we needed to join a soft flag, and so we went 914 - > through the process with Hilton and Marriott and ended up going 915 - > with Hilton, and then we didn't even know because we were so 916 - > novice that you have to have a management company. 917 - > We thought we get to do it ourselves. 918 - > Oh, and so they were like, No, who's your manager company?

919 - > We're like, Oh, we are like that doesn't work like that. 920 - > So we were actually super fortunate to get Vibrant 921 - > approved to be a Hilton management company, and that's 922 - > how Vibrant was born, ultimately just for that. 923 - > Right. 924 - > SPEAKER_02: It's good you went to Hilton first.

925 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no kidding. 926 - > If you'd gone to the other big company, they would have told 927 - > you I'm sure absolutely not well, and like the pip from 928 - > Marriott was like 32 pages, and the pip from Hilton was nine. 929 - > So it was a it was a no-brainer for us. 930 - > Did they want you to rebuild it from scratch?

931 - > Pretty much. 932 - > SPEAKER_02: That's so funny. 933 - > Although I feel like sometimes when the brand does that, it's 934 - > because they really don't want the hotel. 935 - > SPEAKER_00: That could be true, but and the thing is overwrite 936 - > it.

937 - > The Cliff Rose has as won awards uh as a top performing curio in 938 - > the world, like it's been amazing. 939 - > And now we help do all the branding for a tapestry that's 940 - > just down the street. 941 - > Um, and they won awards too for the for their branding. 942 - > And so it's been so cool.

943 - > And to get into hospitality in that way where I get to use 944 - > utilize the Hilton benefits, it's just opened up a whole new 945 - > world to travel for me and my family that we would have never 946 - > experienced otherwise. 947 - > SPEAKER_02: It is the best program. 948 - > It's the best. 949 - > I think the Hyatt program is slightly better right here.

950 - > Oh, really? 951 - > I do hear this. 952 - > Oh, interesting. 953 - > I have never experienced this myself, but God willing.

954 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah. 955 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah. 956 - > But the Hilton program's good. 957 - > SPEAKER_00: It's just amazing.

958 - > So we've been so blessed to go to so many amazing properties 959 - > and and just get to learn so much more about hospitality from 960 - > going to those properties that do such an amazing job and 961 - > taking like the learnings from them and bringing it back to our 962 - > hotel years. 963 - > SPEAKER_02: Which uh Hilton properties do you typically try 964 - > to stay in? 965 - > SPEAKER_00: Um, we go to the Billmore every year with the 966 - > family. 967 - > So I love the Billmore.

968 - > I think it's iconic. 969 - > The water slides, my kids, they just love it. 970 - > Uh Del Coronado, have you been there? 971 - > SPEAKER_02: I've been there, I haven't stayed there.

972 - > SPEAKER_00: Okay, also an amazing property on the beach. 973 - > SPEAKER_02: Restaurant, it's good. 974 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is it's just such a such a cool 975 - > property. 976 - > The beach is amazing.

977 - > Uh, we also love um the Hilton and Huntington Beach, the 978 - > waterfront. 979 - > Uh, it's right there on the beach. 980 - > So they've got water slides too for the kids, which is great. 981 - > And the beach in California is so long.

982 - > And so if you ever like try and pull a wagon down a beach, it's 983 - > just the worst experience. 984 - > The wheels don't turn, it's you're just like dragging dead 985 - > weight. 986 - > Well, they have motorized wagons. 987 - > Oh.

988 - > So then you just hit the button and it cruises all the way down 989 - > the beach. 990 - > So we're gonna go there in a couple weeks for 4th of July. 991 - > And then um the Waldorf in Park City is is one that we really 992 - > love. 993 - > And then I'd say the coolest one that I've been to is the 994 - > Petrogal and Cabo.

995 - > SPEAKER_02: So let's talk about hotels though. 996 - > What's the worst online review that you've gotten at Vibrant 997 - > that you've thought was fair? 998 - > SPEAKER_00: I don't know. 999 - > We just got a one-star review at one of our properties.

1000 - > They had stayed a bunch of times, they'd say like 12 times, 1001 - > and then this particular hotel has like a barn door, and they 1002 - > broke it off the wall and like put a huge hole in the wall. 1003 - > And so we charged them the like the deposit, you know. 1004 - > Um wait a minute. 1005 - > SPEAKER_02: Let's back up.

1006 - > SPEAKER_00: They broke the they the barn door came off the 1007 - > track. 1008 - > Like they broke it like off the hinges and then put a hole in 1009 - > the wall. 1010 - > Okay, go on. 1011 - > So, and so the owner called and he was like, Oh, yeah, what do 1012 - > you think we should do?

1013 - > If we charge them, I know they're gonna leave us a bad 1014 - > review. 1015 - > And they had already had another book, like a another um rent 1016 - > night booked in the future. 1017 - > I said, honestly, I would charge them for the damage and I would 1018 - > just tell them, like, you know, obviously you didn't have a good 1019 - > experience, like we'll we'll refund you your future stay. 1020 - > And so they ended up not charging him 200, they only 1021 - > charged them 100 and then let them keep their future stay.

1022 - > Because after we told them that we would cancel it, get their 1023 - > money back, like, no, no, we want to come. 1024 - > And then after they came that time, they like they wrote a 1025 - > really nasty review, one star, and like said, Don't come to 1026 - > this place and it's terrible, and like took pictures, and so 1027 - > that was tough because it they did it in in in spite, you know. 1028 - > Oh, so that wasn't really fair. 1029 - > No, it wasn't fair.

1030 - > I'm I don't I'm trying to think. 1031 - > We don't, I mean, most of our properties get I I'd say that 1032 - > one that is fair and isn't a good review is like the 1033 - > dwellings, for example, is on a major road. 1034 - > And so we give earplugs and a sound machine, but they complain 1035 - > about the noise, but it it's it's true and it's fair. 1036 - > And so we we try and put that disclaimer out there.

1037 - > Um, and for some people, it just depends on what kind of sleep 1038 - > you are. 1039 - > Some people doesn't bother them at all, and some people like 1040 - > ruin their night. 1041 - > SPEAKER_02: So yeah, I needed to be pitch black and silent. 1042 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I'd say that that was a fair bad review 1043 - > because there is road noise.

1044 - > Okay. 1045 - > SPEAKER_02: I'm still interested about this barn door coming off 1046 - > the hinges and then putting a hole in the wall, like how that 1047 - > happens. 1048 - > Yeah, I don't know how I don't know how they did it. 1049 - > I mean, I've I may have told you this story before.

1050 - > I don't think I've ever told it on the podcast before, but I 1051 - > worked at a hot hotel in Chicago. 1052 - > It was like well, it was the Crown Plaza Chicago, what it's 1053 - > now the Crown Plaza Chicago West Loop. 1054 - > But um the barn doors when they were installed, they forgot to 1055 - > put like a there was a piece missing. 1056 - > SPEAKER_01: Okay.

1057 - > SPEAKER_02: Several years into it, we didn't realize that this 1058 - > was the problem. 1059 - > But people would leave us nasty reviews because people would 1060 - > call from the telephone mounted on the wall in the bathroom to 1061 - > let us know that they've been locked in the bathroom. 1062 - > They couldn't get out. 1063 - > Or couldn't get out because they would it would have rolled so 1064 - > far it hit like hit a spot.

1065 - > So people And then like you couldn't get the handle anymore 1066 - > because it was too far past. 1067 - > So people would call screaming and yelling at the PBX operator 1068 - > about the fact that they've been locked in the bathroom, and then 1069 - > they would leave reviews. 1070 - > Well, at the time it was just surveys, and I remember like 1071 - > when like TripAdvisor was just starting to come out, yeah, and 1072 - > like somebody wrote a review online about the fact that this 1073 - > had happened to them.

1074 - > SPEAKER_00: Well, thank goodness you had phones in the bathroom. 1075 - > SPEAKER_02: People thought we put the phones in the bathroom 1076 - > specifically because they were gonna get locked in. 1077 - > SPEAKER_00: Because they were gonna get locked in it. 1078 - > I remember being a kid because when I grew up, like it was a 1079 - > treat to stay at the embassy suites.

1080 - > Like that to me was the coolest hotel there was. 1081 - > You had two rooms, yeah, and you had a phone in the bathroom and 1082 - > they had a TV, and I just thought that was the coolest 1083 - > thing in the world. 1084 - > SPEAKER_02: TV in the bathroom? 1085 - > Yes.

1086 - > Oh, I love a TV in the bathroom. 1087 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah. 1088 - > SPEAKER_02: First hotel I was ever in that had a TV in the 1089 - > bathroom was the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. 1090 - > SPEAKER_00: That's right.

1091 - > Yeah, and they had like in the mirror in some of them. 1092 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah. 1093 - > But you know, stupid people, the hospitality industry is 1094 - > sometimes we never thought putting TVs in the mirror, great 1095 - > idea, but longevity could be a problem. 1096 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, not a great, not a great investment.

1097 - > SPEAKER_02: Because when the TV breaks, the whole thing is just 1098 - > like horrible. 1099 - > But uh never hit those yeah, these barn doors. 1100 - > This is interesting. 1101 - > SPEAKER_00: That's hilarious.

1102 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I used to think it was funny. 1103 - > Yeah, it is funny because and the people would be freaked out 1104 - > because they also would have the the room like the door or dead 1105 - > bolted with the privacy latch on. 1106 - > Right. 1107 - > But as I tell people, if you think that we can't get into 1108 - > your room, you you're living on another planet.

1109 - > It doesn't matter what you do, we can open that door. 1110 - > So people would think that they're like permanently. 1111 - > SPEAKER_00: That is fair. 1112 - > I mean, that that would be a fair thought to think like, oh, 1113 - > I've got everything locked.

1114 - > SPEAKER_02: Right. 1115 - > So, you know, then it would be it would just make it worse when 1116 - > it was like, well, we're gonna come get you out. 1117 - > And they're like, Well, but you can't get in. 1118 - > Oh, but we can.

1119 - > Yeah. 1120 - > And we show up with tools and all this stuff. 1121 - > SPEAKER_00: Yes, then it makes them feel even worse. 1122 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah.

1123 - > And it's like, and we would just like put our hand in and grab 1124 - > the door and move it because again, they're in the bathroom, 1125 - > and most of the time they're not wearing any clothes. 1126 - > Oh, so that was the other dynamic. 1127 - > SPEAKER_00: So you I'm naked, I'm locked in the bathroom, and 1128 - > my bedroom door is locked. 1129 - > Yeah.

1130 - > What am I gonna do? 1131 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah, but we're gonna open your bedroom door, 1132 - > we're gonna hand the door because it was just close enough 1133 - > that we could pull it enough so that and excuse ourselves. 1134 - > Yeah. 1135 - > And yeah, that was that was crazy.

1136 - > But now there's photographic evidence of you playing Jenga at 1137 - > Bytech. 1138 - > Correct. 1139 - > With a very intense face. 1140 - > So can you tell us what is going through your head when you're 1141 - > playing Jenga, or better yet, what's going through you're 1142 - > actually very competitive when it comes to anything games.

1143 - > Anything really anything really. 1144 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but uh what's going through my head in Jenga 1145 - > specifically, so at Bitec, they have the game night, which are 1146 - > my favorite things. 1147 - > So you play yard pong, uh, cornhole, Jenga, and then 1148 - > putterball. 1149 - > And the reason you have to be locked in on Jenga is because 1150 - > it's the only game that you can be the sole reason your team 1151 - > lost.

1152 - > Every other game you may not perform well, but you can't 1153 - > really put the loss on you. 1154 - > But Jenga, if you tip the tower over, you're the reason that 1155 - > lost. 1156 - > It was funny last night that like the time had gone for you 1157 - > to move on, but the group was still playing Jenga and it was 1158 - > damn near about ready to go over. 1159 - > And so I'm like, stop the timer, stop the timer, because I know 1160 - > that then that other team is gonna get the 10 bonus points.

1161 - > Yeah, I don't want that to happen. 1162 - > And I was like, George, tell him to stop. 1163 - > He's like, No, it's okay. 1164 - > And I said, Nope, I'm calling it.

1165 - > It's a bytec official, time is up, like the game is over. 1166 - > And the guy ended up getting the block off and setting it, and it 1167 - > didn't fall. 1168 - > But uh, Jenga's the one you got to really lock in for. 1169 - > SPEAKER_02: Yeah.

1170 - > SPEAKER_00: And try and go first because it's obviously easier in 1171 - > the beginning. 1172 - > I usually always try to go first, and then I avoid being 1173 - > seen it just for any more because I don't want to be the 1174 - > reason why it you do the Homer Simpson into the shrubbery, you 1175 - > know. 1176 - > SPEAKER_02: Like just I don't want to be the reason that goes 1177 - > over. 1178 - > SPEAKER_00: Yep, I agree.

1179 - > SPEAKER_02: But I always love when there's that confident 1180 - > person that goes up and thinks that they're just gonna like 1181 - > yank the block out of the thing, but you know it's like someone 1182 - > in uh in Florida took one that like was physically impossible. 1183 - > SPEAKER_00: I don't know how his mind didn't correlate that if I 1184 - > remove this particular block, it's physically impossible for 1185 - > the Jenka to stay. 1186 - > So the game was over in like three turns.

1187 - > He clearly failed physically because I think what it was, it 1188 - > was the two bottom ones. 1189 - > That's what it was. 1190 - > It was the two bottom ones in the center was missing, and he 1191 - > took the other bottom one. 1192 - > SPEAKER_02: Well, we hope he never builds anything on his 1193 - > own.

1194 - > Oh Lord. 1195 - > St. 1196 - > George, Utah summers over or under on the actual temperature, 1197 - > you admit to giving guess? 1198 - > SPEAKER_00: I would say that in St.

1199 - > George specifically in the summer, it's probably like 1200 - > between 105 and 110. 1201 - > But Zion's a little bit better because it's the elevation's a 1202 - > little bit different and you're in the canyon, so it's probably 1203 - > five to seven degrees cooler in the canyon. 1204 - > And then once you get in the canyon, then there's the shade. 1205 - > It's like it can you can be really hot, like in Springdale, 1206 - > but then as you get back into the canyon, actually be cold.

1207 - > SPEAKER_02: I still need to go up there. 1208 - > SPEAKER_00: I know we got to come right there. 1209 - > Do you fly there? 1210 - > Do you drive, take a train?

1211 - > Um, I would probably it's because you can fly directly 1212 - > into St. 1213 - > George, that's not bad from Phoenix, and then just get like 1214 - > a rental car to get up to Zion. 1215 - > But the drive's not that bad either. 1216 - > You know, because by the time you get to Phoenix Harbor early 1217 - > enough to get a new flight, do all of that, get your rental 1218 - > car, you're probably not saving much time.

1219 - > SPEAKER_02: Okay. 1220 - > SPEAKER_00: You're about eight hours from here to Zion. 1221 - > SPEAKER_02: So, what else do you have happening this summer? 1222 - > Where are you going next?

1223 - > SPEAKER_00: Um, so we've got uh Huntington Beach for the 4th of 1224 - > July. 1225 - > Then I go out to Savannah, Georgia in the middle of July, 1226 - > and then I fly from there directly to Denver for my son's 1227 - > birthday. 1228 - > So we're taking him to a Rockies game on his birthday, gonna do 1229 - > Water World, and then my kids have never been back to where 1230 - > I'm from, Shine, Wyoming. 1231 - > So then we're going up to Shine, Wyoming for Shine Frontier Days, 1232 - > do the carnival, do the rodeo, do a concert.

1233 - > Um, Alex Warren is who we're gonna see. 1234 - > So I'm super excited to show my kids where I'm from because they 1235 - > they have no idea, you know? 1236 - > And my mom and my sister. 1237 - > SPEAKER_02: Wait a minute, you're gonna see Alex Warren?

1238 - > Yeah, like the Alex Warren. 1239 - > SPEAKER_00: The Alex Warren, yeah. 1240 - > SPEAKER_02: The Alex Warren with the Grammy's audio malfunction. 1241 - > SPEAKER_00: Ordinary.

1242 - > SPEAKER_02: I'm very jealous. 1243 - > SPEAKER_00: I know, I'm super excited. 1244 - > In Cheyenne, Wyoming. 1245 - > Cheyenne Frontier Days is the largest outdoor rodeo in the 1246 - > world.

1247 - > So it brings I did not know that. 1248 - > Brings all the heavy hitters. 1249 - > SPEAKER_02: Oh wow. 1250 - > SPEAKER_00: Uh so I'm super excited to do that.

1251 - > My mom and sisters, my dad, uh, my wife's sister, her husband 1252 - > and daughter, and then um I think that's everyone, my 1253 - > sister's boyfriend. 1254 - > They're all gonna be there. 1255 - > So there's like 13 of us. 1256 - > It's gonna be awesome.

1257 - > And then we go to then I think we go to Sheridan, uh, Wyoming. 1258 - > I've got a friend uh who lives up there and is a member of a 1259 - > country club, and it's a great golf course. 1260 - > So go up and play golf with him up there and celebrate his 1261 - > wife's 40th birthday. 1262 - > And then I think that's I think that might be it.

1263 - > SPEAKER_02: Wow. 1264 - > Cody, thank you for making the trip here from the Phoenician. 1265 - > SPEAKER_00: Yes, thanks for having me. 1266 - > This is awesome.

1267 - > It's a beautiful studio. 1268 - > SPEAKER_02: You got to sit here in person. 1269 - > It's nice to see you without the screen into my face. 1270 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, way better.

1271 - > SPEAKER_02: Way better. 1272 - > You'll be back. 1273 - > Maybe I need to come to I need to come to Utah. 1274 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, let's do that.

1275 - > SPEAKER_02: Like Tyler and I are gonna do some stuff like 1276 - > actually like out in the field the second half of the year. 1277 - > So maybe we'll come to Utah. 1278 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, come see Zion, come ride our e-bikes. 1279 - > SPEAKER_02: We will oh yeah, I forgot about your e-bikes.

1280 - > Anybody hit anyone out recently? 1281 - > SPEAKER_00: Mm-mm. 1282 - > Fingers crossed. 1283 - > SPEAKER_02: Fingers crossed.

1284 - > I want to be there when it happens. 1285 - > I don't want it to happen. 1286 - > We'll get that on video. 1287 - > But yeah, well, we gotta get you back.

1288 - > Yes, please. 1289 - > Find out who won game night. 1290 - > SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I will report back and then you can update 1291 - > them on your next episode. 1292 - > I'm sure the audience will be dying to know.

1293 - > SPEAKER_02: Well, thank you, Cody. 1294 - > I appreciate it. 1295 - > SPEAKER_00: Yep, of course, anytime. 1296 - > And we'll see everybody else next week.

1297 - > SPEAKER_02: Check in with Brian is a production of RH Media 1298 - > Productions, executive produced by Tyler Alexander. 1299 - > The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the 1300 - > host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the 1301 - > positions of Reliance Hospitality Global, Limited Co., 1302 - > its affiliates, or subsidiaries. 1303 - > All content is provided for informational and entertainment 1304 - > purposes only and should not be construed as professional legal, 1305 - > financial, or investment advice.

1306 - > Always consult a qualified professional before making 1307 - > decisions regarding your business.