Learning More About The Annex Hotel with Ryan Killeen

Ryan Killeen’s hospitality career officially began after participating in the hotel management program at Vancouver Community College. While in school, Ryan started cleaning bathrooms and making beds with the housekeeping team at the Fairmont Pacific Rim — considered Vancouver’s definitive luxury hotel. He was climbing the ladder at a healthy pace and was presented with an opportunity to join the opening team in Dubai at Fairmont the Palm. Without processing what this meant, Ryan said yes. Living in Dubai, working with 52 different nationalities, and leading the guest services team was the most eye-opening experience of my life. For Ryan and fellow North Americans, it was an opportunity to gain valuable work experience and open the floodgates to new opportunities back home. For others, it was an opportunity to provide for their families and give their children a future. After returning to North America, Ryan took on progressive roles in Vancouver, Calgary, Boston that included sales, business development, leadership, and operations for Sonder, a ‘Hometel’ company bringing together the authenticity of peer-to-peer home rental plus the dependable, elevated services of a hotel. Currently, Ryan operates the Annex Hotel in Toronto as GM. As a property manager, business owner, and entrepreneur, you already have so much to do in a 24 hour time period. Don’t let the worry of your property being damaged and focus back on growing your business with Safely! Safely is a proud sponsor and I love that I can use them for my business to ensure my properties are safe, protected and my homeowners know that I think of their asset as my asset too! Go to Safely.com and sign up today and let them know Wil sent you! Smart locks, Smart thermostats, automation, and a solution for any hotel and vacation rental company. Our show partners at Operto are the leading solution for operators to enhance their operations by integrating with your property management software and making sure all smart devices create a contactless guest experience while streamlining operations. Check them out on their website, send me a message or just let them know Wil sent you and you’ll be in great hands! This episode is also sponsored by Jetstream! Jetstream is a full-service hospitality solution with a powerful team behind it! To learn more about Jetstream, just click this link! In this episode, we explore: 02:52 - Background of the Guest 06:47 - Disadvantages of having an overcomplicated system 08:07 - Using Technology vs Old school way 09:35 - Technology role in the hospitality industry 13:00 - Shifting to Sonder and Airbnb 15:56 - What is it like to be an established company? 19:32 - What is Annex? 23:15 - Adopting Technology - from traditional to high-tech hotel 26:19 - Consolidating Tech hacks 29:29 - Prediction when shifting to high-end vacation rentals Connecting with the Guest: Website: https://theannex.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryankkilleen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annexhotels/?hl=en Slick Talk Website & Socials: https://bit.ly/3uCsm6H Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices