Springs Hospitality’s Jordan Malara on Going from Space Force Engineer to Boutique Hotel Owner

Jordan Malara didn’t take the usual path into hospitality. In this episode of Unchecked In, we sit down with the owner of Springs Hospitality (Colorado) to talk about his leap from U.S. Space Force engineer to boutique hotel operator, and what he’s learning as he scales from short term rentals into hotels.

Jordan shares why he prefers buying existing properties over building from the ground up, how he spots undervalued assets using location and demand signals, and the metrics he leans on when evaluating a deal (ADR, occupancy, RevPAR, plus what online reviews can reveal that spreadsheets miss). We also get into the operational realities: where renovations pay off most, why guest experience is shaped as much by communal spaces and wellness as it is by the rooms, and how to build a brand that actually means something in a sea of independents. Along the way, he’s candid about what first time hotel investors often underestimate, from seasonality and cash flow to hidden cap ex and the day to day complexity of running the operation.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Jordan went from military engineering to hotel ownership

• Why he buys existing hotels instead of building new

• What he looks for in a market and how he identifies undervalued properties

• The performance metrics that matter most (and why reviews belong on the list)

• Renovation strategy: balancing budget, operations, and guest experience

• Where to invest beyond the room: communal spaces, wellness, and human check in

• Why branding fails for many independents and how to approach it differently

• Hiring and retention: creating autonomy and ownership for the team

• The misconceptions that trip up new investors: seasonality, cap ex, and operational lift