Don’t be afraid to start from scratch | with Hans Meyer
February 5, 2025
In this episode of Hotel Moment, Karen Stephens sits down with Hans Meyer, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Zoku. Hans shares his journey from corporate hospitality roles to pioneering innovative concepts like citizenM and Zoku. He discusses how Zoku reimagines hospitality for the modern traveler, combining living and working spaces with a strong focus on community building. The conversation explores how thoughtful design, technology integration, and a focus on social connections can transform the traditional hotel experience.
Karen Stephens sits down with Hans Meyer, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Zoku, about revolutionizing the hospitality industry through innovative design and community-focused spaces.
Together, they discuss:
- Hans's journey from corporate hospitality roles to becoming a pioneer in hybrid hospitality concepts
- The inspiration behind Zoku, which came from interviewing 150 global nomads and experiencing the lifestyle firsthand
- How Zoku's unique design combines living, working, and social spaces to combat the disconnection often felt by long-term travelers
- The importance of food and beverage in fostering genuine community connections
- The role of technology in design and guest experience, including their use of EEG scanning and VR in prototype development
- The future of hospitality, where the lines between hotels, offices, and community spaces continue to blur
Don't miss this insightful conversation about creating spaces that truly serve the evolving needs of modern travelers while building meaningful communities.
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Episode Highlights:
[04:08] The origins of Zoku - Hans explains that Zoku, meaning family, tribe, or clan in Japanese, was inspired by extensive research with global nomads. After interviewing 150 frequent international travelers, he discovered a common challenge: feeling disconnected when staying in cities where they didn't speak the language. This insight led him to experience the digital nomad lifestyle himself, spending two months each in Buenos Aires, Bali, and Washington, DC, before developing Zoku's concept of a hybrid space combining home, office, and hotel services.
[07:35] Innovative room design and social spaces - Breaking from traditional hotel design, Zoku reimagined the typical hotel room by hiding the bed and creating flexible spaces that can function as living areas, offices, or dining spaces. The social areas were strategically placed on the rooftop instead of the ground floor, providing natural light and green spaces that encourage community interaction. The design removes traditional barriers between staff and guests, creating more natural opportunities for connection.
[13:12] Technology and innovation in design - Hans reveals Zoku's unique approach to design development, including the use of mobile EEG scanning to measure emotional responses to room prototypes. The company embraces lean startup principles and creates multiple iterations of designs before implementation. Technology is integrated throughout the experience, from optional self-check-in kiosks to sophisticated CO2 monitoring systems that adjust ventilation based on room occupancy.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
02:09 - Hans's journey in hospitality
04:08 - Origins of Zoku
07:35 - Room design and social spaces
10:19 - Food and beverage as community builder
12:14 - Technology integration
14:20 - Advice for industry innovation
17:14 - Future of hospitality
20:02 - Outro
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.
Hotel Moment Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so
Previous guests include: Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Patrick Norton of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, Shawn Jereb of Montage International, Carlo Del Mistro, Chief Digital Officer of Ennismore, Jason Pirock of Springboard Hospitality, and many more.
Are you a hospitality industry leader with insights to share? We're always looking for innovative voices to join our conversation about the future of hospitality technology.
If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Hotel Moment, we'd love to hear from you! Our podcast reaches thousands of hospitality professionals worldwide, and we're particularly interested in perspectives on:
- Innovation in hospitality technology
- Guest experience transformation
- Revenue optimization strategies
- Emerging industry trends
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