Hotel vs. Airbnb Is Over: Here’s What Wins
Podcast Summary
Hotels, serviced apartments and short-term rentals are moving closer together - but most hospitality companies are still operating as if these old categories matter.
In this episode of STR Global Unlocked, I speak with Niko Karstikko, Co-Founder and CEO of Bob W, about the emergence of a new, technology-enabled hospitality category built around flexibility, consistency and the needs of the modern traveler.
Niko explains why the Airbnb generation expects more than either traditional hotels or inconsistent short-term rentals can offer. He also reveals how Bob W delivers a full-service guest experience without a traditional front desk, operates with a fraction of the staff of a comparable hotel and uses technology to remove repetitive work without losing the human touch.
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Guest Appearing in this Episode
Niko Karstikko
Niko Karstikko is a Finnish tech entrepreneur and the Co-Founder and CEO of Bob W, a technology-driven hospitality company combining the consistency of a hotel with the flexibility and local character of a short-stay apartment. Since launching Bob W in 2018, Niko has helped scale the company to nearly 6,000 apartments across 19 European cities.
Before entering the hospitality industry, Niko worked at Berkshire Hathaway and Barclays. He later founded SportSetter, a fitness marketplace that expanded across Europe and the United States before being successfully acquired. Drawing on his experience as an Airbnb Superhost, Niko founded Bob W to create a more reliable, sustainable and technology-enabled alternative to traditional hotels and short-term rentals. Today, he is recognised as one of the leading voices shaping the future of European hospitality
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