Transcript
Introduction
We are delighted to welcome Callum, CEO of Obvlo, and Helena from The Emblem Prague Hotel, to discuss personalizing the guest journey. We've had some brilliant sessions on this topic over the past few weeks, with many good learnings. Helena will share her experiences and insights from The Emblem Prague Hotel.
Meet Helena and The Emblem Prague Hotel
James: Helena, could you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about The Emblem?
Helena: Certainly. I'm Helena, the General Manager and Sales Manager for The Emblem Prague Hotel. We are a 59-room boutique, family-run hotel in the city center of Prague.
From the very beginning, when the hotel opened in 2013, we wanted to create something new and different. We didn't want to copy existing hotels. That's why we've always had online check-in and check-out, including online payment methods. We've always strived to personalize the guest journey and have never had a traditional reception desk.
When guests arrive, we greet them in the lobby on the couch or in comfortable chairs, offer them a cup of coffee, and because they've already completed the online check-in, we have time to connect with them and customize our recommendations based on their expectations, needs, and whether it's their first time in Prague or if they've visited before.
I really love working with you guys because you make this process much easier, not only for the guests, who can take our personalized recommendations and start planning before they arrive, but also for my staff. It's a valuable tool when guests ask for recommendations on what to see and do, tailored to their interests, such as contemporary art, classical art, or if they've been to Prague multiple times or are visiting for the first time.
We try to emphasize that every guest is different. I encourage my staff to approach each guest individually, ensuring that no two recommendations are the same. This is how we use and collaborate with you.
Callum's Experience and the Challenge of Personalization
Callum: It is true that everyone is different, with different reasons to travel, different groups, and different interests. The city itself is also constantly changing, with places coming and going, and the weather playing a big role.
I was lucky enough to stay at The Emblem recently and was eager to join this session after our discussions. Thank you for your great hospitality. My partner and I were looking for a new destination at the start of the year, and neither of us had been to Prague. We had a fantastic weekend. The people were fantastic. We took an Uber from the airport, had a lovely driver, and a short trip to the hotel. The hotel is super central, and we walked everywhere.
We used the service provided to find great things to do and places to go, discovering some new favorites, like a wine bar called Champanera, where we enjoyed tapas, and an interesting neighborhood. We also found a really interesting spot called Sandwich Rodeo.
What really interested me is that Helena shared that providing personalized recommendations has been something she's tried to do for a long time. It's a challenging thing to do, considering that everyone is different, and the city is always changing. Can you share a bit about how you tried to do that in the past and the challenges you faced?
The Evolution of Personalization at The Emblem
Helena: In the past, our process was time-consuming and heavily reliant on individual staff members, which, of course, introduces the human factor, which can sometimes be challenging.
We used to send all guests a survey to fill out, asking if it was their first time visiting, if they were coming for fun, leisure, or business, and what their interests were. We asked them about the types of restaurants or bars they liked back home to get an idea of what they might enjoy in Prague. We inquired if they preferred wine or beer, if they were interested in art, or if they wanted to see Prague's historical sites.
After the concierge received the survey, they would send a PDF form, which we called a "personal itinerary," where, based on the answers, they suggested places to see and events happening during the guest's stay. This information was gathered from another employee who compiled these events. Some things, like a list of restaurants categorized by cuisine (vegan, vegetarian, Italian, fine dining, etc.), were stable. She would also put together a list of events happening for the next three to four months, which was incredibly time-consuming.
The worst part was that, because of the human factor, staff often didn't even look at this information, which took a lot of time to create. When I reviewed some of these personal itineraries, I saw that staff were offering essentially the same recommendations. The only time they would differ was if someone said they were vegan or vegetarian. Even then, I would find old events on those sheets, like old art exhibitions that were no longer running.
I was, to put it politely, very mad. That's when we started talking together. Prior to that, I had used a couple of other companies (I won't name them, as one no longer exists). Even though these companies tried to provide recommendations, they still weren't personalized enough for me. Even if they were personalized, they would recommend places that I would never offer to my guests. If guests asked me about those places, I would tell my staff to try to steer them away because they were not the best.
When I came across you guys, it seemed that all of these challenges and worries I had, all of these things that were preventing me from achieving my goal of being truly personalized towards every guest, were being addressed.
You really made that happen. Even now, when James and I discuss certain places that might appear in the recommendations, I know that thanks to James, I can remove them so that they won't appear as a recommendation for our guests, even though they might be available for other hotels. It's truly personalized.
I love that I can create my own guide and choose where I want to send guests. It's like replacing the owner's recommendations, which we used to provide by letter. It all seems to fit together perfectly. It also saves a lot of time for my colleague who used to have to draft everything by hand because all of these events are now in the system. It's also much easier for my staff to use because it's categorized and right in front of them, instead of being on four or five pages of an Excel sheet that they need a magnifying glass to read.
The Importance of Attributes and Accuracy
Callum: There are so many facets and details to getting this right. One of the obvious ones, and the theme of this conversation, is personalization. We have to make sure there are attributes, not just filters. For example, knowing a place is romantic or good when it's sunny because it has outdoor space. These attributes allow us to display the right recommendations.
Then there are things like opening hours and whether a place still exists. Our system has to check this every day because it's fundamental. It's very hard for anyone to get that kind of information right if they're doing it manually. Even the best concierge in the world can't stay on top of everything all the time.
We work in environments where we're fully automating and in others where we're empowering people to do the best job they can while ensuring the human touch remains important. How can we help them be better?
Another interesting thing you mentioned is the human aspect. We work with a five-star chain hotel in London with four concierges, ranging in age from their twenties to their sixties. They have very different opinions and views on what "good" looks like, which introduces bias. Technology can learn your interests and doesn't have its own opinions, making it easier to provide the right recommendation.
The Value of Personalized Concierge Programs
Helena: Precisely. For me, having a personalized concierge program alongside a physical concierge is becoming a huge selling point. As a five-star luxury hotel in the city center, my main goal is to attract virtual or travel agents specializing in luxury travel.
I need to stand out from the Four Seasons, the Fairmont (opening soon), and the W Hotel (which just opened). These are beautiful properties. For me, the only way to stand out is through service. We are in the same location, and while we might be a little cheaper, that doesn't matter to this clientele. My rooms are also much smaller.
So, the only way I can convince them to stay with us instead of the W is by providing a level of service that exceeds their expectations. That's where I really value our partnership because I know it will help me achieve that.
The Importance of First Impressions and Unique Propositions
Callum: You can't beat it. Service is the most memorable thing. The first impression, like being greeted with a smile and a "How's your morning going?" when you walk in, is irreplaceable.
You also have a unique proposition as an independent hotel, being able to do things your own way. One of those things is the rooftop hot tub. What was the inspiration for that?
Helena: The inspiration was that we originally wanted a swimming pool up there, but the static engineer and the local heritage trust were against it. So, it ended up being a jacuzzi. In hindsight, maybe I should have created luxury suites or a rooftop bar in that area and placed the spa in the basement. But every hotel does that.
Again, it's about being a little bit different, having that open space for the spa, which I think is much better than having it stuck in a basement. Financially, it might have worked out better the other way around, but it's too late to change it. It would be too complicated to switch the technology. But like you say, it's about standing out and doing something different that the bigger guys aren't going to do, giving you something distinct.
Prague as a Destination and the Role of Tourism Boards
James: You guys are making me want to jump on a plane immediately! This has been great so far, Helena. Thank you so much.
A couple of questions from my side. Prague is a destination. You mentioned new hotel supply coming in. Do you find yourself, as part of standing out from the crowd, having to market the destination as well as your own hotel?
Helena: I think so. Luckily, the Prague City Tourism has changed the marketing for Prague a lot. It used to be marketed as a place for cheap beer and beautiful girls. Now, it's being marketed for its cultural heritage, museums, live concerts, and beautiful history.
That's helping, but it's still perceived as an Eastern European destination with cheap prices. Sometimes I struggle to explain to travel agents why my hotel's pricing is the same as a hotel in Vienna or another European destination. This perception of Prague as a cheap tourist destination needs to change.
But as I said, the Prague City Tourism and the Czech Tourism are doing a great deal to rebuild the image of the city.
Callum: That's really interesting because the destination itself is amazing. Obvlo is all about matching the city and the destination to the right people. The hard part of changing that perception falls to the tourism board. Are they quite interactive with the hotels, and do you participate?
Helena: They've started to be a lot more interactive. For example, they created something called the "Official Partnership," which we are part of. Through this partnership, limited to about 30 hotels, they offer exclusive tours that we can offer to our guests, which is perfect because they are things that guests wouldn't be able to book on their own. They can only book it through the hotel. These include things like access to the Prague Astronomical Clock or areas of Prague Castle that are usually closed to the public. It's something very special that allows us to create unique experiences for our guests.
The Importance of Hospitality Partnerships
Callum: I do think that the hospitality part of that partnership is so important. If you think about your hotel doing an amazing job of using Obvlo and promoting the local area, if you can multiply that by ten hotels and have everyone promote the same messaging and be more consistent, you can make a move to change the perception of the destination.
The Hotel's Tech Stack
James: I wanted to ask about your tech stack. You're obviously very forward-looking, which is lovely. Hospitality has some terrible legacy technology. What other systems do you use, and is there anything out there at the moment, other than Obvlo, that you think is great? What other technology are you using at the hotel?
Helena: Well, we use Mews as our PMS, which is a company that actually started at The Emblem Hotel. We were the first property. They've grown tremendously since then.
We also use Oki for room upgrades and additional items that guests can purchase. We are looking into applications like Flexkeeping to improve communication between the front desk, housekeeping, and maintenance staff, and to ease the processes of room cleaning and guest requests.
So, we're using technology and artificial intelligence to speed up and improve these processes. I'm also looking into mobile keys so that we can replace the classical locks.
There's more that I have in mind, but I need to take it step by step so that I don't overdo it.
Staying Ahead of the Curve
James: You probably get bombarded with solutions vying for your attention. It's important to keep an eye on the market.
Helena: I know what I need at the hotel. Aside from mobile keys and an in-guest messaging platform, I need to look into it because the locks we have at the moment are going out of business. So, it's something I need to deal with to ensure our guests can enter their rooms.
Callum: Digital keys are similar to check-in. It's about giving people options. With Mews, you can send out a form pre-arrival to speed up the process, but people can choose not to do it and go the old-fashioned route. It's the same with keys. The strength of implementing this kind of technology is giving people flexibility and choice, not forcing them into full automation.
Helena: Precisely. And it should help the staff at the same time.
The Importance of Personal Touch in Luxury Settings
James: Just to pick up on that, it's a really interesting point, especially in a luxury setting. Some customers really love that personal touch. I would love to come to your hotel and have coffee in reception. That, to me, is the best way to check in.
Callum: When I was talking to Callum about his stay, one of the things we discussed was the arrival process. I think now, more than ever, we have to give guests the choice. Do you want to interact with the person, get your physical key, and go to the room, or would you prefer a digital key?
With PPHE, with their digital key, when you arrive close to the hotel, if you've got their app installed and have checked in online, your key will appear, and you can go straight to your room. There's a fine balance between these two things, but we always have to deliver the personal touch.
Mews' Evolution
James: Helena, Mews has been with you since the very beginning. It must have changed an awful lot in that time.
Helena: Well, of course, yes. The way they started and where they are now is like two completely different ends of the spectrum. But I always knew from the beginning that they were going to be successful and that it was the right system for a hotel.
James: Why is that? What was the case before Mews that made you realize there was such room to improve?
Helena: It was all of these, I don't want to call them bad systems, but the systems were, and I know some of them have moved from the static version to the cloud version. But the fact that Mews was cloud-based was important to me because it meant I could access it from anywhere in the world, even from my cottage or the park.
I knew that the way they were thinking and moving from the static way everything was being done would be perfect. It would save time, allowing us to concentrate on the hotel guests, which, at the end of the day, is what makes the money.
Conclusion
James: That's really interesting. Well, Helena, this has been brilliant. Thank you so much for joining us and for your time. We really appreciate it. I will try to visit the hotel as soon as possible.
Callum: This has been a really enjoyable conversation. Helena, thank you very much for joining us and for your wonderful hospitality. We had a great time, and I will be encouraging James to visit the hotel. You mentioned the astronomical clock, which we kept missing every time we walked past it. We finally saw it on our last day. It's a fantastic city, and I'm glad we got to come. For us, it's all about coming to see the hotels we work with, experiencing them, meeting the staff, and seeing how they interact with guests. Really well done because it's a fantastic property.
Helena: It means a lot to me. Thank you.
James: Well, Helena, this has been brilliant. Thank you so, so much for joining us. We really, really appreciate it. And yeah, we'll end the stream there. Thank you.
Helena: Thank you so much. Thank you, guys.
