John Flood’s journey in tourism and hospitality started innocuously enough. The Dublin native worked in bars and restaurants after school to earn extra cash and gain valuable experience. He was only 14 years old. Although many teenagers of his age only saw these odd jobs as a means to an end, Flood saw them as stepping stones to a career in the industry. He had always loved the front line and remembered how magical it was to visit restaurants and hotels with his family.
“We could never travel when we were younger because it was expensive, so my family would drive to the back of Dublin Airport,” he says. Ice cream in hand, he would watch the planes take off and land, and dream of being on them some day.
Flood even jumped at the chance to work for free and relished plugging away during odd hours or holidays such as Christmas and New Year. “I was simply grateful for the chance to learn and grow,” he says.
This passion never waned. Flood’s master’s thesis at the University of Leicester in 2001 focused on developing a sustainable hotel chain in Indonesia. He also had the good fortune to meet Charles Brookfield during that time. A former auditor and hospitality veteran, Brookfield had opened several concepts around the world. In the afternoon, they would talk for hours about Flood’s business plan. In the evenings, Flood would sit down and jot down those ideas to create a cohesive thesis.
They explored every industry. From NASA to the US Army, Flood and Brookfield looked at well-run organisations dealing with people and dissected how they operated and what made them great. The idea was to combine these ideas into a different kind of hotel brand.
Archipelago International is that brand today. Founded in 1997, it has become South-east Asia’s largest privately owned hotel management company over two decades, guided by Brookfield, the chairperson, and Flood, the CEO. An idea sketched on paper has evolved into a business with US$6 billion (S$8.1 billion) in managed assets and 350 properties under management or ownership across 200 locations.
There are two keys to its success, according to Flood. First, Archipelago International emphasises the spirit of kaizen, a compound of two Japanese words that translate to “good change”. Popularised by Toyota, it embodies the idea of daily continuous improvement, even if it’s just by one percent.
Second, the organisation empowers its staff through listening, supporting, and creating opportunities for professional and personal development. “By prioritising the well-being and potential of the team, a leader cultivates a culture of excellence and collaboration, paving the way for sustained success and innovation,” says Flood.
This stable foundation has enabled Archipelago International to focus on the future and anticipate hospitality trends before they become mainstream. The journey has been tempestuous, rocked by unexpected waves such as Covid-19 and now, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). But while others saw these as calamities, Flood viewed them as opportunities to pivot. For example, the pandemic altered consumer behaviour irrevocably.
Touchscreens replaced traditional check-in counters and travellers craved high-end experiences and amenities that boasted comfort and exclusivity. The company had already envisioned this and coded a program called Powered By Archipelago during that period. The software helps users to streamline operations and personalise guest experiences, freeing staff to focus on the most important thing: meaningful interactions.
Flood says, “Our technology allows for efficient check-ins, personalised room settings, and tailored recommendations, making for a smoother, more customised stay. Inspired by Google’s user-friendly approach, we designed our hotel management system to be intuitive for staff while still offering advanced functionality. It’s about striking that perfect balance to elevate the overall hospitality experience.”
Powered By Archipelago has been a massive success. Within a brief period, the system has welcomed over 30,000 rooms on the network and Flood aims to reach half a million within the next decade. Now that the software has introduced AI-powered initiatives, he might achieve that goal much faster. Presently, Powered By Archipelago can predict volumes and trends with a greater degree of accuracy, allowing hotel operators to make better business decisions. So that operations can continue uninterrupted, it can even predict employee sick days.
Flood isn’t stopping there. He’s exploring chatbots for customer service, dynamic pricing strategies, and guest-specific recommendations as well. He never forgets the human behind the technology, however. Hospitality is ultimately powered by warmth and unforgettable experiences, not the icy embrace of code. “Our approach is about attention to detail and embracing local culture—a genuine reflection of Asian hospitality,” he says.
It’s also about distilling the same emotions he felt at the back of Dublin Airport watching those magnificent aluminium contraptions take flight all those years ago. Since then, he’s flown on many planes, but the feeling has never wavered. When the front wheels leave the tarmac, Flood remembers the days of ice cream and family. It’s magical.
