The Overlooked Hotel Model Making Real Money | Mike Nielson
From The Matthews Mentality Podcast by Kyle Matthews
March 31, 2026 · 1h 8m · Episode 109
About this episode
Mike Nielson discusses the economy extended stay hotel model and its resilience during COVID, along with insights on real estate development and investor strategies.
Real estate developer Mike Nielson, CEO of LivAway Suites and West 77 Partners, explains economy extended stay hotels as a hybrid closer to multifamily than traditional lodging, serving essential-workforce and life-transition guests needing furnished stays from roughly 90 days to six months. He shares how COVID revealed the segment’s resilience when traditional hotels collapsed, inspiring the mission to deliver a cleaner, safer, more consistent product for underserved customers. Nielson details LivAway’s rapid growth since its first 2024 opening—over 100,000 room nights sold, eight hotels open, and additional properties in development nationwide—and credits vertical integration across brand, development, construction, and property management for consistency. He also recounts an early contractor bankruptcy crisis, his contrarian investing roots, a cash-on-cash-focused investor base, and advice on compounding experience and relationships over time. 00:00 Why Build LivAway 02:08 Extended Stay Explained 03:19 Who Stays Here 06:41 COVID Proof Demand 11:20 Fixing A Broken Product 11:58 Vertical Integration Edge 14:41 Contrarian Origin Story 17:21 Underwriting To Conviction 26:28…
People in this episode
Host: Kyle Matthews
Guest: Mike Nielson
Topics covered
- extended stay hotels
- real estate development
- COVID resilience
- vertical integration
- investor mindset
Keywords
- extended stay
- real estate
- COVID impact
- hotel model
- investing
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: LivAway Suites, West 77 Partners
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