Most first-time hotel syndicators are already breaking the rules; they just don't know it yet. If you've ever taken money from friends and family without the right structure, you may have accidentally sold securities. And if you're paying someone just to raise capital? That's another violation waiting to happen.

In this episode, you'll learn exactly how to raise money for hotel deals without putting yourself or your investors at risk.

A securities attorney who's structured hundreds of capital raises and lost $1 million on her own failed fund shares the hard lessons that transformed how she builds partnerships today. Bethany LaFlam now co-owns a boutique resort in Belize and is building a luxury hospitality portfolio, all while helping Main Street operators avoid the costly legal mistakes she's seen kill deals.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The #1 way sponsors accidentally break SEC rules (and how to stay compliant)
• Why 506B vs. 506C matters and how to choose the right structure for your raise
• The capital raiser compensation mistake that can get you investigated
• How to vet partners before you commit (including the exact questions to ask)
• Why "investor perks" like free hotel nights require careful legal structuring
• The mindset trap that kept her broke for years after a failed $50M fund

If you're planning to raise capital for a hotel deal, this episode could save you from a costly legal mistake or worse, an SEC investigation. Don't skip the compliance conversation.

About Bethany

Bethany LaFlam is a seasoned securities attorney, real estate investor, and Managing Partner at Premier Law Group, where she helps syndicators navigate complex SEC regulations to raise capital safely and effectively. With over two decades of legal experience, she champions the "Power of OPE" (Other People’s Everything), a strategic framework designed to help entrepreneurs scale their wealth and businesses without burnout. Bethany is also the author of the bestselling book The Power of OPE and the founder of the Conscious Capital Collective, a community dedicated to intentional wealth creation and luxury hospitality investing.

Connect with Bethany

Connect with Bethany on LinkedIn.

Follow Bethany on Instagram or visit their Website.

Join The Conscious Capital Collective

Learn how to use AI to underwrite faster, streamline operations, automate the busy work, and make better decisions. Start your 7-day free trial of the AI for CRE Collective here.

Connect with Michael on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Email Us at info@hotelinvestorplaybook.com

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Stop treating your front desk like an expense; it's costing you hundreds of thousands in property value. The biggest mistake boutique hotel owners make isn't about the property itself. It's ignoring the untapped revenue sitting right at your check-in counter.

In this episode, you'll discover how to turn your front desk into a profit center that can add 5% to your bottom line and potentially $500,000 to your hotel's valuation.

A hospitality revenue expert who helped pioneer the car rental upsell model and has spent 25+ years turning frontline employees into sales engines joins us to break down the exact system. Joffrey Toffetti's company, Frontline Performance Group, works with properties from 20-room boutiques to major brands, and his approach has transformed front desk agents from minimum-wage employees into top earners making $50K+ through incentives alone.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why the "value mode vs. experience mode" mindset shift changes everything about guest interactions
• The 3-tier incentive structure that motivates front desk staff without blowing your budget
• How late checkout offers alone can generate $40,000+ annually (with almost zero cost)
• The conversion metrics and "URI" formula to track whether your upselling is actually working
• Why keyless entry and kiosks might be sabotaging your guest relationships and revenue
• How to spot upsell opportunities during due diligence before you even buy a property

If you're serious about maximizing hotel profitability, this episode will change how you think about staffing and guest experience. Don't leave five figures on the table every year because your front desk doesn't know how to sell.

About Geoffrey

Geoffrey Toffetti is the CEO of Frontline Performance Group (FPG), where he leverages over three decades of experience to transform hospitality frontline teams into powerful revenue generators. Rising from a resort valet to the C-suite, Geoffrey has guided FPG’s expansion to over 2,500 properties across 100+ countries, helping global brands like Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt unlock over $2.3 billion in incremental revenue. Through FPG’s innovative IN-Gauge SaaS platform and a "service-based sales" philosophy, he empowers hourly staff to elevate the guest experience while driving significant bottom-line profitability without additional capital expenditure.

Connect with Geoffrey

Connect with Geoffrey on LinkedIn or visit their Website.

Learn how to use AI to underwrite faster, streamline operations, automate the busy work, and make better decisions. Start your 7-day free trial of the AI for CRE Collective here.

Connect with Michael on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Email Us at info@hotelinvestorplaybook.com

Visit the Hotel Investor Playbook Instagram

Invest with Malama Capital

Submit a deal

Why do so many people dream about buying a hotel but never actually close one?

In this episode, Michael sits down with Brian Resendez, CEO of SVN Northwest Hotel Advisors.

Brian has been involved in hundreds of hotel transactions across the Pacific Northwest and brings rare insight into what separates buyers who close deals from buyers who stall out.

You will learn:
• The real reasons most buyers never get their first deal
• How successful investors overcome fear, uncertainty, and inexperience
• Why third-party management opens the door to bigger and better hotels
• What it takes to build the right team before you buy
• Why larger assets often perform better and are easier to operate

If you want a real look into how hotel investing actually works, this episode will give you the perspective and confidence to keep going.

Follow and share the Hotel Investor Playbook so more people can learn how to invest in hospitality assets the right way.

About Brian

Brian Resendez is the Senior Vice President of Hotels at SVN | Bluestone & Hockley, specializing in hospitality brokerage and land acquisition across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. With a diverse background spanning hotel operations for brands like Westin and Doubletree, commercial finance, and real estate, he offers a holistic perspective on complex transactions that goes far beyond typical brokerage. Brian recently closed a record-breaking 26 hotels in a single year, pioneering innovative hotel-to-housing conversions through Project TurnKey and actively advocating for diverse ownership as a Board Member of the Latino Hotel Association. He is dedicated to serving owner-operators in the $2 million to $20 million asset class, focusing on long-term relationships and operational fundamentals over simple transaction volume.

Connect with Brian

Connect with Brian on LinkedIn or by email at brian.resedez@svn.com.

Visit their website: https://www.nwhotelinvestor.com/

Learn how to use AI to underwrite faster, streamline operations, automate the busy work, and make better decisions. Start your 7-day free trial of the AI for CRE Collective here.

Connect with Michael on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Email Us at info@hotelinvestorplaybook.com

Visit the Hotel Investor Playbook Instagram

Invest with Malama Capital

Submit a deal