Boutique Design - November 2019 - 94

RED LION INN & SUITES, ABBOTSFORD, BRITISH COLUMBIA

ANGEL A L ANDGRAF

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, COMMERCIAL
DEVELOPMENT, RLABS, RLH CORPORATION

WHAT WAS THE SCARIEST MOMENT OF YOUR
CAREER?

HOW DID YOU GET PAST THAT FEAR?

One day I just decided that I had the job and that I
didn't need to, and wasn't going to, be "interviewed"
every time I walked into a meeting room. Nor did I
feel the need to prove myself to anyone else any
longer. I just learned my job and did it without
explanation or fear. So I guess I would say I became
fearless and unapologetic.

Greg Mount, ceo, had the brainchild to take our
technology platform, team of dedicated experts,
and volume pricing and offer it to pure independent hotels. Thus RLabs, the subsidiary company
of RLH Corp., was born and Canvas Integrated
Systems. My hotel experience started in boutique,
luxury hotels (Loews Hotels and Kimpton Hotel &
Restaurants). Coupled with my 14 years of real
estate deal transactions experience, I was uniquely
suited to head up sales of our seamlessly integrated technology platform to independent hotels
of the world. The biggest pro of Canvas by RLabs
pricing is it's "pay to play" transactional pricing vs.
royalty fees that arguably tend to do more for the
brand than the actual asset. Now an independent
hotel finally has the opportunity to truly compete
and not be forced to become a big or soft brand.
The 25-50% cost savings Canvas by RLabs provides
to an independent owner is a game changer! I saw
that clearly and wanted to be a part of that initiative and its success.
WHAT'S YOUR VISION FOR RLABS?

WHY THE MOVE FROM REAL ESTATE TO THE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS SIDE?

RLH Corporation was becoming more of an assetlight franchise organization vs. corporate development and had a "silver bullet" in its technology.
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To launch Canvas by RLabs here in the U.S. and
then expand internationally. We will have varying
versions of our offering to accommodate accordingly: a premier, standard and "lite" version
(depending upon the hotel's needs, market, etc.).

WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST PASSION OUTSIDE YOUR
DAY JOB?

A travel writer. I have always loved traveling the
world; discovering new places, people, foods and
cultures and pontificating my experiences in incredible detail-reliving it in a way, perhaps? Whether
it's an iconic world landmark, a posh luxury hotel,
or simply a neighborhood hidden gem you've
discovered and can't help yourself from telling
people about in such detail that they just have to go
and see it for themselves (which I have often), is my
dream job and passion/hobby. I relish providing an
"insider's guide" of my own trusted "shortcuts" to
people on places and things I've experienced. So
much so that friends, family, colleagues, clients, etc.
through the years call or email me asking for my
recommendations. I think experiencing new places,
people and things, the sights, sounds, foods and the
culture is the greatest gift and education you could
ever receive. I feel privileged that I have had such
amazing opportunities, both personally and professionally, to have done so much to date and look
forward to the continued journey.
WHAT'S YOUR FIVE YEAR PLAN?

In five years from now, I want my job to allow me
more time for my personal passions: volunteer
work, personal travel and writing.

C O U R T E S Y O F R L H C O R P O R AT I O N ( L A N D G R A F, R E D L I O N I N N & S U I T E S )

The scariest day of my working life was my first
day in hotel real estate. I had just come out of 11
years in operations and had no former or formal
real estate experience. I remember thinking to
myself "be careful what you wish for!" It was like
going from Pee Wee baseball to the Major
Leagues. I spent every night for a year or two
cramming like it was the night before finals. Top
that with the fact that I was in my early 30s, one of
very few females back then in a predominantly
male business sector of the hotel business. I stuck
out like a sore thumb. It was definitely overwhelming and difficult at first.

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