In this episode of Crafting the Stay, hosts Emily Johnson and Matt Beauchesne talk with HR Director Sullivan Stark about navigating today’s tough labor market, personalizing the hiring process, and building a culture that attracts and retains top hospitality talent. From communication and leadership to celebrating wins and growing careers, they share how Gulf Creek Hotels turns culture into a competitive advantage.
In this episode of Crafting the Stay, hosts Emily Johnson (VP of Development, Gulph Creek Hotels), Matt Beauchesne (Marketing Manager), and Ronald Balle (VP of Sales and Marketing) pull back the curtain on the strategies, challenges, and opportunities that drive revenue and guest satisfaction in today’s competitive hospitality landscape.
Whether you’re running a branded property, managing an independent boutique hotel, or considering a market repositioning, this conversation delivers insights from the front lines of hotel sales, marketing, and revenue management.
Key topics we explore include:
Hotel Positioning: Why aligning brand identity with market realities is essential—and how owners can avoid the costly mistake of creating a product the market can’t sustain.
Independent vs. Branded Hotels: The advantages and drawbacks of each model, from leveraging loyalty programs to competing against OTA advertising budgets.
OTA Strategies: How to use Online Travel Agencies for visibility while driving guests toward profitable direct bookings, maintaining rate parity, and managing your OTA mix.
The Power of Storytelling: How crafting a “sense of place” in your hotel’s design, marketing, and F&B programming can create emotional connections and increase guest loyalty.
Revenue Management in Action: The tools, alerts, and real-time adjustments that help hotels capture peak demand and respond to market shifts quickly—plus a real-world case study from a Hilton Garden Inn that saw double-digit ADR gains in just 90 days.
Sales & Marketing Plans: How to break down annual strategies into actionable quarterly initiatives using the “3 Rs” method—Repeat, Revise, Retire—and the importance of tailoring budgets to ROI potential.
Leveraging F&B and Experiences: Turning your restaurant, bar, rooftop, or local partnerships into guest magnets and revenue streams beyond the room rate.
Team Alignment: Why the most successful hotels view every staff member as part of the sales department—and how strong communication between operations and sales drives profitability.
AI & The Future of Hotel Marketing: From AI-to-AI customer calls to optimizing websites for machine search, how technology is reshaping how hotels attract and serve guests.
Packed with practical tips and candid industry perspectives, this episode is more than theory—it’s a masterclass in the real-world application of sales and marketing principles in hospitality. You’ll hear examples from Gulph Creek’s diverse portfolio, from high-performing beach resorts to competitive suburban markets, and learn how to adapt these strategies to your own property.
Whether you’re an owner, GM, sales leader, or marketing pro, you’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of how to:
Identify the right target markets for your property.
Optimize your OTA relationships without losing direct share.
Create a brand story that resonates both online and on property.
Use data and technology to make smarter pricing and marketing decisions.
Align your team’s efforts for maximum revenue impact.
If your goal is to boost profitability, enhance guest experience, and build a sustainable competitive advantage, this conversation will give you the tools and inspiration to make it happen.
Listen now to learn how to position, promote, and profit from your property—no matter the market.
In this premiere episode of Crafting the Stay, the hospitality world is introduced to the voices behind Gulph Creek Hotels’ bold new direction. Hosted by Marketing Manager Matt Beauchesne, the episode features Emily Johnson, Vice President of Development, and newly appointed Director of Food and Beverage, Nick Vogel. The conversation weaves together stories of culinary grit, strategic vision, and the evolving role of food and beverage within the hotel space.
Nick begins by sharing his personal journey, growing up in a family that owned restaurants and bars in Philadelphia. Though his initial path veered toward finance, his roots in hospitality pulled him back. “I cooked my way through college,” Nick reflects, describing his formative experiences in Charleston’s kitchens. Despite graduating with a degree in finance and entering commercial real estate with Charles Schwab, the kitchen never lost its pull. The line offered not just a paycheck—but a calling.
That calling became a career when Nick returned to the Northeast and joined Cape Resorts, working at Beach Plum Farm in Cape May. Under the mentorship of Chef Jason Hannan, Nick began his fine dining journey, eventually transitioning into leadership roles with renowned hospitality groups. “Jason’s still like an uncle to me,” Nick shares. “He taught me not just how to cook—but how to lead.” That leadership evolved through work with the Michael Schlow Restaurant Group in D.C. and Boston, where Nick climbed from sous chef to executive chef, opening restaurants and expanding concepts.
It wasn’t just his skill in the kitchen that accelerated his rise. “I could read the P&L,” Nick notes. “That put me in rooms faster than most of my peers.” His ability to combine culinary artistry with financial savvy made him an invaluable asset to multiple fast-growing groups. Over the years, he’s opened everything from fine dining restaurants to fast casual spots, helped scale operations from two units to seven, and led complex openings in high-profile markets like Sag Harbor and the Hamptons.
Then, in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, Nick found himself managing Barron’s Cove in Sag Harbor—just two weeks into his new executive chef role. “It was me, the GM, and the engineer on property for months,” he recalls. “We had to reopen the hotel almost from scratch.” This experience sharpened his understanding of F&B in the context of full-scale hotel operations—from breakfast and beach picnics to cabana service and room service.
Despite success and momentum, Nick began to feel the pull of home. After years of moving between Boston, New York, and D.C., he found himself seeking stability and a return to his roots. When the opportunity arose to join Gulph Creek Hotels, it felt like the right fit. The team, the culture, and the potential to build something lasting brought him back to Pennsylvania.
“What excites me most here,” Nick says, “is the blend of everything I’ve done—front of house, back of house, restaurant operations, leadership.” At Gulph Creek, he’s already jumping in: helping with breakfast execution, revising wine lists, creating SOPs for in-room dining, and training staff. “It’s fast-paced and flexible,” he says. “I get to identify strengths in people and support them—without being tied to one title.”
Nick’s leadership philosophy is rooted in empathy and adaptability. He believes in leading by example and showing team members what excellence looks like on the line and off it. “Some days you’re an artist, some days a tradesman,” he says. “It’s about knowing when to lead, when to teach, and when to do.”