The Lights On Podcast · 2026-06-25 · 1h 10m
Michael Russell is Co-founder of Howzit Hostels and Malama Capital, where he focuses on hospitality investing, hostel operations, boutique lodging, and experiential real estate. He has experience across short-term rentals, commercial real estate, and hospitality assets, with a focus on acquisitions, repositioning, operations, and portfolio growth. During COVID, Michael acquired a distressed one-star motel and transformed it into Howzit Hostels, growing annual revenue from $500,000 to $2.4 million and earning Hostelworld's 2024 award for #1 Small Hostel in North America. He also hosts The Hotel Investor Playbook , where he shares practical insights on scaling hotel investments. In this episode… Turning an overlooked property into a resilient hospitality business is rarely about the asset. It comes down to seeing value where others see risk, then operating with discipline through thin margins and shocks. During COVID, Michael Russell bought a distressed one-star Maui motel for $800,000 with seller financing and grew it into Howzit Hostels, a $2.4 million brand that earned Hostelworld's 2024 award for the #1 Small Hostel in North America.
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