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The Hotel Investor Playbook
Welcome to The Hotel Investor Playbook, hosted by real estate investor and hospitality operator Michael Russell. Michael is the co-founder of Malama Capital and Howzit Hostels, and has built a personal real estate portfolio exceeding $20 million.
With an operator-first mindset, Michael brings a practical perspective to hotel investing. On the show, he breaks down what it actually takes to scale from short-term rentals into boutique hotels, covering deal sourcing, operations, capital strategy, and risk.
Each week, Michael shares real lessons from the field as he builds toward a $400 million real estate business, giving listeners an honest look at the decisions, challenges, and strategies behind the growth. Subscribe and follow along as he documents the journey in real time.
The Hotel Investor Playbook
AutoCamp CEO: From Five Broken Airstreams to a Hilton Partnership | Neil Dipaola E91
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Neil Dipaola bought five wrecked Airstreams off Craigslist in 2012 to use as affordable housing in a Santa Barbara mobile home park. Today those trailers have grown into AutoCamp, a nine-property outdoor hospitality brand backed by Airstream, partnered with Hilton, and targeting 100 properties and 10,000 rooms within a decade.
In this episode, Neil explains how AutoCamp raised close to $300 million to build out its real estate portfolio, why he structured the business as three separate companies (real estate, brand, and operations) instead of one, and how that decision now gives him multiple ways to grow or eventually sell the brand. We also get into how the Hilton partnership actually works, why the AutoCamp team rejects the word "glamping," and how everyday investors can now buy equity in the brand for as little as $1,000.
If you're building a hospitality brand and thinking about how to structure it for growth or an eventual exit, this is the playbook.
Exclusive Listener Offer: Save 20% at all AutoCamp locations when you book through the link below:
AutoCamp | Nature's Boutique Hotel
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