🌟 EXPERIENTIAL HOSPITALITY EXPERTS🌟 Ashley Skeeters: Pioneering the Future of RV Park Hospitality with Tech and Touch

Speaker 1: 0:01

Welcome to Talk About TV and Podcast, as we present Female Leaders in Experiential Hospitality sponsored by Expatality the Experience of Hospitality, because the experience of hospitality transforms the world. I'm your host, Michelle Oliver. Please subscribe to the channel and visit us also on YouTube at Talk About TV. Okay so, Ashley Skeeters, welcome. Thank you so much for being here. I'm really, really excited to get to know you a little bit better and I'm going to read, as I just said, a little bit about your history and then, of course, anybody who wants to can go dig deeper. But Ashley Skeeters works with Castle Park Investments and she's an RV portfolio leader, and you specialize in revenue management, hospitality and operational development, Am I right? Okay, there's a lot of other stuff too. So you have had 15 years of experience in hospitality and property management and you're focused on actually optimizing diverse assets and diverse markets, and you're the regional VP of RV Resorts at Castle Park Investments. So tell me a little bit, if you would. Just to start, let's talk about 2023. What happened at Castle Park this year?

Speaker 2: 1:58

A lot is happening at Castle Park. We're definitely in acquisition mode, so we're looking at several different asset classes to bring on board and looking to stabilize the assets that we have so we can be a turnkey operator, so really getting all of the foundations in place that we need so that we can scale efficiently and effectively.

Speaker 1: 2:29

That's a very huge undertaking.

Speaker 2: 2:32

It is, but it's fun. It's a lot of fun along the way.

Speaker 1: 2:37

What kind of trends have you seen this year, just in the market overall?

Speaker 2: 2:43

Data. So everybody is making data driven decisions, which I like to see. You know we are some of the best platforms that I've seen throughout my career are transitioning into new industries. So we're getting a lot of bang for the buck in platforms in this RV hospitality industry and it's really giving us the tools that we need to make the proper decisions. You know this industry is, you know, inherently mom and pop organizations that you know we're taking over for so a lot of things that were done. You know literally pen and paper, and so we're getting into. You know technology environment is not only rewarding, it's challenging at the same time but really gives, you know, owner operators like like Castle Park, the opportunity to really dive into the asset and fully understand it, not only for their side, but also for their investors.

Speaker 1: 3:58

So you're saying that the opportunity right now is really to go to these mom and pop type assets, and then you are turning it around basically and making it very profitable.

Speaker 2: 4:13

Yeah, you know, just with tools that you know they never had access to. You know it's not no fault of theirs, it's just a different. You know we're serving a different demographic in this industry. You know we're we're introducing the world of RV leisure into several different categories of traveler and it's very exciting.

Speaker 2: 4:40

You know, I come from the hospitality industry of mostly hotels and being in this RV industry, you know, over the last couple of years, you know it's it's very much the same. I say that this industry, you know they just bring their own hotel room, so that's really the only major difference. But they're looking for all the same amenities, they're looking for the same experience. You know hospitality has a different meaning for everybody, but to me it's always been exceeding guest expectations and it's really it's unique for everybody that you touch. And to have that opportunity to bring that into this environment has been kind of game changing for people like Castle Park, to have that, you know, foundation, to go in With that lens and be able to be effective in how they, how they grow their assets and their teams.

Speaker 1: 5:49

Yeah, this is a conversation I've been having quite often with people. Actually, it's the big buzz right now. Right, how do we take hotel best practices and kind of translate that for the RV Resort or and all these new terms are coming out like landscape hotel, disperse hotel and it's kind of fun, really, because what you're saying is like what you said about hospitality, and we had this conversation a little bit at oh hi the one night that I got to speak with you for nine and a half minutes or something. But everybody has their own kind of definition of hospitality because they know how they feel when they're experiencing it, right, and then you're wanting to translate that and pass that on to your guest and your team and everything.

Speaker 1: 6:40

So one of the topics that seems to come up within this how do we take hotel best practices and then translate them for an RV Resort or a disperse hotel is how do we keep the heart of the mom and pop and yet implement the technology? And there's a lot of talk about AI and all the tech, and it is so exciting because it facilitates that, right. So what's your stance on that? Like, how, how are you navigating all of those intriguing waters?

Speaker 2: 7:15

Yeah, I think talent acquisition is just as important as you know the assets that you acquire. You know. So with Castle Park, where it's a relatively young company. So, really building that foundation of good, solid people and building your team surrounding that because, yes, technology has has its advantages, but where you see, you know the key players that are making a difference. It's really through those touch points that technology will be able to, to reinforce, the same way as a human would. So, and I've always, always been a strong proponent of that and I, when I look to build my teams, I call it the 51 and 49, 51% is that, is that heart, it's what you were born with. 49%. So if someone has, you know, 51% of that, you can teach the rest of the 49. But if it was the other way around, it's just that's where that's where it becomes becomes challenging. But again, you know, we're always working with a very humanitarian approach, with technology as the baseline to make good decisions.

Speaker 1: 8:41

I love that. It's absolutely true. It's scalable. You know, the thing with the heart of the mom and pop is you can't, you can't scale it. You know, and they, they, they burn out it's. It's. Now we have the advantage of technology and I just a broader perspective, and when you come to it from hotel, which is scalable and you've seen it, you know where the gaps are and then you can just fill those in and now you have an opportunity to do it all. So tell me a little bit about, if you would. Just, I don't know, you want to give an example of one of the properties, like how the team works and how you integrate experiences and culture, and just kind of a scenario of what you're doing at a property.

Speaker 2: 9:33

So you know we have, we have several properties. You know I have nine properties in my region right now. Some are seasonal, most of those are northeast campgrounds and then our RV assets are, you know, in Arizona and Texas, but one that comes to mind is Silverview RV resort in bullhead city. It is a very seasonal but yet residential component. So we're serving kind of two different demographics and it's very, very community driven. You know we we went in trying to build a strong team. I'm very much it's. It has over 400 sites. I like the general manager model when you get into sites that large. So building that foundation, finding that right person, we have an amazing general manager that that manages that property and really brings together her team and has has just really turned this property around and it's, you know, 100% occupied, has a waiting list, has so many different amenities for for the guests and the residents. You know it's just, it's a killer, killer property great place.

Speaker 1: 11:07

It's really fascinating to me how we're just so much more about human beings holistically in how we're serving.

Speaker 1: 11:16

Now I've been reading a lot about these hotels where you can. You know, the new trend apparently is you can go into a hotel and then you kind of it's like a choose your own adventure when if you go to the left it's the luxurious one, if you go to the right, maybe you're a digital nomad and you have, like, the Peloton in your room and you don't even have to go to the gym. All of these very personalized experiences. So when you're speaking right now about how some of it is residential and some of it is seasonal, that's always kind of been the way it is right at these RV resorts because you it's more sustainable, right, and yet what a unique opportunity. And when you come in with your hotel perspective, then you can see how all of that can be upgraded with residential and it kind of becomes the sweet spot, the best of all these worlds. How do you, do you treat the residential people any different? Like how, how do they integrate with the rest of the park?

Speaker 2: 12:27

Everyone is treated the same way. You know we always treat people like we want to be treated, you know, and whether they're there for one day or two years, they're the same experience day in and day out. So you know, we want to make sure that we set that standard and that expectation from the first time that they signed their lease or the first time that they check in. So you know, and they they feel that when, when they check in or sign a lease, you know we have, we have standards that are set in place, rules and regulations that you know we make sure that we abide by, so that everybody has a good experience. And we try to reinforce that from a community perspective to have, you know, a safe and engaging community. So that's really what it is at the end of the day. And we like to provide nice amenities for the guests and the residents as well. So they have a full calendar during the season and everyone gets to participate. So there's a lot going on. It's kind of like its own little city.

Speaker 1: 13:45

Well, with 400, that's definitely a city and you've got a built-in community there and I'm sure you have all kinds of community events and all of those types of things. How are you and I'm unfamiliar with that particular area, but how does nature, this desire to reconnect with nature that everyone is seeming to have right now? How are you integrating that into your properties?

Speaker 2: 14:15

Definitely with our sites. So we are definitely getting into categorizing our sites, optimizing sites, that you can have that experience that you were talking about. If you're a dog lover, we have this great dog park that's in this community. For instance, If you're a nature lover, this property sits up high on a bluff in Bullhead City that overlooks the Colorado River. So those are our river view sites. So really trying to optimize our systems so that people are really choosing what they want and they have that when they get there. So trying to give them the most up-to-date information while they're booking their site, giving them the opportunity to pick their own site All of those things are what we're trying to optimize on a day-to-day basis at all of our properties.

Speaker 1: 15:20

And that's kind of where technology comes in right. Every time I turn around there's another new software or another new way to communicate with the guests, and it's a little bit overwhelming and there's always that fear of missing out. Am I missing something that would better serve a touch point? So, because this is something I don't know, maybe we can talk about this a little bit. The touch point, kind of this perfect sweet spot, I guess again is the right word for how much of that am I? How much of that are they using?

Speaker 1: 16:00

And then when I went to an RV resort last I guess it was in the fall and I got a phone call the day after I arrived, it was astonishing to me. It was kind of a game changer because I didn't expect it and just wanting to make sure that you received our texts and that you got all the things. And so those little things, I don't know, I guess I noticed them, I'm hypersensitive to them, right, because just being in the space. But how are you handling all of this influx of tech, high tech, like here's another option Do you have somebody just always researching that, or do you stick by one thing?

Speaker 2: 16:48

Automation is key, obviously selecting the right platform that is suitable to your business and how you want to approach your customer and your demographic set.

Speaker 2: 16:59

But we're embracing it kind of one day at a time, because there's something new every day. To be honest, where we find our biggest success is engaging with them via text, via email, not too often, but often enough, so they know, and it's different at every one of our resorts. So it's just trying to find that happy medium. But optimizing the texting has not only been a great touch point, but it's also been a huge revenue generator. As you're making these touch points with your guests during their stay or before their stay, you can shoot them a text and the weather forecast looks great. Why don't you extend your stay? Here's a promo code to extend your stay. We saw that you were enjoying the pool. Extend your stay another couple of days while you're there. So just reinforcing little things like that is not only making them connect with you from a technology perspective, but it's also increasing your bottom line, which is also why we're all in business, right.

Speaker 2: 18:17

I think, today and it's been a big game changer for us. So texting is huge.

Speaker 1: 18:26

It's such a great way to increase ancillary revenue with everything. Yeah, did you know we had golf carts? Did you know we have a dog wash or whatever the thing is. It's like that's your concierge, right. It's just kind of living on the shoulder of your guests at all times and, if you do it right, I agree with you. There's so much magic in that your anticipating needs. It could be recommending if you have food and beverage online specials, or just it's really incredible Buy a hat, get a dog collar, you know.

Speaker 2: 19:05

Yes, and then it's also anticipating that final ask, of course, when they leave. Obviously, reviews are huge in our business, so you're just constantly working toward that natural inclination for those people to actually want to give you that good review instead of having to ask for it. So it's a very natural response when they do get that email to give us that review, because they've had those touchpoints throughout their stay. So we've been finding that, since we've optimized that technology, that we're seeing reviews come in at a greater pace than we've ever seen.

Speaker 1: 19:58

So that is so great, ashley, this is such an important thing for people to address. I know that with Expatality my company, we offer a service like that where we come and do like a third party review, almost like I hate to use the word like a mystery shopper, because we tell them who we are, but where we interact with the guests and we get really legitimate feedback while they're on site from a third party. Right, it's very powerful. But when you're speaking, I was thinking that is such a great idea, the way you are doing it and how you actually could have touchpoints during their stay.

Speaker 1: 20:41

Tell us what feedback would you give about the Zipline Adventure or whatever. So throughout, those could then translate to reviews on your site as well. I mean, I guess you have to ask for permission somewhere along the line to share their feedback, but what would you share with others about going to the Tea Party or the campfire, whatever it was? And it's so much more powerful when they're in the midst of it than when they're on the way home and they're all kind of, oh, we have to go back to our real lives. There's probably a way you can do that.

Speaker 2: 21:23

Yeah, we've been able to go back kind of in time too now that we have these platforms that are in place. So we're actually able to go back and look at people that have checked out you know, 90 days, 180 days ago and you know, ask them about how their stay was and get that review and schedule drip campaigns to do those things, and you know it's just that's where technology is helping. You know tenfold, because it would take, you know, a whole team of people to be able to go back and do that and contact them. With a click of a button you have an automation that's set up. So you know that's where technology is driving our business, with a very human approach, because we're setting this all up, we're making sure that you know we're not contacting them too much. So it's that same, we're still setting it up. They're still a human setting it up, but the technology is doing all the hard work for it.

Speaker 1: 22:34

Yeah, that's extraordinary. It would take a whole, like you said, a whole team of really rock star sales people, because the follow-up is what everyone says they're doing and they're not. So you can delegate that to technology. It's a game changer, yeah, wonderful. Well, so when you say we're doing that right, we're back to like the team, and I know that one of the places you shine in a lot of areas, but I know one of the places that you really shine and that you're passionate about is culture, building the culture. Do you want to share a little bit about how you do that and how? You did mention a little bit about hiring right, having the right team. That's kind of where it starts. And then what do you do beyond that to keep everybody motivated, engaged and hospitable at all times?

Speaker 2: 23:32

Yeah, I think that you know, being a female in this industry has been so humbling for me. You know I've it's been a long road to get to where I'm at. Definitely, you know a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but I've put in the hard work to get here. But I think at the end of the day it's very humbling. You have to try to have that experience when you're mentoring other people.

Speaker 2: 24:07

I have never let titles define who I am. I think that's been huge. I try to reinforce that with my team. All the time I am a part of the team, I want to make sure that I lead by example. So if they're stuck, you know, in their POS system and they don't know how to do it, you know I'll go right in and be able to do it with them.

Speaker 2: 24:34

And I was in restaurant hospitality and had to train in every single front of house position and back of house position and I think that that's where I really got the drive and the skill set to build strong teams and leadership. It's because, again, titles don't define who you are. It takes, you know, the entire team to do what we do every single day. It's not just me. So I just try to reinforce that every day I don't have all the answers. I try to learn every single day. I think I do, and just having an open mind and having strong expectations too of the team. At the end of the day, you know, we want to do a good job and there is, you know, a lot of expectation in doing that.

Speaker 1: 25:43

This is one of the things I think I love most about hospitality.

Speaker 1: 25:46

Any way, anywhere you find it, whether in a restaurant, hotel and RV, it's everywhere right. But what I love most about it is is what you shared about the humility, and I think it's one of the best ways to grow as as a human being, to kind of do your time in every position, because it really is a great way to do it. It really is humbling and you know what it takes. It's like putting on an event every single day. You know what it takes, and if you're missing the ice or you're missing the, the hostess, or you're missing anybody on that team, you can't deliver properly. Right, If the, the tech isn't working, and so it becomes, I think, one of the most just fulfilling team sports available. Like, everybody gets to pitch in and and you're never too good to do anything because, because it's always part of the overall, you know, guest experience, right, Ashley? I was so inspired and moved by the story that you shared with me when we were in in oh hi conference, in wherever that was, I don't remember where.

Speaker 2: 27:04

I was Kansas.

Speaker 1: 27:04

City, kansas City. How could I forget Kansas City, kansas City? Would you be open to sharing a little bit about your, your story, like just how you wound up here, some of the things you went through? You don't have to like I can cut all of this out, but it's so inspiring and you're just, you're so, so charming and real and I think it can help a lot of people to hear.

Speaker 2: 27:35

Yeah, um sure I. Um I had my daughter at a very young age going into college, so kind of had to redirect what my plan was, that my plan was to go on to law school and I went to a Valparaiso University in Indiana and kind of had to, like I said, redirect what I was going to do throughout, you know, supporting myself and getting through college. I went into the hospitality industry, as many people do, and I always say the hospitality bug bit me because I never really looked back after that. So I had the opportunity to start in the private club industry working for a house, back of house, and general manager took me under his wing and, like I said, never really looked back from there. Um, but you know it.

Speaker 2: 28:36

Like I said, it took a lot. You know I got, I got told no a lot. And who's gonna is? You know she's not going to graduate, she's not going to do this because she has a baby and all this. You know, I've heard, I've heard it all and that motivated me even more of.

Speaker 2: 28:54

You know I'm pretty stubborn, but you know I look back today. I've had a wonderful life. My, my daughter had just turned 21. And I would not do it any differently than than what I did. So a lot of great people along the way, a lot of amazing mentors. It takes a village and I'm just a small, small piece of the village.

Speaker 2: 29:23

But you know, I think the biggest thing that I could take away is I I never accepted the word no, tried to push through as much as I could and and redirect that no to some version of yes, and that was in many forms very successful and kind of boosted me to the next level in my career.

Speaker 2: 29:55

And you know, I learned later in my career from one of my my good leaders is not to not to personalize it. Yes, that's very, very hard in our industry because it's so personal, but there there are so many walks of life that we come across every day, not only personally but also professionally. And, you know, emotions are everywhere and I think that if someone could be having a bad day, someone could be having a good day. As long as you know that you're, you know, going in there 100% and giving it all that you can. I think the biggest piece of advice that has made me, you know, successful later in my career is is just thinking back to that and I think about it every day, and I think that actually don't personalize it, ashley, and it really helps, you know, move forward.

Speaker 1: 30:59

One of the most powerful things I've ever heard. So it's so true, and I mean I've worked with a lot of women because we know somewhere inside of us what we're capable of Like and we just keep moving towards that right. But that when you speak of it as personalization, it's very insightful because people experience it just as a feeling of doubt and when you're in that feeling, that emotion of doubt, you are victim, you don't have any control over it. But when you can get to that place of wait a second, am I personalizing that?

Speaker 1: 31:38

You know that's a whole, that's a game changer, because you can lift out of that and then you have more agency, you can make better decisions and you can decide how long you're going to suffer, instead of just like moving forward, trying again and championing I have trouble with that word, but being a champion for yourself, right, lifting yourself up, and it's not a like kind of cringy hustle thing, it's the kind of inner drive that you just know who you are and you know your own values and then you start to recognize your own value right, and you have to own that and step into it.

Speaker 1: 32:23

So obviously you have done that and just by virtue of having done that, you become a role model for everyone else. I have one more question for you around this, because you did mention a few times a mentor or someone that kind of noticed you or said the right thing, and I think so many of us. It was that one person that just somehow saw us or just said the right thing at the right time and opened a door and we had to walk through it. But without them nothing would have happened right. So was there one person for you I know there's probably a lot of different people along the way but one specific person that really made a huge difference.

Speaker 2: 33:10

I think a former teacher of mine her name is Abby Downey and she watched my daughter at no charge for me so I could finish my undergrad degree in two years. So I finished my undergrad degree in two years worked and she pretty much raised my little one, helped raise her, and while she wasn't really with me on a day-to-day basis, just knowing that she saw that drive in me really helped motivate me to get there. And I have every, every experience that I've had professionally. I have come away with a mentor that I've come across. So I've had the opportunity to have several over the years, but definitely a handful of people have gone into that, but she would probably be the one that was the foundation of it all.

Speaker 1: 34:31

I absolutely love that you mentioned her, yeah, of everyone, because those are the people that make things possible, and you know what that is. That's hospitality, yeah, I mean, I think we were maybe talking about this that night, I don't know. We're always talking to somebody about hospitality, right. But when you have a difficult guest or whatever, it's such an opportunity and it's just great to seek them out and see something bigger in them and then help them. Be that and that's just by solving the problem and showing them that you're on their side and you're handling it together, whatever.

Speaker 1: 35:20

But that's what she did for you. She saw your greatness and she facilitated it in a way that could easily be forgotten with everything else you've done. And those are, like the touchpoints of hospitality, right, the little moments that, one by one, make a difference and really create that glue that bonds the guests to your property. So really beautiful that you shared that. Absolutely so inspiring. Well, thanks and there's so much more, obviously to Ashley's story, anyone that's watching this. But I feel like if, like you, are probably a mentor to a lot of people and you don't even know it, you inspire them.

Speaker 2: 36:09

That's why I get up every morning. So try to reinforce what you know I had the privilege of getting.

Speaker 1: 36:17

Okay, so what about 2024? What are you thinking? Where are you going? Talk about your big vision.

Speaker 2: 36:27

Well, there's a lot of work to do at Castle Park. Very excited, we have a lot of acquisitions, you know, on the horizon, you know doing some major rebranding. I want to give too much away but have some exciting projects that are there in the works there. But you know it's never a dull moment rebranding is huge.

Speaker 1: 36:52

That's a big deal. Oh, I'm so excited to get very excited.

Speaker 2: 36:59

So yeah, just continuing to kind of build that foundation, you know we have all of the key pieces in place to kind of go out and and now, you know, have have some fun doing some marketing. And I think 2024 is going to be a huge introduction of a new form of residential and travel leisure with incorporating park models in communities. We're seeing a lot of that and it's been very, very successful. So I think that's kind of, you know, that's on the horizon for me in 2024.

Speaker 1: 37:45

That's really exciting. I really like that. All these barriers are breaking down yeah, so interesting, isn't it? And so many people are kind of jumping on the back bandwagon where you know you see it all the time the Airbnb, and then they decide to turn into a glam being site and then all the way to really big brand hotels who are doing this kind of choose your own adventure, and the villas and the residential, and there's so many mixed assets and as more and more people do that, the power is going to be in the magic that we were talking about. What is the experience like for them, Right? So I don't know. It'll be interesting in the next five years to see how all of this kind of flushes out.

Speaker 2: 38:37

It'll be interesting. A lot of like a lot of different mixed assets coming into what was historically, you know, rv, campground, specific sites, and it's becoming more of an affordable second home destination for people to have an asset like that that is sustainable and doesn't have a lot of upkeep and they can go to, you know, their favorite vacation spot and have their own little piece of home. So it's definitely interesting. It's definitely somewhere where I think that this industry is going to go and thrive for sure.

Speaker 1: 39:25

Yeah, it's like the. The whole paradigm is shifting and you don't have a home, like so many young people I speak to they. They don't even there's no, there's no reason, right, just doesn't even make any sense at all. And you have such a and they're very focused on lifestyle based on wellness, health, community and when you can provide all of those things and I say no, right. So think you have your finger on the pulse of hospitality. Yeah, very exciting, it is exciting. Actually, it's been just so delightful to connect with you and I appreciate you sharing your story and just your, your nature, your natural heart for, for this and the influence that you have in the space.

Speaker 2: 40:20

Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 40:22

Yeah, and we'll talk again really soon.

Speaker 2: 40:25

Alright sounds good.

Speaker 1: 40:26

Thank you, ashley, god bless you. Happy New Year. Happy, happy New Year.