From Hotels to High-End Homes with Brian Sbrocco of ABOVE Vacation Residences

04/01/25 • 43 min

In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show, host Lynell Gordon speaks with Brian Sbrocco, CEO and co-founder of ABOVE Vacation Residences, a luxury property management company with a unique approach to hospitality.
Together they explore:

Brian's journey from Hyatt Hotels to founding ABOVE Vacation Residences
How ABOVE transforms homeowners' primary residences into luxury vacation rentals
The "three-legged stool" philosophy of balancing care for homeowners, guests, and associates
Creating extraordinary personalized experiences that go beyond traditional hospitality
Why Brian considers homeowners "guests who never check out"
The challenges of maintaining luxury service standards post-COVID
Why ABOVE isn't afraid to charge premium rates ($4,000-$5,000 average, up to $50,000)
How the company creates $100,000 worth of service for properties commanding high rates
The power of servant leadership in building authentic luxury experiences
Advice for entrepreneurs entering the luxury vacation rental market

Brian brings a refreshing perspective on authentic hospitality, emphasizing personal connections and meaningful experiences over technology solutions or rapid growth. With operations in Austin, Nashville, Scottsdale and expanding to Mexico, his unique business model is redefining luxury in the vacation rental industry.
This episode is sponsored by Bluetent.
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👉 RSS - https://bit.ly/how-we-grow-rssThe Vacation Rental Show is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so
Previous guests include: Jim DeVos of Best Beach Getaways, Stacy Wesson of Cascara Vacation Rentals, Michael Friedman of The Simple Life Hospitality, Steve Caron of Inhabit, John An of TechTape, Jessica Gillingham of Abode Worldwide, Justin Ford of Breezeway, Mahwussh Alam of One Perfect Stay, Lisa Stinnett of Inhabit, and many more.
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:

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Brian's journey from Hyatt Hotels to founding ABOVE Vacation Residences
How ABOVE transforms homeowners' primary residences into luxury vacation rentals
The "three-legged stool" philosophy of balancing care for homeowners, guests, and associates
Creating extraordinary personalized experiences that go beyond traditional hospitality
Why Brian considers homeowners "guests who never check out"
The challenges of maintaining luxury service standards post-COVID
Why ABOVE isn't afraid to charge premium rates ($4,000-$5,000 average, up to $50,000)
How the company creates $100,000 worth of service for properties commanding high rates
The power of servant leadership in building authentic luxury experiences
Advice for entrepreneurs entering the luxury vacation rental market

Subscribe, rate, and review
Share this episode

Scaling your vacation rental portfolio
Optimizing guest experiences
Revenue management strategies
Industry trends and market insights

Express your interest in being a guest →

Previous Episode

Creating a Better Booking Experience with Eric Goldreyer of Savvy

In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show, host Lynell Gordon speaks with Eric Goldreyer, a true pioneer in the vacation rental space with over 30 years of experience who has founded multiple industry-changing companies including BedAndBreakfast.com and co-founded TurnKey Vacation Rentals.
Together they explore:

Eric's entrepreneurial journey from BedAndBreakfast.com to his latest venture, Savvy
How Savvy is creating the first true book-direct OTA in the vacation rental industry
Why eliminating booking fees creates a win-win for both travelers and property managers
The strategic advantage of working exclusively with professional property managers
How Savvy's business model differs from traditional OTAs by prioritizing direct relationships
The increasing costs of distribution in the vacation rental industry
Price comparison technology that instantly shows travelers their savings
Strategies for property managers to shift business from high-cost to low-cost distribution channels
The power of authentic hospitality in driving repeat and word-of-mouth business

Eric Goldreyer brings unparalleled industry knowledge and a refreshing perspective on how to create better booking experiences while reducing costs for both travelers and property managers. With Savvy already connected to 15 leading PMSs and representing nearly 50,000 listings from 2,500 property management companies, his vision for a more efficient marketplace is quickly becoming reality.This episode is sponsored by Streamline.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to:

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Episode Resources:
👉 Google - https://bit.ly/gp-how-we-grow
👉 Apple - https://apple.co/3lYc2gU
👉 Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3InYanV
👉 bCast - https://bit.ly/hwg-podcast
👉 iheartradio - https://ihr.fm/3Z8qqlg
👉 RSS - https://bit.ly/how-we-grow-rss
The Vacation Rental Show is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so
Previous guests include: Jim DeVos of Best Beach Getaways, Stacy Wesson of Cascara Vacation Rentals, Michael Friedman of The Simple Life Hospitality, Steve Caron of Inhabit, John An of TechTape, Jessica Gillingham of Abode Worldwide, Justin Ford of Breezeway, Mahwussh Alam of One Perfect Stay, Lisa Stinnett of Inhabit, and many more.
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:

Scaling your vacation rental portfolio
Optimizing guest experiences
Revenue management strategies
Industry trends and market insights

Express your interest in being a guest →

Next Episode

AI-Powered Revenue Strategies with Francois Gouelo of Enso Connect Inc

In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show, host Lynell Gordon speaks with Francois Gouelo, CEO and co-founder of Enso Connect Inc, who returns to share insights on AI implementation in vacation rentals following his company's impressive 4x growth over the past year.
What you'll learn:

The evolution of AI from simple translation models to reasoning systems that understand context
How AI-powered messaging can now differentiate between "WiFi password" and "WiFi not working"
The strategy behind selling a $650 early check-in on an $800 nightly reservation
Using sentiment analysis to selectively request reviews only from satisfied guests
Why AI handles check-in instructions with 90% accuracy but struggles with complaints (27%)
The "airline upgrade model" of collecting payment intent in advance but confirming later
How personalized upsell messaging dramatically increases conversion rates
The shift from property count obsession to revenue diversification strategies
Why structuring your operational data is the foundation for successful AI implementation
How digital experiences should automate mundane tasks to enable more personalization
The future of AI as co-pilots that assist staff rather than replace human connections

Francois brings practical insights on how property managers can immediately begin implementing AI solutions to increase revenue while reducing workload. With Enso Connect now serving 55,000+ properties across 60 countries, his vision for AI-powered hospitality offers a compelling roadmap for property managers looking to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.
This episode is sponsored by Rental Guardian.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to:

Subscribe, rate, and review
Share this episode

Episode Resources:
👉 Google - https://bit.ly/gp-how-we-grow
👉 Apple - https://apple.co/3lYc2gU
👉 Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3InYanV
👉 bCast - https://bit.ly/hwg-podcast
👉 iheartradio - https://ihr.fm/3Z8qqlg
👉 RSS - https://bit.ly/how-we-grow-rss
The Vacation Rental Show is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so
Previous guests include: Jim DeVos of Best Beach Getaways, Stacy Wesson of Cascara Vacation Rentals, Michael Friedman of The Simple Life Hospitality, Steve Caron of Inhabit, John An of TechTape, Jessica Gillingham of Abode Worldwide, Justin Ford of Breezeway, Mahwussh Alam of One Perfect Stay, Lisa Stinnett of Inhabit, and many more.
Check out the three most downloaded episodes: