Latest / Pillow Talk Sessions / Scaling Exceptional Hospitality: People, Technology and Purpose with Hjörtur Valgeirsson (Íslandshótel)

Transcript

Scaling Exceptional Hospitality: People, Technology and Purpose with Hjörtur Valgeirsson (Íslandshótel) · Pillow Talk Sessions

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: I think for me the human touch isn't necessarily about having sort of every person involved in every part of the guest here.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_02: Guests don't necessarily want to cue at the reception to do something they could do themselves for thirty seconds, for example.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_02: That's where technology can possibly come in.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's what's uh matters is knowing when the guest actually needs human interaction, when something goes wrong, if they need advice, or if they're celebrating something, or or simply when there's a a chance to make a genuine connection.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_02: To make sure that we have the people and the authority to respond.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Pillow Talk Sessions podcast.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: Today, my guest is Horta Valgerson, who is the chief operating officer of Iceland's Hotel, which is Iceland's largest hotel chain.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I first met Hortor when I interviewed him for my book, Tech Enabled Hospitality.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: And then he invited me to come and speak at their management company last year and give a keynote about the research from my book and about how technology is changing hospitality and impacting hospitality.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: And in this conversation, we talk about what it's like to operate in an environment like Iceland, which has unique challenges than other parts of the world.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: And then also what it's like to move from a family-owned company, which is what Iceland's hotel has been, to a brand and chain that is, you know, got some really exciting growth plans as well.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope you enjoy this conversation.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: We talk everything from tech to talent, to culture to sustainability.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope you enjoy it as much as I did recording it.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Porto, welcome to the Pillow Talk Sessions podcast.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: We first met because you very kindly let me interview you for my book, Tech Enabled Hospitality, about a couple of years ago.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: And then the following year, you invited me about this time last year to come to Iceland and to talk about some of the themes that I research for tech enabled hospitality to all your management team.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: And so I've been to your place, I've met your people, which was a great pleasure.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: Could you give our audience an overview of Iceland's hotel?
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: You know, tell us a little bit more about the company.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: That would be really wonderful.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, thank you, Jessica.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I'm very happy to be here.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_02: Uh happy to get a chance to have this talk with you.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it was a pleasure to have you visit us as well.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, it was a very useful talk, an interesting topic that we were talking about.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm glad to be here and to continue the conversation.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_02: Uh well, Islands Hotel is uh hotel company in the hotel chain in Iceland.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: Um and we are uh operating at the moment 19 hotels.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um we are the biggest hotel chain in Iceland.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um and we are a traditionally uh a family uh run operation.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_02: So it started uh in uh the first hotel in 1997, uh with Oliver Torboson opened.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um and it started uh in that area, and then it has grown sort of uh bit by bit over the years, uh adding in new properties and growing.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_02: I've been very focused on on investing in growth and and uh and building up the company.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um I joined the company about 10 years ago.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_02: Joined first as a general manager for uh for uh Foss Hotel Reykjavik, one of the biggest properties, um, and then I transitioned in the uh into the position of uh chief operation officer about uh six years ago.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_02: And um so the uh more about the company, we are, as I said, 19 hotels, but we are uh seven of them, uh sorry, eight of them are in located in Reykjavik, the capital, and then we have uh uh 11 of them spread around the country.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_02: So we have a very strong presence around uh the whole island.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we have a mixture of three-star and four-star properties.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we are operating uh two of the biggest hotels in Reykjavik, some of them have uh big conference facilities.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um and we're also running uh sort of smaller hotels, uh 40 rooms in uh remote locations, which are sort of more uh simple operation.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_02: So there's uh quite a variety in terms of you know the markets and uh and uh sort of the operations of the hotel that we are we are operating.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, that's um and we are uh a company which has since I joined the company changed a lot uh just over the last 10 years.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um of course the market has been changing a lot, a lot of new technology and uh a lot of developments uh in the hotel industry.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um when I started, I I I was uh in reservations uh stamping the confirmations and sending them by fax and putting everything in folders and then organizing it.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_02: So it's uh uh it's uh very interesting to see what's uh what how how it has developed uh over the years and just in the last few years has this developed quite a lot.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_02: So we are sort of on that journey also and have been on that journey on transitioning from a family company to uh uh a bicker operation running the hotel chain, and then uh you know there are some challenges which come come with that, of course, and uh which are interesting and then fun to work with.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I believe it is it true that you have 20% of the RecuVic market that Idoland's hotel covers?
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's about that, yeah.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: And you've just opened two new hotels, like literally in the last week or two, or certainly in the last few weeks.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: How has that been?
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we uh just on the uh two weeks ago we we uh we uh uh we opened up two new properties.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um Histon Reykjavik, which is uh was the first Hilton hotel in in Reykjavik, and then the second property which we are calling Histon Reykjavik Ask.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_02: It's also uh uh uh hotel which opened in the 60s, uh and uh and there's a very uh sort of uh located in the center of Reykjavik as well.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um and we took over the operation there uh in the first of September.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um in total it was uh uh 470 rooms in total, which is um was quite uh uh yeah, big increase in our uh room count, basically.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: So it's been an interesting process, of course, taking over all the operation and uh we sort of are in the still in the process of of finishing that uh that transitions with those properties.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: And perhaps in a moment we could talk more specifically about that challenge of bringing in new properties under the brand.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: But before we get into that, the two two things I'd love to explore with you is you you operate in a place that's unlike anywhere else in the world.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: You know, Iceland is very, very different, more so than I actually imagined until I came to Iceland, to other places.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, you're in a city and you're in very remote areas.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I'd love to kind of explore what's different about both those things.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then also a little later talk about how that transition from a family-owned operator to a chain is going and what's what's been kind of challenging, or what what lessons have you learned along the way?
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: But first let's let's talk about Iceland.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know, what is it that is unique and different and challenging?
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: And also perhaps what is really you know good about operating in Iceland that that maybe those operators that are in easier places to be or or kind of different places to be don't know.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, Iceland is um, of course, it's been uh uh tourism in Iceland has been increasing uh you know tremendously in the last uh 10-15 years.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um and we are lucky to have uh tourists who come here because they love the nature, they want to see the country, and uh uh and they are here to you know experience uh sort of the uniqueness of Iceland in terms of the nature, and uh it's a short way from you know, we are in between uh uh the states and America and uh and the Europe, so we have people coming from both sides and uh also stop over guests uh going across uh you know between uh Europe and America.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_02: So um and um and uh uh I think that um uh yeah, if I s you know what's uh special about the operation of hotels in Iceland, I think um maybe the challenges are that you know we are uh the economy in Iceland has been doing quite well.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_02: Uh this means that the currency is strong also, and uh the prices here are are have sort of been you know quite high compared to others.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, we need to uh make sure that we deliver quality behind what we are charging for.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_02: This is uh a challenge that uh all of the tourists industry basically faces.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um we are also paying the highest salary in the world.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um and uh this is challenging in the hospitality industry as well, because uh you always need more people and you can always add in people, but you need to be uh here we need to be very creative uh in what we are doing in that area.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and Iceland is that area forces you to be a little bit creative.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_02: You don't have the luxury of throwing around people or money at every problem.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_02: So you need to be, you know, often find solutions in that area.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but that also helps sort of uh you know, we are uh traditionally a family company.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_02: We are used to acting fast and uh have a low high hierarchy, and uh we want to respond quickly.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um and this is something that we try to keep this agility as we grow, but at the same time, uh provide the structure needed for consistency and efficiency.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_02: This is sort of what we uh the challenging of growing the operations.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_02: This is uh and this we need to do within this environment where we have high costs and high salary costs, and uh and also as you mentioned, we have different types of properties.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_02: We have uh we are located all around the island.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um so we are not uh we are we are spread out in terms of you know uh where the properties are, and and uh and uh some of them are seasonal.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_02: So in the remote areas, we have properties which are closing down over the winter and are open uh part of the year because the uh the demand uh in the market is not all year round, and then we have uh larger properties which are open all year round, and uh they sort of require a different kind of um approach and operations, basically.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: I think that point about t talent and people, you're having that double-edged sword that many in hospitality have encouraging people to want to come into hospitality today, getting you know the right kinds of people in, but then the additional of it's extremely expensive to to bring more heads into the organ, you know, to bring more people within to the organization.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: And so you you said that you have to be a bit creative, like not just add, you know, extra counts.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: What kinds of things are you doing to work around that or work with that situation?
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_02: No, I I think it's uh I think we are very good at empowering people, and as I said, we have a low hierarchy structure.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_02: Uh you will have fewer management levels, basically, in Iceland, from what you see in uh in hotel operations traditionally, uh for example in in Europe and in the US.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_02: So that sort of helps us in in being more active in in in what people can do and what they uh are responsible for, so we can uh you know you just do what needs to be done on site, of course.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_02: So but it's it's of course it's it's about uh you know uh it's all about attracting the right people, of course.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_02: And uh looking at the you know the new properties that we were opening now, we are very lucky to have about 95% of the staff uh continuing from the uh from the previous operator.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um and it made made this made us possible for us to to keep the operation running, and of course it would have been impossible for if not for the people who are there on site and who know the properties.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um so I think we are uh we are quite lucky in in terms of uh being able to attract good people, and um you know our staff turnover is is is quite low.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um and that's uh it's lower than the average in the in the industry.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_02: So this hopefully says that we are doing something to keep uh keep our people happy.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: Having been to your management day and sort of watched your team interact with each other, interact with you and the CEO and and just the vibe of the room, like it was really clear to me that you're a special company and that culture um is really very much underpinning that, you know, it was it was quite a joy actually to be sort of part of.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: I got a you know, a um a real sense also how much you invest in people as well, um, in terms of that.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: So um, but I also think that you can't, even though you know, when I interviewed for you for my book, it's but we talked very much about tech, right?
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: And about how technology can ease operational friction points and challenges and that sort of thing.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: But one of, I believe, isn't it, your underlying kind of mission is it exceptional hospitality is your um the company's kind of ethos.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: And and it's very difficult to do that without actually having exceptional people delivering that hospitality.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, absolutely.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's the essence of what we are, you know, uh sort of the why we are doing things, uh, of course, is uh is creating exceptional hospitality.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_02: We have this as our our our mission.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so our mission uh we state that as we are delivering uh exceptional hospitality.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_02: Um and this we have been you know implementing uh uh to sort of create a service culture within the within the company.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um for example, we started just this year uh a project which we called Be Exceptional.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um and this basically uh involves sort of uh trainings and seminars that we are holding with the people, uh everybody in the company.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we put up uh sort of what what how we define uh exceptional hospitality in terms of sort of in eight simple steps, um and we sort of uh uh promote that internally to sort of create awareness with uh you know what is uh exceptional hospitality.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um so we do a lot of uh internal promotion in that area.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_02: We have uh you know, we set up setting up a channel where we uh with our in our sort of internal communication where you can post uh you know positive comments and uh and stories, sort of success stories where people are creating uh sort of moment of magic, and and and and this creates sort of a thread of uh a lot of stories where people are you know uh telling about how you know how we made some you know something special for our guests, and this creates sort of a uh a fun you know uh environment where you you you get people to think about the service and uh and uh and and uh keep the service at the top of your mind, you know.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: And as you scale, and you're you you know you've just brought on 400 plus rooms, maybe more, how are you seeing that that human touch and service culture?
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: How are you sort of anticipating it rolling out as you as you continue to scale?
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: That human touch part, and then where also do you do you think about using technology to help with that scaling of exceptional hospitality?
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_02: I think for me the human touch isn't necessarily about having uh sort of every person involved in in every part of the guest journey.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_02: In fact, sometimes it's the opposite of uh guests don't necessarily want to queue at a reception to do something they could do themselves for 30 seconds, for example.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_02: You know, that's where technology can possibly come in.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I think it's what's uh matters is knowing when uh the guest actually needs human interaction, you know, when something goes wrong, if they need advice, uh you know, if they're celebrating something or or or simply when there's uh a chance for uh um to make a genuine connection uh to make sure that we have then the people and the uh authority to respond.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_02: I think in terms of uh you know, sort of you said what the how the how the uh technology is uh what was your question again for the second?
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: So so it's how as you're scaling, how are you thinking about finding that um I guess both contrast and complementary of the human touch, plus using technology to help sort of scale that hospital that exceptional hospitality for the guests?
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_00: So I guess it's like do you see them as mutually exclusive so that technology and the human touch don't actually match, or are there moments in a guest journey where it makes absolute sense that technology does that exceptional hospitality for you rather than you know adding more people as you scale or having people do that human touch?
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think it um no, I think it's not uh absolutely not mutually exclusive.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's something that you need to, you know, you need to blend in in the right way.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think the challenge is uh seeing where technology can help and and where it can.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um and there is a lot of development, of course, in terms of AI at the moment.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think we get proposals every week from companies who want to implement an AI solution with us to solve all kinds of problems.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_02: So the challenge is what is you know what we can use and what's uh you know how that will develop, of course.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um I I think that you know how you know the challenge is I think uh you know getting technology to make things you know easier for the guest, you know.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um doing things uh I mean sometimes it's uh I mean we we we talked about in our first talk about uh you know we have uh optional housekeeping in our our hotels, which you know we we offer the guests, you know, they can in a very easy way just select whether they want um service the rooms or not.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and that's um and that's something that uh actually surprised us that a lot of the guests actually appreciate just that you know option of uh you know sometimes you don't even want the s uh service, you prefer the privacy and you prefer, you know, uh just to to be left uh alone in your room.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um so and when you have the technology to sort of uh monitor that and make that easy, it it's um that helps.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um But what we are using uh sort of I think the main development for us this year in terms of using technology and and bringing AI into is the uh is basically analysis and and information.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's it's easier for to to access information and to analyze it.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um we are now uh for example, we are doing quarterly reports on our guest feedback.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh that you're taking say between 2000 uh 2000 comments, and we're just loading it in the system and then uh we're helping it analyze it and uh throw out uh sort of the main themes, and uh it helps us just with the timing and the analysis of uh you know, rather than one person reading through all 2,000 comments, and then then we have sort of to summarize it down and to present it in a way that actually makes sense and we can take action from it.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um that process is much quicker, uh it's more efficient, and uh um and there are a lot of things like this which we are doing in analyzing um working on analyzing our operational data, uh presenting it in a way that uh can be useful for us.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: This is uh somewhere where I see technology is gonna help us quite a lot.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um getting the information uh and which was more difficult to analyze before uh and making it easier to present in a in an easy way, you know, understandable way.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: I think that using AI and looking at AI as as a business intelligence tool is very underrated.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: Like a lot of people in in the industry, and I'm actually doing a talk in a couple of weeks in Dubai about AI and hospitality, but I think a lot of people think or talk about the um automation side of it, the kind of the agents, the assistants, how certain kind of mundane tasks, etc., admin tasks can be done.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_00: But actually using AI as a way to really look at your business and help you to make decisions differently, or take that is where the power is, or or or certainly a slight I think a sort of underestimated power to know, really know and understand.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: And obviously you have to have it all in the right place and you have to have all the data.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I'm curious to know in Islands Hotel, have you the way that you've approached AI, have you done it kind of across the board where everybody has been encouraged to sort of look at it and experiment with it?
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: Or is it a type of person within the organization that's looking at the guest reviews that you talked about, that's that's kind of analysing what's going on, or is it you that's doing it?
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: You know, so how are you how how are how are you sort of bringing that thinking into the company?
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we are, I mean, we don't have a general policy on AI.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_02: I think that uh, you know, we are like many companies, we are just this is like pouring over us, and we are sort of trying to figure out uh how we use it and and and and uh what is useful for us.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_02: And uh and of course, I know I know that there are different people within the company who are you know testing it themselves.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_02: There are hotel managers which are you know using it in in some ways just on their own.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_02: And um uh what we have been looking at is sort of on on uh on a sort of uh corporate level is is is is for example with uh we've implemented it with the guest uh data analysis.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_02: So um so that is one person which is dedicated in in collecting that data and uh uh spent some time on feeding the uh feedback into the into AI and uh and then having uh back and forth discussion with uh um with the uh AI system in terms of you know how we set up the reports and what is the important analysis and and these kind of things, and then you know ending up with a report which is useful and uh can be re uh represented.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_02: So it's it's of course never it's not always never just throwing the data at uh at the system and then and and asking it is it's it's it's a process in terms of you know you're talking with it back and forth about uh what needs to be improved and how the analysis should be.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_02: And uh but it's it's always a uh much quicker process than you would have before, of course.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_02: But I think that you know, just like us, like many, we have a long way to go in terms of how we uh use AI.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, yesterday I had a uh meeting about where we're discussing about uh analysis of our you know waste disposal and rubbish and uh uh whether we are you know using a system to analyze all the uh invoices of uh how we sort uh you know sort out the uh the waste management and um and AI can help in that.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_02: Just analyze the data over the last 12 months and make suggestions about you know things like uh changing pickup times, changing container size, um and the way to improve uh sorting and all kinds of things like that, which uh uh it can look at the whole data and then you know bring you with like one or two points to to to focus on.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_02: And uh uh and this is uh what I've been looking at in terms of yeah, also in terms of uh energy use, you know, like uh uh we've been looking at in uh installing uh you know meters in the electricity which you can read, and then again, you know, there are programs that can analyze when it's going up and down, and when you you know what you can then adjust the meter in terms of just responding to the trends, which uh uh just analyzing this massive amount of data and uh and then coming up with actual suggestions which uh you would never have time to look into, but you might you know with these tools you you might uh have uh the chance to do that.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_02: So there are uh yeah, a lot of opportunities there that we you know we I think we will, you know, as you say, help us to improve the operation.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_02: For me, that's uh yeah, it's gonna be at a moment where I see a big uh uh usefulness in in AI.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_00: And it sounds like you've got a dedicated resource person to to look at it and analyse it alongside or collated at least.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_00: So um I just I'm curious about something.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_00: You you mentioned about getting lots of emails and proposals from AI companies like once a week or whatever, as I'm sure many operators are are having now.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_00: But is there is there anything that that does come in your inbox that you think ah, that would be a wish, or I, you know, I that's something that would really make a difference for us.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_00: Is there anything, any particular not a company, don't say a company name, but like a a type of solution that's being offered to you that you think, yeah, I'm interested.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_00: That's exciting.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_02: Uh yeah, and it's uh it's mainly connected like what I was mentioning before, you know, uh companies that are analyzing uh sort of cost-based uh you know, things like the utilities and uh um and uh like the waste disposal uh uh costs, which we are looking at.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_02: Uh that sort of has struck to me because it's something that could possibly, you know, just be an immediate benefit of cutting down some costs straight away, you know.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um yeah, and then and then to be honest, I don't have time to explore all the you know all the suggestions that you have.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_02: So you need to sort of pick what you you know what systems you're installing and uh and uh what what you will be looking at in a later date.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's uh that's also a bit uh part of the challenge is that there are so many options that you can try and and you can, you know uh, but uh you also need to sort of pick what you are implementing.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_02: You you you cannot be implementing many systems at the same time because you know you need to do it well and uh you know make sure it's useful.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I guess your approach to AI will be your approach to any kind of change that you have within the organization, isn't it?
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's like looking at what what the problem is and then what could be the potential solution, and then how do you roll it out so that it integrates not just with whatever other tech you have, but also with the people that have to operate it as well.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um I I Hot, I want to ask you about sustainability now, actually.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_00: So you you you said you're looking at like waste management and that electricity costs or energy costs, and um you guys have a green key for many of your properties, I believe.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_00: And sustainability is also very much a pillar of the brand.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_00: How is that changing for you?
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_00: Like, are you thinking about that?
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: You know, is that still fundamental for you?
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_00: Do you do you are you looking at it differently?
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_00: What kinds of tools maybe are you using to help along that journey, other than kind of the AI business intelligence?
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_00: How does it play out, I suppose, is my my question.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_00: How does it how does that sustainability pillar actually play out within the brand?
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's it's quite fundamental to to our operations.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_02: We have uh, you know, it's important to us that we are, you know, we are sustainable, and uh we made a decision in that we started the process in uh in 2022 uh to start the work with uh uh with uh to to implement the Green Key certifications.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um and um we um and that sort of uh process ended in in 2024 when we finally had all of our properties Green Key certified.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um and it is uh it has a quite a profound in impact on on the operations.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_02: We we need to look at you know how much water we are consuming consuming, uh what we are you know what we are buying, what we are everything that we purchase, uh it needs to be sort of uh, you know, in some cases you need to change what you are buying and different chemicals and then different uh you know uh stop buying products which are not sustainable.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_02: Um and it means uh there's a lot of data tracking in this, sort of registering our environmental impact, um and the uh how the recording the you know the CEO uh emission, for example.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we are measuring that and uh uh have uh targets of on lowering that.
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um so in terms of the operation, this uh it affects uh yeah, our purchases and and what we are you know doing and uh um and it also I mean it affects also sort of the uh I mean we we notice for example that uh some of our employees are very happy to work for a company which is focused on sustainability.
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_02: So for some team members this uh this matters, you know, and and uh they are proud to be working for a company which uh emphasizes on this.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_02: So this helps with uh building up the culture and uh and then keeping up the morale and uh um and in some ways also this uh uh promoting business as well.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_02: So we can, you know, it's good to be able to promote that all our properties are Green Key certified.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_02: So it is a very important part of our our operations, yeah, absolutely.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_02: And we are very uh proud also to be the first uh hotel chain in Iceland to be certified with all the hotels in Green Key.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_00: And for guests, is it are you finding that it's an important part of how guests choose as well?
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_00: And has that changed, do you think, over the last couple of years?
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think I think um in some way it affects, yeah.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it's not the major factor.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_02: I think uh the driving factor for is is is always uh price, uh location, and uh and sort of the reputation or the you know the guest feedback.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_02: I think these are always the the main drivers for the hotel operations, but uh uh but it definitely helps.
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_02: And it uh it increases the awareness of the hotels and uh and there are always more and more people who are uh find it important.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and we get you know sometimes we get requests from groups, for example, and they uh and they ask about our what's our policy toward uh uh the environment and uh and others, you know, and not just the environment, but also sort of you know the social responsibility and these kind of things.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_02: That's something that we have been also quite active in in being socially responsible as well.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_00: And how how does that play out with your teams and your kind of hiring culture or your training culture?
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_00: How does that play out?
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_00: That that kind of focus on inclusion and social responsibility.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um it it uh I think it's quite fundamental in terms of you know building a strong team and building a strong culture.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um so we have implemented quite a lot of things.
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_02: We have uh, for example, uh equal salary policy, so we where we measure discrepancies in the in salaries.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um we are also um uh done a lot of work on um inclusion.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_02: So we, for example, uh were last year received uh a rainbow certificate, uh which is basically uh so we will work with a company here in in Iceland uh where we are uh uh uh you know working on on awareness on uh on LGBT uh inclusion and awareness, both for for guests and for our staff.
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_02: Uh that involves sort of training and uh uh and information on that and uh uh and you know just making a statement that we are uh you know open for everyone and uh you know we respect uh different kinds of uh people and personalities.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_02: So uh so and we talk a lot about that, and uh and uh and this sort of sets the tone towards uh how we are as a company, and that's uh it's very important because we have, I mean, we have a lot of so many nationalities working with those different kinds of people and different cultures.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_02: So um, and uh and we hear that from our our employees as well, that uh uh uh people want to come and work for us, also because we know that uh you know we we respect uh the people and uh that's uh that helps uh quite a lot in building up uh the correct culture.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
• 39:15
  SPEAKER_00: If we wheel back to your two new hotels that you've brought into the chain, I guess that the challenge isn't just about bringing them in operationally and all making sure everyone everything is on the same systems and working the same way.
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_00: It's also maybe it's a good challenge, but it's bringing a whole load of new people also into your way of working and thinking, and yeah, um, you know, that also is part of the challenge.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's not you know, it's not as simple, is it, as just getting another chain under your flag now?
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_00: It is actually changing completely how people approach approach their work potentially as well.
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, um yeah, it's a challenge in some way, but I I you know I I think we are quite lucky, and also we have uh you know uh received quite uh you know, it's good people who are there, so we are very lucky with that.
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um and Iceland is uh it's a small country, and uh as it happens, you you kind of know some of the people who are there, so that uh that sometimes helps as well.
• 40:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um but it's a challenge, and and and I mean it's we are still really in the in the early uh phases of uh the implementation and thinking sort of sort of uh you know combining in the culture and these kind of things.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_02: This is something that we'll we'll develop in the next uh few weeks and and and months.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_02: So we are sort of very focused on on getting the operation functioning and that, but uh but we found uh you know during the process, because you know, uh of course it was uh known, of course, many months before we took over that uh the transition was going to happen.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um and in that transition there is always uh the element of uncertainty.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_02: You know, people are thinking, okay, what's gonna happen to me, my job, what's gonna, you know uh what's gonna happen with that.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_02: And that uh so I think it was important for us that we, you know, we were uh managed to start the dialogue with the people before we took over, and and uh we had um invited them for some sessions and just information saying what's gonna happen.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_02: This is going to be you know, introduced the company well before um before the people had uh of course everybody had to apply to us and you know make their decision whether they want to come to us or not.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_02: And uh so we had uh we put a lot of effort in having sort of information meetings and and making sure that the people feel you know welcome to come to us.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_02: And um and uh and we hear from that people, they also they they appreciate that uh you know they were sort of calming people that they they you know just getting the information about what's gonna happen and uh how it's going to look like and uh um and just uh yeah uh all the details about you know what what benefits do you have and how is it to be uh employee of this company and how is it different from this one, and then you know, people need to sort of be able to assess that and everything, and uh just be keeping the communication open, and that's uh um just speaking directly to the people.
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_02: I think that uh that helps us a lot.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_02: And as I said, you know, we are uh as I mentioned earlier, we are our hierarchy is low.
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and in practice that means, for example, that every hotel manager has direct access to the CEO if they want to.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, they can pick up the phone and call the CEO, and uh there is dialogue uh between them.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_02: It doesn't always have to go through me and uh or or somebody else, so so there is uh quite direct lines of communications uh within the company.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's um that's something you know which uh is quite special for us.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_00: As we wrap up, Porter, is there anything you can share about the future plans of Islands Hotel and where you guys are heading?
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, I mean we are um we are uh at the moment, of course, uh continuing and in the developing a lot of things within the uh within the company.
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um we are in uh in in the process of reviewing our uh brand structure.
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_02: Um so that's something that we will because we are uh as I said, four star and three star properties uh so.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_02: we are we are looking into how we communicate better the difference between the three star and four star properties so we will we are looking at how we present that brand structure uh we're also working on um uh opening a new brand uh which we will do next year uh which is a brand which is focused more on on self-service and uh uh uh it's a brand which is uh very much uh connected to sustainability as well uh uh taking advantage of the uh sort of speciality of the Icelandic culture and Icelandic nature um uh creating an environment which is uh uh it's a low uh it's it's a budget property but it's kind of you know still maintaining the the spirit and the service uh making sure that we do the the the essential things really really well um and uh not a luxury hotel but providing the excess essential luxuries that uh that matter um this is something that we are developing now uh and this is uh yeah this is a property we'll hopefully uh open in in in in April and then we are working on a uh a new hotel uh in in Saleland in the south coast so we are uh working on developing uh opening that property in a couple of years um and then we are also working on a quite an extensive uh uh extension of our biggest hotel is uh Hotel Ekevik Grant uh where we are uh adding about 150 rooms uh and uh building a large conference center it's gonna be by far the largest hotel in Iceland and it's gonna be uh also the largest conference center in Iceland so we are uh very excited to to continue working on that and that will you know probably uh open uh hopefully at the end of uh 2028 so there's a lot of uh a lot of uh work going on and you know you know investing in growth a lot and uh at the same time you know working on strengthening our our our structure and our people and uh so there are some exciting times ahead for us I would say absolutely I think we should work on getting a hospitality tech conference to your new conference center in 2028.
• 46:38
  SPEAKER_00: I think that would be great.
• 46:40
  SPEAKER_00: Also on your select service budget hotel that sounds to me like that's probably a tech enabled brand that you're building there as well absolutely yeah so yeah you're very much looking into sort of where where technology can can yeah uh make that uh you know improve the the guest experience for us there.
• 47:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah yeah well I'd love to hear more about that when that one rolls out um a little bit more but Jorte thank you so much for joining me for a pillow talk conversation