Highs and Lows of Hospitality in 2025: What First-Time Innkeeper Brett McManus Learned About Guest Experience, Operations, and Tech [1-Year Check-In]

A year ago, Brett and Casey McManus went viral for transforming a rundown Vermont roadside motel into a thriving new hospitality concept: Après Inn in Killington, Vermont. In this follow-up conversation, Brett reflects on what he’s learned as a first-time innkeeper: the highs and lows of running a seasonal business, what technology actually enables, and why guest conversations drive reviews and revenue. He also shares lessons from expanding to a second property, the efficiencies that come wit...