51. Josh Wyatt of Generator Hostels

How I Got Here - Inside stories behind innovation and startups in travel

The concept of upmarket hostel accommodation was, some argue, fairly alien in the youth travel sector until fairly recently.

Generator Hostels was a single-property brand in London, launched in the mid-1990s, but was considered the perfect place to try out a new approach to the sector when Josh Wyatt came onboard in 2007 with a pile of venture money.

The hostel was overhauled and reopened with, as he puts it, "design and experience" at the center.

Within a few years, the brand had expanded quickly to launch a string of facilities in a number of countries, indicating that the youth travel market had evolved and become more aware of the aesthetics of a stay, triggered in part by the self-conscious world of social media.

Wyatt continued with Generator until 2016, when he left to eventually launch the NeueHouse brand, where he is now CEO.

He joins us at the latest guest on How I Got Here, as we launch the third season of our podcast.

HIGH is a weekly show produced by PhocusWire and Mozio, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.

It's hosted by PhocusWire's editor in chief, Kevin May, and Mozio co-founder and CEO David Litwak.

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