Otherwander Soho, the newly opened 566-pod hotel in central London, has selected Apaleo, the API-first property management platform, to power its fully digitised guest journey and highly streamlined operating model.
Opened on 1 June 2026 at 92 Dean Street in the heart of Soho, Otherwander Soho has built its technology ecosystem around interoperability, automation and real-time data flow. Rather than placing the property management system (PMS) at the centre of operations, the hotel has adopted a middleware-led architecture in which systems connect through open APIs and data moves across the business in real time.
Within that architecture, Apaleo’s open platform provides the inventory and guest data layer, helping Otherwander centralise key operational data while giving the brand the flexibility and interoperability to build, adapt and scale its fully digital operating model over time.
Using a fully digital guest journey, Otherwander Soho combines sleep-only single and double pods with premium shared facilities, creating a compact, design-led stay for modern urban travellers. Guests check in online and access both the building and their pod using a QR-enabled Wanderpass stored in their mobile wallet, removing the need for a traditional reception desk and creating a frictionless journey from arrival to departure.
The decision to work with Apaleo resulted from a four-and-a-half-year technology evaluation process that included traditional hospitality platforms, all-in-one technology suites and alternative architectural models.
Otherwander Soho selected Apaleo because its API-first architecture is best aligned with the company’s middleware-led strategy, providing full flexibility to support custom development, create a fully digital guest journey and continuously evolve the technology ecosystem over time.
Apaleo’s collaborative approach made it a true growth partner for Otherwander’s innovation-led greenfield project. Inspired by airlines and e-commerce, Otherwander Soho has created a hospitality model built around how people travel today, prioritising efficiency, flexibility and convenience. Designed with future growth in mind, its unique architecture gives the brand the flexibility to evolve its technology ecosystem and scale the concept into new locations over time.
The project also reflects a wider industry shift away from rigid legacy systems towards open, interoperable ecosystems that support continuous innovation.
Ulrich Pillau, CEO and Founder of Apaleo, said: “What’s particularly interesting about Otherwander Soho is that they evaluated technology through the lens of the operating model they wanted to create. They prioritised openness, interoperability and flexibility because they understood that innovation doesn’t come from a single system. It comes from creating an ecosystem where data, applications and workflows can work together. As hospitality becomes increasingly automated and AI-driven, we’re seeing more hospitality brands adopt this approach. I would also like to congratulate the entire Otherwander team on bringing such a fantastic concept to life.”
Sophie Hartley, Director of Technology & Digital Strategy at Otherwander Soho, said: “From the outset, we knew we wanted to create a fully digitised customer journey, but we also wanted a middleware-led architecture where the PMS became part of the ecosystem rather than the centre of it.
Apaleo’s open APIs were critical because they allowed us to connect systems, centralise data and build a technology ecosystem that can continue to evolve.
“Beyond the technology itself, we found a true partner in Apaleo. Their openness, flexibility and willingness to listen and collaborate made it possible to build the architecture we had envisioned from day one.”
Fredrik Korallus, CEO of Otherwander Soho, said: “From the beginning, our objective wasn’t simply to do something different. It was to simplify. We wanted to remove friction from the guest journey and eliminate complexity from hotel operations. Too often, hospitality relies on disconnected systems, fragmented data and processes that create unnecessary work for teams and unnecessary frustration for guests. We needed technology partners that shared our vision for a more connected, intuitive way of operating, and Apaleo helped us turn that vision into reality.”
Tags: Ulrich Pillau, Apaleo Sophie Hartley, Soho
