Yanique DaCosta Launches Boutique Hotel Playbook Podcast for Hotel Owners

Created by the founder of YKMD, the podcast spotlights hotel owners and experts rethinking brand, guest experience, and direct bookings.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, UNITED STATES, June 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Boutique hotel brand strategist and YKMD founder Yanique DaCosta has launched The Boutique Hotel Playbook, a podcast spotlighting the owners, investors, designers and hospitality leaders behind memorable independent hotel experiences.

Created for boutique hotel owners, operators and investors, the show explores the decisions that turn small properties into destination brands, including positioning, guest experience, design, operations, marketing, direct booking growth and the realities of hotel ownership.

Independent and boutique properties often compete against larger hotel groups, online travel agencies and increasingly sophisticated guest expectations. For many smaller operators, the challenge is not simply having a beautiful property. It is creating a clear brand story, consistent guest journey and digital presence that gives travelers the confidence to book.

“Boutique hotels are not just selling rooms. They are selling a feeling, a point of view and a reason to be remembered,” said DaCosta, founder of YKMD and host of The Boutique Hotel Playbook. “This podcast is about pulling back the curtain on what actually makes those properties work, from brand and operations to the guest moments people talk about after they leave.”

DaCosta’s perspective is shaped by both hospitality and brand experience. She began her career at the hotel front desk, comes from a family that owned a small hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and later worked in property management and luxury residential environments. Through YKMD, she helps boutique hotel owners and general managers develop story-driven brand systems that connect visual identity, messaging, guest touchpoints, digital presence and visibility strategy.

The Boutique Hotel Playbook features conversations with hotel owners, general managers, investors, real estate professionals, designers and hospitality experts. Topics include hotel openings, repositioning, guest loyalty, revenue opportunities, operational readiness, brand differentiation, direct bookings and what it takes to build a property guests remember and recommend.

Listeners who want to continue the conversation can also join The Boutique Hotel Players, a free online community created to help independent boutique hotel owners, operators and hospitality professionals connect, share lessons and dive deeper into the strategies discussed on the podcast. At the time of this release, the podcast and community are free resources designed to help independent boutique hotels compete with larger hospitality brands and build a stronger share of the market.

The launch comes as independent hotels continue looking for ways to stand out beyond location, amenities and price. By centering practical conversations with people working inside the industry, the podcast gives boutique hotel professionals a resource for learning from real projects, real decisions and real lessons from the field.

“Guests can feel when a property has a story and when every detail is working together,” DaCosta said. “The goal of the podcast and community is to help more hotel owners think beyond the room and start building brands people trust, book and rave about.”

The Boutique Hotel Playbook is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. New episodes are released every Tuesday. Visit [http://boutiquehotelplaybookpod.com/](http://boutiquehotelplaybookpod.com/) to listen and learn more.

Listeners can join The Boutique Hotel Players community at [https://www.skool.com/the-boutique-hotel-players-4144/](https://www.skool.com/the-boutique-hotel-players-4144/).

About YKMD

YKMD is a brand development and creative strategy company helping boutique hotel owners and general managers attract high-value guests, increase direct bookings and stand out in a crowded market. The company focuses on full-service brand development, guest experience touchpoints, digital presence and visibility strategy for boutique hospitality businesses.

Peace Eyong
YKMD
PR@theykmd.com
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