In this episode of the Hotel Investor Playbook, Mike and Nate sit down with Brian Linton, co-founder of Finding Promised Land, Camp Ferncrest, and The Rex Hotel. Brian shares how he transitioned from building a $20M apparel company to launching one of the fastest-growing outdoor hospitality brands in the U.S.

Key Topics:

• How a rundown motel purchase during COVID led to a hospitality empire
• Navigating zoning issues, STR restrictions, and neighborhood pushback
• What to look for in land: acreage, utilities, proximity to population, and state parks
• Why owning your business outright may beat raising capital
• How Brian is using a franchise model to scale Ferncrest to 100+ sites
• The power of social media: growing to 350K+ followers and millions in revenue

Whether you’re an investor, a landowner, or just glamping-curious, this episode is packed with insights on how to scale a meaningful hospitality business without sacrificing ownership or creativity.

About Brian

Brian is the founder of Finding Promised Land, a hospitality and education company helping landowners turn underutilized land into profitable glamping retreats. After building United By Blue into a $20M sustainable apparel brand, he transitioned into outdoor hospitality with The Rex Hotel and Camp Ferncrest. Now focused on scaling Ferncrest through a franchise model, Brian is on a mission to make nature-based stays more accessible, profitable, and thoughtfully designed.

Connect with Brian

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianlinton/

Website: https://findingpromisedland.com/

Instagram: @findingpromisedland & @campferncrest

Connect with Mike and Nate:

Invest with Mike & Nate: malama-capital.com/invest

Instagram: @the_hotel_investor_playbook

Contact Us: info@hotelinvestorplaybook.com

Not sure if your tax advisor is actually optimizing your returns, or just filing forms? In this episode of the Hotel Investor Playbook, we’re joined by Kelly Tate, a CPA with over two decades of experience helping real estate and hospitality investors navigate the tax code with confidence.

We dive into key strategies like bonus depreciation, Section 179, and cost segregation, and explore how to structure your entities to maximize tax efficiency, especially when you’re juggling both real estate ownership and active operations.

Whether you’re an experienced sponsor or just scaling into your first hotel deal, this conversation will help you ask better questions, avoid common pitfalls, and gain peace of mind that your CPA is adding real value.

Topics Covered:

• The difference between Section 179 and bonus depreciation
• How cost segregation works and when to use it
• Why your entity structure matters more than you think
• How to know if your CPA is the right fit for real estate investing
• When to consider getting a second opinion on your tax strategy

About Kelly

Kelly Tate is a seasoned CPA, entrepreneur, and Co-Founder/CFO of KTA Financial Services, a Las Vegas-based firm specializing in bookkeeping and tax preparation for franchise owners. With over 15 years of experience, Kelly has built a reputation for helping clients navigate taxation, deal structure, and financing. Through KTA and his own firm, Kelly Tate CPA, he serves hundreds of businesses with innovative financial solutions and proprietary technology. His mission: to simplify and elevate financial operations so business owners can focus on growth.

Connect with Mike and Nate:

Invest with Mike & Nate: malama-capital.com/invest

Instagram: @the_hotel_investor_playbook

Contact Us: info@hotelinvestorplaybook.com

We're proving why hostels are one of the most powerful investment models in real estate. In this episode, Mike and Nate break down exactly why they’re going all-in on hostels and how they turn underperforming assets into award-winning hospitality destinations.

You’ll learn:

• Why the U.S. hostel market is ripe for disruption
• The revenue model that turns $100 rooms into $300 cash machines
• How their guest-first brand became a marketing engine
• Why “flawed” properties are actually a goldmine for this model
• What Gen Z travelers are demanding and why hostels deliver
• Plus, some hints on what they're building next in Los Angeles

If you’ve ever considered buying a boutique hotel or investing in experiential hospitality, this episode will give you a whole new lens.

Listen now and learn why hostels might be the highest-ROI play in the game.

Connect with Mike and Nate:

Invest with Mike & Nate: malama-capital.com/invest

Instagram: @the_hotel_investor_playbook

Contact Us: info@hotelinvestorplaybook.com