Why This Hybrid Hospitality Brand Ripped Out Its Tech Stack
Skift Take
Einstein said space-time is warped by matter and energy. The Student Hotel has a big idea, too. It thinks about what it sells in a matrix of space and time. Hoteliers: Study up.
Travel Tech Briefing
Editor’s Note: Exclusive reporting on technology’s impact on the travel industry, delivered every Thursday. The briefing will guide executives as they decide if their companies should “build, buy, or partner” to stay ahead."The Hotel of the Future Is Everything to Everyone" was one of Skift's Travel Megatrends in 2018, and the concept has only grown in popularity since. "Hybrid hospitality" is a common name, though some people call it mixed-use, or blended, hospitality.
A hybrid hospitality company blurs boundaries rather than focuses on a specialty. It offers a mix of short- and long-term leisure and business stays along with amenities for co-working, meetings and events, and wellness.The idea gained traction in the pandemic as hotels eyed remote workers as a revenue source. Hybrid hospitality startups like Selina seem to thrive by appealing to distributed workforces and digital nomads.The Student Hotel (TSH), based in Amsterdam, illustrates hybrid hospitality — and the tech challenges of supporting the vision.
The Student Hotel, founded in 2012, has its roots in purpose-built student accommodation.When school's out, it re-sells rooms to transient travelers.The asset-heavy company owns and operates all its locations in 13 European cities. It has 15 locations open, will open three more this year, and seven more by 2025.Its flagship location, The Student Hotel Amsterdam City, offers student housing, flex-desk space, dedicated offices, mini classrooms, an Olympic-size lap pool, a full-featured gym, an auditorium, and a restaurant.Many hospitality brands might learn a trick or two from The Student Hotel, such as:
How to make the most efficient use of their spaces,How to re-sell and cross-sell access to the same spaces via different channels and packages, And how to build a tech stack to support those functions.I spoke with Mark Liversidge, chief digital, technology, and experience officer, to learn more.
Liversidge has had a varied career. He was a top executive at a