Michael Russell - Short-Term Rentals, Hostels, and Hotels

Michael Russell is a seasoned real estate investor and hospitality entrepreneur who turned short-term rentals on Maui into financial freedom before scaling into hostel and hotel investing. As the co-founder of Howzit Hostels—the small hostel in North America—and Malama Capital, he brings over 20 years of experience across short-term rentals, long-term rentals, commercial real estate, and hospitality assets. He shares how he sources and analyzes hotel deals, leads acquisitions, and is leveraging systems and AI to create efficient, high–cash flow hospitality investments with strong equity upside. Also a co-host of the Hotel Investor Playbook podcast, he offers practical insights for investors looking to transition from Airbnb-style rentals into hotels, build scalable businesses, and design unforgettable guest experiences—all while balancing entrepreneurship, family life, and island living in Maui. FOLLOW MICHAEL 👇

You can listen to Michael Russell - Short-Term Rentals, Hostels, and Hotels online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Michael Russell - Short-Term Rentals, Hostels, and Hotels is an episode from REL Freedom Podcast by Mike Swenson.

This episode is 36:26 long.

This episode was published on Jan 15, 2026.

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