If you live in Bordeaux, Nantes or Paris and want to get away from it all for a few hours without leaving your city, then staycation is for you. In 2017, as the summer is almost scorching in Paris, a trio of friends talk to a Parisian hotelier, who explains that her establishment is empty at this time, especially on Sundays.
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"Hotels have always relied on a business and a tourist clientele. Our desire was to create a third clientele, a local clientele that passes by these places every day," explains Kévin Hutchings, one of the members of the trio that co-founded the young start-up Staycation.
Staycation: what is it?
It was in July 2017 that the platform was launched by the three friends: its name simply takes the neologism "staycation", derived from the contraction of two English words: "stay", which means "to stay", and "vacation", which means "holiday".
"The idea is to create an additional experience, to attract a tourist who would never have come," says Kévin Hutchings. He recalls that before, the hotel was a "crossroads", a place frequented in the heart of cities to go for a drink or a haircut. " It has become a supplier of rooms," he says. In contrast, "Staycation is not hotel business, it's a moment, during which the hotel becomes a destination in itself," he explains.
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24 hours in a hotel to rediscover your home town
In concrete terms, Staycation allows you to enjoy an overnight stay and breakfast in a partner hotel, which offers either an unusual theme (hotel with an ice bar, themed rooms, etc.), or a special experience - a mixology workshop, a cooking or yoga class or even private access to a swimming pool or spa. It's even a little more than an overnight stay, as arrival and departure times have been extended.
A "change of scenery programme" is also provided, so that a Parisian can really go and spend 24 hours "elsewhere": a Parisian can thus go and spend 24 hours in Montmartre, Saint-Germain-des-Prés or even discover the old industrial estates transformed into artists' studios in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.
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For each overnight stay, an address book is indeed suggested to guests, as well as activities customised by the hotel and Staycation. "For example, we have devised an experience called 'Night at the Museum' with access to certain museums at night included in the package, such as the Palais de Tokyo or the Musée d'Orsay," explains Kévin Hutchings. The idea is to keep an eye on things and to find the sparkle and freshness in what we know by heart," says the entrepreneur.
In which cities can Staycation be used?
In all, there are currently 650 hotels listed on the platform, for a total of 800 experiences in and around many French cities: Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Strasbourg and the Riviera region, from Marseille to Monaco via Nice and Cannes. Recently, the platform has arrived in London. " The aim is not to get Parisians to travel to Bordeaux or people from Bordeaux to Paris, it's to stay in your own city," insists the co-founder of Staycation.
"With Staycation, we want to show that what's cool is not leaving, it's staying" - Kévin Hutchings, co-founder of Staycation
"The idea is to cover all the major cities in France and to establish ourselves in all the major capitals of the world," says Kévin Hutchings. The next cities to see Staycation arrive? Lille and Toulouse in France, Madrid in Europe, and New York in the United States.
Which hotels are available on Staycation?
The partner hotels are mostly 4 and 5 star hotels, or even palaces. "We've opted for the top end of the market because clients are all the more demanding the more they live there. The hotel has to have an asperity, be inspiring, as well as being comfortable and having a great team", says Kévin Hutchings.
The geographical areas are quite extensive: take the case of the capital, for example, where we will find hotels located within the city limits, in the Greater Paris area, and then in what Kévin Hutchings calls the "Greater Paris" area. We are talking about green offers accessible within 30 minutes of public transport, but also spots where you can go by bike. Finally, Normandy is part of the "Paris club", as it is a popular destination for Parisian customers.
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Then comes the Staycation "touch", which consists of offering ad hoc experiences within these exceptional places. Via the platform, you can, for example, have a meal prepared by a Michelin-starred chef delivered to your room as room service, or treat yourself to a wellness break in a room with a bathtub thanks to a treatment kit developed with the "clean" cosmetics brand Oh my cream.
Who is Staycation aimed at?
The average age of Staycation customers is 31, with Kévin Hutchings suggesting a range between 20 and 40. " We find students who want to celebrate their graduation as well as couples who are about to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary, but most often we come across young urbanites without children who want to get together and have some time to themselves," the co-founder tells us.
How to book on Staycation, and how much does it cost?
To book your Staycation "experience", all you have to do is log on to the site every Wednesday at 9am to discover the offers for the coming weekend. Depending on the establishment, there are prices to suit all budgets: the cheapest night is €79, while the most expensive night can be as much as €1,500, for an experience in a prestigious palace.
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Thanks to this "last minute" practice, the prices are indeed rather advantageous. "Instead of losing the room, the hotelier has a new clientele that would never have come otherwise, and local customers will be able to recommend the address to foreign visitors afterwards," justifies Kévin Hutchings.
According to him, the concept is a double win for hoteliers, as food and beverage consumption is 30% higher for a Staycation customer than for a regular customer. " This can be explained by the fact that for the Staycation customer, the hotel is THE destination," he says.
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