Why This Founder Believes Every Hotel Should Think Like a Media Company

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Speaker B: I'm Brandon Berksen, and you are listening to Suite Success.

Speaker A: You've just checked in to Suite Success. Join me, Katie Klein, for exclusive conversations with hotel executives, hospitality leaders and industry innovators. Together, we'll uncover the strategies and techniques these masters of hospitality relentlessly refine. Whether you're already in the industry or just starting out, tune in every week to unlock the secret to your suite success. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Suite Success. Katie. I'm your host, Katie Klein, and today I'm thrilled to welcome Brandon Berksen to the show. Brandon is the founder of Hotels Above Par, the premier boutique hotel publication with nearly half a million readers. He also recently launched Mexine, a ah, twice weekly newsletter devoted to independent design driven Mexico travel. Brandon, thank you so much for joining us today.

Speaker B: Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited to be here. I'm a fan of the podcast.

Speaker A: Oh, uh, thank you. Well, I am a fan of yours as well. We have a lot to discuss today. And if I am correct, I believe you actually started your career in hospitality as a bellboy, is that right?

Speaker B: I did, yeah. So I've always loved hotels. When I was a kid, I was never good at sports, so I would always, like, do architecture and draw these buildings that were supposed to be hotels. I would make my brother play hotel with me. He just wanted me to play baseball, so it was a little bit difficult to convince him to do that. But, um, you know, eventually I ended up, uh, going to college in San Francisco for a bit, and I worked as a bellboy at the Mystic Hotel there, which is now Pali Society. Um, it was so, so interesting. And the fact that it was kind of the forefront of my career that I didn't know would take me into hotel media, um, and travel media was. Was something that was really exciting. Uh, when I was there, I would fix pillows, I would do breakfast, and then I moonlighted sometimes as a front desk associate. And it really taught me so much about the hotel industry, so much to the point where I think I even garnered just a whole nother accumulation of praise for it.

Speaker A: So, yeah, it's so funny how those early experiences really shape us. I was laughing as you were talking, too, because I used to make my sister play school, and I was always the teacher because I'm the older child. So I. I thought I got to decide. Ironically, she is now a schoolteacher, so I think this is just, like, her lifelong way of trying to spite me for that. But it's true. Like, a lot of our personality comes out in play. And already you had such a love and admiration for the industry. I think it's so smart to start in a space that you really get a full perspective of the industry.

Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. It was very humbling, too, uh, you know, to work as a bellboy and meet people from all around the world coming in, and so many people who, you know, I. I think one of my favorite parts about it was, you know, I loved giving recommendations to people because I felt that as a bellboy and as a front desk associate, we were the first ones that would create an impression for someone who's visiting a new city. So when I was able to be like, oh, go here in San Francisco, or like, I hope I like your room, or I hope you like your room. Like, there's this in there. Like, it was just really nice to perform that act of hospitality and give people their first experience of when they've come to a new city and that big San Francisco.

Speaker A: Do you have any crazy stories from when you were a bellboy?

Speaker B: I do actually have a couple. Um, so this is. Am I allowed to talk a little bit of snack?

Speaker A: You can please give the. Give the listeners some Juicy Juice.

Speaker B: So when I was at the Mystic Hotel, I. It was San Francisco, and, uh, there's a bit of a homeless, you know, um, uh, issue there, and it's really sad to be unhoused and all of that. So they thought it would be a good idea If I went to the front and played security guard, um, because all these homeless people were coming in and taking cookies. And uh, so I played security guard and this one person came in and I felt really bad. I was like, I'm sorry, you can't come in here, sir. Like you keep on coming to take cookies. He pushes me out of the way into the wall, goes to the cookies, puts them on his shirt and shoves me again.

Speaker A: Oh my goodness. That is definitely not what you thought was going to happen when you became a bellboy.

Speaker B: I imagined, um, 100% and it was like so inappropriate to put this little 19 year old kid as. This is a deactive security guard at his hotel.

Speaker A: Oh my gosh. I, uh, you know, I have a lot of friends who have started in the industry as butlers, bellboys, you name it. And they all have crazy stories, but that I was not, I was not expecting to hear that.

Speaker B: All right guys, I guess, I guess this is going to be a little bit unexpected and a little uncensored on your.

Speaker A: Well, you and I actually have a lot of things in common, I'm sure, but one of which is we are both hotel publicists. So how did you transition from being a bellboy into pr?

Speaker B: So I worked at a PR agency after college in London, uh, where I did a lot of social media. You know, it was quite entry level in the sense that I was compiling media lists and I was um, you know, I was doing like a lot of the social, like production, not as much the strategy, but I, I really garnered a interest for the travel media sphere and for hotel media. So then I got a job in New York and that was a dream job for me. I was at a PR agency called Hue and Cry. I would do pitching, I would do, um, you know, media less strategy, uh, with clients coming up with fun angles. And so I really loved that job. And I was there for about two and a half years and then the pandemic hit and I was like, holy, holy crap. Like there's no way I'm going to be able to stay at this company because I'm going to get furloughed. And sure enough, I did get furloughed. So I got furloughed and during that time I then chucked into my creative juices and created hotels above Park. But I firmly believe that if I wasn't a travel publicist, I don't think I would have been able to blow up hotels above par as, as I could have because it comes from more of a publicist brain of like, let's blow this up as opposed to like, oh, maybe this angle sounds really nice to write about and I love it and it's great, but are people going to want to read it? And I came from that angle also, you know, I was able to see how, because I also have the social media experience, how to have a, have a brand that appears interesting to millennials on how they're consuming their news and a lot of that, a lot during that time. So I think that also the social media aspect of it really prepared me for what I do today.

Speaker A: Mhm. I think what you're touching on is so important for people to hear because so often PR and social media particularly are written off as like fluffy and nice to have. And for myself as well as I've started to build my own business, I am really using a lot of that PR skill not just to figure out ways that I can, pray, promote my own businesses, but also, like you just said, what is the hook? What is the angle? What is that newsiness which we need in everything? Whether it's an email, a social media post, a uh, podcast post, a story, it doesn't matter. What is the timeliness? What is the relevance? Who is your audience? So how do you think? Well, I guess let me back up for a second. Tell us about Hotels above Par, what you've created, and then I want to hear about how you take all of that training to create what you've built today.

Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, Hotels of a Par. There was no publication that was dedicated to boutique hotel storytelling, at least not at a consumer, uh, level. I think trade. We've had like a couple publications in boutique and like, you know, they do a great job, but that's more of kind of a trade thing. Um, but there was nothing for B2C that had to do with boutique hotels. And so I found that niche and I just kind of went with it. And today, you know, we have over 500, 000 readers. We have a plethora of boutique hotels that we've had journalists write about. I wanted to empower journalists during this time, which is also, I think contributed, uh, to our success, because I believe that journalists are the best storytellers. And the fact that we were able to give them this platform when there's so much darkness in the whole media sphere right now was something that really, I think attracted a lot of people who value editorial and media. So I would say, yeah, the, the boutique hotel element, us empowering journalists. And then another thing too is we knew that our Audience was consuming media because a lot of our audience is Millennial was consuming media on social first. And that's how they were getting to our website. That's how they were signing up for our newsletter. So what we did is we put these posts that kind of acted as articles that fit in their entirety as, uh, we did these articles that fit in their entirety as an Instagram post. And just kind of brought editorial over there. And in 2020, nobody was really doing that. Now I think so many people are doing that. But back in the day, like, bringing editorial to social was something that was really, I believe, what we were at the forefront and at the vanguard of.

Speaker A: Even as you're saying that, I don't think a lot of publications are still doing that today. And it is an interesting time in media. And we're going to talk a lot about this in terms of subscriptions and paywalls. Right. You see a lot of publications giving you enough on social media to make you click to read the article, and then the article's behind a paywall and you're in this moment of like, am I going to pay for this subscription or not? I think what you're talking about, though, when I think about whether this is embarrassing or not to admit how I consume my news, by and large, it's exactly what you said. I'm getting the headlines, the news first on social, and that is what driving me to then consume the rest of the article.

Speaker B: Yeah. Uh, 100. And the fact that ManyChat has come into the whole game is even propelling that whole social first. And that's where I'm consuming my news. Kind of like story. Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker A: Can you give listeners and viewers a bit about what ManyChat is?

Speaker B: Yeah. So ManyChat is the, uh, it essentially allows a post. So let's say I'm posting something and it is a photo gallery of the. Of Casa Angelina, one of my favorite hotels in the world. And we put in a caption and we say, hey, if you want to look at this review of Casa Angelina, Brandon Bergson reviewed it, you know, yada, yada, yada, comment Angelina. And we will send you the link to the review. And then it sends a link into that person's DMs, which makes it a lot more intimate of an experience. It makes it a lot easier than clicking the link in bio. And it just, it bloom. It breeds a lot of conversions. And I think Menggy Chat has been really, really good for people who are bringing top of funnel from social over to their other platforms.

Speaker A: I agree. I think if you're not using that as a tool right now, you need to be. Because like you said, I mean, I, I think back to when link in bio was the big thing and you'd have to scroll down because we all know we're being served content out of timeline. Sometimes you might have just engaged with something that they posted and now you're getting served something from three weeks ago and you want to read it. If you had to go to a link in bio, you're scrolling down, you're trying to be like, which article is this? This is so much more frictionless for the user where we can just type in da, da, da, uh into the comment and then we get that Link can also be a great way for email capture as well. So definitely encourage anyone who's listening to check that out. I want to go back to the fact that you started this during the pandemic at a time when travel was really at a standstill coming out of negative moment in your own life. I, uh, remember the pandemic for myself as well. I was living in London, I was working for a travel company at the time and I remember making three budgets. What would happen if I lost my job? What would happen if my husband lost his job? What would happen if we both lost our job? In terms of how much money did we have to survive how many months could we afford to continue to live before we had to use our last money to buy a plane ticket back to the US and move in with one of our parents? So what was your mindset like at that time of hearing that you were furloughed and how did you get to a point of saying, well, I'm going to take this into my own control. I'm going to launch something that is focused on an industry that is at a standstill right now?

Speaker B: You know, I. That's a really good question. And because I had accumulated all these skills in PR and I had always conceived, I conceived an idea of, you know, boutique hotels and media consuming that on social first, which is what we just talked about. I just created that Instagram page as a way to one support hotels during the time when they needed love most. This is an industry I loved very much. And as a way to also occupy my time. Because I was furloughed, I was back at home in San Diego, I had to move home. Um, I was like living at my parents house and um, I had a lot of time on my hands. And so I created this Instagram page and I think one of the reasons that it became very successful and kind of went viral is for a couple things. One, because I, everyone was at home and there was so much wanderlust that people had in the back of their mind because nobody could travel at the moment. And they were like, oh, when's that next trip? And so the travel content kind of resonated and we had to be very kind of specific about the messaging and be gentle. We're like, when things get better, here's where to go. Because a lot of the, uh, at a lot of the time there, you know, we couldn't go anywhere. And it was also like, unfavorable to be seen going anywhere travel wise. So there's that. And then I think a big thing too. And this goes back to empowering journalists. Uh, we would do these Instagram lives, um, and now I look back on my Instagram lives and they used to say the most cringe things. And I remember getting so nervous before that. But I would do that with these journalists who also were out of work at this time because nobody was traveling. And we would just talk about it, we would just talk about hotels and what we're going to go after this and like, what pandemic travel looks like, what it could look like, like, and those were relationships I fostered for my PR career. Um, and so those two things, I think, like, help solidify, like, what we do. And, uh, you know, fast forward it to today. Um, I actually went back to my PR job and I was doing both jobs full time. Um, and that was like 15 hours a day. It was insane. It was like, like, no sleep. Uh, but then April 2021, I was able to save some and it created a website and a newsletter. And fast forward to today, we have around 500,000 readers and we have a newsletter that has about 96,000 subscribers with an open rate that's, uh, more than 65%, which is really good for that number. So I think that us, uh, sticking to that niche and empowering journalism was really what, like, solidified and like, put things on a clipboard for me.

Speaker A: And since you went back to your job once the world got a bit better, when was it that you realized this was no longer a side hustle or a passion project? This was going to become a business and your full time job?

Speaker B: So, yeah, no, uh, I had to save some money. And then we created the website and a newsletter and that's kind of when I was like, okay, I want to go full force with this. And little by little we grew and I had Megan Shelton, uh, she's amazing. She was helping me out too, but we didn't have a lot of money. And, uh, it then propelled to, you know, more partnerships and just, uh, that kind of thing. And we were able to slowly accumulate more and more and more, and now we're here today. But, yeah, it was definitely really scary being like, okay, I don't know what to do because I have the stable job where everything is great, and the pan, like the travel state might not be as good right now because this is like the early 2021 when I went back to work. But I also have this product and I will never let, I will always regret if I didn't take this product that was being received so well to the next level. I knew that, like, it had a fan base. I knew that people loved it. It was refreshing for people. People were like, dirt. This part time is so dark that this dude is like, telling us where to travel, you know, uh, when this, when all this is over, when we can travel again. And we love that. And so that's what I think also made me really want to go to the next step and take this as far as I could, was people's reactions and how it made them feel so good during such a dark time.

Speaker A: Yeah, I'm smiling right now because something you're saying is really resonating with me in the sense of asking yourself almost, what would you regret more? And I think a lot of times it's hard to do that. Uh, you know, I've gone through that recently myself. Of which, which road, if I didn't take it, am I going to look back and say, I wonder, I wonder if I just tried to launch that business, if it would have become something, or would you regret saying, I regret leaving that stable job that I had right now. And there's not one right answer for anyone. But it's such a good filter to put those big moments of transition of your life through, to really think, like, which one am I going to regret? And, um, maybe I'll take the chance on the uncomfortable one if that is the answer. So I really like that you're saying that. You're also touching on listening to your audience. You didn't choose to focus on this because you said, I love it and I love it alone. You had probably more than a minimum viable product at that point, but you saw the reaction from people and you knew that something was there and could become even bigger if you had the moment and the time to really focus on it.

Speaker B: Absolutely. And I'm So thankful for our readers who have stayed with us till today. I honestly think it would be a lot harder to create a media company from scratch today because there's a lot of people, you know, who are creating substacks and creating like Instagram accounts and especially within travel. So I think that like uh, it was kind of advantageous to come up at that time because there was just a lot, there was a lot less kind of noise and busyness online when it came to like travel accounts and that kind of thing. So I think that while it was a dark time and I think that what and gave a glimmer of hope to people, I also think there was not as much competition for something like what we do.

Speaker A: Well, let's talk about that because number one I am curious, how do media companies make money? You talked a little bit about like partnerships and such, but I also feel very confident that the reason for your success is not just first mover advantage. So what do you think people need to learn from perhaps your experience or that you're seeing in the world today to create a successful media company now?

Speaker B: Yeah, so this is actually one of my favorite topics right after boutique hotel. So I'm excited to answer this. Um, I love, I love talking media strategy and all that. Um, so what I would do today if I was starting from scratch is I would create a substack. I would create a sub stack and the way that substack allows you to have a two way conversation and that is crucial today if you are starting a media company you must have a two way relationship with your readers and substack allows that through comments, through sharing, through notes, that whole kind of thing. I would also say honestly Instagram's top of funnel but lead people to your newsletter because Mark Zuckerberg can change the algorithm on Instagram in a second and it will suck for you SEO with a website with Google and it takes a lot of maintenance too to have a website. But an SEO can change in a second. Like what we've seen with it with AI it's been completely appended. But your newsletter audience, there's no algorithm to that that goes directly into your inbox. It is the most loyal reader that you'll have. And again like you own the audience and that and nobody can take that away from you. No algorithm, no sequence that is like an update. Uh, it's genuinely something that you've created and it is your, it's your people. So. Mhm. I would, so I would say news invest in newsletter. I would say like a Lot of people try things like to invest on Instagram a lot. Like yeah, that's great but like make it top of funnel and direct people to your newsletter. The strongest media companies today are newsletters. And also it takes a lot of maintenance. Uh, for a website when you do something on substack, it is basically done for you. You just click a couple buttons, you customize a little bit. It. There's so much more money that I've accidentally spent on my website that I could have just spent like putting on Substack or Beehive, you know, as a newsletter. Um, so yeah, that's my, that's my biggest pieces of advice.

Speaker A: And for people who are listening, who are either hoteliers or short term rental owners, operators, what are some ideas that they could do for a newsletter? Or uh, if they're thinking I only own one rental or I only own one hotel, like what. Or you know, what would I even write about? What comes to mind when you think about that?

Speaker B: I think it's all about niche media. I think we're in the age of niche media. I think generalization is, is something that was a tendency of legacy media from yesteryear and it's kind of like come into today, um, a lot at a lot of aspects. You know, people are coming, travel as a whole. But like I would focus on a specific niche. Like are things boutique hotels, Maxine is Mexico travel. Like if you're someone who loves coffee and you love coffee and you love coffee shops and everything, start a substack for coffee shops. Like there's. You will find your people. And today we're in a world where we're in social bubbles. And I mean that in the sense that like I'm getting fed what's in my algorithm. And I used to get upset. Like I'd be like oh well this person loves to travel and they don't know what hotels above par is. And like I'd get like upset. And I was like well we have all these weird blah blah blah. And then I was like wait, I don't. This person, he's taking a carnival cruise. Like they're not supposed to know about hotels of a par because it's boutique hotels, boutique style establishments. So I think that you find your people within these social bubbles and we're fed that kind of content and you will find your niche that way. So.

Speaker A: Mhm, that's great. And you talked a lot about the importance of working with journalists and how crucial they are as uh, storytellers. Talk a little bit more about that I guess, and maybe even through that lens of other people's substacks. Would you have them, would you have a hotel work with journalists on that? Would you feature different voices? Should it really come from the voice of the hotel or the GM or the owner specifically? What's your perspective?

Speaker B: Yeah, that's a great question. Um, so actually, funny enough, we created a media brand, uh, for Costa Angelina called Angelina's Letters. Um, and it is a first person account of this fictional person who, uh, you know, put leaves in marketing messaging. But it sounds very first person and it's very personal. It doesn't seem like it's a promotional kind of substack. Um, but what I was going to say is that with journalists, you, you're having someone who's mastered in storytelling. And I firmly believe that there's a lot of merit behind someone who has a career in travel media that's not being like, hey guys, like, I'm here at the beach in Hawaii and blah, blah. Like, for me, that person's not an expert. It's the journalist is the expert. And also a big thing is that a lot of these journalists have like quite big networks. So what we did is we said, hey, okay, like once you publish an article for us, we'd be really appreciative if you could share it on your Instagram, on your LinkedIn, um, and in your substack. And that just kind of those journalists and their network and their ability to storytell and to have, um, this appreciation for editorial is kind of what brought the allure of the writing that we do with hotels above par.

Speaker A: I love that. You also spoke about something that I think is very important for us all to hear around this two way conversation and how, especially in the media companies of yesteryear, it was the editors saying, this is cool, this is where you should go. And there was really no feedback loop. How do you approach that two way conversation now and how does that, or does that shift what you will or won't focus on discuss going forward?

Speaker B: Absolutely. The two way conversation is so important. So a lot of people respond to our newsletters and I think that community is a big thing that you want to have with your two way conversation with readers. So we've had events that sell out for our readers because people want to meet other people who love boutique hotels and boutique travel. You know, the. And I think we were craving so much belonging and community during the pandemic that it was kind of pent up and it's still transcended into today. So having Events for our readers. Us doing the Instagram lives and substack lives and having our readers comment and you know, having them share our and restack stuff on substack and you know, then, um, put reading a mag or publication and then posting it and then we repost on Instagram story. There's so many ways to get your audience engaged and you can see what they're, how they like your product and what you should move forward with. I also want to say too that, you know, no, every having a cross platform approach is extremely important because the engagement you get on Instagram might be a lot different than the engagement you're getting on substack. Um, it's just a different type of reader, but someone who's interested in the same kind of thing.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I'm thinking as you're speaking. I recently had my very first brush with virality. Make a very long story short, I went to Ireland to visit this abandoned farmhouse that my mom recently inherited. It was the house that my great uncle lived in until about 20 years ago when he had a stroke and he moved into assisted living. It was the house that my grandmother grew up in. And I had been taking a social media class about short form video content. And I had been trying and trying and trying to do different things and nothing really felt like it was working. And then I went on this trip and I posted a video and it just absolutely exploded. And I went from having around 5,000 followers to over 200,000 followers who, who are all hyper invested, hyper excited about this Irish farmhouse renovation. And I had a bit of a moment of like, okay, clearly the audience is there, the audience is interested and they're commenting, messaging me, telling me that they need to know more about this story. And then I had a bit of a moment of myself, of being like, but I don't live in Ireland. And this was something I planned to do very slowly and how am I going to deliver on this? And almost being in a state of paralysis around not wanting to post the wrong thing now to upset the audience. How do you think about that dynamic? Because you are really coming at this, like you said, as an expert, as uh, someone who loves this category as a curation filter, which is what we need in a world where there's almost too much choice. But at the same time, you want to have a two way conversation, you want to hear what your audience is saying and you might want to make shifts to your content because of it.

Speaker B: Absolutely. So our audience is receiving something well, and I think that goes into the Analytics, Right. So for our newsletter, if the open rate's a lot higher, um, or the click through rates a lot higher, I know that that was something that our audience was interested in. So luckily today we have those tools. And even on social too, you can see how many people. I think likes are kind of meaningless, hot take. But like, I think comments and sharing, sharing is brilliant because if someone shared your post with their friend, they put that whole post on your friends, into your friend's network and everyone in their orbit. You know, when you repost something on your story too, it's like that same kind of thing. So yeah, we listen to our readers a lot and uh, we just go by analytics. If someone, if someone said that they don't like something and it's one or two people, I'm like, okay, like, I guess this is okay. Like, but then if it's like I look at the analytics and from a larger scale, like, oh shit, this post got like not a lot of shares and didn't really take off like I thought it was. That's just listening to our readers, just through analytics, through large, uh, masses that I'm telling us what is working, what's not. So, um.

Speaker A: Right. And how do you decide if it's the content or if it's the way in which it's shared? Because so much of the right social content performing well is how you package it.

Speaker B: Yeah, I think that, you know, a big thing for us was doing videos, right. I hate making reels, I hate editing them. I like get so self conscious. Like I. And so I, uh, we kind of came to an approach where like, hey, listen, like our reels don't do that well. Like they get like, don't get a ton of like, views. But our carousels take off to extreme levels. So we're like, hey, like, let's put this content that we were doing reels and put it into an editorial kind of carousel that's different from like me doing like a green screen. Uh, and we saw that our audience, it resonated a lot with them. Like we just did a carousel, for example, like two weeks ago that we tried in a video before. The carousel garnered like over 400,000 views in like three days. So, you know, I think it's just learning what your audience is into when it comes to consuming their news on social, on your newsletter. So I think that that's just a

Speaker A: big thing for sure and having the ability to keep trying. Right. Like you just said, oh, we didn't give up on that story. We said okay, if the reel's not working and I don't really like doing them, should we try carousels? You did mention earlier, too, about feeling this word cringe that we all know and resonate with and immediately have felt ourselves. How did you get over that?

Speaker B: Listen, like, I sometimes still look at, like, the Instagram videos or the lives that I did, like, you know, five, six years ago, and I would. I would just ask cringe questions, and I think that I just kind of got. I was like, you know what? This is. This is what I'm doing, and, like, I'm gonna lean into it, and if something's cringe and I get bad feedback from it, I'll just know that, like, I don't want to do that again. So I would rather approach a different way, I think something that's fun to also, um, give an anecdote about, too. And I would do this, uh, during the pandemic, when I was in San Diego, I had a friend who worked at Radio Formula, and I'm fluent in Spanish, and they were like, hey, we. We love hotels so far. We would love for you to do a travel segment every Friday on our morning show. So I would drive to the US out of the border, and this would be casted out to Tijuana, like, Ensenada, Los Angeles. Like, all Spanish speakers there. And I would answer questions. Uh, I would. I would begin the segment saying, like, hey, like, when the pandemic is, like, over and you can go, like, here are some regional places to visit in Mexico for, like, the Mexico audience. I. My accent at that point was so cringe. I look back at it, and some of. Some of the things I said were just so out of touch because we were going through a pandemic that I'm like, oh, my God, I can't believe I said that. Like, on a live radio. That's

Speaker A: you also. Uh, but you still did it. Like, how many people would say, oh, my accent isn't perfect in my. I would imagine that English is your first language and Spanish is your second language. Is that right? Yeah. So it's like, of course. Of course your accent isn't perfect. It's your second language. And you still did it. You still put yourself out there and. And got the exposure for the company.

Speaker B: Yeah, it was fun. It definitely got a lot of exposure. I loved it. Like, I. Languages are a big passion of mine, so I learned Spanish growing up in high school and being from San Diego, and so, um. But it was so funny because I was like, I gotta work on My accent, after listening to it, like, you know, the first couple of times,

Speaker A: uh, at a time when people often still say print is dead, you launched a first of its kind, quarterly newspaper subscription.

Speaker B: Why, Katie? It's all about newspapers and newsletters, I like to say. Um, you know, I, I think that producing a magazine is a lot of money and a lot of indie publications don't have that kind of money. I was like, I'm not spending on another magazine. Like, I love the way it feels and it looks great, but like, I, I can't afford that. So what I was like, you know, with newspapers that's a very intimate experience and it's a lot easier to produce and a lot less, a lot cheaper to produce as well. So I was like, what if you created this newspaper that is a nod to what the legacy publications had been doing, like Wall Street Journal, New York Times. So that been a way that we've been consuming news for so long. What if we need something that would travel centric towards our niche? And I kind of, I found a company and we designed the newspaper. We had a, uh, we had an editor who commissioned the stories, was Dan Howarth at the time. Um, and we created this and it just, it was received so well because I think that everybody was expecting to see like a magazine or they were expecting to see no print at all because I do think print has more of a resurgence in big cities. So the newspaper, it's an intimate experience. It's kind of a nod to the legacy publications. They've been consuming the news, we've been consuming our news via like those newspapers for hundreds of years. So why not bring it to the new age media era? And that's how we kind of created the newspaper also. Again, it's a lot cheaper than creating a magazine. So I think that if a lot of indie publications, if they want to go into print, I think going into a newspaper format, you know, designing it 12 pages, having editors and writers write for it is a lot more feasible than a magazine.

Speaker A: Yeah, you know, it's interesting too. Now I'm a mom, I have a four year old and a one year old. And so the, the amount of time where I can like sit and read something is pretty rare anyway. But I have noticed, I don't like the fact that they always see me on devices. They don't know that I'm reading the New York Times or they don't know that I'm reading a book or on my Kindle. They don't know that I'm writing. When I'm on my laptop, they just see me on a device. So I do think there is something really beautiful in what it conveys externally too. Not that that should be why we're reading something to begin with, but to show like I'm reading something right now as opposed to like I am on my computer yet again.

Speaker B: Yeah, a thousand percent. And uh, also too like with these events you've been having, people are really into IRL experiences and going analog. I believe I saw some stat that on Google searches have gone up by like 300% for like analog tile events.

Speaker A: So m interesting. What do you think is meant by that specifically analog style events.

Speaker B: So I think a big, a big thing is like again these events, people meeting in real life have, forming these human connections because we're always on the digital sphere for such a, such a really robust amount of time. So. But you know a great example is Emily Sundberg who writes Feed Me on Substack. She has created a community and started events before we were doing events through that newsletter. And it's people who are into business, enterprise and media and kind of the zeitgeist of what's going on in the tech world. Um, and she created, she kind of was the first person to be like hey, like let's have these events and have my readers come to them and they can come meet me. Because this is a two way relationship and kind of going off of that model, it just creates connection and the ability to have a connection with someone and people who are within your social bubble, um, is something that's paramount these days.

Speaker A: Mm mhm. That's the second time that you've used the word community. And I think that that's a really important word that people often misunderstand. Community is not necessarily just the people who follow or who read. Right. How do you actually create a hotels above par community as opposed to create amazing beautiful content that you hope your followers, your readers enjoy?

Speaker B: Yeah, uh, you know a big thing again is that two way conversation. So the comments, leaving the emails that they're, that they're sending me after a newsletter goes out and me responding to everything, you gotta respond to everything. And I learned that later. Um, but you know, if someone really likes your newsletter and they're like hey, I loved your piece on like walk up, you know, yada yada, I will now like and before I was like oh my God, I have so much to do and like I don't have time to respond to this. But like I like I'm so flattered. Like words of affirmation or my love language. Um, so, um, but I, I was like, okay, I need to start getting back to these like more diligently. And my community grew even more than that. So, you know, creating these relationships with your readers. Um, I also think a big thing is like a lot of these people who are reading our page are also working in travel. I think they're working as travel advisors or they're working travel media or they're working. They're people who appreciate hotels and who appreciate, you know, um, boutique coaches specifically. So I think that it's also meeting people who are in your same work area and with your same interests and like, um, I, I, and I, I just think that that's how community is driven. I don't think it is driven by, you know, an amount of, the amount of likes you get. It's about the responses and someone share, it's sharing their, your content with someone else and that makes it even more of a, gives it even more of a reach, you know.

Speaker A: Yeah, I really agree with what you're saying. I also think what you just said, you must respond to all is so crucial and especially in this AI age, this manychat age. And I love manychat. I think it is so important. But we can tell as a person when we're getting an AI generated response or when someone is actually responding to us. And I did something similar to what you just said recently. I had someone message me and I, I thought to myself, if someone's taking time out of their day to message me and tell me I had done a course for the independent host community. She said, I took your course. It was helpful. I loved it so much. Really like a lovely message. And she was asking me my opinion on colored versus white linens. I'm very team white linen and short term rentals. Because I come from a hotel background, I think there should always be white bed sheets. And I thought to myself, I should write this back to her. And very similar to you, I thought, I really don't have time right now. Uh, you know, it's going to take me so long. And so I took a shortcut for myself. But also at the same time I thought maybe this will actually build her loyalty that much more. And I sent her a voice message back through Instagram. So rather than writing it out, I just was like, hey, just figured it'd be quicker if I just gave you a voice note. Here's my thoughts. You know, thanks again for sending me that message. It really made my day. Her response back to that was like, oh, my gosh, I can't believe I got a voice message from you. I'm fangirling right now, and I'm over here like, who, me? You're fangirling me. But I think what you're talking about is, like, we all just want to be seen. We all want to be heard. We all want to know that someone spending time reading someone's website and then messaging them, that person appreciated you doing that. Now, the likelihood of those people going and telling somebody else, you gotta read Hotels above Par, you gotta subscribe to this newsletter. Is gonna be bigger than if you didn't respond at all 100%.

Speaker B: And it goes back to that relationship with your readers. And if they're giving the time of day to read your stuff, like you give the time of the day to comment back on what they've told you.

Speaker A: So, yes, that is. That's community right there. You have now visited and reviewed probably countless hotels at this point. What is the first thing you notice when you walk into a property?

Speaker B: Oh, that's a good one. Uh, so two things, I think. First off is the front desk of the bell boy, how far up they are, how, uh, engaging they are. Because a lot of the time, you know, this bellboy or this front desk person is your first impression of a city. And I firmly believe that. I think it's exciting. I think it's really paint a picture of the beginning of your experience somewhere. So I would say that the warm service kind of like, oh, is there anything at you or, like, addressing people by, like, their first and last name and, like, or, um, you know, being like, oh, I know you came in from, you know, Reno. How was the drive? Or whatever it is? So I. I just think the personalization and, like, being made like your feet, like, you're supposed to feel important is a big, big thing with hospitality. And again, it really paints the picture. Your first time in a city. Another thing, too, is I love design. So if the design narrative, if it has something core, individualistic to, um, has a story behind it. Like, I. I always noticed that I'm like, oh, what was the. The decision for the wallpaper here? The, uh, furniture, you know, being brassy. It's like, oh, this actually used to be, like, a copper mine. And there's so many cool stories to be told. So I always have to say the service at the beginning and then also the design narrative.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Brandon, I want to ask you the last three questions that I ask every guest. And the first is, what is the Best hospitality experience that you have ever had.

Speaker B: Ooh, okay. Um, Costa Angelina. Not just saying that because, you know, we. We work with them a bit. Uh, I knew that I'm trying out for eight years. And the service there, you have breakfast, and God forbid you go and take some eggplant parm. The person who's working the buffet is like, absolutely not. I will get you your eggplant farm for you, and literally will just go, like, right in front of you. Get the eggplant farm and put it on your plate. And then you sneeze, and they're like, here's the tissue. Like, that service is just so unparalleled. And especially, who doesn't love Italy? I firmly believe that if someone doesn't like Italy, they're a sociopath. Like, it's just the most amazing, friendly, warm. Uh, just magical countries. So let's say that. And then the service in India is remarkable. Um, I think that Indian hospitality is some of the best. Uh, a lot of, uh, the boutique hotels I've reviewed in Rajasthan, the service was just amazing. And go. I stayed at a hotel called the Postcard, and people were so friendly, they escorted me over to, you know, if I was like, oh, wait, can I go to the business center? Or, like, oh. And they would. They would take me there. It's just, like, small gestures of that that make you feel so important. So I would have to say, um, the Postcard. Hotel Indian hospitality in Costa Angelina.

Speaker A: Amazing. On the opposite side. What was the worst hospitality experience you've ever had?

Speaker B: Okay, I feel like it'd be on brand if I. If I knock down a big, big, big brand because. Because I don't normally feature them, but I stayed at a Malia, uh, Caribbean, and the Dominican Republican, Punta Cana, which I famously wrote a story that kind of went viral after that called I hated Punta Cana. So I went here instead. Um, it was the Malia Caribbean, and the service was horrific. Like, there were, like, cockroaches. Um, it was like everything went wrong. Was a bachelor weekend that just, like, everything that we just, like, kind of, like, went to dust. Uh, and it was. A lot of it was because the hotel just wasn't on. So, yeah, I'm gonna have to say that Mega resort in Punta Cana.

Speaker A: Yeah, that sounds terrible. Final question for you. What does hospitality mean to you? And is there anyone it could be a person in your life, it could be a brand that you think has truly mastered it?

Speaker B: I think that someone who really, really has mastered it is Taj Hotels. Um, These have a really great way of making you feel important. And I was gonna say them when you asked me that question, but I was like, I should probably focus on boutique Taj. From the second you get there, you know, they make you feel really important. And I believe that that's what, again, hospitality is meant to do. It's making you feel welcome. It's making you feel like, oh, you know what? I just got off a plane and. And I am, um, just ready to chill. Like, having my room ready or having someone escort me up there, or, like, having everything just, like, set open for me so I don't have to go through, like, the modalities and processes of checking in. That's it. Just it. That's what it is. So, yeah.

Speaker A: Brandon, this has been so much fun. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today.

Speaker B: Thank you for having me.

Speaker A: All right, everyone, it's time for today's sweet summary, where I break down the key insights and actionable takeaways from today's conversation. For decades, hospitality has focused on perfecting the guest experience once someone arrives on property. We spend millions designing beautiful hotels, training staff, and creating memorable moments in hopes that guests leave happy enough to come back or at least tell a friend. But Brandon argued today that the most successful hospitality brands are building relationships long before someone books a stay and. And long after they check out. They're acting like media companies. Whether it's a newsletter, a podcast, social media, or original content, they're consistently showing up in people's lives with something valuable. Not because they're trying to make an immediate sale, but because they're earning attention and trust over time. But it's not just about publishing content. It's also about listening. When someone takes the time to comment on a post, send you a dm, or reply to your newsletter, they're giving you something incredibly valuable. Insight into who they are and what they care about. The brands that treat those interactions as the beginning of a relationship, not just another KPI in a marketing deck, are the ones who are building true communities. That's exactly what Brandon's done with hotels above par and what he's aiming to do with the launch of Maxine. He's not just sharing his opinion, he's having a conversation. He's not asking, how do I get people to consume my content? He's asking, how do I create content people actually want to consume? Instead of forcing the audience to adapt, he's adapting to the audience. Whether you're running a boutique hotel, a global hospitality company, or even just building your own personal brand. To me, that's the biggest takeaway from today's conversation. Stop trying to sell and start trying to earn attention. Because when I think about the strongest brands today, they aren't just places to stay or products to buy. They're communities people actually want to be a part of. And that concludes another episode of Sweet Success. If you enjoyed today's conversation, please subscribe, uh, rate and review the show. We all know how important those five star reviews are. I also want to say a massive thank you to each and every one of you for tuning in. It means the absolute world to me and I'd love to hear from you. If you have ideas for future guests, new topics to cover, or even just want to say hi, don't be shy, message me through our website, suitesuccesspodcast.com or on social media, uh, eetsuccess podcast. That's suite, like hotel suite once again. I'm your host, Katie Klein, and I'm super excited to see you all next week.