Until recently, industry watchers looking for the hotelier with the drive and creativity to take on Airbnb-style distruptors could have been forgiven for overlooking Enrique Sarasola. After all, the president and founder or Room Mate Hotels and BeMate.com had more of a track record as an equestrian, having competed on Spain’s equestrian team in three Olympics.
But it wasn’t just lack of hotel experience that would have left him off the radar. The hospitality world wasn’t convinced that the vision “Kike” (pronounced “KEE-kay”) and his three cool-kid partners had for a personalized stay at a value-conscious price point was even workable. “I knocked on many doors before arriving to someone who said ‘yes,’” Sarasola says. A lot more people wish they had.
With 21 Room Mate hotels now open in Europe and America, an aggressive pipeline and the last year’s launch of BeMate.com (a serviced apartment concept that is similar to Airbnb but also offers hotel services like housekeeping), Sarasola has doors being opened for him.
More than a few of them have been blown open by a cult of personality. The entrepreneurial Sarasola isn’t exactly short on charisma. And he’s the first one to admit the importance of giving his concept a face and voice, just like one of his inspirations, Richard Branson, did for his Virgin brands. “In my case, Room Mate has a visible face, which is mine,” he says. “I’ve had to give up many things, being always available for media interviews, conferences, etc. But, in the end, I think it has been very good for Room Mate, and, somehow, I also enjoy this frantic rhythm.”
Sarasola and his team are opening 11 more hotels in the next two years: one in Miami, two in Istanbul, one in Rotterdam, one in Milan, three in Barcelona and one in Malaga. Other upcoming destinations include London, Paris, Bogotá and Rome.
With Room Mate out there for travelers seeking the ultimate in personalized stays, Sarasola saw a gap in the market for something that offered the hominess of moving into a pal’s digs with the convenience of a hotel stay. Enter BeMate.com, which functions like Airbnb — apartment owners sublet their residences. However, Sarasola saw the opportunity to add more services, from arranging key drop off to laundry.
He knows he won’t score big with every idea, but that’s not about to slow his pace. “My sports career has taught me that both success and failure are brief,” Sarasola notes. “I’ve created projects that have failed. But one of the most important things I’ve learned is to wake up the next morning and try again.”
Editor’s note: This profile is part of HOTELS first People Issue, which highlights a dozen up-and-coming hoteliers.