Selling a Hotel Nobody Drives Past With Brad Rowland-Aaron

Brad Rowland-Aaron is the South Florida Sales Manager for Guest Services, Inc., overseeing sales for three properties: Flamingo Lodge (the only hotel inside Everglades National Park), and concession operations at Oleta River State Park and Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park. He holds a degree in Healthcare Administration from Walsh University and built his hospitality career across Marriott general management, multiple seasons at Glacier National Park, and stints at Sun Valley and Snowshoe Mountain Resort. In 2023 he relocated to South Florida to help open Flamingo Lodge, training the lodging team before moving into his current sales role. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: [1:11] How Brad went from Marriott GM to national park lodging, and why he made the switch [10:23] What it took to open a brand new lodge inside Everglades National Park [15:21] The unique group segments drawn to Flamingo Lodge, from eco-tours to kayaking expeditions [17:03] Why demand at a hotel nobody drives past has to be built from the ground up, every single day [18:28] How TDCs and CVBs work, and why independent hotels should be partnering with them [22:45] Why keeping your destination marketing profiles updated matters more than ever in the age of AI travel planning [24:07] What Brad's role is expanding into, helping open new park lodges across the country [27:50] Why showing up at industry events like the Independent Hotel Show is non-negotiable for independent operators In this episode... What does it take to sell a hotel that nobody ever drives past? Brad Rowland-Aaron, South Florida Sales Manager at Guest Services, Inc., knows that challenge better than almost anyone. After working his way up to General Manager at a Marriott property, Brad made an unexpected pivot, typing "lodging in national parks" into a search bar and finding himself in Glacier National Park within 24 hours. That detour through seasonal national park and ski resort hospitality eventually led him to South Florida, where he helped open Flamingo Lodge, the first lodging inside Everglades National Park in eighteen years. In this conversation recorded live at the Independent Hotel Show in Miami, Brad walks through the realities of opening a lodge built from shipping containers in one of the most remote locations in the country, and what it actually takes to fill it. From the logistical challenges of the pre-opening period, to the surprising group segments that find their way to Flamingo, to the relentless outbound sales work required when your property has zero drive-by traffic, Brad gives a candid operator's view of park lodging. Resources mentioned in this episode: • Kin Sio on LinkedIn -   / kinsio   • Lights On - https://www.lightson.co/ • Brad Rowland-Aaron on LinkedIn -   / george-bradley-rowland-aaron-62b017b4   • Guest Services, Inc. - https://www.guestservices.com/ • “Pricing a Hotel When a Government Agency Approves Your Rates With Jennifer Miller” on The Lights On Podcast - https://www.lightson.co/posts/pricing... • “The Long Game of Hotel PR With Melissa Benhaim” on The Lights On Podcast - https://www.lightson.co/posts/the-lon... • Flamingo Lodge - https://www.flamingoeverglades.com/ • Everglades National Park - https://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm • Glacier National Park - https://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm • Lake McDonald Lodge - https://www.glaciernationalparklodges... • Hoosier National Forest - https://www.fs.usda.gov/hoosier • Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau - https://www.miamiandbeaches.com/ • Visit Florida Keys and Key West - https://www.fla-keys.com/ • Visit Lauderdale - https://www.visitlauderdale.com/ • Oleta River State Park - https://www.floridastateparks.org/par... • Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park - https://www.floridastateparks.org/par... • Independent Hotel Show - https://www.independenthotelshow.com/ • Florida Huddle - https://www.visitflorida.org/resource... • National Park Service - https://www.nps.gov/ • Google AI - https://ai.google/ • Yellowstone National Park - https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm • Grand Canyon National Park - https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm Sponsor for this episode... This episode is sponsored by Lights On. Lights On helps hotels grow revenue more consistently by managing pricing, distribution, and digital marketing together. We help hotels identify new revenue opportunities, so they don’t leave money on the table. We also manage the full revenue and marketing operation, enabling the on-the-ground team to focus on the guest experience. If your hotel needs stronger revenue growth, visit lightson.co to learn more.