Spencer Rysman
I am an experienced real estate investor and I’m looking for my next hotel, along with partners or investors who align with my vision.
This is the vision.
Who I am as an Investor
I come from a background in branding, web design, and digital marketing – fields that trained me to blend creative vision with measurable, grounded results. I naturally think in terms of guest journeys, storytelling, and experience design, and I apply the same user-centric sensibilities to hospitality: noticing friction, anticipating needs, and elevating moments that shape how people feel. I have experience in residential real estate, giving me a foundation for deal-making and a basis for transitioning to commercial real estate.
My strengths sit at the intersection of creativity and practicality. I’m a visionary type who is also deeply pragmatic – a rational optimist. I enjoy imagining what’s possible, but I’m equally focused on what can actually be executed. I’m organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing projects, keeping teams aligned, and communicating clearly. I have good instincts for design and renovations and work well as a collaborating voice when paired with someone who specializes in architecture, construction, or interiors.
I’m not the numbers-and-spreadsheets partner, and I don’t naturally gravitate toward bookkeeping, HR logistics, or dealing with government agencies. I’m also not interested in being the sole operational manager who corrals partners or handles every administrative detail. My best work happens when I’m leading the creative and experiential side of the business, supported by others who balance out the operational and financial lanes.
As an INTJ, I think in systems, structure, and long-term alignment — and this business fits that way of working.
What My Business Is
My business is the creation and operation of small, character-driven boutique hotels — properties in the 15–30 room range that prioritize design, experience, and story over scale. These hotels operate lean but thoughtfully, with enough amenities to create a sense of place without becoming heavy or complex to manage.
The business exists to breathe new life into undervalued or underperforming assets — places that have good bones, strong markets, or untapped potential, but are held back by outdated design, poor branding, limited vision, or owner neglect. I’m not chasing distressed assets or deep-turnaround projects; I want properties that are stable enough to be safe but misaligned enough to be improved.
Creatively, the business focuses on properties where design, digital presence, and thoughtful operations can make a measurable difference. Operationally, it relies on lean, modern systems and smart team structure.
At its core, the business is about crafting meaningful, human-centered hospitality through design, storytelling, and intentional guest experience.
Boutique Hotel Vision
Design & Style
My aesthetic leans toward warm minimalism and refined coziness to create spaces that feel serene, intentional, and quietly beautiful.
I’m open to other styles depending on the partners and the property, but I’m most comfortable leading hotels rooted in calm, timeless, organic design.
Amenities & Features
My hotel vision includes:
- A curated lobby or lounge designed for connection and relaxation
- Self-serve coffee and tea
- Light F&B (breakfast, small bites, simple options)
- A comfortable and purposeful outdoor area
- A small retail element (branded items, essentials, local goods)
- Optional wellness touchpoints (breathwork, yoga, small spa offerings) depending on partners and concept
The amenities are thoughtful but not excessive. The goal is to add value without weighing down operations.
Guest Experience Philosophy
Every touchpoint should feel intuitive, smooth, and welcoming. I focus on:
- Frictionless check-in and check-out
- Clear communication
- Warm but unobtrusive service
- Small, well-designed details that elevate the stay
- A digital journey that matches the physical one
The hotel doesn’t need to be flashy; it needs to feel purposefully done.
Target Audience
Our hotels are designed for guests who naturally align with our brand values and operational model. These are travelers who:
- Appreciate modern tools and are comfortable with a tech-forward, streamlined experience
- Value unique, intentional, thoughtfully crafted environments
- Seek a sense of connection and story — not just a room to sleep in
- Notice and appreciate small details, design choices, and curated touches
Serving this type of guest allows us to build a hospitality product that is both straightforward and elevated. In this business thoughtful design and smart systems matter more than excessive staffing or amenities.
Ideal Operating Model
Leverage
To support this vision, the business uses the right kinds of leverage:
Technology
AI, automation, and modern hospitality tools reduce friction, support the guest experience, and free the team to focus on high-value, human moments. Technology should not be utilized as a gimmick, rather a strategic enabler of smooth and efficient operations.
Media
Brand storytelling, digital presence, and content platforms help build awareness, deepen loyalty, and expand market share. Media allows us to scale reputation without scaling overhead.
Capital & People
We use these forms of leverage thoughtfully and minimally. We don’t rely on large teams or heavy capital structures. Instead, we build lean, focused operations where each resource is intentional and aligned with the property’s vision.
This combination of the right guest, the right tools, and the right kind of leverage is what allows small hotels to operate with clarity, character, and profitability.
My Lane
The areas where I’m strongest and feel comfortable leading are:
- Branding + Creative Direction
- Digital presence: website, UX, visuals, storytelling
- Guest experience + touchpoint design
- Design participation + project oversight (with a specialist leading)
- High-level operations vision and systems
- Project management (shared, not solo)
- Business strategy + long-term planning
What I Want to Delegate
The areas I want off my plate or supported:
- Full financial modeling, spreadsheets, and bookkeeping
- HR logistics, licensing, compliance
- Daily operational staffing and oversight
- Heavy construction leadership
- Partner herding / being the sole accountability person
How I Want Teams to Work
The business works best with partners who each own a lane but also have a supporting partner beside them. No silos, no lone wolves. Collaboration is essential, but responsibility should be clearly defined so things don’t fall on one person.
The culture should feel like:
- Creative and open
- Organized and accountable
- Focused on clarity, communication, and structure
- Supportive without being micromanaging
Hotel Deal 'Buy Box'
Hotel Scale
- 15–30 rooms
- Small enough to stay lean
- Large enough to justify amenities and staffing
Market & Property Type
- Strong leisure-driven markets
- Seasonal is okay as long as demand is consistent
- Properties with charm, character, or a unique setting
- Undervalued or mismanaged hotels in otherwise solid markets
Operational Condition
- Stable but underperforming
- Outdated but with good bones
- Under-marketed and poorly presented
- A property that simply needs vision, structure, design, and digital competency
Stay Away From
- Ultra-distressed properties
- Pure motels with zero design potential
- Projects requiring major ground-up development
- Non-diverse customer base
Long-Term Path
Scaling is optional, not mandatory. Growth will happen only if:
- The team is strong and aligned
- The operating model is smooth
- The creative and guest experience remain consistent
- Each acquisition fits the vision and style
The goal is not mass expansion; the goal is building memorable, well-run, beautifully crafted small hotels that I’m proud of and creatively connected to.
Whether it’s one property or a small portfolio, the business is meant to let me do thoughtful, intentional work with the right people.
