HTL Hotels plans to share its “smart” hotel experience with guests as the company expands to 20 hotels during the next five years, according to Commercial Manager Gül Heper.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden—HTL Hotels isn’t going to compromise on any of its core principles as it pursues growth, according to the company’s Commercial Manager Gül Heper.

“We created the company based on our own preferences when we were traveling,” Heper said. “This is the kind of hotel I’ve been searching for.”

She said the company follows three basic guidelines: great location, great price and great quality.

HTL, owned by Hong Kong-based EQT, opened its first property in May and plans to expand to 20 hotels during the next five years, Heper said, all of which will be in “triple A” locations based on the company’s principles. The company has hotels planned for Oslo, Norway; Helsinki, Finland; and Copenhagen, Denmark. Heper said HTL also plans to expand in European cities such as London, Paris and Berlin, but she couldn’t provide further details regarding development.

The flagship property—HTL Kungsgatan Stockholm—has three different buildings comprising 274 rooms and spanning an entire city block. So far, performance at the property has been stellar, Heper said, adding the company has seen during the past two months guests representing more than 70 nationalities.

HTL focused on quality at its first property by removing “traditional” things in a hotel such as meetings rooms and fitness centers and giving guests what they need and want, such as a comfortable bed and quality shower, Heper said.

“By removing everything, we keep down the price and raise the quality,” she said, adding guests are there to see and experience the city. If guests need to access a gym or a place to hold meetings, chances are such outlets will be available elsewhere in the properties’ city center locations, Heper said.

HTL’s hotels are “4-star hotels at a quality price,” she said. Rooms at the HTL Kungsgatan Stockholm start at 699 Swedish Krona ($103).

Cutting-edge technology

HTL executives also aim to have “smart functions” in their hotels, Heper said. For example, the company is one of the first to offer guests the ability to check-in while in transit and receive a room key directly on their mobile phone.

“We put a lot of effort into creating something new in the industry,” Heper said, adding executives listened to a lot of things guests say, in addition to studying guest behavior and how people are traveling. From these insights, management discerned travelers, especially Scandinavians, were technologically savvy enough to check-in via mobile phone or self-service kiosk prior to arrival.

HTL will not include a reception desk at its properties because everything is prepaid, Heper said.

“The hotel booking system has been custom made for us,” she said. “Trying to remove all the traditional barriers, it’s really been a challenge.”

Some companies that work with hotels to implement traditional booking systems had a hard time getting past the fact that everything was prepaid, she said.  Even though it was a challenge to get all parties aligned with prepaid booking and mobile check-in, Heper said even guests over the age of 70 have used the iPad check-in station successfully. If there are complications with checking in, Heper said hosts in the lounge area of the hotel, which is where guests enter the property, are there to help.

Once in the hotel room, guests can connect their own devices to a LED screen and get their personal selection of movies and music in their hotel room via Miracast and Airplay, Heper said. HTL also has done away with the traditional guest information folder in the guestroom. Guests looking to order food or see a local city guide need only turn on the TV and a collage of boxes with choices shows up.

Growing the staff

HTL has six employees at its corporate office in Stockholm, Sweden. Heper said she joined as employee No.3 in September. The company’s managing director is working hard to build a team of like-minded individuals, she said.

Everything in a HTL hotel has been hand-chosen by someone within the company, Heper said, so hiring based off personality is important.

“We have selected everything from the table ware to the food, which has all been tested by us.”