The Hotel Investor Playbook The Husband and Wife Duo that Scaled from 5 Airbnbs to 2 Boutique Hotels (Without Burning Out) | E57
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Nov 11, 2025 Mitch Ehly and Katie Wanzer, the husband-and-wife team behind Fresh Coast Motel and Spruce & Shore Motel, share their journey of transforming historic motels in Door County into stylish boutiques. They discuss key strategies that helped them scale from Airbnbs to full hotel operations while keeping their relationship intact. Discover their innovative use of technology for guest experiences, the challenges of balancing design with functionality, and how they handled the intricacies of partnership dynamics and staffing in a hospitality-focused business.
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Revive Rather Than Rebuild
- Mitch and Katie revive historic motels by preserving footprints and enhancing experience rather than rebuilding.
- They align interior design with local landscape to extend the town's nostalgic vibe into rooms.
Comfort And Frictionless Check-In Win
- Guests repeatedly praise bedding comfort and streamlined self check-in as top differentiators.
- These operational choices directly uplift guest mood and perceived value of the stay.
Design For Function, Not Just Photos
- Test design elements for real room functionality before finalizing layouts to avoid tight or impractical spaces.
- Anticipate wear (e.g., white walls) and operational burdens (e.g., in-house laundry) when specifying finishes.