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, where he has built and scaled a portfolio of boutique hotels, hostels, and experiential lodging properties.

With over $30 million in real estate investments across hospitality, short-term rentals, long-term rentals, and commercial assets, Michael brings a practical, operator-first perspective to hotel investing. On this podcast, he breaks down what it actually takes to move beyond traditional real estate and into boutique hotels, from sourcing the right deals to navigating operations, capital, and risk.

Each week, Michael shares real lessons from the field as he builds toward a $400 million real estate-based business, giving listeners a clear, honest look at the decisions, challenges, and strategies behind the growth. Subscribe and follow along as he documents the journey in real time.