Goryan Lazarov: Czech hotel boss mixes billion-crown deals and AI

Goryan Lazarov heads Orea Hotels & Resorts, one of the three biggest players on the Czech hotel market. Under his leadership, the company is pouring billions of crowns into developing its hotels, and the top manager himself is not afraid of unconventional decisions in an industry he calls conservative.

The interview with Lazarov took place at SenSa Bistro, a Prague restaurant that is also part of his group's structure. A telling detail: when the executive needed to check the latest figures, he simply opened his laptop and turned to the company's corporate AI assistant — an episode that nicely illustrates his approach to combining traditional hotel business with modern technology.

According to Lazarov, the hotel market is changing faster than it appears: “People travel a lot more these days, they're able to compare with hotels abroad, and they very quickly notice if you're cutting corners in the wrong place.” That is precisely why the head of Orea Hotels & Resorts insists that what matters to him is not just a guest with a credit card, but the complete customer experience — from the quality of the coffee in the hotel to the overall feel of the service.

The conversation also touched on his readiness to listen even to the boldest and, at first glance, “crazy” ideas from employees — an approach that, in Lazarov's view, helps the company stay competitive against more conservative rivals. At the same time, he stresses that behind an outwardly traditional hotel business lie genuinely serious investments — amounting to billions of crowns earmarked for expanding the hotel chain.