Can a Hotel Run Without a General Manager?
45 minutes
Season 5
·
Episode 9
In This Conversation
In this episode of Check-In with Bryan, Bryan sits down in person with returning guest Cody Adent, President and Chief Financial Officer of Vibrant Management, a forward-thinking hospitality management company specializing in boutique hotels, independent properties, and unique hospitality experiences.
Cody shares how Vibrant Management is expanding into markets like South Lake Tahoe, why their “Virtual GM” model works so well for smaller independent hotels, and how AI, automation, guest messaging, smart locks, revenue tools, and remote operations are reshaping the way boutique properties are managed.
The conversation also dives into hotel tech adoption, why hospitality is such a difficult industry for new software companies to break into, the role of AI in improving—not replacing—hotel operations, and why independent hotels need partners who understand their specific challenges.
Bryan and Cody also talk about BITAC, casino hospitality, guest data, OTA challenges, conference networking, hotel reviews, barn door disasters, family travel, and the realities of building long-term relationships in the hospitality industry.
Key Topics
Lost in the listening distance, as dark locks in.
Drifting through the listening distance, as time stands still
Fading into the listening distance, where time holds its breath.
In This Episode:
What a Virtual GM is and how it works
Why smaller boutique hotels can benefit from remote operations
How AI is being used in guest communication and revenue management
Why hospitality tech companies need to play the long game
The challenge of switching PMS, booking engines, and software systems
Why independent hotels are often underserved by major conferences
How Vibrant Management finds its niche with unique properties
Cody’s path into hospitality through finance and hotel ownership
What casino hotels can teach the rest of hospitality about data
Why great hotel operations still come down to common sense
Cody Adent
President, Chief Financial Officer
Vibrant Management
About Our Guest
Cody began his career in sales making a name for himself in the Wireless Industry. What started out as a sales role quickly turned into Sales Leadership ranking 15th overall nationally for Alltel Wireless. From that success, he was requested from the VP of the Southwest to open an Authorized Retailer for Alltel. That created the birth of The Cell Phone Guy, an Alltel Authorized Agent. The Cell Phone Guy quickly became one of the leading retailers within the region for Alltel. With its success and the overall growth of the industry Cody was approached by an investor to purchase his business. This created the opportunity to transition back into the corporate world with Wireless Advocates. Cody once again quickly established himself as a leader within the organization earning District Manager of the Year in back to back years for the entire company.
Cody then had a small stint with a competing Wireless Company who had recruited him to rebuild a region within their organization. After that transition, Cody began a new chapter with an upstart Event Marketing company. He operated as the CFO/VP of Sales growing the company from operations in one city to over a dozen in his time at G4G Marketing. After accomplishing his goals with the G4G Cody came back to St. George and started consulting for ZionNationalPark.com, which turned into a full-time position with Vibrant Management as the CFO/VP of all the different entities under their management. With Cody, you get an incredibly driven and results-oriented individual who has the ability to bring a team together to achieve incredible results.
