Generator isn't like any other hostel or boutique hotel - our hybrid approach combines affordable luxury rooms with unique social experience-led events for travellers and locals of Europe's coolest cities. We started out in London nearly 30 years ago, and now have houses in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, Hamburg, London, Madrid, Miami, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, Venice, New York and Washington DC. Re-defining modern travel accommodation by blending the best features of hostels and hotels, at Generator we have created design-led, affordable, socially vibrant spaces for the young at heart. All properties include flexible accommodation options, including both shared and private bedrooms, as well as chill-out areas, bars, cafes, with some featuring basement exhibition spaces, penthouse suites and roof tops. Through this design-led approach we are able to offer travellers our leading hybrid accommodation model, while our locally inspired, carefully curated events provide the best social experiences for travellers.
How does it differ from other hospitality brands?
Unlike other hospitality brands, Generator is not a place to stay, but rather a full socially-led experience. It has the social benefits of the hostel, with a mix of shared accommodation options and is so much more than a place to lay your head at night. We have shuffleboards, bars that cater to our audience with budget-friendly staples done really well as well as amazing food and drink outlets. We also host activations at different properties to help create memorable in-person experiences for guests.
In order to further elevate the guest experience, we always strive to partner with unique, interesting and like minded brands who share our core values to cultivate genuine and authentic connections. For example, working with the organisation Breaking Sound has seen our social spaces become the backdrop to fostering young and emerging talent, which in turn lets our guests experience something new when they stay. Additionally, our houses are very design-led, both in their aesthetic and the social experience we provide for guests - it's not a hostel in the traditional sense, it really is a full Generator lifestyle experience.
How has the business evolved since its launch?
Generator launched in 1995 so we are actually celebrating "3.Decades.Deep" this year. It didn’t feel right for the brand to use terms like Birthday/ Anniversary when referring to this milestone and planning our marketing activations Generator is, and always has been, a disruptive brand in the hospitality industry and we feel that the term 3.Decades.Deep really embody’s what we are as a brand and our fun and innovative roots. Since launching in 1995 we have grown to 17 houses in Europe & North America.
Additionally, we are always continuously looking for opportunities to innovate and pioneer and overall just be the coolest hospitality brand in the market! So we have just sponsored our first festival WonderFruit in Thailand where we took over the Boutique Camping section to offer the industry’s first dorm-style festival booking option, where guests can share a three-bed tent with other solo travellers. We also had our teams on reception and created a restaurant & social space, Generator Pavilion, in which we curated the menus and flew in our Chefs & Team members to bring the true spirit of the brand to Boutique Campers.
Tell us about the working culture at Generator?
I don’t want to use the term, ‘work hard, play hard’ but there is a real sense of commitment to the job and a real sense of community in the office. Everyone in the business has a true passion for hospitality and it really shows. I love watching the team problem solve and I really admire their can-do attitude which allows them to come up with unique and out of the box solutions that make the most sense.. When I watch that I’m really proud, I love that we are such a positively focused team and brand.
When I came to Generator, Dan Merchant, Chief People Officer, and Alastair Thomann, then CEO, were the only people who had interviewed me who didn’t ask how I could do my job with 3 children. I knew then I found my new home. It’s also the first office-based company I’ve worked in where we all eat lunch together. It's super nice at 1pm laptops go down and we all head to the canteen. It really reminds me of working on the ground in a property and that community-driven element is what I missed when I took head office roles so I feel so lucky to have found it again in Generator. I think this community focus really reflects the social experiences the brand creates through our houses - Generator is a brand where community and connection will also be at the core no matter what.
How does Generator’s marketing play into the success of the brand?
Marketing plays a massive role in the success of the brand - it's really everything to make sure that we are seen as the innovative and disruptive brand that we are. Take Generator Sessions which are our unique activations we host in our various locations, which have been going for two years and every year it becomes a stronger event and the artists are bigger. The activations on the day focus on community and give the attendees a real sense of belonging - whether its skateboarding workshops, art installations or film screenings.
Our creative 3.Decades.Deep campaign this year to celebrate Generator turning 30 will continue to demonstrate our disrupter status - I can’t say too much but we’ve got some really cool and unique plans in the works for our campaign.
What has been your biggest challenge so far and how have you overcome this?
To be honest it's not a corporate challenge, it’s a side effect of being a working parent. It’s hard to balance school plays and work trips, field trips that clash with important stakeholder meetings. I’m really honest with my kids about what is going on and why, so they understand and when I can’t come my Dad will go and support along with my husband and they LOVE that. So overcoming an obstacle is all about finding a new route around. I’m lucky as well that Generator is a forward thinking brand, and are happy to offer me flexibility where possible.
How does Generator answer an unmet need for travellers?
Every accommodation provider has a bed, but our consumers aren’t just shopping for the best looking bed when they are booking, they are looking for the step beyond ‘what else do I get when I part with this money’?.
This is where Generator goes above and beyond to ensure travellers have the best experience. From design-led accommodation with a range of options that fit customers’ differing needs (such as private rooms, mixed and single sex dorms), the good food & drinks we serve in our locations, to the events we put on to provide the best social experience to travellers. We also provide an answer for traveller’s unmet needs by providing luxury rooms at an affordable price - perfect for those travelling on a budget who don’t want to settle on accommodation. We cater to multiple demographics, so our customers aren’t just Gen Z, but millennials, school groups and boomers; their unmet needs are all different but we are still able to deliver what they are all looking for.
How are Generator planning to continue to disrupt/innovate the travel industry?
3.Decades.Deep is all about continuing to disrupt and innovate. We have three main activations this year based around Generator providing travellers with 3.Decades of travel experience and connections. Our first is a brand partnership with OkCupid for Valentine’s day, disrupting digital dating with our in-person unique speed dating events which focuses on helping people foster meaningful and authentic connections, something we’ve been doing in our Generator locations throughout the past 30 years. We also have some TBA activations in Q3 - I can't say too much but get your bids ready.
What one piece of advice would you give other Global Directors of Brand Marketing or other people looking to break into the hospitality industry?
I can’t give just one, so I'll give three. Networking, being yourself and not being afraid to try something new. Everyone is a door and you just need to see how far they open. I really live by if you don't ask, you don't know. So don’t be afraid to ask the questions that matter. Silence is never the answer. Just be yourself! People want to connect with the real you -your values, your beliefs. When you're not authentic, it's hard for others to trust you fully. Embracing new experiences and not fearing failure is crucial; it's through those moments of courage that we grow. If I didn't jump in and try marketing I don't know where I would be right now so I’m so happy that I took the chance. Even now when I need to do something out of my comfort zone I remember my 21 year old self walking into the sales and marketing office, and I know I'll be able to do it.
And finally, a more personal question! What’s your daily routine and the rules you’re living by at the moment?
On a work day I get up around 5:30, get ready for the day, and take the dog out. Sometimes I head to the gym. The girls are often up before I go to work so I need to be ready for whatever they have in store for me - think Dutch Braids, tutu tantrums and my little one’s weetabix obsession. I spend as much time with them as I can before I go. I’m in the office for 7:45/8 and this next hour is my golden time before the team comes in to really get to grips with my day and what the focus is depending on what has come in overnight from the US teams. I normally spend my mornings focusing on the EU & UK and then the afternoon catching up with the teams in the US. After work it's either ballet/ Rainbows for the girls and then dinner and bed for the girls. Then my husband and I have dinner and catch up about our days. I try to be super present when I’m with the kids and put my phone down for this golden two hours after work and before bed I have with them. The weekends are time for family/friends - we love having people over and there is nothing I love more than a full house with lots of food and wine. Having three children under six my current rule to live by is ‘just stay calm’. Kids feed off of you, so if you can keep your cool, it will all be alright much quicker. Same goes in a business environment.
Annajane Güzel is Global Director of Brand Marketing at Generator.
