We’re continuing our brand new segment: ‘Building It’, where I sit down with trailblasing founders in the accommodation space to unpack exactly how they built their businesses from the ground up. It’s not about fluffy success stories. It’s about the grit, the strategy, the setbacks—and the steps that actually worked.
This week’s episode takes us deep into Southeast Asia with Daniel Rouquette, co-founder of Villa Finder, one of the leading OTA and property management businesses operating across six countries, with over $10M in bookings annually and 30,000+ nights booked last year alone. Daniel and his team have built a powerhouse brand that thrives on guest experience, owner trust, and raw, data-driven decision-making.
Whether you’re running a small holiday let, scaling a STR brand, or just curious how the biggest players got there, this episode is packed with real lessons you can use. Daniel breaks down how they tackled one of the hardest models in our industry, building a double-sided marketplace (think Airbnb before Airbnb took over). He shares how they signed their first 200 villas on a scooter in Bali, managed availability manually (yes, really), and built tools in-house to fix problems others didn’t see coming.
There’s a lot here for you—whether you’re trying to build trust with guests, get repeat bookings, or decide where to put your time and money as you grow. And if you’ve ever thought about launching a platform or expanding your PM business, this is a must-listen.
SHOW LINKS
Villa Finder – https://www.villafinder.com
#scaleyourbrand
#hospitalitystrategy
#guestfirstgrowth
📋 In this episode, we discuss:
00:00 Building It Begins: Meet Daniel from Villa Finder
01:00 From Backpack to Business: Starting Up in Bali
03:30 What Is Villa Finder & How Big Is It Today?
06:00 Hustling in the Heat: Scooters, Sign-Ups & Sweat
08:30 The Guest Trust Gap: Solving the Real Problem
10:00 From OTA to Property Management: The Natural Pivot
15:30 The Tool That Changed Everything: Inter & Availability
20:00 The Data-Driven Mindset That Scaled the Brand
34:15 Daniel’s Biggest Lessons on Leadership & Growth
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