The Hotel Investor Playbook

The Hotel Investor Playbook

Welcome to The Hotel Investor Playbook, hosted by real estate investor and hospitality operator Michael Russell. Michael is the co-founder of Malama Capital and Howzit Hostels, where he has built and scaled a portfolio of boutique hotels, hostels, and experiential lodging properties.

With over $30 million in real estate investments across hospitality, short-term rentals, long-term rentals, and commercial assets, Michael brings a practical, operator-first perspective to hotel investing. On this podcast, he breaks down what it actually takes to move beyond traditional real estate and into boutique hotels, from sourcing the right deals to navigating operations, capital, and risk.

Each week, Michael shares real lessons from the field as he builds toward a $400 million real estate-based business, giving listeners a clear, honest look at the decisions, challenges, and strategies behind the growth. Subscribe and follow along as he documents the journey in real time.

Recent Episodes

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The Wellness ROI Audit Every Boutique Hotel Owner Needs to Run | Emily Johnson E86
June 24, 2026

The Wellness ROI Audit Every Boutique Hotel Owner Needs to Run | Emily Johnson E86

In this episode, you'll learn how to diagnose whether your property is actually a candidate for wellness positioning, and if it is, how to implement it in a way that lifts ADR without blowing out your expense line. A hospitality strategist who spent 20 years in hotel sales and development before building a consulting practice around wellness revenue joins us to share the playbook she's used across independent properties worldwide. Emily Johnson's approach has helped properties drive occupancy...
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The $0-Down Hotel Deal That Still Cost $1.5 Million | Christian Osgood E85
June 16, 2026

The $0-Down Hotel Deal That Still Cost $1.5 Million | Christian Osgood E85

It took zero dollars of his own money to buy a $4.5 million waterfront resort. It took three years and over a million and a half dollars out of pocket just to keep it. In this episode, you'll discover the deal, debt, equity sequence he says has never failed to raise capital on a good deal, and exactly when a joint venture beats a syndication. A multifamily investor who scaled to over 600 rental units, and once raised $10 million without a following or a dollar from family, walks through the one
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The Boutique Hotel Mistake Killing Your Occupancy (And the Fix That Took One Operator From 40% to 80%) | Hillary Folkvord E84
June 2, 2026

The Boutique Hotel Mistake Killing Your Occupancy (And the Fix That Took One Operator From 40% to 80%) | Hillary Folkvord E84

Most boutique hotel operators are leaving serious money on the table, not because of bad locations or bad products, but because of bad marketing fundamentals that nobody told them about. In this episode, you'll hear exactly how one operator diagnosed a 40% occupancy problem and fixed it, taking her Bozeman boutique property to 80% occupancy with a $3,000 monthly marketing budget. A sixth-generation Montanan who started running a historic hotel at 23, sold her first property after 18 years for a
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From $50 in His Bank Account to a 140-Key Hotel in Italy | Emanuele Pani E83
May 26, 2026

From $50 in His Bank Account to a 140-Key Hotel in Italy | Emanuele Pani E83

What happens when you find a deal that could change everything, but you've drained your bank account just to close it? In this episode, you'll hear exactly how one operator went from cleaning parking lots to owning the building, and what that journey taught him about risk, focus, and building a business that doesn't need you in it every day. A vertically integrated hospitality operator who built an 84-door portfolio across two countries and is now pursuing a 140-key historic hotel in Sardinia...
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This Contractor Built a $6M Hospitality Brand With $90K and Zero Outside Investors | Chris Broomfield E82
May 19, 2026

This Contractor Built a $6M Hospitality Brand With $90K and Zero Outside Investors | Chris Broomfield E82

Most people assume you need outside investors, a big budget, or a prime location to build a profitable hospitality brand. This episode proves otherwise. In this episode, you'll learn exactly how one builder went from working as a contractor to owning a luxury micro resort that nets over half a million dollars a year, with no syndication, no partners, and no fancy market. A builder and founder who bootstrapped a five-cabin luxury brand from $90,000 out of pocket joins the show to break down how h
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Stop Deferring Your Joy: How High-Performing Leaders Stay Sharp Without Burning Out | Mike Messeroff E81
May 12, 2026

Stop Deferring Your Joy: How High-Performing Leaders Stay Sharp Without Burning Out | Mike Messeroff E81

You hit your targets. You built the business. So why does it still feel like something's missing? In this episode, you'll discover why deferring your happiness until the next deal, the next promotion, or the next milestone is quietly destroying your leadership, your team culture, and your returns. A personal freedom coach who has spent 30 years in hospitality and now works exclusively with CEOs and top executives joins the show to share the self-leadership framework that changes how high-achi...
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