A speakeasy bar with an actual vault door sits off the casino floor at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar. I walk in, meet Michael "Mac" MacDonnell, Vice President of F&B & Entertainment with LionGrove, and we turn it into a "quick chat" that somehow includes popcorn in a martini. #NoVacancyNews

🍸 Mac breaks down the Vault Martini: Belvedere vodka, yellow Chartreuse, orange bitters, popcorn, plus a tableside pour
🧠 He talks "threshold of pain" pricing—how far you push before the guest taps out
🪑 He explains why the Vault runs different than the other outlets: 55 seats, niche vibe, connoisseur guest
🥃 We get into rum country decisions: rare bottles, allocated product, and why relationships matter
💰 He drops the kind of number that makes operators blink: a $300,000 opening liquor order
👀 He shows what "details matter" looks like: glassware, presentation, bartenders who command attention
🕺 He talks training: a full month of coaching so the team performs, not just pours
🌴 We pivot into tropical fun with a tiki-style drink inspired by the Soggy Dollar Bar in the BVI
☕ Then the closer hits: "The Fortified" — local coffee + butter-washed rum + 24-hour prep… and it becomes the #1 seller
🧪 And yes, I taste everything "for scientific purposes" because I take research very seriously

Black Desert Resort shows what "demand drivers" look like when you actually build them. Today we look at Modern luxury on #NoVacancyNews

I walk the property with Nicholas Gold, Managing Director, in Ivins (greater St. George / greater Zion), Utah.

🏨 Nick gives the basics: ~600 keys, restaurants/banquets, pool, spa, and a serious golf operation
⛳ They opened just over a year ago and already hosted two PGA tournaments and an LPGA tournament
🏌️‍♂️ Nick says three more 18-hole courses are coming, plus a practice facility
🌊 They're building a $60M, 4.5-acre water park for guests and members only
💰 We talk why that "velvet rope" access helps residential sales and supports premium transient pricing
🍽️ Nick's F&B rule stays simple: make it good, then match concepts to the guest profile and the local market
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Hiring: Nick hires attitude and personality over skills and uses the eye-contact/smile test as the price of entry
🧗 The adventure program creates differentiated experiences (including 4x4 access up to a via ferrata)
🧖 The spa leans into recovery: cryo, salt inhalation, recovery lounge, sauna/steam, plus outdoor options
🏗️ The resort uses multiple buildings, bell rides, and guest bikes to keep circulation easy at scale

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Hotels train teams to spot human trafficking and other suspicious activity. Training alone doesn't solve the handoff problem. #NoVacancyNews

I talk with Georgine Muntz (CEO) and Patty Jefferson (Chief Revenue Officer) at Visual Matrix about building reporting into the workflow so staff can act fast without leaving their job to go hunt down a manager.

🧠 Georgine says customers asked for better tracking and reporting of suspicious activity on property, including human trafficking
🧾 She points out the gap: training ends with "report it to your manager," but real life turns that into a paper form or a forgotten conversation
🧹 They build a quick "suspicious activity" alert so a housekeeper or maintenance tech can tap a button, add a note, take a photo if relevant, and move on
🔁 Patty emphasizes shift continuity: the alert carries forward so the next shift stays informed instead of starting cold
🌍 We talk language barriers and how tech can help with translation so details don't get lost
🚨 They already include a panic button inside the same application
🚬 The beta users pushed it beyond trafficking: smoking in rooms, pets, and other issues where you need documentation and follow-through