Technology is top of mind for business traveler-focused Mint House, which has helped the hotel company thrive throughout the pandemic, according to Chief Product Officer Alex Herrity.

Mint House was founded in 2017 by Will Lucas, who as a business traveler himself identified a need for “more space and Airbnb-like suites with some consistency,” Herrity said.

“As a company, we go into the office/construction phase of apartment-style buildings,” he said. “In the past, they could have been multifamily or built for that purpose. Then we take over and run either a portion of the building … or the entire building and we operate them like hotel rooms.”

Herrity said Mint House gives guests more space similar to “a really nice Airbnb, which is what a lot of business travelers are looking for, but it has the Mint House brand which guarantees people a level of consistency.”

Mint House’s operations revolve around technology since the hotels don’t have traditional features like a check-in desk, Herrity said.

Since there’s not a person to check in with, “we need to make sure we’re communicating through technology, whether that’s through the digital concierge in our app or text message or email ... to the guests' phones,” he said.

Pin codes are sent to guests to unlock their suite, and technology continues into the suite itself, Herrity said.

“We try to be at the cutting edge of all smart in-room technology," he said, noting that includes smart thermostats, TVs and fitness devices.

Mint House had several tech innovations in the works a year ago, pre-COVID-19, and had to prioritize “the ones meant for a contactless world,” Herrity said.

The company rolled out in-room fitness technology with on-demand videos and online trainers as well as an in-room retail experience that allows guests to buy items found in their Mint House room — including books, art prints, furniture and cutlery.

Mint House also works with local restaurants in each city to provide custom menus to guests for room service, which is then delivered through a provider the company works with, Herrity said.

He said Mint House has had guests staying longer throughout the pandemic.

“Pre-pandemic, our typical length of stay was less than three days. That changed quite a bit when the pandemic hit,” he said. “The benefit of having a large suite is people can stay there for any length of time and be comfortable. … Our length of stay jumped up to over 20 days pretty quickly, and we were able to get our occupancy up to over 80%.”

More than 80% of guests right now are working remotely from their suites, Herrity said.

“They’re either relocating or doing a staycation and just moving between different cities and working remotely. Since they don’t need to be near their office, they are staying for long periods of time,” he said.

“We think some of that behavior will continue. … There is that digital nomad now that is able to work remotely and sees the benefit of going between different furnished apartments and staying for two weeks or two months.”

Mint House plans to expand to 50 cities by 2025, Herrity said.

That growth is focused on major markets where business travelers usually go for meetings, and current locations include New York City; Austin, Texas; Miami; Detroit; and Nashville, Tennessee.