Smoky Mountain Vacation Rental Forum


SMoky mountain vacation rental forum

A podcast for cabin owners who care about more than the bottom line. Real experience, honest perspective, and practical wisdom — from someone who's been doing this in the Smokies since 1972.

                                                                                               
                                                                About the Show

The Smoky Mountain Vacation Rental Forum is a place for cabin owners, managers, and hosts who want to do this the right way. Host Tom Goodwin has been managing vacation rentals in the Gatlinburg area since 2012 — and his family's company, Mountain Laurel Chalets, has been doing it since 1972. Each episode is a real conversation about what it means to be a good steward of your property, your guests, and this community. No hype. No hot takes. Just honest perspective from someone who's been around long enough to know what actually works.

Episode One
Episode one

25,000 Cabins — Are We Doing This Right?

Episode One
Episode Four

Managing From Four Hours Away: What 20 Years of Getting It Right Looks Like with Paula Elliott


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Episode Two
Episiode Two

What's Really Happening in This Market — The Honest Version

Episode Three
Episode Three

What Great Hospitality Actually Looks Like — And Why It's Getting Rare

Host Tom Goodwin
As the CEO of Mountain Laurel Chalets and a lifelong student of hospitality, Tom took the helm of MLC in 2012 — a company his in-laws Ralph and Dot Egli built from scratch in 1972 — and has spent every year since trying to learn from the owners, guests, and community that make this place worth caring about. He also hosts For the Love of Gatlinburg, a show about the people and places that make the Smokies special.