When you think of hostels, the image of a small, budget-friendly, often outdated lodging comes to mind. Nathan and Michael, the co-founders of Howzit Hostels, are flipping that narrative. In our latest podcast episode of Direct Booking Simplified, these two entrepreneurs shared how they leveraged their backgrounds in real estate and luxury short-term rentals to redefine what a hostel can be—and how their direct booking strategy is a game-changer Summary and Highlights Meet the Founders Nathan and Michael are the driving forces behind Howzit Hostels, a brand synonymous with upscale, community-driven hostel experiences in Hawaii. With $10 million in assets, $2.5 million in annual revenue, and awards like “Best Hostel in North America,” their journey is as much about bold decisions as it is about smart strategies. Their story began in the midst of the pandemic when most were pulling back. They took a leap of faith and acquired their first hostel in Maui. By listening to guests, implementing airtight systems, and building a values-aligned team, they’ve turned a once-average property into a high-performing hospitality business. The Secret Sauce: Direct Bookings One of the most valuable insights Nathan and Michael shared was their approach to direct bookings. By increasing their direct bookings by 12%, they’ve not only saved $59,000 annually in OTA commissions but have also increased the valuation of their business by $630,000. As Nathan explained, “Direct bookings are not just about revenue; they directly impact net income, which drives valuation. For a commercial hospitality business like ours, that’s everything.” Direct Booking Tactics That Work Mindset and Tactical Advice Nathan’s mindset advice was simple but profound: “Reframe your relationship with fear and failure.” Michael’s tactical advice? Don’t hesitate to seek help, whether it’s through your network or professionals. Why It Matters For hosts navigating the ever-competitive hospitality market, Nathan and Michael’s story is a reminder that bold decisions, meticulous planning, and leveraging the right strategies can lead to remarkable results. If you want to hear more about how they’ve built their business, tackled challenges, and created a sustainable direct booking strategy, listen to the full episode of Direct Booking Simplified. Join the CommunityWe’re passionate about empowering hosts with tools and strategies to succeed. Join our CraftedStays community to connect with like-minded professionals, learn proven tactics, and discover how our platform can help you build a direct booking powerhouse. Follow Michael and Russell Here ⤵️ Transcription Gil: Hey folks, welcome back to Direct Booking Simplified, where we break down the strategies and tactics to win in direct bookings. On today’s show, I have Howzit Hostiles, Nathan, and Michael. Welcome to the show. Nathan: Yeah, it’s great to be on. Thanks for having us, Gil. Gil: this is pretty cool. I’ll admit to both of you that this is our first pairing. We’re like 40, almost 50 episodes deep and we have not yet had a duel on the show. So I’m very interested in how this is going to be and how we can bounce ideas off each other. It’s always been a one on one. I haven’t even done a single show, uh, to be quite honest, but I’m very interested in kind of like having you guys both here and, uh, having you guys talk about just how you guys, Divide and conquer both sides of your business. Gil: Um, but before we get too deep into it, uh, Nathan, Michael, do you mind kind of sharing a little bit about your property management, what you guys have done and kind of how you guys work together? Nathan: Yeah, absolutely. So I’ll kind of kick us off here. Um, so Mike Russell and myself were the, the co founders, uh, of Howzit Hostiles. Um, if you, we each have our own story, obviously that, uh, from a, from an origin story that led to a moment. But, um, I think what people are most interested in with us, there’s, there’s two sides of our story that, that we share. Nathan: That people are drawn to, um, and, and want to hear about. And one side of it is the, kind of the investment in the real estate side where, you know, we, we basically. Took a 400, 000, uh, down payment and investment and, uh, forced about 4 million of equity in under two years. And that has now led to us owning from that 400, 000 down payment, 10 million worth of assets, uh, where we’re driving. Nathan: You know, 2. 5 million worth of revenue, uh, 800, 000 worth of NOI and 500, 000 worth of net income. And so from the investment side, I think that that part of the story is like, wow, you guys really compressed time and utilized your entire life’s work to recognize an opportunity and then jumped on it and, and, and took advantage. Nathan: From the hospitality side. I think that the part that people really go, Whoa, wait a minute, what hostile, what is a hostile? You know, like, aren’t these all dirty dingy things that like, and, um, again, we, we recognized opportunity and when they go, Whoa, they go look at our website, they go look at what we’re doing. Nathan: Um, there’s these two, these two guys. knew nothing about hostels and in the midst of a pandemic when everybody else was, you know, you know, really wait, you know, sitting back going, what’s going to happen to the world. We decided to take massive action and go all in on our vision and uh, purchased an, an existing hostel. Nathan: And in two and a half years, uh, we were awarded as the best hostel in the North America. And so people from the hospitality side are like, wait a minute, you had no experience and you went in and created the best hostel in North America. What the heck? And, um, and so when we look at the hospitality side of what we’ve done, we really attribute that to these three, three major components. Nathan: And

Rodman Schley is a seasoned real estate investor and short-term rental expert with an impressive career spanning decades. Starting with fix-and-flip properties to pay for college, Rodman’s journey evolved into a passion for short-term vacation rentals. With over $20 billion in valuations as a certified appraiser, he’s mastered the art of analyzing markets and making strategic investments. Today, his portfolio focuses on high-performing properties in Costa Rica, where he blends his love for travel with his investment expertise. Rodman’s philosophy is simple: align with your purpose, strive for excellence, and create exceptional guest experiences. Summary and Highlights In our recent episode of Direct Booking Simplified, Rodman shared invaluable insights into his journey, strategies, and mindset for mastering direct bookings. Here are the key takeaways: 1. Purpose Over Profit Rodman emphasized the importance of aligning with your purpose. “Make sure you love what you do,” he said. By combining his passions for travel and investing, Rodman found success in the short-term rental space. His advice? Be an outlier. Don’t settle for mediocrity—strive to be exceptional. 2. Why Direct Bookings Matter With a 50% direct booking rate, Rodman’s properties stand out for their exceptional guest experiences. He highlighted how direct bookings not only reduce fees but also reflect the strength of your operations. According to Rodman, each guest’s stay is a testament to your management, systems, and property’s appeal. Quote: “Think of that guest in your property right now as your most valuable opportunity to grow your direct booking rate.” 3. Building Relationships for Repeat Bookings Rodman’s approach to guest relationships is unparalleled. With an attentive onsite manager and a concierge service, his team ensures every guest feels like family. From arranging surf lessons to hosting community-style retreats, Rodman’s properties deliver more than a stay—they create lasting memories. 4. Effective Email Marketing Rodman’s email marketing strategy is simple but powerful. Monthly newsletters keep guests engaged with updates and offers, while post-stay thank-you emails nurture relationships. By focusing on value and maintaining consistent communication, his properties remain top of mind for past guests. Pro Tip: Include updates about the community and special offers in your emails to encourage repeat bookings without overwhelming your audience. 5. Conservative Planning, Exceptional Execution Rodman stressed the importance of realistic financial planning. By underestimating revenues and overestimating expenses, he mitigates risk and ensures his properties consistently perform. This conservative approach allows him to focus on outperforming his projections. Follow Rodman Here ⤵️ Transcription Rodman: I was led with profit and purpose was always second. And those don’t work out. Make sure you love what you do. If you’re coming to the short term vacation space, make sure you love it. For me, I love to invest and I love to travel. That was a perfect thing for me. So I, that’s why I love the short term vacation rental space. But the other thing I tell people is, you know, there’s so many people, if you think about life as being this big bell curve, right? So many people are in this easy space right in the middle of the bell curve. And I always say, you know, if you’re going to do something, be exceptional at it, be an outlier in it. So if you’re aligned with your purpose and you put in the work, be an outlier, be, be exceptional, be an expert at what you do. Gilbert: Hey folks, welcome back to direct booking. Simplify. We break down the strategies and tactics to win and direct bookings on today’s show. I have Robin Schley. Robin, did I say that correctly? Rodman: You said it, right. Gilbert: Awesome. Well, it’s great to have you on the show. Gilbert: Um, it’s great to, I met you a couple of weeks back and I’m, I’m thrilled to have you on the show and kind of talk about how you’ve grown in real estate, what you’re doing now, um, and share with us, uh, some tips on how to really amp up that direct bookings basically, because when I learned what your direct booking rate is, I definitely wanted you to, to share that with the group here. Gilbert: Awesome. Rodman: Yeah. Yeah. I’m excited to be here. Excited to talk. We had a great conversation when you were on my podcast and, uh, you know, it’s always just nice to be able to share this knowledge and this, this information that you collect with people and pass it on down to those folks who maybe want to figure out how to be an outlier in the space, how to be great, how to be an expert. Gilbert: Yeah. Yeah. And I always find that like through the podcast, like the best way to do that is really to get a mixture or like almost like a melting pot of different perspectives because I find that like, there’s not one, you know, that’s like going into real estate investing, starting your own business, doing anything. Gilbert: There’s not run one way to do it. Right. Um, and it’s often. Yeah. Many, many different ways of doing it. Right. And it may have different outcomes. They may have different timelines, but people approach it different ways. But the best thing to really do is really educate on what people are doing and finding out what, what works for you. Rodman: Yeah. How do you optimize, how do you get better at what you’re doing and how do you learn from others and optimize what they’re doing? And, you know, it’s a really small community of people who are doing what we’re doing. And so when we get a chance to lift other people up, teach, educate, learn from them, you gotta, you gotta jump on that. Gilbert: Yeah, absolutely. Well, before we get too far into it, do you mind giving a quick introduction on who you are, what you’re doing now, kind of how you got here? Rodman: Yeah, of course. No, of course. Like you said, I’m Robin Schley. I, uh, I’m a real estate

In our latest podcast episode, we had the pleasure of hosting Breanna Williams, founder and principal designer of Mumford Designs. Breanna specializes in short-term rentals (STR) and mid-term rentals (MTR), blending interior design, market research, and marketing strategy to create unforgettable guest experiences. With over 15 years of design expertise and a particular passion for hybrid rental properties, Breanna shared invaluable insights into leveraging thoughtful design to boost direct bookings. Summary and Highlights From Retail Showroom to STR Design Specialist Breanna’s journey began in high school, where her love for design was sparked by her parents’ homebuilding projects. After completing her degree in interior design, she worked at Lazy Boy Furniture Galleries, where she oversaw design projects for homes across diverse settings. In 2020, she founded Mumford Designs, focusing on STR and MTR properties. This transition allowed her to merge her design expertise with marketing strategies tailored to maximize occupancy and revenue. The Power of Knowing Your Guest Avatar One of the key takeaways from the episode is the importance of understanding your “guest avatar” before setting up your rental property. As Breanna explained: “If you’re trying to appeal to everyone, you’re not giving anyone a true custom experience. Knowing your guest avatar fully directs every decision, from design to marketing.” Breanna recommends starting with a property audit that combines: Bonus Article: Unveiling the Art of Guest Communication: “WHO-WHERE-HOW” Designing for Hybrid STR/MTR Properties Hybrid properties that cater to both STR and MTR audiences require a unique design approach. Breanna’s framework involves creating a Venn diagram of overlapping guest needs. For example: In a recent project in Newport Beach, Breanna designed a property targeted at families displaced due to home repairs. The home featured practical amenities such as twin beds for kids, a dedicated homework area, and a pet-friendly setup—a stark contrast to the impersonal nature of hotel stays. The Role of Photography in Marketing Photography can make or break a listing, and Breanna emphasized the importance of aligning your visuals with your target audience: “Every photo should tell a story about who your property is designed for. If you’re targeting families, show the pack-and-play, board games, or a cozy firepit perfect for roasting s’mores.” To achieve this: Breanna’s Top Tactical Tip for Direct Bookings When asked for her top piece of tactical advice, Breanna didn’t hesitate: “Know your guest avatar fully before purchasing items or setting up your property. It saves you money and ensures every design decision attracts your ideal guest.” A Mindset Shift for Hosts Starting something new can feel overwhelming. Breanna shared a mantra that keeps her motivated: “Not ‘I have to do this,’ but ‘I get to do this.’ Embrace the opportunity to learn and grow through every challenge.” Join the CraftedStays Community This episode was packed with actionable insights, but there’s even more to discover. Listen to the full episode to dive deeper into Breanna’s frameworks and strategies for STR success. Looking to take your direct booking game to the next level? CraftedStays offers tools to help you build a website tailored to your brand and guest avatar. With features like customizable templates and integrated booking flows, we simplify the process so you can focus on hosting. Join our community of like-minded hosts to exchange ideas, learn from experts like Breanna, and optimize your short-term rental business. Ready to elevate your STR strategy? Book a demo or explore CraftedStays today! Follow Breanna Here ⤵️ Transcription Gil: Hey folks, welcome back to direct booking simplified. We break down the strategies and tactics to win in direct bookings on today’s show, I have Brianna Williams, Brianna, welcome to the show.  Breanna: Hi, thank you for having me.  Gil: Yeah, I love doing this because we actually had our podcast recording a couple, actually about probably a week back now, and I’m actually thrilled to have you on this show. Gil: To talk, to have you as the guest on here. Um, so welcome, welcome here. Um, before we get too deep into it, do you mind kind of giving folks an introduction on who you are?  Breanna: Sure. So my name is Brianna Williams. I am the founder and principal designer for Mumford designs. So we specialize in short term rentals and midterm rentals. Breanna: Um, and we handle interior design, a little bit of marketing strategy, a lot of market research. And essentially we just take all of the data in that market research phase and point it straight, straight towards the design, um, and kind of gear all of that towards how we’re going to market their property. Gil: Nice. How did you get started in, in, in this business?  Breanna: Oh, it’s been a long journey. I’ve been designing for almost 15 years. So in high school, it kind of clicked for me that interior design is something that I wanted to do. When I was growing up, I would go to model homes with my parents all the time. And my dad built a lot of our childhood home with his own hands. Breanna: My mom would always do the decorating and so on and so forth. So it’s kind of just something that I knew that I wanted to do for so long. So right out of high school, I went to school for interior design, and then I got out of school and I’m like, wait. How do I get a job in interior design? So I ended up falling into retail and I worked as a designer for a retail showroom for, um, almost 10 years. Breanna: And in 2020, I left there and I started my own business and it kind of just happened by happenstance that I fell into working specifically with investors on everything from fix and flips, you know, consulting on paint colors and tile selection, you Into short term rentals and eventually midterm rentals, which is kind of midterm rentals and hybrids are like my niche, my, that’s my favorite thing to do. Gil: Interesting.

In our latest episode of Direct Booking Simplified, we had the privilege of hosting Stacy St. John, a powerhouse in the short-term rental (STR) industry. She is a Cincinnati-based STR investor and host with properties located 10 hours away in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She is the founder of the STR Sisterhood, a vibrant community exclusively for women in the industry, with over 62,000 members. Stacy also hosts the STR Sisterhood Podcast and runs coaching programs designed to empower women in STRs. From building thriving communities to mastering direct bookings, Stacy shared invaluable insights that both seasoned hosts and newcomers can learn from. Here are some highlights from our conversation that will inspire you to take actionable steps toward increasing your direct bookings. Summary and Highlights Meet Stacy St. John Stacy St. John’s journey into property management is a story of resilience and learning. “From the start, I built a team around me,” Stacy shared. “It was an absolute necessity given the demands of my corporate job.” Fast forward to today, Stacy operates a full-fledged property management company with a team dedicated to excellence and guest satisfaction. Key Takeaways on Direct Booking Strategies Stacy emphasized the importance of blending strategy and personalization when driving direct bookings. Here are some of the strategies she uses to stand out: 1. Leverage Local Directories “Being part of the Chamber of Commerce and other local directories is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to increase visibility,” Stacy explained. These listings not only help attract local guests but also improve your website’s SEO by generating high-authority backlinks. 2. Optimize for Repeat Guests Stacy ensures every guest knows how to book directly with her in the future. From branded materials in her properties to personalized follow-ups, she creates a seamless path for repeat bookings. “If they’re great guests, we always invite them back with a discount offer,” she added. 3. Email Marketing Done Right Email marketing is a cornerstone of Stacy’s direct booking strategy. She’s focused on creating segmented campaigns tailored to specific guest profiles. For instance, golfers receive updates about upcoming golf events in Myrtle Beach, while families get tips on family-friendly activities. “It’s all about delivering value that’s relevant to their experience with us,” she emphasized. 4. Invest in SEO-Driven Content To drive organic traffic, Stacy’s team regularly publishes blog posts optimized for SEO. “We’re focusing on topics that resonate with our audience, like seasonal events and travel tips, and repurposing this content into our email campaigns,” she explained. 5. Guest Verification Tools “When you’re handling direct bookings, tools like Superhog are game-changers,” Stacy said. These platforms help ensure guests are verified, protecting your business from chargebacks and disputes. Mindset Matters Beyond strategies, Stacy shared powerful mindset advice for hosts navigating the complexities of STRs. “The person holding you back from your next level is often yourself,” she noted. By investing in personal growth and confidence, you can unlock your full potential as a host and business owner. Take Your Direct Bookings to the Next Level Ready to implement these strategies? Don’t miss the full episode of Direct Booking Simplified for deeper insights and actionable advice from Stacy St. John. Looking to grow your direct booking business? Join the STR Sisterhood community or check out Stacy’s coaching programs to learn from one of the best in the industry. Visit Stacy’s website to connect and explore her resources. CraftedStays: Your Partner in Direct Booking Success At CraftedStays, we’re here to empower hosts like you to build professional, SEO-optimized direct booking websites without the hassle. From intuitive templates to advanced features that make managing bookings seamless, we’re committed to helping you thrive. Learn more about our platform and how it can support your direct booking journey. Book a demo today! Follow Stacey Here ⤵️ Transcription Stacey: I think the one piece of tactical advice I would say is utilize a third party tool that can help you verify your guests. As we know, if Airbnb takes a booking and someone pays Airbnb, Airbnb pays us out. If someone disputes a charge on their credit card to Airbnb, Airbnb is not clawing back the money from us. Stacey: They are eating that, right? When we have a direct booking situation, if someone disputes a charge on their credit card, it is coming out of our bank account. Right. So having a third party verification tool, I use super hog in my own business. That has been tremendously helpful, but I think whether you use super hog or someone else, make sure that you’ve got the right resources to be able to. Stacey: Dispute a charge back, but then also hopefully avoid them altogether. Gil: Hey folks, welcome back to direct booking simplified, where we break down the strategies and tactics to win in direct bookings on today’s show. I have Stacy, Stacy, welcome to the show.  Stacey: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. I’m excited to be here.  Gil: I’m so excited to have you on here. I’ve heard your name from so many people. Gil: So many people referred me to you to have, have you on my show. So I’m really glad to finally have you here.  Stacey: Awesome. That’s great.  Gil: And  Stacey: thanks to all the people who referred me.  Gil: Yeah. And it was good to be on your show just, uh, just a few weeks back too. That was really fun to kind of walk your, your audience through kind of what we’re doing and. Gil: Kind of how we approach things. I appreciate you, uh, lending me your audience to, to spread our word.  Stacey: I think you’re doing amazing stuff. So it’s, it’s my pleasure.  Gil: I appreciate that. Well, I, your, your name is pretty well known in the industry. Um, but for those that haven’t come across the name, Stacy St. John, Who, who are you? Stacey: How much time do we have here? No. So I, uh, well, I, my name is Stacey St. John. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. Um, most of