Interview with Co-founder Daan De Bruijn of Bookboost

What was your first job in the hospitality industry?

I worked at a few hotels during my studies. I acted as a receptionist and loved the traveling vibe that’s part of it. I met people from all over the world and made them feel at home.

But at the same time, I was intrigued by how complicated it was for a receptionist to do the job. And I wished I had more time to interact with the customers.

What triggered you to start your company?

I know how passionate hoteliers are. But I also know how hard it can sometimes be to let that passion flourish. There are difficulties with processes; many things are manual, messy data is everywhere, and there are repetitive and time-consuming tasks. There’s always so much to do, and all of these challenges have a negative impact on both employees and customers. So, after I experienced that firsthand, I felt a strong desire to help fix it.

What is the story behind your company?

The world has become more digital, but hospitality has been largely left behind. It’s hard for hoteliers to work with the right technologies these days. And on top of that, OTAs have become dominant. Many hotels don’t take the initiative to connect with guests because they lack data. So, our mission is to enable that real connection between hoteliers and guests. We enable teams to understand their data, innovate, and interact with guests throughout the guest journey.

What does your company solve?

Bookboost helps accommodation brands collect, structure, and use their customer data. We help them understand their data and use it to automate processes and workflows. To personalize communications and make processes more efficient. All of this enhances the guest experience while building a relationship with each guest.

You get so many insights about your guests once you understand your data. And you also have a better idea of how to connect with those guests on the right channel and at the right time. We enable hotels to understand their data and then take action across the entire guest journey.

What challenges did you face while developing and launching your technology? How did you overcome them?

COVID was a massive challenge for the entire industry. And for us, as a company that started developing only a few years before COVID, that challenge came early. But we focused on the continuous development of the platform, hand in hand with industry experts, during the pandemic. This has proven highly relevant With all the staff shortages increasing after COVID.

We were able to build a modern CRM and a Unified Inbox. These tools have proven effective in helping hoteliers solve their respective challenges.

Who were the people that have been the most helpful in getting you to where you are today? How did they impact your life and your success?

I have the privilege of working with a fantastic group of people daily. A large part of the team has a broad background in hospitality and an understanding and passion to improve the industry genuinely. And the person I started the company with isn’t just a co-founder and a friend.

That relationship has made things more exciting and fun. Finally, I believe close collaboration with our customers has also been a key element and something I’ve been lucky to have from the first day. It’s that collaboration that has enabled us to develop the company further.

How do you balance the traditional touchpoints of hospitality with technology?

This is such a good question. I came across the word “phygital” (physical + digital) a while back. The term refers to balancing a physical and a digital experience. However, using technology for the right application empowers the organization.

To let humanity show our best side. So, you should use technology in the right areas. You never want to replace humans; you instead want to empower them. The connection sits with humanity. And they need to use technology to enable themselves to show that side of humanity.

How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and advancements in the hospitality industry and technology? How do you incorporate them into your product roadmap?

We live by three values: Innovative, we always are and always will be looking at what’s next. We currently have the most innovative platform. But being innovative is one of our core values, and we are always hunting for the next big thing. I also apply this to my life by educating myself, looking at trends, observing how the world changes, and always looking forward, looking at other industries for inspiration.

How will technology change the hospitality industry over the next five to ten years? Where do you see your company fitting into that future?

I’ve seen other industries jump into new technologies faster and have more success in doing so. But we in hospitality have a tremendous opportunity to do that as well. I believe we as an industry should be a front-runner in technology.

Because hospitality is ultimately about being hospitable and the best version of yourself. And you can be that if you have things in order, you can create the space to be hospitable, host these interactions, etc. Technology is the best way to get there because you won’t have to do anything to make your hotel run when it is used correctly.

Guests should be able to make their bookings, check in, check out, and pay without human interference. The human part is there to improve things, not to make them slower or reactive. And that will be a total game-changer as we start to see a whole new world. One where the main question is “How do I make my hotel stand out?” instead of “How do I make it work?”.

The focus will be on how to be different or better than competitors since things are already in order in your own business. So it will be more about what you do on top of that.