The Hotel Investor Playbook

The Hotel Investor Playbook

Welcome to The Hotel Investor Playbook, hosted by real estate investors and hospitality experts Michael Russell and Nathan St Cyr. As the founders of Malama Capital and Howzit Hostels, Michael and Nathan have a wealth of experience in owning and operating boutique hotels, hostels, and other experien...

Recent Episodes

June 10, 2025

How to Know If Your CPA Is Helping You or Holding You Back | Kelly Tate E35

Not sure if your tax advisor is actually optimizing your returns, or just filing forms? In this episode of the Hotel Investor Playbook , we’re joined by Kelly Tate, a CPA with over two decades of experience helping real estat...
June 3, 2025

Why Hostels Are an Untapped Investment Opportunity in the U.S.

We're proving why hostels are one of the most powerful investment models in real estate. In this episode, Mike and Nate break down exactly why they’re going all-in on hostels, and how they turn underperforming assets into awa...
May 27, 2025

The Strategic Power of Third-Party Hotel Management | Bryan Fish E33

You don’t need to be an expert in everything to scale in hospitality, just need to align with the right consultants, operators, and partners who’ve done it before. In this episode, we sit down with Brian Fish, CEO of Reliance...
May 20, 2025

He Managed $320M for a Family Office - Then Walked Away to Build His Own Empire | Reilly Brennan E32

After helping scale a family office real estate portfolio from $3 million to over $320 million, Reilly Brennan walked away from the comfort of a W-2 job to carve his own path in boutique hospitality. In this episode, we sit d...
May 13, 2025

Small Town, Big Vision: Building a Scalable Wellness Resort Brand | Ian Joseph E31

In this episode, we sit down with Ian Joseph, founder of Branch, a luxury micro resort in the hills of West Virginia, to talk about building boutique hospitality with a soul. Ian’s not only creating a set of luxury cabins, he...
May 6, 2025

The Ultimate Guide To Financing Your Next Hotel Deal | Suraj Desai E30

In this episode of the Hotel Investor Playbook, we sit down with Suraj Desai, a hospitality finance expert who has helped close hundreds of hotel deals, to unpack everything you need to know about financing your next acquisition, renovation, or ground-up development. Suraj breaks down the full capi…