Hospitality phenomenon Staycation has officially launched in London. After an immense five-year success in France, the revolutionary urban service is now set to take London by storm with unparalleled 24-hour exclusive experiences within nearby top London properties. Users can disconnect from everyday routine, discover neighbourhoods they wouldn’t otherwise visit, and achieve that holiday feeling without the hassle of travel or planning.
Staycation is a French start-up created in 2017, an app that allows leading luxury and boutique hotels to connect with a local community of over two million subscribers, and creates exceptional 24-hour experiences unique to each property.
With a collection of over 500 premium partners on the books – including world-class hotel groups and Parisian Palaces such as Le Bristol and Hôtel Lutetia by The Set Collection – Staycation quickly established itself as the leading business booster for their properties on Sundays. The quietest night of the week for hotels, saw average Paris occupancies rise from 40 per cent to over 80 per cent over the last couple of years.
Now officially launching on British soil in April 2022, Staycation will be the new thing to do in the city, and the latest growth driver for London properties, creating a brand new local market for hoteliers to revive an entire sector.
In partnership with acclaimed establishments – such as London landmark The Corinthia; east London’s best kept secret, The Stratford, the epitome of architectural hedonism; new hotspot Mondrian Shoreditch set in the iconic former Curtain members club plus nearby countryside retreats, Staycation will offer unrivalled experiences from Notting Hill to Mayfair to Hackney, and continues to appoint further esteemed properties each day.
The Staycation mechanism
All of the packages include an overnight stay, an indulgent breakfast for two and a one-of-a-kind moment as varied as they are surprising. Alongside spa escapes and late check-outs, experiences include a private chauffeured outing from the historic Venetian hotel Baglioni – an authority on Italian luxury in London – for the ultimate Rome-antic getaway living la dolce vita; and an unparalleled cocktail making at Covent Garden gem Henrietta Hotel by Experimental Group.
Other moments include a spot of afternoon tea under stained glass windows and gothic archways whilst donning a hotel robe within an Enchanted Room at Pimlico’s mythical Georgian House; and delights to be discovered at Notting Hill’s renowned The Portobello – the rumoured location of Kate Moss and Johnny Depp’s legendary Champagne bath, and the capital’s first boutique hotel.
For the local customer, the hotel becomes the destination. They naturally consume on average 30 per cent more within the property than the average voyager from further afield. Based on a philosophy of experience-led spontaneity, Staycation is the pioneer of the new definition of ‘retreat’. It is the start-up that revolutionises everyday city life, transforming any day into an affordable yet luxurious mini ‘off-the-grid’ getaway.
Staycation makes 24 hours seem like so much more, in the only destination that makes it feel different in your hometown – a hotel. Staycation offers Londoners the chance to fill those 24 hours with whatever they want – finding themselves, losing themselves, learning something or simply switching off with Netflix and room service in tow.
Whether it’s exploring a new London neighbourhood, opting for a hotel close to the office – for that short walk to work post truffle eggs on sourdough – or simply seeking an oasis a stone’s throw from home for a break from fast-paced life and vexing daily habits, Staycation will shake up the way Londoners ultimately live in London.
The app is the brainchild of friends Mathieu Ecollan, Mathieu Dugast and Kevin Hutchings, who had the idea whilst all working for the same company in summer 2017.
Mr Hutchings, Staycation co-founder, said: “It was mid-August and 40 degrees in Paris. We couldn’t take holidays and were craving a break. A hotelier friend mentioned that summer was actually the low season for city hotels. We thought it would be fantastic to enjoy all these empty rooms, their pools, their spas, and create a new form of mini-vacations for Parisians stuck in Paris.
“We launched the idea as a mailer with three hotel offerings and within the first few weeks had received 400 phone calls from people wanting to book. The next day we quit our jobs to launch Staycation.”
In recent times, there have been immense shifts within the worlds of business travel and tourism, and a new generation now champions different and eco-conscious travel habits. With Staycation’s virtuous model, hotels can finally be maximised for all that they are all year round, for couples, families, friends or individuals seeking 24 hours of disconnection. At last, Londoners can live London.
