The Power of Personal Connection in Hospitality

Independent hospitality is quickly growing in popularity, but discovery remains a big challenge for both travelers and operators. In this conversation, Brett McManus, owner of Après Inn in Killington, Vermont, and founder of Inndependent Stays, explains how he’s addressing this gap. We discuss the costs of relying on OTAs, the power of people-first storytelling, and how AI-driven matching could reshape how travelers discover independent hospitality experiences. 

Learn more about Inndependent Stays and follow @InndependentStays on Instagram.

See our other episodes:

• Fresh Insights From First-Time Hoteliers on Hospitality, Community & Accidentally Going Viral - Brett and Casey McManus
• Highs and Lows of Hospitality in 2025: What First-Time Innkeeper Brett McManus Learned About Guest Experience, Operations, and Tech [1-Year Check-In]
• How We Bring Independent Ideas to Life in Hospitality - Ryan Magnon & Scott Rohm, Ithaka Hospitality Partners

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
• Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

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