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Ep. 11: Sam-Erik Ruttman - The Role of Hospitality in Sustainable Community Development
35 Plays7 months ago
“The meaning of life for me is to be meaningful to others... My definition of hospitality is, community. You have to embrace the community from day one, and also to make sure that they can earn a living there.”
In this episode, we dive into the intersection of hospitality, sustainability, and community impact with seasoned expert Sam-Erik. With decades of experience, from Vegas to Bali, Sam shares his unique perspective on how hotels and resorts can positively influence local environments and communities. He discusses how sustainable practices in hotel design and construction are becoming crucial and highlights the challenges the industry faces in moving towards regenerative models.
Sam currently serves as the Director of Global Hospitality Development at Studio Puisto, an architecture firm in Finland specializing in sustainable hospitality architecture, urban development, and interior design. He reflects on his work in Bali, where he witnessed how thoughtful design, led by visionary landscape architects, can blend natural beauty with sustainable practices. Sam also talks about his work in Asia and the collaborative efforts in creating eco-friendly hotels that prioritize environmental and social responsibility.
Tune in as Sam offers insights into the future of hospitality and the steps needed to ensure that the industry contributes to both local communities and the environment in a positive, sustainable way.
Key Topics:
- The impact of hospitality on local communities
- Challenges of regenerative hotels and sustainable architecture
- Insights from Sam Erik's global experience
- Sustainable design in Bali and beyond
- The future of eco-friendly hotels
You can learn more about Sam or contact him directly from the following links:
The Social Hotelier on YouTube
Podcast: The Social Hotelier on all major podcast players.
The Social Hotelier on Instagram
Studio Puisto Architects of Finland
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Discover more about Paulownia trees and their sustainable potential at https://www.paulownia-la.com/.
Dive into the Twelve Laws of Nature and unlock the secrets of harmonizing with our planet at https://www.12lawsofnature.com/.
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Transcript
00:00:01
Speaker
using local suppliers, make a very clear concept about the the menu that you're only using things that you can buy, which grows no further than 150 kilometers away from the resort. You know, you have to look at be more rational about it, which means that we are serving berries and fruit fruit fruits that grow locally. We have a beautiful apples and and et cetera. So that makes a world of a difference how you're approaching and the hospitality aspect.
Introduction to Regenerative Design Podcast
00:00:35
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Regenerative Design Podcast. I'm your host, Mathieu Maheus, and each episode I interview leading authorities in regenerative practices, people who excel at doing well and doing good.
00:00:58
Speaker
because this podcast is dedicated to making our world better and your business more successful.
Meet Sam Eric Ruttmann
00:01:09
Speaker
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Regenerative Design Podcast. Today we have yet another amazing guest. His name is Sam Eric Ruttmann and Sam Eric has a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry and industry that is also dear to me as I have been traveling quite a lot and I'm a big fan of eco-resorts and projects that can be a lighthouse project for other aspects that are happening in the development industry. So and it's amazing to have Sam Eric here. So Sam Eric actually studied in Las Vegas in the 70s in the hospitality industry. And he is currently working in a landscape but and in an architecture firm that is called Studio Poisto.
00:01:58
Speaker
And he is there a specialist and director of global hospitality development. So it's ah amazing to talk to you. Sam, Eric, welcome. How are you doing today?
Career Beginnings: Music, Photography, Hospitality
00:02:10
Speaker
I'm fine. And thank you very much for inviting me. I feel very privileged to be here with you. I'm looking forward to this conversation.
00:02:19
Speaker
Yeah, it's an honor to have you here. we I already was on i was on your podcast, so it was really nice to talk about certain topics. um And now I'd love to hear your perspective today on the hospitality industry. So before we really dive deep into that, I would love to hear your backstory, like where did everything start? I saw that you studied in the 70s, like was it already in your early age, very clear that you were going to be working in the hospitality business?
00:02:49
Speaker
Well, I have to be very honest, and it's only between you and me and no one else that I really, it was a point in my of life when I was very young, I didn't really know what I want to do with me myself. And the the thing is that, of course, I had some ideas. I loved photography. I loved music. I played guitar.
00:03:08
Speaker
And I was a very active photographer, I was a very active guitarist, and and I did some performances. In fact, I was part of a group that published one one record, or what there was called a long play record. And of course, the sales were ah good enough that I could give one copy to my mother and father and my aunt and my uncle and so on.
00:03:32
Speaker
but the sales were not fantastic. But it was a thing in part of my life where I felt I was very creative and nothing could stop me from doing what I would love to do. And I remember specifically when we were recording this album, I'm a great fan of the music that The Beatles produced in the 60s. I mean, they're still ah so relevant, their music. And I remember that they used always kind of a sound tracks like they used for for certain songs started off when then they a and jet plane takes off. So that sound, right, means that you were traveling to somewhere. So I use that in one of our songs also. I mean, i I had a chance to kind of copy and the sound engineers thought I was crazy, but they followed me. and So I was very proud that I was able to do those things.
Inspiration from Fine Dining and International Opportunities
00:04:23
Speaker
But about getting into hospitality, ah my family, my parents were not
00:04:29
Speaker
from the hospitality background. and They were more into ah health and wellness at that time, and they were ahead of their time in terms of providing wellness services. And and that's those not but I was not interested in that. I i had just a Naive were thinking about seeing the world and meeting new people, and and the the world was just open for me. But I was very ah fortunate that my parents also took me to places where I had a chance to stay, whether it was a hotel or go to a restaurant. And at an early age, I really was fascinated about
00:05:11
Speaker
the the the atmosphere of a fine restaurant. you know We have a crisp white tablecloth, the staff was in a very sharp white uniforms, and then you had the crystal chandeliers and the live candles where you have a crystal glasses, and everything was very shiny. and So those were kind of my early memories from when I was five years old, about but I thought that later on the hospitality be be like, so I was always looking for that thing. But ah reading books, I was reading quite a bit of books when I was a kid, ah particular books about traveling and going to places that I that i always would dream of going, whether it would be a Pacific Islands or or to ah faraway places. And somehow all those ideas, again, stayed in my mind, even work-wise, I put behind my
00:06:03
Speaker
my like My photography was but became a passionate hobby, which she still is. And then the the music became a sort of a yeah Well, you cannot see the guitar, but I think it's on on here on here side. There's a box in the back. That's where my guitar is still. and I take it out once in a while to to ah keep up my practice with this. But I started doing my first position. I'm asking, in fact, I asked my mother, well why should I go to work? And she said, well, I think you love the atmosphere hotels. Let's to give it a try to go to work for a hotel. so
00:06:39
Speaker
I did. So I was very fortunate to join a yeah yeah hotel outside Helsinki, which was a manor house. And that's what we would be calling nowadays a boutique hotel. And so I became sort of what they called Portier, but the actual meeting Portier in in that hotel means that this is a person who is 24 hours on a shift from nine o'clock in the morning until nine o'clock the next morning. So basically he he receives guests, he will ah yeah carry the luggage, baggage up to the room, he will park the car, he will
00:07:17
Speaker
take new reservations. And when the guest is leaving, he will then and take care of the cashiering side. So I did a lot of those things. Plus, providing a little bit local tour guiding. So about when people want to see Helsinki, after my work shift, I jumped into their car and and we went to Helsinki and I showed them around the city. So that was my life for a few years. But That was not really what I was dreaming about. I was dreaming about going internationally and to and I practiced speak English,
00:07:48
Speaker
so i was I was dreaming of working in the United States, for instance, or in Australia or in England, and where English was the first language. so I eventually then had a chance to get a scholarship to study in in the United States. but like Before that, I was a trainee in a resort which was owned by a ah lifestyle magazine publisher.
Las Vegas: Education and Opportunities
00:08:15
Speaker
Now, you may it may sound a little bit crazy to you when I tell you the name of that resort, but the resort was called Playboy Resort. Now, the Playboy Resort was ah basically a lifestyle of ah the rich and famous, the kind of the jet setter that had this hotel in in ah in the between in Wisconsin, not in Chicago where the ah their Playboy magazine was from, but that was in in Lake Geneva where the resort was built. so It was a very large resort with ah private airports so people could fly in with their private jets. they It had
00:08:54
Speaker
everything you can imagine, two golf courses designed by very famous ah ah golf professionals over that those days and tennis and everything you can imagine. So you had your first job in Helsinki where you were born and then before you even studied you figured out to get a job ah overseas in the U.S. Is that correct?
00:09:16
Speaker
Yes, that's what it was. Because I felt that ah in order to ah be successful internationally, I need to work internationally first because the Finnish style of working in hospitality was one thing, but I felt that it wasn't enough that ah that I could be successful. and Nothing wrong with the Finnish hospitality, but international hospitality is still one step ahead in many ways in how things were being done. So that's why I really want to have a chance to travel. And this was in the 60s, 70s when America was obviously booming. So yeah, this was in, I left Finland in 1976. Oh yeah. Okay, so then that basically, by the by the time I finished with this playable resorts, I moved to Las Vegas and packed my bags.
00:10:11
Speaker
to study there, and that was in 1978, 79. And from then on, like and the reason why Las Vegas, because I felt that I want to be where the the most but successful destination of that time in the United States, where the most creative hotel concepts, entertainment, everything around hospitality in the United States was the place to be. so I had a chance to work in some of these large resorts to see how life worked. And many of our visiting lecturers for at the school were coming from the industry, which I felt was very important. And there's nothing wrong with some of the other hotel schools, which are very well known in the United States. But the exception was that you could learn something from the top professionals in their field who were working in Las Vegas. And that was actually a huge eye-opener for me.
00:11:08
Speaker
and My move then from Las Vegas to joining an international hotel company was that ah that there were the recruiters from the hotel companies came to the different hotel hotel school campuses interviewing. So I studied very, very hard about the company culture, what they stood for, what was the mission of the hotel company, that I was in the mindset when I was being interviewed.
00:11:35
Speaker
for a management training position that I could just and be in the same page with those people and it worked for me. so I got the several offers and and I wanted to make a move in my direction of of a career, not not to stay in the United States, but to go then international. And that's how I joined the Hyatt Corporation, or at that time it was called Hyatt International that was the all the Hyatts outside the United States. And that then took me to different parts of the world.
00:12:09
Speaker
Wow, that's incredible. So from that early age experience, you have had a certain sort of vision, you put the mindset in and then ah all of a sudden you were in the management in in Hyatt International.
Lessons from Bali: Landscape and Eco-Design
00:12:22
Speaker
So then did it go from the Hyatt That experience, did you get already a flavor of like what it's the experience of having something else and just a hotel, like how you enter ah maybe some gardens, some experiences outside, or was that still early stage?
00:12:43
Speaker
Well, and my particularly in in the United States where with Hayat, I was working in in the urban environment. But once I was transferred, but my my posting after the United States was in Kuwait,
00:13:00
Speaker
and Okay, that's a desert, so you don't have much of a landscaping there, but ah but there was other things that I learned from that experience. But when I moved to Asia, to Indonesia, and to Thailand, then I could see that, and maybe the most inspiring locations where I worked was in Bali, where we had, and there was ah the Bali Hayat in Sanur beach, which was in a landscape architect,
00:13:29
Speaker
ah he' hiss he' I think he's originally from New Zealand and he took a Bali niece named Mada Vijaya, that's his his name, and Mada Vijaya was the landscape architect for the Bali height of that time and that I saw as the inspiration what I thought there could be what the a garden that fits into a a tropical resort should look like. That was my inspiration. and But particularly, I paid attention to and when I ah think of back again, it was there was it was a lot of light it was light in in the garden because it gets pitch black after after the sunset. was that All the lighting was indirect. Either they were hidden in in in pottery,
00:14:15
Speaker
in parts and so on, but you always see some hints of where things are. But I think it was a very beautiful way how he was able to incorporate the vision of what people would expect to see when they are in a tropical paradise like in Bali. So that was really, and that's where, I don't remember much, the hotel itself was nice. There's nothing wrong with that. But I think the particular landscape was what all those people talked about how stunning it was. That's incredible. And do you remember what year that was? Well, I was in, ah in the because I was in after Kuwait, I was in in, well, I was in Bali, I mean, in in Jakarta.
00:14:58
Speaker
and with Hayet Ariyaduta at that time with Hayet. So we are talking about then in the early 80s. And then my actual position in and I stayed in Bali because of coming from work wise. But my actual position in Bali was then in the early 90s, where I was the ah project manager for a new Hayet called in Usaduwa. And of course, people we were now planning a new a huge resort of over 500 rooms at that time. But the inspiration, what was for the resort was there was always that landscape aspect that was looked at for Bali Hayat, which unfortunately could have been done better if you think about what was done for in in the Nusa Dua area where they took the bulldozer and cleared the whole land and they had to replant everything and put top soil. And it did not
00:15:54
Speaker
it It took many, many years for it to to grow. I mean, things grow relatively quickly, but those people who came for the first five years, they really didn't get the feeling of being and in a tropical paradise. So there's a lesson to be learned about a clearing a site rather than and doing things the way we are doing it these days.
00:16:16
Speaker
Yeah, I think Bali in and of itself, the whole island is an incredible case study. I spent some time there myself, did some volunteering in a beautiful eco-resort in and Blue Lagoon, it was called, or it's still called today. And there, they like when they were building the the resort, they really like checked every tree. How can we design the houses around it? OK, and if we have to remove a tree, how can we plant 10 new trees?
00:16:44
Speaker
So that that was a great experience. And and yeah, I think Bali is a great case study in in in ways of like, okay, how can eco-resorts look like? But unfortunately also like how things should not be done, especially I would say in the last 15 to 10 years, probably even the last five years more, that it became like a so overpopulated, they are struggling with um like waste management, also food production is becoming a ah difficult ah difficulty there. So what is your take on on how the whole hospitality industry can have an influence on local environments, communities? How do you see that that the role for hospitality industry?
Rethinking Hospitality: Community and Sustainability
00:17:33
Speaker
Well, when I look back on how my career was initially where I thought, I was thinking, what is the definition of hospitality? I thought in the beginning of my career, kli yeah and I will then lead you to what I think it is now. In the beginning, I thought always that the customer is customer is king. That was sort of a cliche that we used. That meant that whatever the customer said, it was fine and they could, nothing could go. Whatever they say, it was basically what we have to provide.
00:18:05
Speaker
But and then it also meant at the time that the resorts ah were gate like a gate communities where the community didn't come in except for those people who were working there from the community. And of course, this separation of community and then the hotel was created frictions because the like the locals felt that they were being ripped off in the process. But my definition of hospitality has changed.
00:18:33
Speaker
And today my definition of hospitality is is community. And you have to embrace the community from day one. And also to make sure that they are they can earn a living there because in one way they will try to learn a living. And if they own a living that yeah are they're working together with a resort or the hotel, it is better it's a win-win for everyone. And it is means that,
00:18:58
Speaker
and that ah using local supplies local suppliers and make a very clear concept about the the menu that you're only using things that you can buy which grows no further than 150 kilometers away from the resort. So forget about ah buying ah yeah novel oranges from Spain if you are in in in a distant location, forget the banana idea. You have to look at the be more rational about it. And then because now we're not looking at how that customer is king, they say, well, i only want I want my bananas. I want my ah fresh squeezed orange juice. You have to have ah you can have to be able to brave. Well, thank you. it is very I appreciate what you want.
00:19:49
Speaker
But we only provide things that we can get from 150 kilometers away, which means that we are serving berries and fruit fruit fruits that grow locally. We have a beautiful apples and et cetera. So that makes a world of a difference how you're approaching and the hospitality aspect. And that's where the community. And then the critical factor is that and when you are hiring people, you always look for your talent from that the from the local community.
00:20:18
Speaker
There are cases, of course, and that there there are people who have never worked in hospitality industries. You have to also bring people from further away. But the majority of those people that work in the hotel will have to be from the local community because they can also be the host and ambassadors of that community for the guests. Yeah, I think that's an incredible concept. that it's obviously now becoming more and more of like a ah mainstream team. But I think ah from your early experience in Bali and in other countries, you've started to see that there's a bigger potential of how people experience a holiday, ah that they can even learn something about ah local local food production, about culture, about community. um and And that I think is something that sets
00:21:07
Speaker
ah hotel apart from from most of the other hotels in the whole experience because end of the day I think what people are are wanting the most is a certain experience not so much obviously okay you want to some luxury you want depending on your on your budget you want you want to have like the most amazing experience and And but it also comes down like what's happening around it, what what is happening around the hotel.
Evolving Hospitality Trends and Future Outlook
00:21:37
Speaker
So, yeah, I'd love to hear more about your take on what, what do you see that the future of hospitality will look like? Is it already happening now? Do you still see big changes happening in the next five to 10 years? Well, there it's it's evolving. It's it's continuously evolving.
00:22:00
Speaker
and and Part of it is the solo travel is growing. ah People in different stages in their life, they're traveling. There's what we call it the U generation, not the young or old generation, but the U generation where you are are ah going to places where you want to go and you want to ah look at the at the particular in in the in the like in your lifestyle what can you learn something or you can experience new things and you will seek places to go which can provide you with those ah experiences. Some people like to call it experiential traveler
00:22:45
Speaker
ah perfect example is that you are ah traveling to ah to Nepal and you want to ah contribute to the community that don't have electricity. So you you put your ah you buy solar panels, put them on your back and then you hike up to the village and have those solar panels installed. So then there's electricity being provided for the children so they can go so they can read in in the nighttime. A friend of mine, in fact, has done that. I mean, I think that's an example of kind of a travel experience where you you you give something to the community, you learn something yourself in the same time, and that creates sort of the satisfaction for yourself that you are you accomplishing.
00:23:36
Speaker
And people frequently ask me, and what is the meaning of life? You know, that's always a big, big question. And my definition is that meaning of life for me is to be meaningful to others. Now, when you think about that, what it could mean, everybody has their own way of thinking, how they can be meaningful. So my friend here, who I mentioned, ah she thought about that providing solar panels to that village, to the school, so the children can read and they can grow and become so successful. To me was a fantastic example how we all should think about what the meaning of life is. Yeah, that's an incredible way of looking at it. That, okay, now I think in the Western world where there's a lot of wealth, like we have everything, we kind of experience everything. There's already
00:24:34
Speaker
People have gone to the best hotels already, and and there's more to explore in that way, but why can we not give something back while we're doing that? Yeah. And then then you asked me the future hospitality. A lot of things are now, there some of the the luxury chains, like Four Seasons, so they have a fleet of airplanes.
00:24:57
Speaker
So they have the flying hotel. Basically, they can take you anywhere in the world and basically provide that experience. And then you have, I think it's so one of the ah the the campers. you know the I think ah originally, I mean, United States was popular, and also in Europe, where people are traveling and driving their own have the hotel room and they're driving that that the ah ah truck or whatever to to ah to a different destination and they stay every night in a new place and they wake up in in a new place and they have had a good night's sleep and they have get all the ah facilities for themselves so they can enjoy a different kind of experience. And then you have ah
00:25:45
Speaker
train travel. you know We have the Orient Express chain that have their trains, which are and like the original Orient Express. So you know they have different, or you have the ah luxury cruisers that have the the floating hotel where yeah you wake up every morning in a new harbor. So it's ah you're not traveling, your room you're staying in your room and and and you are taken to the new destination. So there's so many, many ways or underwater, you know, there's that the underwater experience, which ah I didn't travel, I didn't go there, but there is already in Dubai, they have these underwater hotels. So there are so, so many things, but the those are not so close to my heart, my my heart close to my heart are, are
00:26:31
Speaker
area projects and hotel where we are building, we are creating in a destination which is in in part of the wilderness. And that those became quite popular in during the COVID period, ah Corona or COVID period, if you want to call it.
Studio Poisto Collaboration and Sustainable Design
00:26:49
Speaker
where people want to travel to places where they felt safe and they have having fresh air. So you start to see that people were are prepared to ah travel quite a far away to get to a place which yeah they are in the nature. They are actually, that's where the glamping became ah the big thing and and it has been a big thing for quite some time.
00:27:10
Speaker
But essentially, the glamping has been developed from a camping ah with a simple tent to a glamorous ah camping, ah which so you could see in in Africa, in the in the safari, those tents. And there they they changed shapes. So it's not only the tent can be a a a cabin which is in the tree top so there can be so many things but all this is changing the way we are viewing where the few hospitality and it's all about the the imagination but we the limit our limitation of these things are our are is our imagination.
00:27:46
Speaker
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00:28:11
Speaker
Yeah, I think that that's very exciting. And and thank you for sharing that that the projects that, or I think COVID had ah a lot of downside, but I would say some one of the upsides is that people were hungry is for a deeper connection to nature for going to a place where they can experience something. So I think that's also how you got into your more recent work with Studio Poisto Architects in Helsinki who are specialized in building
00:28:43
Speaker
ah resorts, eco-resorts, hotel chains. So yeah, let's talk a bit more about that. I find it interesting that you had all this amazing experience in the hospitality business and now you're kind of going in in and helping architects ah before everything is like operational to like already design or help in in the design process, I think. So yeah, tell me more about how all this unfolded.
00:29:12
Speaker
When I came back to Helsinki with my wife a little bit over 10 years ago, and I ah left my corporate career with ah Langham Hospitality Group, I was kind of playing wondering what would be my next step. Typically, ah you you are thinking about providing consultancy, and i but I realized very, very quickly that the provide international consult consultancy, and particularly with my international bank ground for Finland, there was a mismatch. And mismatch was there because my my thoughts were that this would be welcomed. But actually, they were more interested in what is my local experience. So it didn't matter what my international like experience was, because I still, for being away for over 30 years from Finland, I looked at Finland from outside in.
00:30:09
Speaker
And I thought that that experience that I had from looking out outside in would would be of interest and but benefit to to many hotel developers and hotel owners. and ah But I was wrong. It wasn't there was not meant to be. It's from inside out. so you explored the whole world to try and learn more, and which you obviously did. But then, as it turns out, and that's I'm also a big fan of the Nordic design, the Nordic ah minimalism, that is probably why you you were directed more in in that
00:30:47
Speaker
Well, what happened was that i did ah I was part of a project with a developer and and who me to conceptualize a resort for international travelers. On that project team was two architects, and they were the founders of Studio Poista Architects.
00:31:07
Speaker
And we sort we started, out we had a very interesting discussion and we realized we had a lot of things in common and it was really refreshing for me to listen to them about how they saw hospitality.
00:31:20
Speaker
what was important to them. about that they are They were ah worried about the future of the environment. They were worried about using unsustainable material of building so designing spaces or building spaces. They were very worried worried about all those things. And I was sharing the similar feeling about this. And so the more we discussed, we realized we had a lot of things in common and also that they felt that I could complement But their mission and and their ah direction of they want to take their architectural firm, because normally an architectural firm, day they they design spaces and office buildings, etc. But this architectural firm wanted to
00:32:05
Speaker
be design hotels, particular hotels that are ah sustainable sustainable, they can be regenerated or after after it has reached the end of its life, it can be diseag dissembled and can use for so the material can be used for something else. or or and And so that was kind of for me a very interesting ah opportunity to work with with them. and What they didn't have was international experience except for some inquiries which did not materialize to a a a project all the time. But where I came in was my my contacts internationally where I could and open up the doors and also have a discussion when the developer wanted to bring a
00:32:51
Speaker
a telebrand. So with the network I had developed over the years, over after 30 years, you over 30 years you think, get to know quite a few people. So it was also easy to call somebody I knew and to have that discussion and hopefully then as a team with the the the studio poster architects, we could then introduce a the concept and the architectural services and also the operator for for a particular project. So that's how it all started. My input in sense is that also that since I worked in hotels, I understand the the the back of the house and and the logistics of how things would
00:33:33
Speaker
to make a hotel
Designing Efficient and Adaptive Hotels
00:33:34
Speaker
functional. So when we are in the this ah in the stages of we're getting into the detailed design, not only the conceptual design, that's where I provide the input, how to make the hotel functional. And of course, things have changed over the years. We don't have luxury or hotel staff. So you need to be ah making efficient, but still also have the guest in mind all the time. And then creating a customer a it a a rival experience and a customer journey from the moment they arrive until they leave. Yeah, I think that that experience that you gathered over the years and then your personal idea also that, okay, what is the meaning of life you want to give back to people, that it it all kind of fell beautifully and into how you got to work with the architects and in Helsinki or how you are today in the forefront of sustainable and ecological
00:34:28
Speaker
hotel experiences. So what do you think are the biggest challenges that the hotel industry, maybe even specifically the, let's call it the regenerative hotel industry is facing today? And how do you think that can be overcome? That's a very good question. there there The challenges are that hotel development, which are led by investors with a short-term vision are bound to fail because they only look at the short payback and they're looking to resell the hotel. and When it comes to the things that provide that long-term, what we need is people with long-term vision
00:35:16
Speaker
that because these are, and there are certain costs that you have to be able to ah understand that when you're designing hotels, you you will have maybe 80 to 20 different consultants and ah developers who who's who's understanding that to create the great product and with the top professionals, there's a cost involved.
00:35:37
Speaker
When you have a cost involved and you do a great product, you also you can charge and the the rates. And you name a hospitality and hotel business is cyclical. So if there is an upside, you can charge a lot of money for that experience and people are willing to pay whatever it takes. and you have From one day to another, you have a crisis where there is a war in in in the neighboring country.
00:36:02
Speaker
people are afraid to travel there, or if there is a ah bird flu, or you have COVID, or whatever those ah viruses are, and that will stop people from traveling. So there ah it is very sensitive to that. And when you have an investor and hotel developer of a long-term vision, they have to be able to take that risk in in consideration. Of course, there's a ah profit incentive always involved, but the thing is that the and the success of those hotels who are still alive is because people have a long-term vision and and there who think along the lines that
00:36:42
Speaker
We are not here to to operate the hotel for five years, but we are looking at maybe for 20 years and then to to ah bring it to to that level. and that That's what the successful, the but the most successful hotels are not born yesterday. They have been around for a while because of that long-term vision. and They're adapting to the the change of times.
00:37:06
Speaker
I think the adaptability is something very important that can probably be included in the architecture itself, but also in the surrounding. Is that something that the studio is considering in in the whole design process? Like maybe going from what is the worst case scenario? What is the somewhat decent scenario to then obviously aim for the best case scenario to take that in in consideration?
00:37:35
Speaker
Well, we look at first, I think, should we put the building in this plot, first of all? We know we start with that, and that's not a very... That's a good question. But we have to we want to to think about those things, first of all, that what should be built there, or should there be built anything? And when we've gone through the thinking is that, of course, we think that we should put something there. But we are, we are and particularly, we are well known for ah designing yeah resorts, which are in the in the difficult locations. We're deep on a hill and so on. So that's where we're always looking at that. What is the water flow? What is the climate? The microclimate? and We're looking at the the forestry yeah because we want to save as many trees in that environment. So we don't have to add things extra. to ah We want to keep this natural as possible. So we always think about those things
00:38:33
Speaker
And so we have that discussion and we listened to the ah developer very closely. Where is their customer coming from? and They don't always have the idea. They maybe have the idea of what they wish the customer come from. But we also will, that's where I will help you with ah getting data for the feasibility studies to see what is the ideal customer coming from and what the the needs are. So we're taking that in always in in consideration when we are and planning a new project. And we want to bring something in. The reason people or developers or hotel owners will choose a Studio Poisto is that we have a long-term vision and we think from the sustainable point of view and the regenerative point of view when we are designing. So with the like-minded developers will find it easy to partner with us. If somebody has a, ah no, I just want to have ah
00:39:31
Speaker
a concrete block with a maximum number of rooms of 15 square meters to maximize the usage.
Role of Landscaping in Guest Experience
00:39:38
Speaker
and We are not really for them because they're there there are many architects who can do a better job than us to squeezing in as much efficiency into the space than than we can. and Obviously, we could do that technically, but it's not the what we are known for. But also we need to also add in things like the landscaping. People have and a different idea what the landscape should look like. I think that the the landscape serves a very important purpose in the a in the total experience. I always remember that my favorite hotels where I've stayed at has been a surprise element when you're arriving and driving to the hotel and you you are surrounded either by ah sand dunes or we have a bamboo forest.
00:40:22
Speaker
And then there's a surprise effect where you're arriving to to the hotel. and And part of it has been the landscape architect has had this finger in that ah very cleverly. So it is look ah looks very new. It looks very natural and so on, but they're enhancing that environment. So yeah so that that thing that I think is so so important. that think the provide a complete and feel. So it looks very complete when you have included the the landscape into that. And people have different ideas what they think the landscape should be. My personal, I like meadows. you know I have that have this kind of, ah I like meadows because I think it so it looks very natural and it it looks ah the way it should be. Some other people think that should be just ah very yeah manicured and so on, but I think that's a different taste
00:41:19
Speaker
Yeah, I think I agree with you. I think it's part of this whole experience because then it also really reflects, OK, if you want to be in a hotel experience that shows the world like, OK, how can you make a like a holiday experience, something where you can learn about nature, where you can connect with the local communities that inevitably you have to like do something positive for the landscape, at least minimize the impact in the in the best case scenario. And I think with your experience, what you're aiming for, it should even improve the the landscape so that when people come to the hotel, it feels like they arrive at a new world. I like this experience that you said. ah like it's It's like an orchestra when you come to a hotel. You you told it to me ah some other time that it's there's the grand momentum to go to the enter ah to the entrance of a hotel.
00:42:15
Speaker
And I think many hotels have done a great job at that, some not so much. And the landscape is obviously part of it. And one aspect that I really love about this is that you can design a space in a certain way that the landscape architect is not even visible. or i like I've come across a book that is called Architecture Without Architects and that is something that I always try to incorporate in my work as long as there's a demand for it, of course.
00:42:46
Speaker
to create something that seems very natural, but then each and every tree and and plant is selected in a certain way to enhance a certain view. And I think that's a great opportunity because then in my philosophy, we as humans are also part of nature, so why not enhance it and create some and beautiful experience? So it's it's really nice to hear that you and and the architecture firm are in that same ah vision.
00:43:14
Speaker
so ye I think I'd love to talk a little bit more about the think tank that you're now also part of, which is a think tank that is really specialized in sustainability of the hospitality industry.
Sustainability Think Tank: Triple Bottom Line
00:43:30
Speaker
Like how did this organization, how did it got berthed? Why was it founded? and And what are the main discussion points in that space, if you want to share more about that?
00:43:43
Speaker
Yeah. So, the the hospitality think tank ah was founded essentially from an idea that Celine Vadam, who's a close friend of mine, had. She's a wellness expert. And ah we had ah she was actually on ah on as a guest on on my on the podcast I was hosting a few years ago and ah we got to talk about things and and she has a great network of having worked with international luxury hotel companies and she was she thought that she wanted to bring ah some of her friends together and then we would be discussing some of the burning issues relating to
00:44:29
Speaker
and what's happening in the hospitality and where it's heading and where it could be heading. So we had initially some ideas that ah to produce maybe some ah white papers about some particular topics or we had ideas that and let's have ah like a coffee talk where we discuss around some particular topic and those coffee talks are actually going on still which is hosted by Celine and which goes to a different topic. One of the things that I was very keen on was ah you know in the is the how you show how you look at the profitability of of a hotel. ah Traditionally, there you have basically the financial profitability.
00:45:15
Speaker
But I was looking at, the ah there's someone who is ah who wrote a book about the triple bottom line. So you have a triple bottom line. One is the profitability of finance, then your profitability, or the people, and then you have the community.
00:45:30
Speaker
So you have to create those a measures and that ah key KPIs for key performance indicators, what has to do with the people, meaning your own staff, and the wellness, the mental being, there and how well that had been taken care of. So yeah are if you have a place where it has ah a very high turnover, meaning people are leaving,
00:45:56
Speaker
And you realize that that cost of bringing a new staff is getting higher and higher, you're not doing very well. So you are you measuring that? Traditionally, you're not always measuring those things ah in a hotel. Of course, you staff turnover turnover is say measurable. But what are the positive aspects you can do in order to yeah provide a better environment, safety, wellness, and health for the staff that they stay longer. And then they can also learn, why are they coming? They're coming just to clean rooms. So they're coming to advance their career with ah learning new things. So that's what I talk about. And then we have, of course, the sustainable aspects, which has to do also with the community yeah you have. And so that's ah even a separate issue. So we talked about those, the triple bottom line,
00:46:45
Speaker
philosophy, and majority hotels don't do that. But we felt that this is a worthwhile topic to to raise up. And so we tend we tend to talk about those topics. And anything that has to do with ah ah wellness and the wellness aspect is very important. on our think In our think tank, we have people who are expert on on ah on these well wellness aspects. So we try to bring different ah ideas along the line towards the future of our hospitality, meaning in terms of food and beverage and restaurants, and what that but it is and what it could be. That means you're taking advantage of ah your own gardens and you're starting to grow your own
00:47:29
Speaker
ah ah herbs and yeah that you're providing that kind of a facility and so you show to your hotel guests that you are actually creating something from your own um garden. and So it's basically and not the almost like a farm to table idea that you do in a hotel in the smaller scale because it will be appreciated from the guests because they will see that you are taking care of the quality of the experience that the guest is coming into the meal. And so those are things we talk about. So we are touching on a lot of
00:48:08
Speaker
issue. So we're having a very specific topic every time. And we and we have about 40 members, ah depending on the topic. And they're working in the hospitality internationally in different hotel companies. So we bring together and we have an overall discussion about these things. And yeah, so that's it's kind of like a conversation platform.
Innovative Marketing in Hospitality
00:48:33
Speaker
Yeah, I think this is super important to look into the future of the hospitality industry. Probably pretty much any industry should look at it. I think there has been waves of trends of like people talking about people, ah profit and planet, like the three P's. And sometimes it's more like an idea and end of the day, there's not much execution done. But I think in the world that we are living today where Health is not so evident anymore. ah The climate is going kind of crazy and more specifically the hotel industry has had a ah tough time through COVID I would say with like more Airbnb experiences. So I think for the hospitality industry it's ah essential to consider all these aspects. So I really love that you kind of showed
00:49:27
Speaker
through throughout this episode what the biggest challenges are of the hotel industry and how you are actually using them to your advantage to create something that will completely stand out from the crowd. I even believe that if hotel industries or hotel chains or new projects and maybe probably existing projects as well if they don't consider ah these aspects that they will go out of business ah because the customer is really expect in expecting that. So yeah, it's really nice to hear that ah people like you Sam, Eric are in the forefront of of changing the experiences and pretty much creating regenerative hotel experiences. Yeah, and also in one aspect which we didn't discuss yet, but I want to just shortly mention is
00:50:17
Speaker
that how the hotels are marketing themselves in the different platforms. And I have this crazy idea. I don't know what you think about it, but I have to mention it as I think about those things. I say that my idea is that every resort should have their own little radio station, meaning that they can talk about what's happening today in this resort. So it's like your local radio station that you replace the favorite musics of the area or the they talk about these things you have your radio DJ if you will or you have and and basically it's infotainment so basically i talking about and what's going on in in the area you can have the chef coming and talk about ah things or you have the local fisherman coming to and tell about the the season over there and or you have your
00:51:12
Speaker
yoga teacher coming, ah giving a the morning yoga during the during the morning session. And I think there's so few few hotels that are catching up on this because it really doesn't cost, it costs a little bit of idea, it costs not so much money, it costs more time, and you have to be organized. And that actually stimulated me to start doing podcasting when I first went live maybe in 2016. I had this idea all around that eventually I hope to bring a convince a some hotel, a resort that they should and not only rely on third party advertising. Yes, guests are important to tell their friends, is it a good place? But also you should use your
00:51:59
Speaker
but having your own little radio station in in this form because in ah oh it only needs a laptop, a camera and and a microphone and the willingness to think hard what you want to talk about then and be discipline to go live at 7 a.m. to play in some morning music, if you will. And you only you don't you don't to have to do it for the full day. You can be there for an hour. i mean That alone is so a a great way to build the community. And basically, it's a community building exercise.
00:52:31
Speaker
I love the idea. it's ah And it kind of also brings us back to the start of of the this episode where you mentioned that you were always, well, from a young age in the music industry. So I think ah there's some great opportunity for you to mix that up with the the hotel experience. And I think it's it's a very authentic way of showing also, well, obviously, the guests, like, OK, what's happening today?
00:53:00
Speaker
It can give you a very fast update. It doesn't even have to be that long, like you said. But then you can also put that on the social media, on on the website, so people that are considering to come to your hotel can be like, whoa, okay, look there.
00:53:14
Speaker
ah connecting with the local fishermen, tomorrow there's a gardening workshop. ah like This, I think, has a huge potential as we're definitely in a digital world where people want to get a taste of what they're going to experience beforehand. Is there anything that you want to add to to that idea?
00:53:33
Speaker
well Any of you who are listening to this episode of this great podcast, if you're interested to ah discuss about this idea and may be afraid about how should they go about it, contact me. ah just ah You can reach me on through LinkedIn on my name, Sam Eric Rutman. You can find me there and just send me a message. I'll be happy to jump in a call to give some basic ideas. And if you really want to take it to the next step, I can do i can work with you to get you started. So as I said, it's not a huge investment. The the investment is in time and effort rather than the hardware. So you can start with ah with a and less than 500 euro ah investment or even less than that to get started. And and and ah this is how you and it can be you can have a differentiation to
00:54:28
Speaker
all your competitors who are just very happy that they're on facebook once in a while or or instagram or and and plus you can you can distribute all these information that you are broadcasting on the same channels except that you' done some you're doing something different than nobody else is doing.
00:54:46
Speaker
Yeah, thank you for mentioning that. I think it's a ah great way to wrap up this call. So all the links that you mentioned, we will put them in the show notes. Is there other ways that people can follow you, follow you more about your work? Maybe also mention your own podcast as it's a great show that I have been in the honor of being on your show as well. So yeah, let let everybody know how they can get the whole picture.
00:55:15
Speaker
Yeah. So my video podcast can be either viewed on YouTube under some Eric Ruttmann forward slash the Social Hotelier, or then as a podcast or as an audio version. All you have to do is go to your favorite podcast platform where you're listening to your podcast and look for the Social Hotelier.
00:55:38
Speaker
ah You see my face there with a microphone so you can't miss me and there's always something coming out weekly and if you particularly if you're a hotelier or you're in hospitality industry and this is an area where you will this is the podcast channel where people are going to are listening to and thought leader as an expert. And it's an interview show. So basically having conversation with experts like recently had a great landscape architect on my show. And so, so Matthew was there and, and we had a great discussion. So come and visit me there. And then of course, LinkedIn, as I mentioned, you find me there.
00:56:14
Speaker
And those are my basically the ah main channels. I also have an Instagram channel, ah and instagram Instagram account, and the social hotel hotelier, the same same ah yeah name. And then, the yeah, so I think that's the best best way to reach me. And then Studio Push to, I should not forget, yeah I work closely with the Studio Push to Architects. So we have the worthwhile to check out the the website of Studio Push to Architects.
00:56:42
Speaker
dot Fi and they' see the kind of work we do. That's incredible. On that note, I would love to end and thank you very much, Samarik, for being on the show. You have added a wealth of knowledge on the Hotelier business. So thank you again. My pleasure. It was great to connect with you again, Matthew, and I truly enjoyed our discussion.