GuestX Podcast

Join us with Revital Kristal, CEO and co-founder of reTravel, an automated AI-powered technology platform that travel agencies and airlines use to sell their customers anything using a curated marketplace of trusted providers. Revital takes us through what it’s like to present at the Phocuswright Conference and what the future looks like for reTravel.

Join Matthew and Brian as they sit down with the CEO of Beyond, Julie Brinkman. Julie talks about how Beyond is helping property managers and owners through their dynamic pricing system, building guest community to promote direct bookings, and the importance of data when it comes to booking and pricing.

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Peter Ricci, the director of Florida Atlantic University's hospitality and tourism management program. Peter is a veteran in the hospitality industry, with over 25+ years of experience in different segments of the industry. Peter shares his thoughts on the state of the hospitality workforce and the importance of education. 

Join Matthew and Brian from the 2021 Phocuswright Conference bringing you the latest in the industry and kicking off the episode series including exclusive interviews from the industry's top professionals. You don't want to miss this!

This week GuestX sits down with the CEO of Safely, Andrew Bate. Andrew takes us through the early days of Safely, and how the company has evolved into what it is today. Safely helps homeowners utilize their asset in a safe and protected manner which provides insurance and peace of mind for both the homeowner and guest.

Sit down with Tess Brown from Beyond at the 2021 Vitur Summit. Tess talks about how each vacation rental is unique and how amenities and experiences can influence the price of a rental. Tess also explains that although there are powerful tools for dynamic pricing, nothing will replace the human element in the process.

Catch up with Paul Stevens from ShortTermRentalz at the 2021 Vitur Summit. Paul talks about the Shortyz Awards, the Urban Living Festival, and how conferences and events bring together different parts of the hospitality industry, which creates learning experiences and networking opportunities.

Chris Monkaitis, director of marketing at RealTech Webmasters is our guest this week. He’s been with RealTech, a niche website development and marketing company that specializes in the vacation rental and real estate category, for over nine years. Chris shares his extensive knowledge of web design and marketing, and emphasizes how a well-designed and efficient site can make all the difference in traffic and bookings.

Matthew and Brian catch up with Manuel Lozano at the 2021 Vitur Summit. Manuel talks about how he helped bring the vacation rental industry in Mexico and Latin America together by founding the Expo Renta Vacacional, and highlights the importance of education, resources, and networking within the industry.

Join us at the 2021 Vitur Summit with Johan Van Staalduinen, director at Kave Home. Johan talks about the great things that Kave Home is doing for the vacation rental industry, such as providing furniture solutions for property managers, home stagings, and inventory management.

In this week’s episode, GuestX Podcast co-hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui sit down with Jonathan Lancaster, Senior VP of Natural Retreats. From your website to building the right team, Jonathan covers multiple ways hospitality companies can create positive guest experiences that lead to brand loyalty.

Matt and Brian sit down at the 2021 Vitur Summit with industry expert Elise Renaud from Belvilla. Elise talks about the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic, European travel trends, and how Belvilla's technology platform helps vacation rental companies streamline their data and ultimately improve their guest experience.

Join Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui as they catch up with Iñigo Unanue of SALTO Systems at the 2021 Vitur Summit. Tune in to learn how smart locks and keyless entry systems can enhance the guest experience and are an incredibly important touchpoint during the guest journey.

Join Matthew and Brian from the 2021 Vitur Summit with Antonio Bortolotti, host of the Vacation Rental World Summit. Antonio emphasizes the importance of virtual concierge and home automation solutions and talks about how they impact the guest experience. He also shares the new format of the Vacation Rental World Summit and how it brings property managers and owners together from all over the world.

Join hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Walter Buschta, VP of Marketing at Phocuswright. Walter talks extensively about collecting guest data and how property managers can use it to make informed marketing decisions and further enhance the guest experience.

Join hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Wes Melton, Founder of Nokori. Wes shares insights on brand equity and differentiation, and marketing. Wes highlights the importance of committing to a marketable position in today's hospitality industry. Join hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Wes Melton, Founder of Nokori. Wes shares insights on brand equity and differentiation, and marketing. Wes highlights the importance of committing to a marketable position in today's hospitality industry.

Join hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Jeff Cavins, Founder and CEO of Outdoorsy, the largest community driven RV rental marketplace. Jeff takes us through the early days and evolution of Outdoorsy, and like traditional hospitality companies, RV hosts are now striving to offer their guests hotel quality amenities and extras.

Join hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Durk Johnson, VP of Hospitality at Seabrook Land Company and founder of Housekeeping Solutions Team. Learn about the importance of property presentation and standards and how crucial it is for property managers to be consistent in implementing the same level of standards across an entire operation.

Join hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Jessica Gillingham, founder and managing director of Abode PR. Jessica talks us through the importance of brand perception and alignment, and how creating a unique and friendly experience from the beginning stages of the guest journey will distinguish your brand from other hospitality companies.

Join hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Jeff Hamaoui, founding partner and Director of Education at the Modern Elder Academy. Jeff talks extensively about creating a transformative experience through culture, content, and community. By applying this to the hospitality industry, you can create the ultimate guest experience.

Join hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Universal Orlando Resort. In this episode, learn all about the importance of team leadership and support, and how staff interactions with guests can further enhance the guest experience and story.

Join hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Alex Husner, Chief Marketing Officer of Condo-World Resort Properties. Alex emphasizes the foundations of branding and the importance of strong messaging and guest communication which fosters loyalty and trust in the first stages of booking a property.

Join hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Arthur Colker, CEO & Founder of StayFi. Arthur illustrates the ins and outs of acquiring guest data and how property managers can implement it into their marketing strategy.

Join Hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Michael Friedman, Director of Franchise Growth and Expansion at SkyRun Vacation Rentals and Co-Founder of Vacation Rental University. Michael talks about the importance of vacation rental education and how property managers and owners can fill in the gaps where guest experience may be lacking.

Join Hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special Guest Steve Caron, GM/CEO of iTrip, to learn about how property managers must open the lines of communication with guests so that they can provide an excellent guest experience and customer service.

Join Hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Thibault Masson, founder of Rental Scale-Up. Thibault emphasizes the importance of utilizing data to craft guest expectations in order to improve guest experience.

Join   hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with   special guest Wil Slickers, co-founder and Destination Director of Recreation   Vacation Rentals and host of Slick Talk, to learn how property managers can   cultivate an authentic guest experience through local experiences, guest   reviews, and property listings.

Join hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Bruce Rosard, co-founder and COO of Arival, as they discuss the gap between the activity and lodging sectors and how the two can come together for better guest experience.

Join hosts Matthew Loney and Brian Hamaoui this week on GuestX Podcast with special guest Cliff Johnson as they talk about getting "Back to the Basics" of guest experience. Hear Cliff's unique perspective as a pioneer in the industry, touching on everything from the importance of knowing your guests to the essential elements every property manager needs to start out. This is definitely an episode you will not want to miss...

 From branding to conversion and must have services, join us with special guest Simon Lehmann to explore the holistic 360º approach to guest experience.

GuestX Podcast will focus on helping listeners like you understand today's guest experience landscape. We'll be talking about the entire guest journey—from planning stages to the actual trip and beyond. GuestX is for hospitality professionals with a passion for improving Guest Xperience. Join us as we uncover both technologies and human driven initiatives that are raising expectations and forever changing the guest experience across the hospitality sector.

Welcome to our podcast a real world discovery of Guest Xperience in the hospitality industry, uncovering a mixture of technologies and human driven initiatives that are raising expectations and forever changing the Guest Xperience across the hospitality and lodging sector.

If you are interested or involved in the travel industry and are passionate about creating unique guest experiences join us as we talk to experts in the industry to learn about future trends and how you can set yourself apart from the competition in 2021 and beyond.