Turn Your Hotel Into A Nordic Destination

"the Future of Hospitality (00:00) Just go ahead and we follow, we don't necessarily follow the questions. I took out the ones that you requested, but what we can do is we follow ⁓ after the introduction, when you start talking about, who you are, et cetera, et cetera. And then we just start from there. And ⁓ we don't necessarily need to follow the structure of all the subjects and questions that I said to you. But we can just, when I notice, okay, this is a good storyline, I will follow that and guide you toward the subjects. Regitze (00:32) Yes. And I have, because I'm very well prepared as a human being, so I have like notes and notes and I've been thinking about it and going through it. So I might need to just quickly sometimes look down, but that's. the Future of Hospitality (00:42) Wonderful. That's okay. No, do that. And if you feel like, let me see, I want to keep it natural. And if there's some thoughts that you have, have the thoughts. It's a natural, it's like we, there are no cameras. We have the conversation. That's the best way. Regitze (00:57) No, good. There are no cameras. Okay, I thought it was actually recording. the Future of Hospitality (01:05) No, what I mean is like there is no camera. I mean, we are being recorded. I mean, this is already recording, but just imagine there is nothing to be recording. All right, there we go. Three, two, and one. Welcome to our podcast, The Future of Hospitality. I am your host, Arjen Eiculeboom, and today our guest is Regitze Cecile Rosenfinger, founder and PR strategist at Roos PR. And with Roos PR, Regitze (01:14) I'm used to it. It's all good. the Future of Hospitality (01:34) Regitze helps European hotels to stand out to the Nordic audience. Let's find out why and how Regitze is doing this and what makes her approach so valuable. Regitze, welcome to our show. Regitze (01:49) Thank you very much. Pleasure to be here. the Future of Hospitality (01:51) Wonderful. Tell me a bit more about yourself before we dive into what you're doing exactly for European hotels in the Nordic market. I'm really, really ⁓ eager to learn. And go ahead. Who is Regitze? Regitze (02:03) Sure, well that's big question, I'll try to answer it in a few seconds here. Well basically I've been working in hospitality in almost 15 years. ⁓ I'm from Denmark, but I have lived abroad most of my adult life, ⁓ including five years in Berlin, and then I came back here. I have a son who is seven years old, and I'm self-employed and I have been self-employed. the Future of Hospitality (02:21) Mm-hmm. Regitze (02:31) forward for yeah basically as long as I've been working with hotels and in hospitality so 15 years. So I've been writing books about it about self-employment and about storytelling for hotels as well so that's also something I can put on my resume but now I am managing Roast PR. ⁓ the Future of Hospitality (02:49) Okay, let me start with why you started Roast PR and then we walk a little bit back into how you started. But first, what inspired you to start Roast PR? I think you started it this year, right? Okay. Regitze (02:56) way. I did, I did. So yeah, we're in like in August now and I started it in January, I think. It's quite new. It, was basically an energy coming to me after many months of self discovery. I guess you can say that and I will talk about that in a few moments as well. It was this idea that came to me about, you know, creating something beautiful and sustainable and really authentic within the world of Hotel PR. specifically in Scandinavia. And I think the timing for me to start this was perfect, given the fact that I went through 10 months before where I had closed down my old company and I needed to find my way into something new. And after a long period of time, I found the courage to just do it. I just started it. It was like a Monday morning. the Future of Hospitality (03:31) Mm-hmm. Regitze (03:57) I came back from delivering my son in the school and I said to my partner, I think I need to just do this now. It just came to me so strongly and it was snowing and it rumbling. the Future of Hospitality (04:06) Okay, I want to take this energy because I like this. I want to do this now. So I want to dive deep into it. But before we do this, I want to understand what did you do before that? And why did you close that chapter and make you make that jump? Regitze (04:18) Hmm? Yeah, so basically as I mentioned before I've been self-employed for well 14-15 years specifically in travel and hospitality and It's been a wonderful journey but last year last summer in the summer of 2022-24 I decided to close down this company and It wasn't an easy decision because I'm very proud of everything that I achieved with the old company, which was more like the Future of Hospitality (04:30) Mm-hmm. Regitze (04:50) consulting, social media, content creation on that side. But you know, you can outgrow a business like you can outgrow a pair of jeans. your business has the energy of your company, what you're doing every day has to match you as a human being where you are right now. And everything is a transactional of energy. the Future of Hospitality (05:02) Right. Regitze (05:14) I just didn't feel that energy anymore. Something was off and I felt it for a long time I was not attracting the things that I wanted to attract and and So I decided it was really not easy, but I decided in July last year. Okay, it's time It was a tough decision ⁓ But but closing it down resonated with me and I just knew I had to go into a different path of my life Discovering okay Who am I really now? Who am I becoming as an adult with a seven-year-old child? It's not the same as when I started the business years ago, because we change and so does business, right? the Future of Hospitality (05:51) Mm-hmm. Right. So that is ⁓ part of your self-discovery journey. I hear growth in there. So tell us a bit more about the 10 month self-discovery journey. What did you learn? Regitze (06:02) Yeah. So basically, I think a lot of things, right? And it really wasn't easy. And it sounds like, then I went to Bali and that I met so many great people and I meditated. That's not the case. Unfortunately, I stayed here in Denmark trying to get a full-time job. And that is something I never did before, like an actual contract with a company that, you full-time employed by someone else. The thought of it was... pretty scary to me and I had a lot of rejections to begin with because getting a job is not easy like first of all, second of all, when you've been self-employed for many years, it might even be tougher. And it turned out it wasn't for me at all and I knew that but I needed to try, I needed to have this experience. So, you know, you can't do the same thing every single day and expect new results. And I was coming to that point in my old business. It was like an autopilot. I did the same things, met the same people. the Future of Hospitality (07:13) Can you tell me a little bit of what that was that you were doing just in a few sentences? What was that business exactly about? Because so I can understand. Okay, I see that you grew out of that. Can you tell me a bit more about that? Regitze (07:23) Yeah. So the paradox is that I stayed in hospital. I came back to hospitality because I will always be a hospitality woman. I love it. And that's my thing. But you can work with a different mindset and a different energy and you could come into the industry from a different angle. So before I ran a consulting business doing content and as I said, more creative consulting, ⁓ also storytelling, but more like I didn't really 100 % find my way. I think when I think about it, it was not clear enough, ⁓ neither to me nor to my audience. And I think that was part of the reason that I felt stuck. So I needed to be really 100 % clear on what I wanted to do for the rest of my career. And that takes time. You don't just wake up one morning and you're like, this is... ⁓ the Future of Hospitality (08:01) Hmm. Okay. Of course. no, it's a process. It's a process of self-discovery. That's the self-discovery part. Regitze (08:23) That was the self-discovery part, right? And I had the toughest year, like at least one of the toughest years of my life, I think, going through this where I forced myself to do, know, self-development work and whatever, and do projects that I didn't necessarily enjoy. I just needed a different experience and I needed to see things from a different perspective. And so I learned that. And I think somehow when I was ready, when I felt ready, it came to me that Monday morning in January this year, okay, you're ready. You've done the work. It's now or never. Do you dare to go that way or do you want to do something else? And that's basically what happened. the Future of Hospitality (09:04) So you ask yourself do I have the guts to dive into something completely new and you decided yes I do because I need to grow I need to move on. Okay. Regitze (09:12) Exactly, right? Because we talk a lot about comfort zones and a comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing grows there. And I found out that in the past year and a half. So of course the world of PR is not completely new to me. ⁓ I had the network and I had contacts and I also did PR for hotels before but not on this level. So that was the beginning of Rose. the Future of Hospitality (09:38) Mmm. Regitze (09:40) I think myself a beautiful, very authentic energy. put it in it from the beginning. Yeah. the Future of Hospitality (09:47) Right. So you just came back. That's when we started this conversation right before you mentioned that you just came back from a trip through Europe. All word related. Can you tell me a little bit about that before we dive into what it is exactly what you're doing? Because I think you will touch some pointers there. Regitze (10:06) Yeah, well, I will. So, well, yeah, I mean, my business demands some travel activity and that's what I love. I love to travel. gives me energy. At the same time, I need a lot of balance and then, you know, in my life. it's like this act of balance all the time of being active and being passive. I found out that's what I need as well. But of course, when you run a PR agency for hotels, you travel. You travel to meet clients, to meet people, and to understand what the product is that you're working with. ⁓ I just went, well, basically 10 days in Germany, so it's not super exotic, at least not for me being from Denmark. But it was great. And I was in Hamburg, and I was in Berlin to meet great clients and great people. It was really interesting. And I came back yesterday. Yeah. the Future of Hospitality (10:31) Mm-hmm. Right? All right. How do you help hotels stand out in Scandinavia? What is your approach? Regitze (11:08) So basically what we do is it's pretty straightforward. We provide PR for European hotels who would like exposure on the Nordic market. That's it. So that's the Future of Hospitality (11:20) That's it. Okay. So, but there is more to it. Otherwise you wouldn't build a business around it. So, I want to learn from you. ⁓ Why is it different? How is Scandinavia much different from the rest of Europe? ⁓ Regitze (11:25) One, two. You know, think Scandinavia is, of course I love it, I'm Scandinavian, but there is something about that we're very rooted as like people, we love to travel, we love to see the world and I think it's literally in our DNA since the Viking ages, you know, everywhere. the Future of Hospitality (11:57) I know. It's not much different from the Dutch, think. Regitze (12:00) Right? It's incredible. I can go on a little island somewhere far, far away and I meet a Danish person like Jesus Christ, you know, everywhere I go, they are there. So jokes aside, Scandinavia, you know, it's quite a specific market and it's very interesting to market a product here because I, really know what the people here want. They want a connection, authenticity, community, and they understand these things. the Future of Hospitality (12:11) Yeah. Regitze (12:30) So I think if a hotel or travel brand really wants traction on the Nordic market, they have to understand the mentality of Scandinavian people. For example, we care a lot about a good hotel breakfast. That's and identity and connection. That's our thing ⁓ in general. So. the Future of Hospitality (12:47) Quality, quality and identity. Regitze (12:57) We tend to really dive into that a lot and appreciate the brands that can deliver that. ⁓ the Future of Hospitality (13:05) So, for my understanding, I think I know what you mean, because I'm similar to that. So, it perhaps that travelers from Scandinavia tend to visit independent hotels more than big chains like Americans do? Regitze (13:22) Definitely there is a huge difference in the way that I would say Scandinavian person travels and American person travels There is not necessarily one is better than the other but you have to understand the the Nordic mentality So for example nature plays a huge role I am Rose PR is doing PR for an amazing project in Norway now the polar circle So you can't get more north in the world and that's amazing the Future of Hospitality (13:50) I don't think so either. Regitze (13:52) Exactly, and the hotel is being built right now and it really taps into this whole nature sustainability ⁓ way of thinking ⁓ that attracts this kind of people that value these things and also slow traveling we're seeing a whole movement around quiet luxury ⁓ Which I find super interesting ⁓ Because quite luxury is the opposite of you know loud luxury gold opulence waiters in white suits and stuff like that, which is also amazing. But I think the world is craving something very different. And we do crave this connection and authenticity. the Future of Hospitality (14:34) I think that is getting stronger and stronger, especially after COVID. Yeah, I think that the whole approach needs to change and I see that people are changing their approach. You do the same thing. Regitze (14:49) Yeah, absolutely. You have to change with the world and with the demands of travelers and it's not only in Scandinavia that people would like to explore this quiet luxury scene more and nature and whatnot. But we're just really good at it. We're good at creating products here who resonated with this kind of mindset. ⁓ And we do PR for hotels also in other parts of Europe, but who understand this mindset, right? Who understand that this is more than just a hotel. It can be a destination for community, a destination for wellness, something deeper with more integrity. But that's also what we want. the Future of Hospitality (15:30) more integrity. That is the difference between pre-COVID and post-COVID. Can you maybe give some more examples that is for you very important that you have made changes to in your way of work? Regitze (15:46) Yeah, well, apart from being a personal one, I can really feel that this is something that is on my mind. ⁓ And a lot of the people I know who love to travel, they are also concerned with these things. Because the world is just crazy. I mean, there's so much noise out there. And I really think, well, I'm a strong advocate of talking about businesses and lives being led in a more and natural way. It doesn't have to be fast-paced and everything doesn't have to go viral. You know, it can be, it can still be quality. It could be slow and slow is a good thing. It's not a bad thing and I think it takes time really for this to really fully integrate but we're getting there. the Future of Hospitality (16:30) I agree. It's funny how I keep hearing this. You mentioned it and it's not the first time and it really makes me feel good that we kinda stepping away from the fast paced and focus more on ⁓ realness, authenticity and quality from the heart out and what really people really, really need. And then maintaining the identity of the property. So tell me, ⁓ What kind of hotels do you work with in Europe? Regitze (17:11) ⁓ So we're still fairly new, we are definitely very appreciative of my team and I experiencing the success we are. And I think it's because we're very clear on what we offer and who we'd like to work with. basically hotels and retreats. So that's all we do. It's hotels and retreats. And mainly those who understand this way of thinking, know, sustainability, community, nature. authentic experiences, ⁓ farm to table, quality, that means a lot to me. Also, because PR is not something you can expect really fast results with, like in a month, you know? ⁓ So that's why we run the agency like we do. We cultivate connections to journalists, to media, ⁓ proper actual real connections. ⁓ This whole idea of, you know, spray pitching things just to get it out there, to spread the word as much as possible to as many people as possible. That's totally dead. And I wanted to do something else with Rose, something very authentic that resonates with the audience. the Future of Hospitality (18:22) Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're fine tuning and I like that. So how do ⁓ influences and media fit into your storytelling approach? Regitze (18:26) Yes. So ⁓ basically, think PR is all about storytelling and influencers and media, they're telling the stories. So it's like this love relationship. Of course, there would be no PR without the media. ⁓ And I think that media people, journalists and influencers, because we work with both sides, they're really a powerful amplifier in what I would call strategic storytelling. So we need them, right? the Future of Hospitality (19:01) Strategic storytelling. Okay, I like that word. Regitze (19:03) Yeah, so they amplify that, I think they don't just talk about a brand, they interpret it through their own lens. And this is very important because that's what you call connection and emotional connection you get with a brand. And that is the modern way of doing storytelling. You connect a hotel, a brand, with the end consumer through emotional storytelling. And a tool to do that the Future of Hospitality (19:06) there we go. Mm-hmm. Regitze (19:32) is by using the right journalist, by using the right influencer. ⁓ the Future of Hospitality (19:36) Right. What I'm hearing is also I think that the hotels that you work with, it's not much about staying over for a night or two nights. This is more like the hotel itself and is a destination. Regitze (19:49) you In many cases, one of the clients we work with have like a policy if you stay at least, I think it's at least three nights. One, because it might be difficult to get there. You have to spend time getting there. It's in the middle of nature. But also this whole way of thinking that don't just fly around, know, land, be grounded, sense what is this really about? And this really taps into this whole the Future of Hospitality (19:56) It is, yeah. Mm-hmm. Regitze (20:23) thing we're seeing that hotels are developing from being accommodation providers into places of, you know, a destination really for a community or for people to meet each other and that's beautiful. the Future of Hospitality (20:39) Yeah. So you translate the identity of a property, destination, a particular property into the language or to the language of the people in Scandinavia. The travel is from Scandinavia. We're talking about Norway. We're talking about Sweden, Finland, Denmark, maybe even Iceland. I mean, yeah, that is probably what you would talk to Scandinavia. So you talked about ⁓ your team, so you work with other people. Do you work with people from those countries? Regitze (21:15) Yes, I do. And this is the whole idea of creating a modern sustainable business that you can't, I can't do everything. I'm a one person show basically here in Copenhagen, right? And I have an assistant, but I don't personally cover each region in Scandinavia. That would be impossible. But I want to do it good. I want to do it with people who live there, who understand the market, who live and breathe it every day. So I have some of the best freelance PR people ⁓ in the market in Oslo and Stockholm and so on ⁓ who are connected to Rose PR. the Future of Hospitality (21:55) Oh, nice one. And how do you define great storytelling in the hospitality industry? Regitze (21:56) See? Well, great storytelling is... I feel like I keep repeating myself, but that's really because that's what we all love. Yeah, it's about... You tap into the emotions. So you move very far away from what it originally was about, the hotel rooms, the amenities, home away from home, which is the place to stay and explore the destination. You create a sense of... the Future of Hospitality (22:09) No, no, it's okay. Regitze (22:30) longing for this destination by kind of describing it like you would describe a person almost. So it gets very personal and it gets very emotional. The destination can maybe help you figure out a problem in your life. It can make you become a better person. I might be biased. I'm a little bit crazy because I worked with hotels for so many years and I absolutely love hotels. But I think, you know, the Future of Hospitality (22:33) Mm-hmm. Regitze (23:01) Hotels still hold so much power in terms of storytelling and community and we've just seen the beginning, right? the Future of Hospitality (23:07) So what would be a common mistake you think that hotels still make in their PR strategy? Regitze (23:14) This is really a good question. think more more hotels globally are becoming more aware of their storytelling and their PR, which is good thing. ⁓ But of course, there are cases where hotels treat their PR like advertising. And that's wrong in my thinking. So PR should not be about pay promotion because it builds on trust and authenticity. That's what it is. That's what the modern way of thinking PR is. It's really hard to do PR for a brand that doesn't have a defined brand story or a clear brand identity. You don't really know what you're doing PR for. And I still see that many properties, also restaurants, they come up, they have this great energy and they close down after three, four seasons. Like what happened? If you don't have a strong brand identity and a strong story, you're not going to go anywhere because People don't resonate with it. People don't understand what you're offering, right? So I still see that a lot. And also this whole one size fits all approach that everybody can come visit our hotel, right? It's for everyone. So you need to create like a niche somehow and attract a certain kind of people that works better usually. Yeah. the Future of Hospitality (24:40) So where do you see the biggest growth potential for these hotel brands? Regitze (24:49) Well, there's so much, think we're just at the beginning. We're seeing hotels really develop from being hotels into these massive communities. We have Sokool, which is a great example, it's a Dutch brand. We have Six Senses. We have great brands, great hotel brands all over the world who are actually grasping their own potential. They can become art shops or community hubs or... the Future of Hospitality (24:54) Okay. Regitze (25:18) ⁓ They can have micro bakeries, know, can have chefs flown in from other parts of the world and and attract a clientele who would like more than just staying in a hotel. They're willing to pay for more, they are more open-minded, they want to meet other people and really connect. And that's also a really important part of understanding the culture you're visiting, right? So they're staying there for more days and integrating more with people there. And that's definitely... the Future of Hospitality (25:35) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Regitze (25:56) There's so much potential and I think we're starting to see it really unfold in the next 10 years. the Future of Hospitality (26:03) Right. How do you make sure that you tell the right story that caters to your audience? Because I can only imagine. I try to see that image in front of me because all of Europe, you just came from Germany. Maybe you could give me an example ⁓ of the past two weeks. How does your ⁓ day look like or your days look like? You've been absorbing the identity of the hotels. ⁓ I can only assume. with having the clientele in Scandinavia in mind. Can you walk me a little bit through that mindset and that journey in your head? How do you do that? Regitze (26:45) Well, first of all, you get a client and you have to get to know that brand, that client as if it was a good friend. You really have to deep dive on the brand and spend time with it. And that's what I mean with the way Rose does PR might be, we're embracing this, I call it slow PR, not to be misunderstood because we've got to spend ages doing it. That's not the point. The point is that we'd rather have fewer clients. that we have spent more time on than having a whole magazine full of clients that we barely have time to cater to. So we really sit down and we spend several days understanding this client. What is it about? I'm telling the brand story. Who are they trying to attract? How can they do that in the best way and where to do it? Which outlets? ⁓ There's a great journalist here. she's a perfect match to this or this influencer would be amazing here. And then we kind of, of course, ⁓ the Future of Hospitality (27:28) Uh-uh. Regitze (27:44) fine, like adjust the budgets and whatever the practical stuff, but we spend a lot of time understanding and working with each client to make the best possible outcome in terms of PR and it really is a lot about connecting the right people all over Scandinavia and Telling the really good stories, right? So the Future of Hospitality (27:58) Hmm. ⁓ I like it, I really like it. What in your opinion does success look like for Roast PR in the next few years? Let's have a look at you just started earlier this year. I mean, I'm on the same path we just started this year with our ⁓ company, Guest Journey and the podcast actually. So give me a good ⁓ look out. How do you see Roast PR in the next few years? Regitze (28:38) Well, basically, I want to say that I'm very grateful for being in such a good path already, since we're quite new. So we just want to keep attracting the right clients, keep doing good work. I think there's a lot of power in partnerships as well. So we already do partner with other PR agencies. So instead of seeing them as competitors, we're lifting each other. And I think that's, isn't it? And this is also part of the mindset you have to, you have to do it in a more holistic way. Otherwise you'll burn out. can, you might want to be the best, but if you want to be the best, you have to work with other people. Everything is a team effort and we're bracing. the Future of Hospitality (29:10) exactly how it works. Regitze (29:26) collaborations like that, which is very interesting and exciting. Right now we're focusing on the European market, but who knows maybe we go globally someday. you know, our playground really is Scandinavia. This is where our this is our home. This is where our mentality is. This is the market we know best. And I want Rose PR to be in the forefront of Hotel PR in Scandinavia point. the Future of Hospitality (29:37) All right. Regitze (29:54) So I do want to be the best and we're working very hard to get there. the Future of Hospitality (29:56) Well, you made a good start already. What advice would you then, because you partner with other PR agencies, other people, and I totally agree with you, it's all about relationships and partnerships. That's how we keep each other going and help grow. What advice would you give to others thinking about launching a niche agency like you have? Regitze (30:07) Yes, yes, yes. Stay focused. ⁓ This is something I kind of... It was a challenge for me early in my life as well. I wanted to do everything and you just can't do that. You have to stay focused and be very dedicated to exactly what you're doing. You have to work for what you want. Nothing is being served on a gold platter and I really want to make this crystal clear because we live in a world that likes to tell you that, you know, quick money, easy wins, it's just around the corner. And this is being kind of amplified through social media, right? How to be a millionaire in a week, whatever. And it's ridiculous because good work takes time. ⁓ in order to do good work, you have to be focused. And so yeah, stay focused and just, yeah, do good work. ⁓ the Future of Hospitality (31:10) Don't get distracted. I think that is a good addition to exactly what you're trying to say. Don't get distracted, especially with all that social media. I need that many likes or I need that. No, it's about having your focus, know your goal and ⁓ keep your eyes on the ball. Regitze (31:18) and said, my God. Yeah. Yeah. Keep your eyes on the prize. It's really important and do whatever it takes to get there. And if it is having a post, it posted all over your office. don't know, but it focuses really the power. ⁓ It's a currency in today's world where distraction is all over the place. So, yeah. the Future of Hospitality (31:46) totally agree. Alright. Regitse, ⁓ I want to thank you for sharing your insight and ⁓ talking about what you do, why you did it, why you started it. ⁓ I hope this is inspiring for a lot of people. think it could be. So thank you for being on our show. Regitze (32:04) Thank you so much. was an absolute pleasure. Thank you. Bye. the Future of Hospitality (32:07) Wonderful. All right... "