Featured in Dontt: The Story Behind Opally

Featured in Dontt Magazine

We're excited to share that Opally was recently featured in Dontt, a leading Danish magazine covering entrepreneurship, culture, and innovation. The article tells the story of how Opally came to life — from the first line of code written in Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to helping hotels across Denmark save hours every week.

The interview with founder Gustav Søgård dives into the motivation behind Opally, the rapid development process, and the vision for using technology to create better, more human jobs in hospitality.

From Idea to Implementation in 9 Days

The idea for Opally wasn't born in a meeting room or innovation program. It emerged from watching hotel receptionists spend hours answering the same email questions over and over again. Gustav saw an opportunity to build something that could help.

On July 8, 2025, returning from a Y Combinator meetup in Paris, Gustav opened his laptop in the airport gate and wrote the first line of code. Just 9 days later, on July 17, Stammershalle Badehotel on Bornholm was using the first version of Opally.

The philosophy was clear from day one: get the product into the real world as quickly as possible and learn from actual usage. That tight feedback loop between code and receptionists has been essential to Opally's development.

Technology That Creates Better Jobs

Gustav's mission with Opally is clear: "We shouldn't remove receptionists; we should remove screen time so they can focus on hospitality and the guests standing right in front of them."

In a time when AI and technology are racing forward, the counterreaction will be humans wanting fewer things and more time together physically. Opally supports the hospitality industry in that development — using technology to create better, more human jobs rather than eliminating them.

Today, around 12 hotels use Opally, with more joining every week. Each one is saving hours on email responses and redirecting that time toward what matters most: exceptional guest experiences.

Read the Full Story

The full interview with Gustav Søgård is available on Dontt.dk, where he shares insights on building products, bridging technology and business, and his advice for young entrepreneurs: "Learn to code. It's the best way to get an idea out of your head and into reality."