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Highs and Lows of Hospitality in 2025: What First-Time Innkeeper Brett McManus Learned About Guest Experience, Operations, and Tech [1-Year Check-In]

Published 11 months ago
Description

A year ago, Brett and Casey McManus went viral for transforming a rundown Vermont roadside motel into a thriving new hospitality concept: Après Inn in Killington, Vermont. In this follow-up conversation, Brett reflects on what he’s learned as a first-time innkeeper: the highs and lows of running a seasonal business, what technology actually enables, and why guest conversations drive reviews and revenue. He also shares lessons from expanding to a second property, the efficiencies that come with scale, and why overlooked motels may represent hospitality’s next big opportunity. Listeners will come away with candid insights into the realities of operating, investing, and innovating in hospitality today.

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Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

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