INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
You mostly still stand in a line to check in, and sometimes even to check out
You let the staff know about your desire for privacy with a sign on the door
announced a $33 million Series B led by Battery Ventures.When Mews founder Richard Valtr started his own hotel in Prague in 2012, he wanted
to change how hotels have operated traditionally
most of the innovation in this space has been in the B2C area, using Airbnb as a prime example
He wants to bring that kind of change to the way hotels operate
[We want to shift the focus to] the fundamental things about why we love to travel and why people actually love to stay in hotels,
experience hotels, and be cared for by professional staff
We are trying to do that in a way that that actually delivers a really meaningful experience and personalized experience to that one
assignments that hotel staff at many hotels often still have to handle as part of their jobs
Valtr believes by freeing the staff from these kinds of tedious activities, it enables them to concentrate more on the guests.It also offers
ways for guests and hotels to customize their stays to get the best experience possible
Valtr says this approach brings a new level of flexibility that allows hotels to create new revenue opportunities, while letting guests
choose the kind of stay they want.From a guest perspective, they could by-pass the check-in process altogether, sharing all of their
registration details ahead of time and getting a pass code sent to their phone to get into the room
The system integrates with third-party hotel booking sites like Booking.com and Expedia, as well as other services, through its open
hospitality API, which offers lots of opportunities for properties to partner with local businesses.The company is currently operating at
1,000 properties across 47 countries, but it lacks a presence in the U.S
and wants to use this round to open an office in NYC and expand into this market
has 270 employees spread across 10 offices around the world
Headquarters are in Prague and London, but the company is in the process of opening that NYC office, and the number of employees will expand
